Sasuke stood face to face with Danzō. They were silent, standing in the middle of a field, hair flying slightly from the wind.
Sasuke still had withheld the information that he hadn't awaken his Kekki Genkai. Danzō was completely in the dark about on the subject and Sasuke dreaded even the thought of breaking it down to the older man. Maybe he could occupy him with his other skills?
"Sasuke."
Danzō was now nose to nose with Sasuke. So close Sasuke could briefly feel Danzō's breath on his face. It was hot.
And more than slightly disgusting.
Sasuke couldn't help but try and back away from the disabled man. He was to close for comfort.
Danzō immediately caught Sasuke's actions and gripped the child by the nape of his neck, pulling Sasuke closer. Danzō stared directly into Sasuke's eyes, a gleam in his eye.
"Sasuke, you lied to me." Sasuke distinguished this as not a question, but as a statement.
"How-how did you find out?" Sasuke hesitantly inquired.
Danzō's face twisted into something unpleasant. "Are you really that incompetent to believe I would have just chosen some random person off the street? I did my research on you Uchiha, but apparently, I overlooked the fact you haven't yet awakened your Sharingan yet, even though your ten-years-old. I presume I shouldn't assume things."
"I promise I were going to mention it to you, it's just-" Sasuke was cut off.
"I will hear no excuses. There is such a thing named integrity. As the clan heir, I would think you would have this trait." Danzō snarled.
Sasuke was temporarily aphonic.
"What a generous man I am, though I am not a forgiving one. I offer you my limitless amount of knowledge, limitless amount of skill, I offer it to a weakling, a child, who can't even throw a kunai straight." Danzō raged.
Sasuke had long been thrown to the ground in a fit of fury. The Uchiha had wanted to protest but couldn't find the courage to do so.
"And yet, you don't even have the fortitude to mention your lack of importance." Danzō made a sound of discontent and walked away.
"Go home, Uchiha-san." Danzō aped.
Nothing else was said.
Mikoto laid next to her husband, more worried than words could describe.
"Fugaku. Please Fugaku, wake up!" Mikoto's whispers weren't exactly whispers but she knew her voice wasn't loud enough to wake up her older son.
Fugaku groaned and turned to face his wife. "What is it, woman?" Fugaku questioned. The bags under his eyes screamed he didn't get much past an hour of sleep.
"It's Sasuke, I can't sense his chakra at all! I think-I think he's left the house." Mikoto informed her husband.
"Please Mikoto. You're rusty in your chakra sensing, I'm sure he's safe in bed."
Mikoto growled in annoyance. How could he not believe her? His wife? The fact she hadn't been a ninja in a few decades didn't matter. Just the thought of something bad happening to his son should have him running to Sasuke's room!
"Fugaku. Any mother, civilian or ninja, can sense when their child isn't safe. Sasuke isn't here."
"Just try and sense his chakra."
The father sighed and closed his eyes, searching for his son's chakra. Fugaku's yes's widened. He wasn't home.
Fugaku let out an agitated grunt as he forced his body to get out of bed.
The man started towards the door but stopped once he realized his wife wasn't following him. "Come. Let's go."
Mikoto rushed to follow her husband, feet causing the wood under them to creak.
The door to Sasuke's room opened slightly. An eye peeking through the opening. The parents let out a sigh of relief as they realized their child was safe and sound in bed.
The door closed.
Sasuke's eye slid open.
"What did I say?" Fugaku asked as he stared at his wife. But Mikoto refused to hold her head down in shame. She held her head high instead and admitted her mistake.
"I couldn't sense him."
"Because you were wrong."
"I couldn't sense him."
"Why did I listen to you? He is fine."
"I couldn't sense him. And you couldn't either. Don't pretend I'm the only one rusty." Mikoto insinuated.
"Tch. I should have never listened to an undereducated woman who can't even admit their own mistakes." Fugaku insulted.
"I am a completely cultivated woman, you should know! You married me for it." Mikoto stated.
Fugaku scoffed," I married you for your body and fertility. What else would be valuable from you?"
Mikoto's eyes watered. "You bastard."
"This is over. I have a meeting to attend to anyway, it turns out. At least one good thing came from you waking me up at an unearthly hour."
"Wait! I didn't-I don't want to argue anymore." Mikoto reached out to grab him but thought against it. Her fingers brushed against his briefly.
Fugaku paused, not because of his wife's touch. But because of her voice. Her desperation.
"When did we become this?" Mikoto was begging for an answer. "Where did it go wrong, when did we change."
"I wish I knew, love." Fugaku turned away from her.
