Oh my gosh. 3rd year is trying to kill me.

It seems like forever and a day ago that I last posted a chapter and I'm not really much further forward on figuring out what the hell is going on in this arc than I was last week. I literally just wrote this chapter whereas I'm normally like a week ahead of myself. TT_TT

Anyhoo, thanks to all those that follow and have this story as a favourite! You guys are the ones that are helping my fangirling-ness pull my sluggish mind along for the ride. ^^

I don't own Naruto. :')

Here's chapter 11!

Chapter 11

Sasuke glared at his father and twin siblings across the table. His newly found uncle had invited over all of his in-laws for dinner so they could get to know each other properly. The dinner had ended up taking place in Naruto's house as it seemed to be considered 'neutral ground' by both families.

Two weeks after Sasuke's release, his mother still had not spoken a word to his father. This had caused a glaringly obvious rift in the family with Sasuke, Seiten and Ame on one side and Itachi and the twins on the other.

Akihiro and Naruto had tried to calm things down between the two groups but had only ended up being shouted at by both sides. Undeterred, they continued to try to get them all to talk over dinner.

"So Aki-chan, how is your wife? I hear she's expecting again-dattebayo!" Naruto continued his rather amicable conversation with the man.

"Emi is doing great, Naruto-ji. She's sorry she couldn't make it today- my in-laws wanted her to visit them. I don't think they're very happy with how things are going in the Uchiha." Akihiro replied, smiling whilst pointedly looking around at his family that had become suddenly very shifty eyed.

Sasuke couldn't help but notice the conspiring glanced between the two and winced; it appeared that the Hokage and his eldest brother had not appreciated their earlier attempts at peace making being ignored by both sides and intended on making the meal as uncomfortable for the rest of them as they could.

Then Akihiro dropped the bomb.

"I'm thinking of sending Momo to the academy."

Seven pairs of shocked eyes whipped around to look at him. Even Naruto looked mildly surprised.

Itachi began to speak, "Aki-"

"I will not have you talk me out of this, father." Akihiro said over him.

"Well," Ame said, seeing an opportunity to try to win her eldest over, "I think it's a great idea! Momo is terribly shy; the academy could be the making of her!"

Seiten nodded sagely beside her whilst Yuriko glared at her mother more than she ever had before.

"Hmm," Naruto replied thoughtfully, "she's five now, isn't she? I don't see how that would be a problem. Ah, but she would have to join after the summer and pass some exams to join the second year."

Akihiro nodded, "I thought so- I ran the idea by her and Emi and they both seemed agreeable to it."

Silence rang around the table.

"Emi has a chunin uncle that would be willing to help her catch up but I would rather ask an Uchiha," he went on to say, looking around the table, "or a Yamanaka."

Sasuke kept his eyes on the table and the conversation around him faded to the background, a small part of him wanted to offer to tech his niece, to pass on what few clan techniques he had been taught and recovered from the Uchiha archives. Another part- a mainly prideful part- didn't want to offer for fear of being rejected. He had yet to apologise to Akihiro, and while the man didn't seem to have any problems sitting next to him at the dinner table, being around his daughter was a completely different matter.

Then there was the part that screamed for revenge, which screamed that his niece could wait until he has righted all the wrongs in the village, that Naruto was more important.

Sasuke blinked. Since when was Naruto more important than family? Since when would he ignore his family in favour of saving his best friend?

"Sasuke?" Akihiro asked, "I don't know much about nin-jutsu but I've heard around the village that you are one of the best the village has seen…."

Sasuke's mouth was suddenly very dry.

"Oh yes!" Naruto said, pride seeping from his words, "I'd wager that he's on track to being more powerful than his grandfather or me when we were his age! He would have been long ago if he had managed to get the chidori down…."

"Is that so?" Akihiro laughed as if he hadn't heard this praise hundreds of times before from Naruto, "well in that case, I have to insist, Sasuke. Please teach my daughter."

Sasuke felt all eyes shift to him but he could only look at his brother and his best friend. Perhaps he could- suddenly all but two people at the table were covered in wounds and soaked in their own blood in his mind. The name loomed and Sasuke slowly turned to stare back at the only other blood free face in the room. Calm eyes stared blankly back and Sasuke knew he couldn't do it. He had to save them before it happened again.

He opened his mouth slowly.

I'm sorry, Sasuke.

"I'm sorry, Akihiro."

Maybe next time.

"Maybe next time."

For some reason, Naruto looked more disappointed by his decision than his brother did.

Okay, so not much going on in this chapter at surface level- but there is a lot going on in the background with each of the characters (whom, I know I promised wouldn't have any pivotal roles but shit happened... OTL)

The character dynamics have changed massively over the past couple of chapters with perhaps the greatest transformation being Ame; who has went from being this fairly quiet, subordinate wife to a lioness defending her youngest cub.

I think I'm going to use this arc to deal more with Sasuke's relationships (as well as catching the person trying to kill Naruto) with a focus on his relationships with his siblings... and maybe Itachi. :/

If you think this is a terrible idea, speak now (and give god reasons) or forever hold your peace. :)

We've also gotten a step closer to learning who the owner of 'the name' is. :P

Thank you for reading!

Please review! *.*