Peoples faces fell prey to shock when they realized that it was an older version of the younger Uchiha prodigy strolling through town with a nothing expression on his face. They paid him plenty of mind but he gave them nothing in return. Not even a little growl telling them to just back off a little and leave him be. He was searching in his own way through his cold exterior. It would case a fuss if he screamed Naruto's name and began to interrogate anyone he passed in the street about the blondes where-a-bouts. They would think he had gone off of his rocker; and that would just not do. Uchiha's did not ask for help save for when it could not be avoided (the assistance he had gained from Orochimaru for example).

So he walked down the street calmly knowing that his dobe would come to him soon enough, it wasn't a very large village after all. That didn't mean that he wasn't looking for his love, but what good would it do him to rush around and make a mad fool out of himself; he cursed his up-bringing.

Besides he needed this little extra bit of time to get his thoughts in order; like what was he going to say when he did come in close contact with the blonde again? What excuse could he give for his absents: one that wasn't completely lame anyway? He was sure that a straight forward 'Sorry I took your virginity then high tailed it to Orochimaru's' just wouldn't do. But sadly enough that was one of the few things that would come to his mind, and to think he had once prided himself on his superior eloquence. He hated that even something as simple as thinking about Naruto made him this way; tongue tied. Sasuke was not girly in the least and here he could be found acting like a flustered school girl even if he did not look it.

He was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't take the time to notice how the villagers gawked at him like he was on an extraterrestrial parading the streets with a hool-la-hoop hugging everyone. Children stopped their games and pointed, everyone, young and old, did a double take when he passed by them; eyes wide, mouths open they flaunted their shock without shame.

1—1

Sakura was just stepping out of the grocery store where she had purchased little Hajime a birthday present. She and Hajime's mother had pooled their money to buy it. The pink haired girl was confused by the cluster of people surrounding…something? They intently followed this thing like it was the messiah come to rapture them all up to heaven and those who did not believe down to hell. Some of them were even weeping. Watering their cheeks with tears of either joy or sadness; she couldn't tell.

She hoisted her brown paper bag higher up onto her hip profoundly curious at what all the hall-a-ba-loo was about. Surely this gathering was not for Hajime's birthday today. No, that couldn't be it; no one outside of the family and friends cared that the raven was three years old today.

Her eyebrows creased together in utmost confusion as she watched them shuffle down the road after the tall figure, but for the life of her she could not get a good view as the man's face no matter how hard or at which angle she strained her neck to see over the mass of people. Damn them, she thought, she always wanted to be the first to know all the latest gossip when talking with her ex-Sasuke-fan-girl-acquaintances.

Sakura ran after the mob trying her best to get a better look at the guy…or really masculine girl? that they were following. But she couldn't! The mass's wouldn't let her, and she didn't particularly feel like a swim through the sea of people.

She happened to notice through that all of them were in this trance like state; what could have put them in this great mind-set of awe? Has some celebrity come to visit their lowly village? Perhaps and ex-con? Had someone risen from the graveyard right outside of town? She wondered meekly, letting her thoughts run rampant, raking her brain for any one person that could put the whole dang town in this state. She couldn't think of anyone besides Sasuke and she really hoped that it wasn't him…for Naruto's sake.

Done playing the 'wait and see' game she fished out a girl from the people and asked, "What's all the commotion about?"

"Well," the stranger's eyes lit up at the telling of the story. "I was walking from my garden with a pot of roses for my friend because she needed a little color in her windowsill; just to brighten it up a bit, you know? I was just walking along, minding my own business, and that's when I saw him!" He youthful eyes widened as she wriggled like she had to hurry to the restroom. She was younger then sixteen year old Sakura but a lot actually.

"Who? Who did you see?" She asked impatiently tiered of the girls pee-pee dance and was more then ready for her to get on with the story.

"Sasuke-kun…" She stopped mid-dance and said that in a tone that suggested she thought Sakura was mentally impaired. "Who else?" Who else indeed but the one person Sakura had hoped for it not to be, anyone but him.

Dread befell Sakura who thanked the girl who was more then grateful to return to the mass of people steadily growing larger. It had to be a mistake. The girl must have thought that she had seen Sasuke when really it was just someone else who resembled him. For him to really be back in this village was absolutely impossible. Sasuke couldn't be back. It just couldn't be true. The girl was so young; she could have easily mistaken him for someone else. She just couldn't accept that it was him.

