Who Needs a Princess, When You Can Have a Queen?

Celestia193's Author's Note: Date and awkward father-son binding chapter ahead. Sweet, funny, and a little cringe-worthy at times, but I hope that you guys like it. And next chapter, the final day of the games begins.

Chapter 19

Never before had Erza thought it so necessary to confine Natsu and Gray to bar brawls. At least they didn't cause the sort of damage that happened at the water-park earlier. Disaster would be putting it mildly, and she was about ready to requip them both into her pocket dimension to hang out with a quarter of her wardrobe until they sorted out all of their damn tension! Honestly, such wanton destruction was unbecoming of Fairy Tail wizards.

And yet…it was completely expected. After all, they hadn't held the title of the strongest guild in Fiore for nothing.

Erza sits on the bar, surveying the room carefully as Natsu and Gray sit in a forceful timeout, courtesy of Makarov. Though the redhead was pretty sure that their master was about ready to bang their heads together and make them kiss already, because this was getting utterly ridiculous.

Not only that, but they had interrupted her time with Sasuke, which had irked her greatly. How he managed to be a charming man of Blue Pegasus, while still carrying those traces of the awkward young boy she knew back then was a mystery, but…one that she rather looked forward to unraveling. Well, if circumstances permitted. After all of the bad omens and tragedy in her life, she was still wary of falling so easily in love.

Not that it had been hard the first time. But maybe…it could be different now? Maybe…if she wished hard enough…the fairies might grant that wish. She sighs at the thought. "Maybe things will be different this time…"

While Erza was lost in her own internal musings, Sasuke had managed to travel the distance from his own inn, all the way to the Fairies. "Gray, put your clothes on." He shakes his head as he sees the ice stripper (whoops, he meant wizard) and Natsu going at it again. Or rather, trying to. It was a hard thing to do when being squished under Makarov's giant hands.

"I'm sorry about earlier." He makes his way over to Erza and smiles. "It was just chaotic with my family's return and these two idiots destroying the water-park." Understatement of the century. "So I was hoping that you'd want to go get something to eat with me before the last game starts tomorrow?"

Erza's thoughts had already screeched to a halt upon the appearance of Sasuke's voice. Seeing him standing there was something of a shock to the Queen. "Sasuke…I wasn't expecting to see you until we fought tomorrow." Strange. "You…want to go out for dinner?" Had she heard that right?"

Sasuke nods at that. "Yes, I thought it'd be better this way." He smirks at her. "This way, we can just enjoy each other's company without worrying about the other sulking over the results of the Game tomorrow." The implication was clear, Sasuke was still feeling cocky, but then again...what eighteen year old man wasn't cocky now and then?

"I see." Now that was an idea. "Very well." Erza smiles slyly. "I think that I could do with a break from the idiocy."

"Erza!" Makarov shoots Erza a significant look. "If you're going with the boy for the evening, be sure to remember Porlyusica's gift from your eighteenth birthday, I can wait for more great-grandchildren." Asuka was enough for him, for now.

"Porlyusica's gift?" Sasuke blinks in confusion, but then he twitches as it clicks. "I asked her to dinner not to bear my child. Besides, if we were trying to give Asuka a playmate, we'd both miss tomorrow's match."

Cana laughs at that as she takes another swig of her drink. "I guess his guild really did rub off on him." She pours herself another glass and makes a mock toast motion. "Stallions don't do quickies. At least that's what Ren claims and Sherry hasn't complained so yeah!"

Erza pats Sasuke shoulder, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, my family has a habit of blowing things far out of proportion."

"Aw…" Mira pouts at the two of them. "But just imagine how beautiful the babies would be!" She could imagine raven hair and brown eyes, lightly tanned skin, and a cheerful smile.

The redhead sighs. "My point, exactly." Mirajane was incorrigible, unapologetically so. If there was a couple to be found, she wanted to see babies. Erza drops her voice. "Perhaps if she had a few of her own, she would fuss less over the rest of us."

Cana laughs and shakes her head. "Well she's not really denying it, so I guess Mira can go baby crazy again." Just as long as her old man didn't. Damn. Her father really got around!