Mikoto remembered. She remembered when everything was better. Ah, yes. When everything was okay. She remembered when Itachi was just born. Her holding her son in her arms as she cried and loud cry. She remembered her husband's face, as their son was suddenly his everything. When Kushina had been so angry that she wasn't able to be in the room. She remembered when Itachi tugged on her dress when he wanted to be lifted. When Sasuke was born and Itachi had the same look on his face as his father did when he was born.
Mikoto remembers when Sasuke was small. And when his chubby fingers latched onto her black strands when she would carry him in her arms. She remembered Sasuke would sneak a tomato out of the kitchen when he thought she wasn't looking. When he used to tell his father about his adventures with Naruto, and he'd smile. Her little Sasuke's smile, oh, how she missed it. He would glow, and it would be so big; would he ever be able to smile a real smile again?
Fugaku. Mikoto remembered the real Fugaku. She could hear his voice in her ear, feel his fingers in her hand, taste the herbal tea in his mouth. She remembered when he was still courting her, and how he introduced her to every single person in the Uchiha Police Force, so very proudly. She could remember when she broke down his walls (she doesn't know how to anymore), and he would clutch onto her, hold her as if his life depended on it (he doesn't do that anymore). How when either one of them was stressed he would comb his fingers through her hair and braid it.
She remembered-oh she remembered when they used to make love. His touch and stares and-what wonderful things came from their love.
Mikoto looked up. Fugaku was gone, their conversation now another memory burned into her skull.
And it was at this time, as Mikoto sat on her knees, her hair covering her face, hands laying lamely at her sides, as she remembered the memories that she never had to remember before, that she realized everything she was remembering were just that. Memories. The places, feelings, people.
Sasuke. A memory. Itachi. A memory. Fugaku, Kushina, Minato-all memories.
Mikoto was left alone with only memories.
Or rather, the Mikoto she knows as herself, is also only a memory too.
In the morning…
Sasuke never went to sleep. He couldn't get his eyes to shut. His parents checking up on him was a close call. I really need to be more discrete if I'm going to be sneaking out to meet Shimura-san. Sasuke thought.
Would he even be seeing the man anymore?
Yes.
He will.
Sasuke slowly slid out from under the covers. Time to go the academy. Sasuke walked out of his room, he felt no need to change from earlier.
Sasuke made to the front door but stopped to write a quick note for whoever paused to read it.
Going to the academy
I'll stay out later than usual,
Sasuke
With that Sasuke taped the note to the front door and walked out of the house.
Sasuke always takes the backstreets because of fangirls (just the word made him shudder) and it was a good time to get some peace and quiet. Though, it's not like he doesn't get enough quiet at home.
Everything seemed fine.
Until pink hair was all he could see ahead. Sasuke quickly whipped his body around and tried to take another route but it was too late, she was in front of him, holding a bento box. "H-hi, Sasuke," Sakura stuttered, "This is for you. For lunch." "Hn." Sasuke acknowledged. He accepted the food.
"Do you mind if I walk to school with you?" Sakura tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and connected her hands in front her, swing back and forth on her toes.
Sasuke sighed and continued his original path. "Whatever." He responded.
Sakura blushed and rushed to walk shoulder to shoulder with him.
Sasuke said nothing, and Sakura found it incredibly awkward. "Oi! Sakura!"
A male's voice echoed through the streets. Sakura immediately hid behind Sasuke and groaned. "Oh no."
Naruto came racing towards them, jumping up and down happily. "Sakura! How are you? How was your day?" Naruto's face was an inch from Sakura.
"Naruto! You're so irritating! You're blocking my view of-!"
"Sasuke, you don't mind if I steal 'er for a minute, right?"
Sasuke smirked impishly as Naruto grasped Sakura's wrist and dragged her away from him. Sakura reached her free hand out for Sasuke.
"Wait one second!"
"Come on Sakura! You can tell me all about your day on the way to school, we'll walk together, ya 'know! Then, after school, maybe we could get some ramen together and go to the hot springs, I'll sneak into the girl's side, and then-!"
The conversation faded out as the duo got farther away. Sasuke sighed once again and continued his journey to the academy.
Sasuke shoved his hands in his pockets and realized, he couldn't wait for moments like these to happen more often.
Yo, like for real, I'm so sorry. Like, a lot of stuff was going on in my family and just, half the stuff on this chapter was deleted and I had to retype it all. Just, yeah, I think it's a little shorter than when I first wrote it but…Anyways! I know it was a lame ending but I really, just wanted to get this up, just pay attention to this chapter. It'll come in handy later. *wink* *wink*. Bub-bye!
Thanks so very much for reading, would say R&R but, you probably know that already so,
Love, R.A.