In her disbelief she pulled another person aside and asked them the same question she had asked the girl giving him a tone of honest curiosity not unrivaled doom….and then, that person's answer was the same. All of their answers were the same. They were out and about in the town going something that was just a part of their everyday routine and they saw him. Saw who? Saw who? She'd ask them the panic setting in at her franticness for a different answer, for the right one, because it had to be someone else, anyone else but him.

But they disappointed her and they did it so god-damned happily, like it was the best thing that has ever happened in the history of history; which it wasn't. Not for her brother, Naruto, who had just barely began to cope with his personal loss of the raven, and now they were saying that he was here? Back, think of it, how would they say what needed to be said? How would they tell him he was a father? Assuming of course, that it was him which it just couldn't be.

It was obvious she didn't believe them; more like she didn't want to. She had to see him with her own eyes. So she pushed her way through her fellow villagers getting a few 'Hey!'s' and 'Watch where your going's' but she couldn't care less about them or what they thought. She needed to prove to the rest of them that they were wrong and have them admitted for deliria, and to check their water source, and god knows what they were taking.

She finally made it to the front and she could see and there was no mistaking him for someone else. Not after she had thought to love him for so long.

"Sasuke?" She whispered as her heart rate began to quicken but not because it was reacting to him, she had given up her love for him a long time ago, but it was reacting because she was nervous and scared for his return. Screw Sasuke, what in the world would they tell Naruto? What would they say to him? So much explaining to do and why was the Uchiha back after all of this time anyway? Or, she hoped, for whom? Life had over turned a new leaf and Sakura wasn't sure she liked what she saw.

He stopped when he heard his name and turned toward her. "Sakura?' he said. "You look well." What a very Uchiha-y thing to say like he had only seen her yesterday not almost four years ago. His expression was blank, uncaring and cold. Oh yes, how like an Uchiha.

Her first instinct was to hug him, to wrap her arms around him, to ask him how his trip was and a million other questions. To go along with this game, like he had only just come back from vacation. The second was to lash out with her fists and shout out her questions in an accusatory tone. But she took neither option and walked up to him. My how he had grown, well, almost for years tended to do that to people. Still he was much taller then when he was fourteen.

"Come with me." she said a bland note to her tone of voice no matter how loudly her inner Sakura screamed at the top of her lungs 'Pretend he's a punching bad and make him swallow his teeth!' and though the idea was awfully tempting she didn't listen. She decided that she would make time later to beat his face in, for now she had to bring his to Tsunade.

He nodded and followed her; the mob of people coming along for the ride.

Sakura was getting angry with them or getting in her way when she did the simple act of walking down the street because they had caused her to trip many times. And when she stumbled once more it happened to be on her last nerve. "Oh shove off!" She yelled finally taking her anger out on someone. They only watched Sasuke closely and immediately dissipated when he waved them away with the flick of his wrist which just pissed Sakura off more. They obeyed him like he was some sort of god come to give them their latest hopes and wishes. He was no god though, he was a human made of flesh and blood contrary to popular belief.

The raven and the cherry blossom stopped at a mediocre sized house that had a purple tricycle, a porch swing bombarded by toys on an assortment of open book, several balls were on the roof, and lots of jump ropes hanging over the porch rail, and other random children's things littered the front yard. The Uchiha looked down at his feet at the hop-scotch scribblings underneath them. Also the larger blonde then smaller raven haired stick figures covered every patch of the side walk. First impressions weren't always the best because Sasuke thought that a bunch of ingrate children must have lived in the house and sadly he wasn't that far off. And why were they stopping here anyway? The Hokage's office wasn't for a few more blocks, unless it had been moved here to this house filled with lots of ingrate children.

Sakura opened the gate and walked down the pathway and stood before a screen door held open with a plush doll and she faced the raven. "You stay here!" She commanded pointing to the ground like Sasuke was a disobedient puppy or something along those same lines. He didn't exactly appreciate being treated this way, but all the same he nodded and stood his ground in the spot aforementioned.

The cherry blossom sighed then took a deep breath and entered the house. She first went to the living room frantically searching for Tsunade, but her face wasn't among these.