"Right. It's fine." Sasuke smiles at Erza. "Believe me, my guild and family can be just as outrageous. They just usually don't destroy public property or take off their clothes in the process." He takes her hand and glances at the door. "So is that a yes?"

Erza eyes the gesture curiously. It was very…Blue Pegasus. "That is a yes." And as long as it got her away from her guild mates right now, she would go…almost anywhere with him. Damn them!

Sasuke smiles more and leads her off. "Great. So were you still in the mood for cakes or did you wanna go somewhere specific?" It was a rhetorical question really . The day Erza didn't want her cakes, was the day that Sasuke would attack the person impersonating his Queen. She always wanted her cakes.

"You had me at cake." Though Erza's cheeks suddenly go as red as her hair once the two of them are out of sight of the bar. "And…about what you said…back there…"

"Cake it is." Sasuke smiles and then he realizes, he might have overdone it. "You can smack me, if you want." Yeah. His guild was rubbing off on him. "That doesn't make any of it less true. Don't worry about it though. I wouldn't assume that you wanted to go for an Asuka on our first official date." His guild may have rubbed off on him, but not THAT much.

"Ah, well…um…not that part." Goodness, how was she supposed to say this without sounding like a pervert. "When you said that if we were…we'd miss the games tomorrow…was there…any truth to that?"

"Erza, I'm from Blue Pegasus." The words were now pouring out of his mouth faster than his brain caught up to them. His pride was now talking. "And you're my Queen. That means you can ride me as long and as often as you want. I'm a ninja in addition to a wizard. So stamina isn't really a concern." Fuck. Now, he sounded like Shisui.

Well, now that sounded like a challenge. Enough so that the blush mostly fades from Erza's cheeks. It seems that he wasn't appalled by the question. Good. "Is that so? Then perhaps this Queen should attempt to tame the wild stallion before it races off to find wilder pastures."

He had expected to get slapped for that. Sasuke had actually been braced for it. "That's not necessary." So her response shocked him, honestly. Though he'd go with it. "For two reasons, one I doubt there are wilder pastures available because you're you. Second, you don't need to tame me. You already have my heart." Maybe, that was a little too sentimental. "So while your Bondage Armor looks great on you, no whips or anything of that nature are necessary." Yeah. That was probably better.

Erza's eyes widen, but she sighs and looks away from him, her lips curling in spite of herself. "That's a shame, I rather like that armor." But the sudden declaration unsettled her. "But be careful about giving your heart away. I know that you believe in first loves working out, but it's not always like that. You would be exceptionally lucky if it did." Unlike her.

"Well it does flatter you." Then again, so did everything else she wore. "I probably should have been more careful, but I was only twelve and I'm not that naive." He smiles at her. "I know that not every love story has a happy ending and whoever it was that got to you before me, I pity him. It's not different than entering the Games though." He caresses her cheek. "Not really."

"It's hard to imagine, but I've lost fights before." He rolls his eyes. "Mostly to my brother and cousin when I was little. That didn't stop me from entering the Games now though." Sasuke smiles at her. "If you're never willing to take a risk, you probably won't lose anything, but you won't really gain anything either."

Erza smiles sadly. "I am not afraid of risking my life, Sasuke. But my armor also shields my heart, and it's not easy to truly open it to others." Which, she didn't like, but it was a sad reality of her situation. "Risking my life is easy. Risking my heart is not."

He smiles and kisses her forehead. "Well you can't be that afraid or you didn't let your fear control you because you kissed back and you agreed to join me for dinner." Sasuke pauses. "Unless that's just your elaborate ploy to trick me into eating so much cake that I get fat and then you're planning to sick the Ice Stripper and Fire-Breath on me so you'll have an easier win tomorrow."

She was afraid, but she could let him believe otherwise. "No, I have no intention of getting you fat off cake. You're far more attractive now." And besides, no one deserved to have Natsu AND Gray going after them, not unless they were in a dark guild. And even then, she pitied their opponents.

"So you only want me for my body then?" He smirks as he wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. "Well I can live with that at least for now."

Chuckling at the bold move, Erza ruffles up his soft, spiky hair. "Now when did I ever say that?" He was such a cheeky, cocky one. It was…cute, really. And exciting, too.

