Thanks to XKunoichiofthePaintbrushX for pointing out the typo.
Chapter 77: Pieces of life
A half-dressed Shouhei went down to the kitchen to find Miki already preparing the table for breakfast for one. He walked behind her intending to catch her off guard but she turned around.
"Good," she said. "You have a lot of time to eat breakfast without wolfing it down." Even if she didn't feel like getting up due to her pregnancy, she wanted her husband to have a decent meal before leaving for a two-week mission. That was what her chichiue was doing for her otousan and for them.
She let her partner donned on his black sleeveless shirt before holding her cup of milk against his lips.
Not wanting to hurt the emotionally-sensitive blonde, he took a gulp while enjoying the ample view of her cleavage courtesy of her loose yukata. He pulled her into his arms before kissing her left temple. "You think you'd be okay without me?"
"I'm a kunoichi."
"A pregnant one," he added as he laid a hand against her stomach. She was already five months pregnant but her belly wasn't bulging much.
"Don't worry. Aunt Hinata is here and so is okaasan," she reassured almost stumbling with the last word. Three months hadn't yet made her get used to it. 'Okaasan' was a word foreign to her mouth until after she got married. It felt awkward albeit affectionately warm.
"I'm more worried how our house will look like when I get home," he confessed lightly. Three months ago, Miki was not only taken from the active list but was also relieved from her hospital work until childbirth. A pouting Miki had accepted it gracefully and had enjoyed the vacation until a week later when boredom and restlessness became her. She changed the curtains and bed sheets every single day. Once every three days, she rearranged the house and changed the scenery of their garden. It was when she attempted to repaint the wall that made Shouhei beseeched Tsunade and the hokage to allow Miki to work because she was putting herself and their baby at risk by trying to fight off boredom. He pleaded pathetically and was close to bowing ninety degrees just to have their permission. Much to his relief, the two agreed. She was still one of Konoha's non-active ninjas and she still wasn't allowed to work in the hospital for her health but she was given a documentation job at the research department. To Miki, it was boring but it was better than spending most of her time at home.
Miki chuckled. "You should start worrying two months from now." Because two months from now, she'd be relieved from work and this time there won't be anything to change the minds of two blond top brasses.
"Miki," Shouhei murmured gruffly, truly dreading that time. He wondered if their uncle Kiba could issue an order to each home furnishing and gardening stores forbidding them from selling any of their goods to his wife.
-SasuNaru is love-
"You've got a visitor," a trainee told Miki just when she was about to enter the staff room for lunch break.
She thanked the lad before walking outside. She waved at her otousan who was lazily leaning against a wall and smiled when he held a bag of what she knew to be roasted chestnuts judging by the scent coming from it. Yummy.
Sasuke sat down near Miki as the two spent the latter's lunch break at the building's rooftop.
He smiled as his daughter let out a pleased moan the moment she popped one nut into her mouth.
"Heaven," she breathed before she continued cracking the shell one after another. She had to admit, cracking the shell was more fun than eating the nut and it was something that Sasuke noticed.
"Y'know when your chichiue was pregnant with Yuuzuki, he enjoyed slicing yokan more than eating it," the Uchiha leader said. That was his worst ordeal with a pregnant Naruto.
"And I thought you don't like sweets," the blonde commented assuming he was usually the one who ended up eating.
"It was better than dealing with a crying temperamental blonde."
"I'm so going to tell this to chichiue."
She laughed as her father glared at her.
After a moment of silence, Sasuke stared at the sky and sighed. "You're so impatient aren't you, Miki?"
"Eh?"
"You do a lot of things too early. You came out from chichiue's womb one month early. You wear sexy clothes way too early. You dated early. You married early. You..." he trailed off but trained his eyes on her belly. "It's a bit amusing and a hell lot frustrating and annoying."
Miki just chuckled. "I'll try to take my time next time, okay?"
Sasuke rolled his eyes.
-SasuNaru is love-
Like a boulder, dead silence settled heavily in the room where the eleven new hunter-nins were gathered as the door slid open and a lanky man walked in.