"You guys seen Tsunade?" She asked putting her brown bag gift down wit the rest of Hajime's presents, many three year old kick knacks. She noticed the beautifully decorated cake with purple and orange flowers spider webbing all across the white icing then had Happy Birthday written with the sloppiest hand writing known to man—how very Naruto. She scooped some icing off of the bottom where little hands had already infiltrated and sucked it off of her fingers.

"Outside," Neji offered since he and Kiba were the only ones in the room.

"Why?" asked his counter part who instantly got up off of Neji's lap to look her straight in the eyes so that she could easily lie to him.

"Just look out the damn window." She instructed lazily, thrusting her thumb in that direction.

Kiba did as he was told wagging his ass a little to exaggeratedly because he knew that Neji was probably watching his the whole way and undressing him with his eyes; he liked to tease him every chance that he got. He smirked back at his boyfriend telling him that he knew exactly what he was doing and bent over to stick his head out of the window.

"Holy mother of god! What the fuck is that bastard doing here?" He roared coming up and hitting his head on the window's frame.

'So now you see why I need Tsunade." she crossed her arms over her semi-flat chest.

"Fuck Tsunade," he screamed stampeding over to the front entrance despite the stars in his vision from banging her head. "I'll the fucking fucktard myself." But Neji caught him before he could and brought him kicking and screaming back to the living room.

"Shut-up will you! Do you want Naruto coming here to see what the matter with you?" Sakura scolded and Kiba shut-up good and quick when she slapped that muzzle on him. "Now, I'm going to go get Tsunade so that I can get her take on the situation. In the meantime you are to do nothing to Sasuke no matter how badly you want to, you got that?" She raised a menising eyebrow.

"Sasuke?" Neji asked, bewildered that the raven had chosen to come back now of all times.

"I said I'd fuck up the fucktard, what other evidence did you want?" Kiba's was livid fighting off Neji's hands so that he could possibly get back to the door; he wanted to be able to attempt to kill the Uchiha because of what he had done to Naruto…If Neji had done that to him…he involuntarily shivered and reinstated his driving force. They didn't want Kiba to try and fight Sasuke; they both knew that he would probably just get his ass kicked if he tried.

"Guy's!" She yelled over the two of them although they weren't making noise. "Promise me you won't try anything." Her foot tapped menacingly on the carpet.

Kiba huffed like a puppy after a temper tantrum and leaned back in Neji's awaiting lap who immediately began to comfort him. "Fine," he pouted. Neji gave her a solitary nod and went back to hush his riled up lover, rocking the boy from side to side on the couch now that Kiba was finally giving in.

"Good," And she went to the backyard through the sliding glass door. Sakura spotted a grumpy Tsunade who was, to her great misfortune, sitting and talking with Naruto. How in the hell was she going to pull this off? Naruto had become deceptively clever because of becoming a mommy and could tell when anyone was lying to him. She'd just have to roll with it she supposed walking up to them.

"Hey guy's…" She said as enthusiastically as she could because that's how she was supposed to be today, but a plastic smile was the best she could manage when she looked at her brother and thought about who was on the porch.

Hey Sakura." They said at about the same time but Naruto had a little more vigor then Tsunade. "What cha need?" This time it was only Naruto who spoke such joy in his eyes and on his lips and she knew that he had almost regained it; that real true smile Sai always blabbed on and on about. Such happiness that he had with him now and that was why she was so keen on keeping their guest away from Naruto for the time being. Sasuke return was such a sore spot that had been rubbed raw for Naruto who still loved the raven more then anything (excluding his baby) in the world but he was such a kill joy subject.

She mentally sighed. Why now? Why after all of this time had he decided to come back to them? Sure, it would be awfully nice to have him back once they got all of this worked out (like telling the raven that he had a daughter and a son) but right now this charade was just troublesome. And it was going to be so very difficult explained things to both of them. Especially when there was no guaranty that any of this would go well because she had no prediction as to how Naruto was going to react to him. That was why they needed a plan of action or else all of this happiness was going down the tubes.

"Uh, I was just hoping I could borrow Tsunade for a bit." She held up her fingers to show him the tiny minute she needed with her and gave him a pleading smile; at least this one wasn't fake.

"Are you gonna show Tsunade what we gat Hajime for her birthday?" He all but whispered knowing that there were three year old ears lurking around here somewhere; she had already tried to sneak peaks at her presents a million times. To prevent this they had confined her and Ramen (her partner in crime) to the back yard and put Neji and Kiba on guard duty.