"You implied it." She seemed to like his hair. He had thought it was just Erza's way of treating him like a child, but maybe the Queen just really had liked running her fingers through her lover's (or at least prospective lover's) hair. "I feel it's only fair to warn you, excessive giggling may result if any of the female members of my family see us together and the males will be worse than Makarov."

"Is that so?" Erza shakes her head. "I am an S-Class wizard, Sasuke, I think that I am more than capable of handling a few giggling or nosy family members." They couldn't possibly be worse than her own when they REALLY got going. The water-park incident was still rather…tame, compared to some of their antics.

He smirks at that. "You say that now only because you don't know them very well." Sasuke just hoped she was right about that.

"Really?" Erza couldn't see them as being that difficult to handle, not if one used the right…methods. "I suppose that I could requip into my Purgatory Armor and scare some sense into them. They would be the first to witness that armor and live to tell the tale, though."

"Purgatory Armor sounds a bit...excessive." He blinks at the name. "Anyway, let's go get some food before Natsu and Iron Mouth come out and steal it all." Sasuke laughs at the thought. Though he was only half joking.

"Indeed." Though she still thought that the Purgatory Armor might be a good idea. "Our dragon slayers have rather fearsome appetites." In fact, to feed them until every single one of them was full…would probably take an entire room of buffet tables.

He smiles and leads her off. "Yes, so I've noticed." Just happy that at least to some extent, while she was still a bit guarded around him...Erza seemed to return his feelings. (Though he wasn't particularly eager to see what she meant by Purgatory Armor).

It wasn't long before Erza's nose caught the scent of strawberry cake, the greatest creation in all of Earthland. "Oh…I smell cake…" It was something that she could just about moan over. In fact, she was pretty sure that's what she had her first orgasm over.

"Yes, I do too." He laughs and guides her towards her precious cake.


Dinner and dessert…a beautiful combination when topped off by a tenth whole cake disappearing into Erza's mouth by the time that 'dinner' was over. And, of course, she decided to cover her own costs, knowing full well that perhaps ten cakes was a little on the excessive side. Well, to anyone but her. "Well, that was a pleasant dinner, wasn't it?" She smiles at her date, feeling quite content, as her sweet tooth had been sated.

Sasuke honestly wasn't sure where she put it. "Very pleasant." Damn. She must train a lot or maybe, she just naturally had a fast metabolism. "You're probably going to still be in the middle of a sugar rush tomorrow though."

"Perhaps…or perhaps I'm simply always having a sugar rush." It was a possibility that she had contemplated before, and one that she had contemplated a similar idea for, regarding Natsu's seemingly boundless energy, coupled with his boundless appetite.

"Well if you ever need a fun way to work off your excess energy, let me know." He smirks as he kisses her hand. "I'm always happy to be of service to my Queen." Again, he blamed his guild but she hadn't slapped him yet. So it was probably alright to channel his inner Hibiki.

Erza's eyes dance with amusement. "You've been taking lessons from Hibiki, haven't you?" Blue Pegasus had certainly had an interesting impact on him while she'd been gone. "Very charming…and extremely naughty."

"Well...not formal lessons, but he is my teammate." One couldn't help, but be influenced by their guild mates to some degree, he supposed. "So maybe a little?" She had said charming. Which meant she liked it though.

"I see, that makes sense." This was…good, she could work with this. And if he didn't mind this behavior, then perhaps… "Then, perhaps, with your newfound knowledge of certain…subjects, you might soon help me test out one of my newer armors." If they got that far, anyway.

"Newer armors?" Sasuke tries his best not to look too hopeful. "What did you have in mind?" Or stutter. That would be humiliating.

"My Seduction Armor hasn't yet been…tested." It was a tricky one, considering its purpose, and it embarrassed Erza to no end for having bought it in the first place. "I have tried it on in private, however, never in front of another. I thought that it might be good to see how it holds up in battle." Very…specific battle.

If the Seduction Armor was as aptly named as the rest of her armors, that was one test Sasuke could fully get behind. "I'd love to help you test it out." As soon as possible, but of course he knew better than to add that last part.