"Shougo," he said as he stand in front of the desk and leaned his butt against it. His first name was what made up his self-introductory. There was no need for these greenhorns to know that he was one of the best hunter-nins to grace Konoha, no the world. Let them find it out for themselves because it was better that way.
"Okay, settle down," he continued. His voice was now as sharp as the cracking sound of a whip. He didn't like it when the newbies emanated excitement as if they were going to have a field trip. Their job was no field trip nor was it a game. It was more than a cat and mouse or prey and predator. Sometimes it was them who were on the run... who were hunted. Among groups of active ninjas, the hunter-nins were the ones who knew about survival the most. After all they spent most of their service time outside the village and into the wilderness where not only rogue ninjas exist but bandits and animals as well.
He let his grey eyes swept past them quickly counting those who passed. Twelve... twelve out forty-three applicants… He thought the screening wasn't bad but if there were this many who qualified then it needed to be improved.
"Listen up! You aren't Konoha's hands and feet. It's the genins, chuunins and jounins. You aren't Konoha's shadows. It's the ANBU. What you are... you are Konoha's hand of justice... its shinigami."
Kisho silently repeated the term, letting it roll from his tongue syllable after syllable then smiled. It was cool and beautiful in a very dangerous way and he liked it.
"All those who defected from the village must be killed. Regardless of what the missing-nin is to you, you must kill them. This is the nature of our work. You're trained to pursue obstinately and kill efficiently." Stripping the glory and all the niceties glazing over the job, the hunter-nins were nothing more than stone-cold slayers. They were worse than ANBU and Shougo didn't want the twelve to think otherwise.
"What we have is just a compilation of the traitors' profiles we called bingo book..."
"I heard from my brother that every four months that book is updated," the boy on Kisho's left whispered to him.
"Really?" Kisho whispered back. He looked at the book being held by Shougo before saying softly, "I should get my profile printed in that book."
The ash-black-haired boy gave him a revolting look.
"Kidding." But silently, he thought it would be fun to be hunted.
"Hunter-nins are classified into three groups- pros, experts and masters." Shougo nodded when it was obvious the newbies knew what group they belong. Yes, they were pros if they had passed the training with flying colors. "Duration outside the village as well as jurisdiction is determined by this grouping. Masters could stay away from the village as long as fifteen months..."
"Then I want to be a master very soon," Kisho muttered.
"Me too," his seatmate stated.
"But I want to be best among the masters."
"You dream too much."
"No, I dream too little."
The ash-black-haired boy snorted.
"...Evaluations are done annually through the reports sent by hunter-nins so coming home for evaluation isn't necessary."
"Good," the boy murmured. "It won't get in the way. But writing reports is a hassle."
"You have to if you want to be promoted. It couldn't be that bad. Just think about promotions."
Shougo really tried. He really did but he could no longer ignore the two boys who were whispering while he talked. Without any warning he threw two senbons to their direction. The long needles pierced into the table surface and slightly trembled at the force of impact.
"Don't speak when you're not being asked to," Shougo snapped, his eyes hard.
"I know," Kisho replied too cheekily for the Hunter-nin master. "But an acquaintance had spoken to me."
A split second later, Shougo was beside Kisho with a senbon digging into the boy's neck, immobilizing his jaw. "This is what happened to cheeky fellows who dared to cross against any masters," he announced to the rest.
"I see," a voice from his left said making him look to that direction. He was shocked to find Kisho crouching on another table and looking like he learned something very valuable.
He snapped his gaze downward and realized his victim was the ash-black-haired boy. When did Kisho use the switching technique without him noticing it? He wondered.
"I should be careful then, right?" Kisho said, looking at him with a cheerful smile, transforming his eyes into inverted U.
Between amusement and irritation, there were two words that kept on echoing in his mind as he maid his way back to the table:
Arrogant rookie.
-SasuNaru is love-
The branch rattled slightly as the black blur speeding through the forest landed on it.