"Yeah I need some help wrapping it." She was amazed at how good that had sounded coming from her mouth; not like a lie at all.

"Oh, well I could help you." He offered setting down his glass and un-propping his feet.

"Uh, no that's okay, you sit there and relax. We'll be just a minute," Smooth Sakura, smooth.

She hurried waving her hands out in front of her wildly, okay, so maybe she wasn't as good of a liar as she thought that she was, and that was her trying her hardest at it too. Naruto was to good for this; for Sasuke to be out of his life for three years and seven months and then to pop back in one day acting like he had no cares in this world. As much as she did want to she couldn't trust the raven with Naruto, not after what he had done to him.

"You didn't buy her sake behind my back did you?" Sakura almost sighed with relief. Of course Naruto would never figure that Sasuke was back and that's why they were being so secretive; he would think that something so innocent was going on like her merely buying alcohol for the alcoholically deprived. This was one reason why she loved him so much; he always gave her an escape route.

"You got me," she chuckled, "I just got her one bottle though. I hid it in the flower basket thingy outside. So if you'll stay here and make absolutely sure that Hajime stays put I'll with her to get her quick fix and we'll be back in time to open presents." She laughed hamming it up a bit. "You know how grumpy she gets without her alcohol." But the ham died away in her throat as she waited for Naruto to buy her attempts to herd Tsunade into the house and onto the porch.

"Well…" he said patently, "I guess that would be…"

"Okay cool! See you!" Sakura jumped at the chance to pull Tsunade out of her chair and drag her to the living room.

"…alright." He finished. He sniffed. Something was up. How come every time something important came up he was the only on kept in the dark. He just hoped it wasn't the Sai incident all over again.

"Christ brat, what the fuck was that about?" Tsunade yelled fighting to regain control over her own arm. She had better receive actual sake for all of this running about besides the stuff that she had actually stashed in the flower baskets to high for little Hajime to reach.

"Chill, you'll see in a second." She growled and opened the front door to unveil a slightly cationic looking Sasuke who had been counting wood grains in the door.

"Holy hell," Tsunade said, in to much shock to scream…well this was certainly unexpected. "What the fuck do you think you're doing here Uchiha-brat?" Sasuke said nothing and did nothing besides look down at Tsunade. She found the same exact emptiness that was in Naruto's eyes the first two years that the raven was gone. Not like the raven mattered though, what did matter was what right did he think he had to come back now after all of this time had passed.

"My words exactly…" scowled Sasuke. Kiba nodded coming the porch to gang up on their new arrival.

"So what are we going to do?" Neji asked wrapping his arms around his boyfriend.

Tsunade sighed rubbing her temple while Sakura pinched the bridge of her nose. "Were going to do the only thing we can." The blonde women's arms folded over her chest with a constricted look on her face "were going to have to tell Naruto. But don't you dare think that you're off the hook, young man. What I ought to do is have you put to death for all the things that you put Naruto through." Sakura and Neji and Kiba all nodded in agreement.

"Tsunade," He bowed his head slightly, "you look well." He didn't need to be reminded of his transgressions he already knew how many sins he had committed.

"Are you broken?" asked Sakura giving him an incredulous look.

"Just go get Naruto." Tsunade barked refraining herself from pointing to the back yard where the blonde was located.

"Why should I?"

"Because I said so damn it!" She exploded then regained some of her composer. "Look. I don't like this situation and better then you do and believe me when I say that I would rather dispose of his testicles here and now a thousand times over instead of handing him over to Naruto. But also think about how Naruto's going to react if it isn't us who tell him first because by now the news has spread all over the town. Though he will not go unpunished; I'll probably only put under house arrest. Naruto wouldn't be very happy if I didn't hear him out before I sent him to the gallows." She blew out like one long breath and reached up to retrieve her alcohol. "So go get him." She downed the first halve of her bottle in one swig. Skills.

Sakura bowed and then disappeared for a minute or so, leaving them all uncomfortable on the porch. Then she came back with Naruto her hands clasped over his eyes. "What is it?" The blonde boy frowned in thought, "You better not have given me some kind of blind date."