"Then I will make a note of that." Though there was one other armor that she was rather hopeful to test out. "And perhaps tomorrow, you might help me test my Nakagami Armor. It is another new addition to my collection." And one that Erza hadn't yet worn at all.

"Yeah. Sure." He wasn't really sure what the purpose of that one was, but he'd go with it.

"Thank you." The competition of the final day looked like it was going to be very interesting. Erza was…excited about it. "Then I will make sure not to disappoint."

Sasuke smiles at her. "I doubt you could ever disappoint me." Having no idea, at that moment, just what he was in for.


His family was safe, for now, this place was strange, but not unwelcoming. With that in mind, Fugaku felt fairly safe leaving his family in the hands of Blue Pegasus. The guild, as they were called, had raised his sons very well, from what he could tell. And for that, he would forever be grateful.

There were some things, however, that a father was required to do. And seeing as he hadn't seen his youngest son in over a decade, it was likely long overdue that he really get to know the boy. While Itachi and Shisui's personalities were well-known to him, even before they disappeared, Sasuke's was something of a mystery, since he didn't appear to be the shy, cheerful child who always clamored for his family's attention anymore. A boy who never would have dreamed of getting tattoos inked all over his skin. No, clearly, this was not the child he remembered. And he WAS going to get to the bottom of this, even if he had to wait half the night for Sasuke to return to the inn from his 'walk'.

As soon as he saw spiky raven hair coming through the door, the Uchiha patriarch began to move.

Sasuke smiles as he walks back into the inn. It was late. So he was trying to be quiet. He didn't want to wake anyone. Though it seemed, that at least one person was still awake.

He tilts his head in confusion. "Father?" What he was he doing up at this hour? "Is everything alright? If you're worried about our clan's safety, you don't have to be. Blue Pegasus is far more trustworthy than the Leaf was." It was painful to say that about the place of his birth, but it was true. This guild would never sanction genocide against some of its own members!

Fugaku shakes his head at the exclamation. "No, it's nothing of the sort." In fact, the very opposite seemed to hold true here, at least for some of the guilds. "It is quite clear that certain guilds here consider the very notion of such a thing to be, at the very best, appalling, and at worst, something to be forcibly prevented at any and all costs." Even if that should bring them into conflict with the authorities, as the case seemed to be, what with all of the stories that their family had been told that evening about Fairy Tail. That guild was apparently the one to beat, even if Blue Pegasus still held a narrow lead on them in the competition. "So, no, I do not fear for our safety here."

"Oh good." Sasuke smiles at him. "Sorry that we haven't really had much of chance to talk between the Games and the chaos." Most of that chaos came from the water-park's utter destruction, but still.

"And your…four and a half hour walk?" Fugaku raises an eyebrow, gesturing to the place on the couch next to him. "I do wonder just what could keep you out so late." It was nearly the middle of the night. Not that it really mattered, as the competition didn't start for another twelve hours.

Right. He probably deserved that. For years, Sasuke had wanted nothing more than his family's approval and just to know that they were safe. Now, that they were actually here though, he felt as if his tongue had been frozen by one of Gray's ice spells.

"Well it was more than just walking, but yeah. That as well." He sits down next to his father. "I also got food." And Erza had promised to show him two more of her armors. The Seduction Armor sounded really promising, but he didn't think that it would be wise to discuss that particular aspect of their conversation.

"And does it have to do with this Queen that your brother keeps mentioning?" Fugaku did find it rather strange hat Itachi would keep mentioning her. Well, until he found out that Sasuke's Sharingan activated at the sight of her. That answered quite a few questions.

At that, Sasuke felt his face grow hot. Fuck! This could not be happening! "Well truthfully, I went on the walk and got dinner with her." He was not blushing in front of his father!

"I see." Yes, many questions had now been answered to his satisfaction. And, of course, it would be his fault as a father, if Sasuke were not properly educated to deal with such situations. "Very, well. Then I suppose it is time that you received an explanation, rather than simply your brother's teasing. There comes a point in a young man's life when he will start to find women very attractive. This usually happens during puberty, and is completely natural. However, you should keep in mind that when tentatively exploring this new realm, one has to be careful not to have any 'accidents'."