Kisho believed that he was on time and his partner wasn't. Partner? No, his trainer. Like any newbie, he'd be tagging along with someone from the experts or masters for the next five months for evaluation of whether he would work alone or with a partner. He wished it would be the former because- just because.
He took his porcelain mask and gazed at it.
Mask, meet my face. Face, meet mask. Please be good with each other, okay?
He chuckled at his thoughts. Being away from the village always made him feel light. There were no prying eyes of curious villagers or sharp gazes of his critics. He was free... temporarily but who cares?
"Sorry to make you wait, er..."
"Kisho. Uchiha, Kisho," the boy said as he straightened and turned around to regard his part- trainer. The man was wearing a mask with designs similar to his except that his was painted with deep bloody-red - the color of death, crime and brutality. And then it dawned on Kisho that the older man was one of the masters.
Perfect.
-SasuNaru is love-
At the sound of Chie's soft chuckle, Akemi shot her a soft glare. The two were walking along one of the busy streets in Konoha after watching a movie.
"Do I detect a note of jealousy?" she teasingly asked.
"As if I'd be jealous of some actor," he retorted while rolling his eyes.
"Drop-dead gorgeous and very talented actor," she added causing her boyfriend to glare at her again.
But her amusement died a sudden death when Akemi scowled ahead of them. She followed his gaze and saw his pregnant sister. She slightly frowned but for a reason different from her date's.
Akemi was irked. At Miki's fragile state, shouldn't there be a Hyuuga member accompanying her? Unless his sister had sneak out or something.
He apologetically looked at Chie. "I have to go." That was all he said. There was no apology or explanation and he didn't wait for her reply either.
Chie was lucky enough that they were beside the Yamanaka's flower shop. At least, it didn't look like she had been abandoned without hesitation.
She watched as Akemi confronted Miki calmly. But judging by the blonde's reaction, his tone must have been cold and his words sharp. Then the lad listened as Miki spoke rapidly accompanied with quick hand movements. Akemi glared and so did Miki. A second later, the former sighed, picked up the shopping bags, grab Miki's hand to walk her home.
Chie bit the inside of her mouth, completely frustrated that Akemi hadn't even looked back. He had just left with her completely forgotten.
Ouch.
"Want to have coffee with me?" she heard someone asked cheerfully.
Yukina.
Chie nodded much to Yukina's relief. She had spotted the two while paying for her groceries and reflecting on the girl's expression she knew what Chie was feeling- jealousy.
As far as she could remember, there was nobody who pampered or showered her with affection. Her family saw her as a trouble and nuisance while the villagers saw her as their amusement. That was until Akemi. From his subtle gestures and soft gazes alone, she felt love; felt she was important and needed and more importantly the only one who existed in his world. Well, that was until Miki stepped in and she, Chie, would fade into blurry shadows.
Yukina waited for the waitress to serve their order and leave before she said anything.
"For a long time, there was no girl in the Uchiha aside from Miki," Yukina started. "She was the only they could focus their attention and protectiveness. Obviously, Miki takes the first priority in most cases."
"I know," the florist replied weakly.
"But that doesn't mean you aren't special to Akemi-kun."
"Just not as special as Miki," she replied bitterly.
"Of course not, because she is his sister. The one and only. Listen," she paused to grab her hands wanting her to understand. "Never question Akemi's feelings for you nor make him choose between you and Miki." Yukina knew Akemi enough to understand that the latter see things as black or white. There were never grey areas and compromise was something he rarely exercised even in a life-threatening situation. So if he were to choose between her and Miki he would choose the latter even if it would hurt him.
"Why not?" Why did Yukina look quite fearful?
"It will ruin what you have and it would be beyond repair."
Yukina talked as if-
Chie's eyes widened. "Don't tell me you..."
"I did. I almost ruined us because I wanted to have all of him. And people comparing me to her added fuel to my insecurity."
