Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
Author's Notes: Well, this story has become pretty cliché and I just want to finish it. Oo anyway, please read and review. This is the second to the last chapter… the last one will be Sasuke's POV.
REGRET
When he heard someone knocking on his door, he thought it was the Ramen delivery guy. He never, not in his in wildest dreams, thought that it would be Sasuke.
"Sa-Sasuke!!! I wasn't expecting you! W-why are you here?"
The very idea of Sasuke being on his doorstep was absurd. Sasuke never… never… visited anyone. Besides, Naruto assumed that his best friend would never be seen in living day light again. The guy did, after all, manage to stay a hermit in his own compound for the better part of a year. He just couldn't imagine why Sasuke would want to come out of hiding now.
"Itachi."
For a while, Naruto couldn't even find his voice. He wondered what Sasuke would want with Baby Itachi. Could it be that he… no… he wouldn't… would he? Naruto had gotten used to having Baby Itachi in the house. He even nicknamed him 'Tachi so that his name wouldn't be associated with the S-class criminal automatically. And without Baby 'Tachi around, would Hinata stop coming? Baby 'Tachi was like a son to him now…
"Well, Dobe?"
"What about him, Teme?"
"Isn't it obvious, I've come to take him back?"
"Why, after all this time, how-"
"I'm his father."
Sasuke was right, of course. But Naruto had his doubts. He had this deep sense of foreboding about giving little 'tachi to Sasuke. But Sasuke was the father, and Naruto had no right to deny him his son. He knew he would regret his decision…
----
All he cares about is training and surpassing his father. It's so annoying. Tou-san, when will he ever notice me? Kaa-san, how did you get Tou-san to notice you?
He never had a son. Hinata had given birth to a daughter who happened to be in the same cell as 'Tachi. They named her Hana and as fate had it, she just happened to be in love with someone who was the mirror image of Sasuke, both in looks and in attitude. Sometimes, she reminded him so much of Sakura that he had to wonder what would have happened had things been different. He wondered sometimes what would have happened if Sakura hadn't been too in love with Sasuke. Perhaps she would still be alive. Perhaps she wouldn't have suffered too much. Either way, she just hoped that Hana wouldn't turn out like her. Sakura was a wonderful person and all but she loved too much… and look where it got her. He wished Hana would choose her other teammate instead. That Nara boy seemed promising. He wished that Hana would have more common sense than Sakura did.
But when Hana came home crying one day because 'Tachi left the village and became a nukenin, he knew his wishes were futile… he thought of Sakura and how Hana was exactly like her. And he thought about Sasuke… he hated the guy… he ruined too many lives. No, he wasn't surprised at all that 'Tachi left.
Sighing, he got up from his chair, gave his daughter a quick hug and a few words of comfort, and walked out the door.
He knew he would regret his decision thirteen years ago… what he didn't know was the form his regret would take. It was no use wondering about it now. He'd find out in a matter of minutes, anyway.