"..." The young wizard was trying his best not to gape at his father like a fish, but it was difficult. "Yes, I know that. I um appreciate what you're trying to do, but you don't have to." He was about eight years too late. "I already know about kunais and pouches. You're not in any danger of becoming a grandfather in the immediate future." Well unless Itachi got a little too frisky with the She-Devil and decided to have a bunch of Mini Red-Eyed Devils running around. Which was an amusing, though terrifying thought to ponder.

Fugaku blinks, before nodding slowly. "I see. Good." Well, that wasn't awkward at all. "Did Shisui and Itachi explain kunais and pouches to you?"

"Not exactly, but it doesn't really matter who explained such things to me." So long as he knew. Well at least that was the case in Sasuke's mind. "We've got our own place now, you know? Shisui, Itachi, and I do. You guys could stay there or just in the Pegasus guild in general, if you want to rent rooms. Of course, we'll have to save up to get a bigger house eventually, if you prefer the former. It'll be cramped, but everyone will be able to fit. " He pauses and adds. "Though the guild is much bigger."

Fugaku sighs, shaking his head. "The three of you are at an age where you are grown, and would likely have moved out of our home, were we still in our world. Your home is your personal space, and it would be wrong to encroach upon it." Besides, the guild had been rather helpful earlier, figuring out renting schedules and how to get every Uchiha into a more stable working situation once they joined the guild.

It was all a very strange process, to say the least. "Your guild mates have been very kind, and very supportive. And I believe that Kiyoshi and Kaito are planning on getting to work immediately after the Games, something about hunting monsters. And Akane has expressed some tentative interest in modeling, while your grandfather is quite convinced that tending the bar with Bob would be easy enough while making the transition. Though I suspect that Kiyoshi and Kaito's antics are more than a little enticing."

"We wouldn't mind. We've been separated for so long, but I guess the guild is more practical just for spacial reasons." Their home was more than comfortable for three people, but adding another dozen would have made everything a tight squeeze. "Grandfather would probably enjoy tending to the bar and monster hunting is a good way to earn money to get by. I'd say most of those are probably B to S Class Missions." Though it was Akane he was worried about. "Akane is beautiful, but the women in this realm are more...well they're less shy about their bodies. You saw what they wear at the water-park. That's common here." He wasn't sure if Akane could actually be a model, beauty aside.

"Yes, the women here are clearly not shy." Honestly, it was something of a culture shock to see women walking around as though they worked in red-light districts, and yet, seemed to get offended if you tried to touch them. He'd observed the practice at the 'water-park' earlier in the day, though he'd made sure to watch people only as a means to understand just what sort of world they had been dropped into. And apparently, it was one where the women chose to wear very…very little."In light of that, perhaps Akane might be better suited to some of the more creative jobs offered by the guild."

He'd heard of the absolutely enormous range of jobs that could be done, exceeding even the mission lists back in the Leaf, and more than a few kinds of jobs seemed complicated and demanding, if not particularly difficult. It seemed that more specific or more broad skill sets determined what kind of jobs a wizard took. "What sort of jobs do you find yourself taking?"

"Yes, that might be best." He pauses and decides to clarify. "Akane is beautiful. Don't get me wrong, but I'm not sure that she'd feel comfortable displaying as much skin as she'd likely be asked to do so." That's when his father asked about jobs. Oh boy. This was going to take awhile.

"Well some wizards specialize in certain kinds of missions, but there's almost no limit to the options available." He'd done quite a variety of things, himself. "Usually I stick to catching criminals and dealing with dark guilds, myself, these days. But I also like finding artifacts in old ruins, they're scattered all over the kingdom. And I even get paid to change the weather sometimes."

He should probably be more thorough. "There is of course bar-tending, hosting, modeling, finding magical objects, pest extermination, providing security, hunting monsters, and almost anything. Natural disaster relief also pays well, but it's fairly rare as you might imagine."

"I've tried a bit of everything really." Well, everything that he had the magical abilities to complete. If nothing else, this world certainly offered variety. "Itachi likes breaking curses and rescuing people best. Shisui he loves modeling, enchanting, and rescuing people. Itachi sometimes models though." Shisui was more of a peacock than his brother though. "They both occasionally serve as hosts as it's good money."