Chie knew of that feeling too well because she was a victim of comparison too. She had the lineage befitting for an elite ninja clan but she lacked the skills while Yukina lacked the former. Miki, on the other hand, had both making her a desirable bride before she got married. It was also because of these that all Hyuuga members warmly welcomed and respectfully treated her.
"But I'm used to them by now so I'm not affected," Yukina said. Then with a smile for a kindred spirit she added, "Try to last long."
Chie nodded and promised to herself that she would try to understand what Akemi and Miki had.
Because I love you so.
-SasuNaru is love-
A woman stood triumphantly in front of a dead ninja.
"This proves that my sword technique is more superior compared to your ninja techniques. Even an Uchiha is no match against me."
She looked at the bloody corpse, blinked then frowned when she was gazing into red eyes. Huh? Hadn't she killed the Uchiha heir by stabbing his nine vital points?
Yuuzuki smirked. "Unfortunately, I can't let such illusion come true," he said in a dangerously calm voice.
"It's me who should decide that," she said as she lunged forward to attack. She scowled as the ANBU captain easily caught her sword with his hand.
Yuuzuki arched an eyebrow. With a smooth swing of his arm, he beheaded the woman too quickly without flinching.
I didn't live to be killed by weak opponents like you.
-SasuNaru is love-
"No, Haruo, don't touch that!" Iruka shrieked for the nth time since his three grandsons came to spend their afternoon.
Kakashi sighed. He was half-annoyed and half-amused at his spouse's being overprotective.
"Relax, Iruka. Let him touch those shuriken and kunai. Let him feel the weight of his future," he said lazily.
"He's too young. He might cut himself."
"It's part of the learning process." He gasped as his pointer finger got playfully bitten by Yuuhi. Iruka, who was about to bite Kakashi's head off smiled approvingly. He deserved that.
"Oops," they heard Haruo exclaimed. They whipped their heads and their eyes widened to see an activated exploding tag in the boy's hands.
"I didn't do anything," Haruo said defensively while holding the evidence of his crime.
"Throw that away!" was Iruka's reaction then remembered they were in his house and in a condominium complex. "No! Don't!" he ordered when Haruo was about to do as he said.
Akihito who had been sleeping woke up and trained his eyes on the scene.
"Leave it there, Haruo," a very calm Kakashi said as he stood up.
"Are you crazy?" a panicking Iruka asked then he fell quiet as he saw the calculating look on his husband's face. Kakashi was in control. Definitely.
"Hurry, Haruo," Iruka ordered calmly, thanks to Kakashi. Beside him, the latter peeled his hitaeate to reveal his sharingan. Without waiting for the tag to explode, Kakashi sent it to another dimension.
Thinking it was a show, Yuuhi clapped his hands for a wonderful performance. Akihito who was waiting for more magic, cried when it was obvious that the show was over.
"You need a time-out," Iruka told a very silent Haruo who nodded and quietly sat on a chair closest to the wall. The older brunette sighed then approached Akihito to calm him down.
"More," Yuuhi asked as Kakashi went back to sit beside him.
The older man just smiled and shook his head. He chuckled when the boy sat on lap and started pulling the cloth covering his eye.
In the end, the two ended up wrestling on a two-seater couch.
-SasuNaru is love-
Sasuke watched almost impatiently as Naruto, Konohamaru, Shizune and Sakura were in a heated discussion. He had just came home from his solo mission and immediately reported to the hokage tower only to find out the hokage was in the middle of discussion about some medical stuff completely ignoring him. There was even no nod of acknowledgement thrown to his direction. He was completely ignored. No, not completely. Sakura had bowed out from the discussion after making her point and looked at Sasuke who nodded his head. The two kept eye contact for a brief silent conversation.
How are you?
Fine. I'll visit you in your office.
When?
After my debriefing.
Very well. Later then.
They tore their gazes from each other just in time for their hokage to conclude things.
Sakura then left together with Shizune without another glance to the ANBU captain.