Time ages us all but it had only made Naruto more beautiful. He had grown only about three inches taller. He was almost exactly the same, but different too. Either way he was more beautiful then ever. He was still the lithe innocent boy he remembered with the face of an angel.

"Momma!" A little girl squealed running up and latching onto Naruto's pant leg, barring her face into his thigh as if to hide in plain sight from a grown up Hinata running after her.

"Hey sweet heart," he bent over to free his leg and scooped her right up into his arms; Sakura managed to keep her hands over Naruto's eyes the whole time even when he began to swing the little girl from, side to side a tiny smile hidden in his cheeks.

"Sorry I couldn't keep her contained to the backyard. Slippery little thing." Hinata huffed with more confidence then he remembered. She ticked the little girls back and they just laughed and laughed until Hinata turned his way.

But he ignored the priceless look on her face; the little girl threw him off a bit. Who was she? Could she be Naruto's…daughter? Hinata and Naruto's baby. Sasuke couldn't have expected the blonde to come gallivanting back to him and let him make sweet love to him once more. No he couldn't have, but he had hoped for a similar reaction or at least one that didn't involve his and Hinata's child. a full blown blood relative; he could tell that she was Naruto's baby because the little girl had the same facial shape, lips nose, hands, and ears as Naruto, even her eyes were almost the same color. Though he could just barley associate the girls raven locks with Hinata's plain back ones.

A child; it absolutely blew Sasuke's mind. This he had not been expecting at all. There was no winning him back when Hinata and him shared blood. What he would have given to be the father of that precious baby girl.

"Hey did the party move to the front…yard?" Iruka said opening the screen door and as soon as he laid eyes on the strange or not so strange intruder his smile transfigured into a predatory growl as he mover in front of the blonde as if to block him from Sasuke voo-doo magic or something. "What the hell are you doing here?" Iruka's arms spread to protect his son from someone who had done and would bring harm to him.

"Who?" Naruto piped up curious beyond all belief.

They ignored him.

Kakashi strolled after his lover, his nose stuck in a once orange book (Naruto had made him fashion it with a paper bag book cover in case Hajime magically learned to read) "Hey, nice to see you again." Sasuke bowed his head ever so slightly to his old sensei. Iruka's glare turned to him and the silver haired man shrugged his shoulders quickly and brayed his nose deeper into the book well warn pages to escape Iruka's wrath until it turned back to Sasuke.

"Were you actually going to let him see Naruto this soon? He needs to be interrogated first. To make sure he isn't being controlled by that damn snake of a man." He was being oh so careful not to be to concrete so that Naruto could put the pieces together. Iruka's fists clenched and he ground his teeth together producing a god awful sound; this was to keep himself from doing anything rash, for doing anything to Sasuke that Naruto might make him regret later on.

Tsunade put one arm over her chest up under her elbow and pressed her fingers to her forehead. "If he was being controlled by that snake of a man he would have made his move upon seeing me or Sakura, and he would not have come alone. I know the man much better then you. This isn't him." She spat at his ignorance. Orochimaru liked big shows when he made his plan to strike, but she understood and let him have his reasons for his anger even if he was wrong about the things that he supposed about the snake man who used to be one of her very best friends.

"But still do you think it's wise to let," Iruka waved his hand in Sasuke direction angrily, "Him actually talk with Naruto so easily. We don't even know the reasons behind his actions, all of them." Iruka growled although Sasuke couldn't care less about the glares he was receiving from Naruto's family. Sasuke main and only focus was Naruto and Iruka knew it.

Tsunade grunted a small annoyed grunt, "You do remember the last time we kept Sai's identity from him, he didn't talk, much less look, at any of us for a month! Do you want this to be a repeat of that but ten times worse?" She grimaced as did Iruka he did indeed remember all the times he called and was hung up on.

"No I guess not, I just don't trust him." Not with Naruto.

"Who, dang it?" Naruto interrupted stamping his foot harshly. Sasuke smirked; impatient as always, just as he remembered except Naruto would have actually cursed. Maybe becoming a parent changed his motor skills for the better—Sasuke hadn't liked it when he swore anyway it didn't suit his beautiful innocent face.

"Momma, who is that man?" Sasuke marveled at the little girls speech skills. Naruto had taught her well, plus she was cute a button.