Fugaku was honestly stunned by the sheer variety in the work his sons and nephew took. But at hearing that Sasuke's specialties lay in dealing with criminals, he felt a surge of pride. "I see. Then the three of you are doing very well for yourselves, that's good." But that did worry him a little. Many of those jobs sounded difficult for teenagers, let alone a child of almost eight. "What about when you first arrived? Where did the three of your start?"

"I mostly helped Master Bob at the bar so that he could keep an eye on me. Itachi was a server, and Shisui took to hosting since the pay and tips were a bit better." It was probably best to clarify. "Basically, Itachi was a waiter, and then, eventually we both joined Shisui in hosting." Maybe, should leave that to Fugaku's imagination. He understood the basics of that. He was a Clan Head, though usually the Uchiha weren't such flirtatious hosts. "As for missions, we worked our way up."

"Good." Even without family support, they'd grown to be independent and self-sufficient. And Fugaku…honestly, though he wasn't good at showing it, he couldn't be prouder of his boys. "The three of you have done very well for yourselves." And if two teenagers and a small child could succeed, there was no reason why grown adults couldn't. He smiles at his son, nodding slowly. "I'm very proud of you."

"Really?" He blinks. Sasuke had never really heard his father say those words before. "Well good! I'm glad that you're back." Fugaku had implied them once or twice, but he'd never said them so directly. If it wasn't beneath his dignity as an Uchiha, he probably would have glomped him with happiness.

Fugaku smiles warmly at his son, something he hadn't really been able to do when Sasuke was a child, not with all of the tension within and outside of the clan. But now…things were different. His relationship with his sons could be different. "I am glad to be here." Though…there was one other thing. "Now, about this…" His eyes drop to Sasuke's shoulder, the left one. The right held the guild emblem, and that much, he understood, it was like having an ANBU tattoo, or your Leaf headband on your arm. The other arm, however, was covered from shoulder, likely almost to the wrist with ethereal-looking flames.

"The tattoo was Shisui's idea." He smiles at Fugaku, not realizing that his father probably wasn't too enthused about his bodywork. "We've got a nickname. Nature's Fury. Shisui is known as Hurricane. Itachi got Tsunami and well, I'm Inferno."

"Nicknames that align with your chakra natures." He'd known, of course, about Itachi and Shisui's other natures, but Sasuke's were still something of a mystery. "Shisui's wind affinity, Itachi's water affinity, and your fire affinity." The one that they all shared. Fugaku knew that it was a rare Uchiha who did not have a fire affinity, it was nearly unheard of. "…You're a little young to be getting tattoos, aren't you?"

Sasuke hadn't really expected that. "Well depends how you look at it. Itachi got his ANBU Mark before I got my fire, but you're right. It was to align with our chakra natures." He should probably smooth this over. "I've only got two tattoos though, if you don't count my emblem."

There was ANOTHER one!? "And just where is the second?" Fugaku could hardly believe it, his youngest son was running around getting tattoos!?

"It's on my chest." Apparently, Fugaku shared Itachi's skepticism of tattoos. "I'm not planning on getting any more. So you don't have to worry." He smiles at him sheepishly.

Fugaku pauses, eyes dropping to the aforementioned place, scrutinizing it, but seeing nothing through the fabric. "…What is tattooed there?"

Idly, Sasuke wonders what Fugaku was actually imagining that he had gotten. "Nothing bad." Though he decides to ease his father's mind and slowly slides off his shirt. Showing an inked version of the Uchiha Crest adorning his chest, close to his heart.

The man's expression softens at the sight. "Keeping your family close to your heart." And the other displayed his inner nature, the fire that burned inside him, as well as its conduit into the world. Perhaps there were only two, but Fugaku could see the careful thought put into them. They were not just the whim of a teenager rebelling and seeking independence, but carefully done pieces of art that meant something. "Very well, I will not protest them. It seems that they belong precisely where they are."

"Thank you." Sasuke smiles. "Besides, it's a little late to protest them seeing as they're already there." He looks around, wondering if anyone else was going to ambush. "Surprised that you let mother out of your sight to be honest. My guild mates are...well they don't mean any harm, but they're very friendly towards anything feminine and pretty."