"I'm going to check some records," Konohamaru said, quickly sweeping the things he would need in his arms. "I'll be in the record section if you need me." He slightly bowed to Sasuke as he passed by him then hurriedly close the door.
"Captain," Naruto started, his hands linked together.
"Not now," Sasuke replied as he reached to take Rokudaime's hat.
"And I thought you could last more than two months," the blonde replied teasingly while taking off Sasuke's chest plate.
"Seen too many couples." He pulled Naruto in his arms. Within a split second, the blonde melted in his kiss and embrace.
"I'm up for it. You?" Naruto asked between breathless kisses.
Sasuke snorted then chuckled. "Are you asking me? This Sasuke?" He pushed his spouse on the table but not the one in the hokage's. He had transferred them to the hokage's sleeping quarters. "I don't want us to be disturbed."
The shorter man rolled his eyes. Hadn't his spouse figure out why his secretary excused himself or why his ANBU guards brought ear plugs or anything to divert their attention?
In the middle of hot and passionate kisses, Naruto managed to maneuver Sasuke into his chair. He traced pale jaw with light kisses while his nimble hands made a quick work of the other man's shirt. He dipped his head and nibbled his collar bone.
"Naruto," Sasuke hissed as tanned hands seared his skin.
"Shh...," came the whispered reply between flicks of tongue trailing broad pale chest.
Sasuke gripped the arm rest as his right nipple was engulfed by expert hot mouth. He moaned as pleasure shot through him like a sudden jolt of chakra. He arched his body when the same heat worried over his other nipple. So focus was he with the tongue movements that he didn't know what Naruto was doing simultaneously until Naruto's mouth stop its sweet torture.
He looked down and gulped seeing Naruto holding his shaft in front of his mouth.
"And now my dearest captain, your reward for coming back early."
Sasuke felt his manhood jumped at the hot breath caressing it. A crude word exploded from him as his dobe took him in.
Naruto who never tore his gaze away from the dark-haired man mentally smiled at the reaction. He was proud to know it was only him who could coax such reaction from the bastard... his bastard. He spared no inch of the hardened flesh from his tongue and saliva. He tasted, licked and nibbled. He sucked its underside where he could feel a vein pulsating, pumping more blood to his lollipop. He took the length into his mouth again and hummed increasing the pleasure that was rocking his husband.
Sasuke let out a deep moan, his hands lightly gripping Naruto's head. "More," he ordered breathlessly. Naruto was getting better and better to the point that it was maddening. He pulled his spouse's head closer and spread his legs wider hanging it over the arm rests.
The blonde leaned more, greedily working on the hard flesh. He could feel the coarse dark hair brushing against his face but he didn't mind. He was into giving pleasure just as Sasuke was into receiving it. He like the feeling of Sasuke's length twitching and hardening inside him whether it was in his mouth or somewhere down below. He loved its texture. He was close to obsessing about it and it was all Sasuke's fault.
"Naruto, I-"
The blonde traced the slit with its tongue just as Sasuke came with a deep shuddering sigh, splattering his essence on tanned face.
Sasuke looked down to see an arousing sight. He smiled before licking his semen from soft lips before pressing his own against it. Their tongues dueled, danced and twirled around each other and tracing familiar terrain. He pressed closer and plunged his tongue deeper. He wanted more of the sweetness dripping from such cavern.
Naruto broke from their liplock, stepped back and slipped his robe. Under smoldering gaze, he felt flirtatious and bold that he started undressing slowly, giving the Uchiha leader a very drooling show.
Sasuke's breath hitched while his heart stopped beating for a moment. He gulped as he felt his body close to overheating and it wasn't because of summer heat. Mesmerized and close to hyperventilating, he watched the blonde sat on the table, spread his legs and perched the balls of his feet on the edge of his table. His manhood snapped to attention seeing his erect partner and the entrance to his treasure cove.
Naruto's skin tingled at the increase of intensity of the other man's gaze. He could feel it as it left a burning trail and he traced the path with a trembling hand. He hissed as he touched his own shaft. Unable to stop, he ran his hand along his length wanting to find pleasure... wanting more. He let few fingers of his other hand brushed against his tip coating them with his precum before making its sticky and wet path to his opening.