"I dunno, Sakura won't let me see." This also threw Sasuke off, he had been expecting Hinata to answer, but she had not. Naruto had. Maybe she was not her child after all and Naruto and Hinata were not lovers, and the blonde was up for the taking especially for Sasuke's greedy hands.

"Momma, he looks like Daddy, from the pictures." She whispered into her mother's ear staring openly at who she believed looked exactly like her father. At least that is what she had been told all of her life by her mother. The many bed time stories she heard about her supposed father who was never around. She felt his absents because her mommy missed him so much.

Naruto's breath caught as he reached up to remove Sakura's hands. She did not fight him and let her finger blind fold fall away. No one moved, on one breathed as the two teens took in the others sight, drinking in the presence of the other. Naruto's eyes were wide with sock and part disbelief as if his mind was still playing tricks on him.

The blonde put Hajime down on her feet and she was quickly intercepted and had her attention refocused by a fierce tickling; her giggles pieced the dead air. Naruto pushed past his dad as if he wasn't even there; the man looked at him a twinkle of disapproval in his eyes but he did not stop him although he itched to run him back into the house and brainwash him into believing that this whole Sasuke-returning-business was just a lonely fragment of his imagination. But he couldn't. His heart wouldn't allow him to disrupt the expression of unabashed joy coveting all of Naruto's face, not just parts of it.

The blonde stepped up to the raven and reached the head height difference to touch the ravens face. To make sure that this—that he—was real. To make sure that this time it wasn't his mind toying with his fragile emotions like always.

And it wasn't! Underneath his fingertips was the real raven and not just some cheep imitation; not this time. This one his heart had been longing for since the day that he had awoken without him. "Your back." He whispered. Those words sounded foreign to even his own ears. It was different those words being true. It wasn't strange enough to be weird though, in fact Naruto enjoyed them tremendously.

Naruto's arm reeled back in a second and landed Sasuke with an excellent right hook. The ravens head turned to the side ever so slightly but it was not enough force to make him stagger.

The blonde looked down at his hand shakily; damn that had felt good.

Sakura's fist pumped the air.

"What was that for dobe?" Sasuke hissed remembering the good ol' days when the two bickered like an old married couple but still remained closer then brothers.

"You-you know exactly what that was for, teme." Naruto's sky blue eyes were swimming in his tears and without thinking about anything but how much pain he had been the cause of, Sasuke took a step forward and held the blonde child close to him. Naruto did not refuse him such a privilege. It made the older boys heart leap in his chest happily but he did notice Iruka's jaw tighten. How Iruka envied him.

Sasuke comforted his love best he could because he wasn't very good at it and didn't really know how. He ran his fingers through Naruto's hair and rubbed small circles into his back; his hands sneaking up under his winter jacket—it was the middle of January.

After finishing off her sake Tsuande contributed, "Lets go inside, it's fuc-freaking freezing out here." Everyone agreed simultaneously, all of them but Sasuke and Naruto who did nit move from their public display of affection. They were both far to content to move out of fear that the mirror would shatter and they would be left hollow once more; without the other. Sasuke in a skin cell prison without hope of breaking free, and Naruto a broken hearted single mother. For Sasuke there was no returning and Naruto had given up all hope of that dream of his ever coming true.

"Momma!" The little girl squealed and his love jerked away from the raven embrace in an instant just in time to catch her up into his arms. Sasuke almost growled at her for ruining their reunion moment. "Granny said that we can open presents now, and then we can have cake!"

"Did she?" Naruto sniffed and discreetly wiped away his tears. "Well we better get to it then."

"Hey, mister are you coming?" Hajime asked the picture of her dad come to life. Sasuke was completely perplexed at the invite even though he did not let it show. He nodded none the less, and felt awkward following them into the actually quite quant home; the front of the house didn't give away its true beauty.

Naruto sat leaving just enough room for Sasuke to sit with the rest of the family; the air was thick over their heads.

Hajime tore into her presents when she was instructed to do so and each time she would hold her treasure up to Naruto who would appease her with a smile and a 'That's nice, baby, be sure to thank whoever for whatever' but this was practiced speech. He had eyes only for Sasuke and Sasuke only for him.

He was back.

Finally

--

HEY! Want to know more about Sasuke's time without Naruto? Review! Seriously or else I won't know what to write next chapter!!!! O.o

This was nice to Sasuke…right?

REVIEW!!