Fugaku chuckles, his Sharingan activating for a moment. "I believe that I've convinced them not to do anything foolish. It seems that the three of you have a sufficiently impressive reputation that a mere flash of the Sharingan can work wonders to ensure compliance."

Sasuke couldn't help, but smirk at that. "Well that's true. Itachi and Shisui are pretty easy going, but they've managed to properly train our guild mates to associate the Sharingan with a lot of pain, if they don't wise up."

"Yes, so it seems." Fugaku frowns, knowing full well where their Sharingan came from. Sasuke's though…that was something of a mystery. "You have the Sharingan as well. It activated for that girl." That meant that Sasuke had seen more pain than his relatively positive demeanor would suggest. For Itachi and Shisui, it had been the pain and sadness of seeing war, and for Shisui in particular…someone very close to his heart had died. "When did it first appear?"

At first, he felt his face flush again at his father's words. Fugaku obviously knew what that meant when your Sharingan activated for someone. That was until the second question. "Years ago." He'd rather take good-natured taunts or awkward advice over that, any day. What his father was really asking is what had upset him enough for trigger a Sharingan activation in a seemingly peaceful land.

"Why?" Although it was a power coveted by their clan, and the younger you activated it, the faster you mastered it, the more you held up to be a prodigy. But the reality was very different, and Fugaku knew that.

"It's complicated." Sasuke shakes his head. "Shisui and Itachi, when we first came here, I was under the impression that we were just on a mission." He smiles wistfully at the thought, clearly lost in a memory of some kind. "That we would go back after a few weeks or months. They were just trying to protect me." To keep him from panicking. "Eventually, I found out the truth." His voice chokes slightly. "I thought that we were never going to see any of you again. That you were all dead."

Clearly, that meant that it had happened not too long after they arrived, perhaps a few months, but no longer. Fugaku sighs. "That is…unfortunate." And utterly traumatic to an eight-year old. Then again, they had both inherited their mother's sensitivity, so it was no wonder that such a thing had occurred. "Well, we are here now. So we should hope that it develops no further." No matter the powers that it granted, there were terrible drawbacks. "The cost is higher than anyone should have to pay."

He wanted to tell his father that he wanted to get the more evolved forms, but Sasuke couldn't. "I'm just glad that you're all here." He wasn't completely naive. He knew exactly why Fugaku didn't want him to get the Mangekyo or, 'worse', an Eternal Mangekyo. Shisui had explained it all to him and Itachi years ago, and the requirements weren't appealing, to say the least. So he wasn't going to spoil the moment by debating the matter.

"Yes, so am I." Fugaku felt an odd sensation, an awkward desire to embrace his son. It was…very…warm and fuzzy. He quickly shakes the thought from his mind. "In any case, things will be different now. We will protect our family here. We will survive, and we will thrive."

Mikoto walks down the stairs and shakes her head. "Gods and goddesses, Fugaku." Honestly. She didn't know who was worse. "Just embrace our son as I know you want to." There was almost nothing more stubborn than an Uchiha man. "And Sasuke, don't be afraid. He might be a grizzly bear on the outside,but he's really more of a teddy bear, once you get past his exterior." But that was an Uchiha woman, thank you very much.

Fugaku shoots his wife an irritated glare, though more embarrassed than anything else, before turning hesitantly to his son and, acting on his earlier impulse, wrapping his arms around the boy. He'd been so little the last time Fugaku had done this. Thankfully, this time, he had no fear of crushing the boy by accident.

Sasuke was pretty sure that his father's own face was a bit redder than normal, but he could have been imagining that. "Good talk?" To which Mikoto just shakes her head in amusement. Well progress was progress.

"Yes…" Well, despite the slight discomfort of the act, Fugaku did feel like there had been a lot accomplished, though there was still much more to accomplish with his sons. And…perhaps a whispered piece of advice wouldn't hurt. "I know that you don't plan on making me a grandfather soon, but your mother may ambush you regarding the topic. She very much would like to have grandchildren."

To which, Sasuke just gulps in terror.