"Fuck, Naruto," Sasuke breathed as he saw one finger after another slid into that puckered and wet hole.
"Sasuke," the blonde breathed hotly imagining it was his spouse that was touching him.
Trespassing, Sasuke thought jealousy seeing those three fingers slipping in and out. Definitely trespassing of his property legalized by marriage and love.
"Enough!" Sasuke hissed as he moved to the table, quickly steadying those fingers.
"Then come inside," Naruto said in a whispered seduction that made the Uchiha heady with sweet temptation. If that wasn't enough, the blonde gave him a slow erotic smile and pulled his long fingers into him making the dark-haired man moan.
Trying to hold onto his remaining shreds of control, he said, "Enough, Na... ru... to." He panted in excitement as he positioned himself and desperately sunk into the tight burning heat that was Naruto's body.
Tanned arms and legs wrapped themselves around pale body like hungry snakes.
"Welcome home, Sasuke," Naruto moaned and tightened his muscles around his spouse's heated length. He mewled as his nerve of spot was rammed over and over again, the intoxicating pleasure rocketing everywhere in him. It didn't matter that they were rocking the table with their maddening pace as long as they had each other; as long as Sasuke was inside him moving and claiming him.
"Nngh... hnn... Naruto, you're so...," Sasuke murmured incoherently as he plunged inside over and over again. This was his heaven on Earth; his insanity amidst madness; his redemption and his sanctuary.
Faster and as one, they moved rapidly, closing in on their target.
Naruto tumbled ahead, spraying their chest with his own white fluid.
"Faster, Sas-keh," he commanded as he felt another wave of orgasm rising behind him, ready to crash. "Deeper, love." He snapped his hips forward, meeting powerful and deep thrusts, sheathing his husband completely and greedily.
Sasuke obeyed wordlessly until he was almost tearing his dobe apart. He was riding him ruthlessly and pounding into him callously. But who cares? Reason was gone and control had evaporated. There was just an animalistic instinct left governing his whole system to plunder all that the needy body beneath him could offer.
The tang of completion was so good even if it was just a droplet of taste. It was intoxicating and he worked to have more. And more he had as wave after wave of orgasm slammed against him. Almost deaf with the intensity of his reward, he faintly heard Naruto moaned his name as he came again.
A moment later, the two regained awareness.
"I'm home, dobe," Sasuke whispered soft, his lips brushing against a sweaty temple.
"Well then, captain, let's begin your overdue debriefing," Naruto teasingly and affectionately ordered.
An elegant black eyebrow rose. "Like this?"
For a brief second, the blonde paused to reconsider. Their chests were still semen-stained and Sasuke's essence had begun leaking through and they were still intimately connected as one. Not to mention alone and on the table.
With mischief glinting in his eyes, he grinned. "Yes, like this."
-SasuNaru is love-
A medic-nin didn't react nor comment when Sakura's speed in firing instructions picked up in an instant without warning. But he couldn't blame the pink-haired kunoichi as she was known to be busy always.
"That's all. You got that?" she asked, her emerald eyes sharp.
He nodded after seeing the promise of pain glinting from those eyes.
The woman nodded. "You're dismissed."
The second the door was closed, Sasuke appeared but he was still masking his chakra signature.
"Took you long," she said.
"Debriefing went longer than I expected," Sasuke lied calmly, "then I went home to take a shower." After all, he didn't want to be reeking with sex when he would visit the kunoichi.
"Sasuke, I..." she faltered. "Naruto-"
"Forget Naruto. Let's do this," Sasuke almost ordered. "It's too late to back out now, Sakura. Seven months, we've been doing this... we've been keeping this secret."
"I know that."
"Then?"
Guilt vanished from her face and she moved closer to the Uchiha leader.
I'm sorry, Naruto.
TBC
What secret is Sasuke keeping? And with Sakura?