Fourteen

The New Chapter

~Fears & Endings~

Chapter Fourteen

The Unexpected Guest

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet my wife,"

...

It's been a week since Itachi introduced his new wife to the family and it's also been a week since she and Sasuke worked things out for both of them and their daughter. Despite their happiness she couldn't shrugged off the feeling of the threat that will pull them apart once again. No matter how many times she reassured herself that everything is going to be just fine the thought of the Uchiha brother's father is still at the back of her mind and heart and that fear is growing every day.

"What should I do?" Naruto groaned as she looks up the sky she had to admit she's contradicting herself, she told Sasuke herself that no matter what happens she will never give in and that they will always be together for the sake of their daughter. She also promised him that no matter what the future throw at them they will face it head on. But deep inside her mind and heart she's scared.

"I am really terrified at the thought of losing Sasuke and I am terrified for Kaoru if she loses her dad she'll definitely be sad." She thought to herself while clutching the blanket on her hand.

"No no no!" she shook her head as she realized how depressing her thoughts are. "I have to stop thinking like this…" she closes her hand into a fist, "I have to be strong I can't continue thinking like this!"

"Mommy!" A cried out from inside their house snapping her back in reality.

"Kaoru?" hearing her daughter cried out for her she left her laundry and run inside their home. As she walk down the halls towards their living room there she sees her daughter slumped down the carpet with a very familiar photobook on her hand. Kaoru jumps then run towards her mother with a big smile on her face.

"Kaoru don't yell like that! I thought something happened to you." Naruto reprimanded her daughter softly while patting her daughter's head.

Kaoru in return pouted, "S-Sorry!" she apologized cutely but her pout didn't last long as her lips twitch into a wide grin then she spread the album open towards her mother. "Mommy who's this guy with grandma-mommy?" she asked while inclining her head.

"Oh…" in front of Naruto was her family photo, it was taken when her dad was still alive she was only six years old that time, "Ne, mom who's this guy? Is he my grandpa-daddy?" she asked cutely.

Naruto smiled softly, "Yeah that was your grandpa daddy." She said taking the album from her daughter's hand while staring at her late dad's face longingly. It's been years since she last saw this picture she looks up to her daughter wondering how she found this album when she knows she kept it inside her drawer for safe-keeping.

"Mommy where's grandpa-daddy?" Kaoru asked as she sits on her mother's lap.

"Well your grandpa-daddy died when I was seven…"

"How?" Kaoru frowned, feeling disappointed knowing that her grandfather she wanted to meet was already dead.

"I don't know…" Naruto sighed, come to think of it her mother didn't really told her the whole story about her dad's death all she know was that he died in a car accident they didn't even have a funeral for him either.

"Mom?"

"He died in a car accident Kaoru…"

"Can we go visit him in the cemetery mommy?"

Now it was Naruto's turn to frown in sadness how can she tell her daughter that even her don't even know where her own father was buried.

"I…" Naruto was save by the bell when they heard a familiar horn.

"Uwaah its daddy!" seemingly forgetting her conversation with her mother Kaoru ran towards the genkan leaping to her father's waist as he entered the house.

"Whoa slow down there sweetie."

Kaoru squealed as Sasuke lift her up making her sit on his shoulder.

"Weee! I am so high!"

"Careful don't get too excited and fall." Sasuke reminded his daughter.

"I'll be careful daddy!"

"Where's your mom?"

"I'm here." Naruto said as she reappeared, walking down the hall towards her family. "Welcome back home Sasuke." She greeted her boyfriend with a smile.

"What? Dad only will get smile from you mommy."

"Yeah our daughter is right I worked so hard today so I think I deserve more than a smile here." Sasuke teased while looking up to his daughter sitting on his shoulder both of them sharing a knowing smile and a high five.

"The two of you really are ganging up on me lately…" Naruto sighed exasperatedly.

"Not at all mommy…my sensei said that it's normal for two people in love to kiss." Kaoru said with a grin but in return Naruto gave her daughter an incredulous look and then glared at her boyfriend. There's no way teachers will say that to a grade schooler. "Come on mommy kiss daddy!" she cheered while bobbing her head in excitement.

"Fine." Naruto tip-toed to plant a kiss on Sasuke's cheek but before her lips could make a contact on his skin Sasuke turned his face towards her resulting for their lips to meet each other instead.

"Yay! Daddy for the win!"

"You cheated!" Naruto accused half-heartedly while helplessly trying not to smile giddily at her boyfriend's antics.

"Come on mommy let's eat dinner I'm starving!"

That night after cleaning up and putting Kaoru to sleep Naruto found herself sitting down the bar stool with Sasuke opening the new bottle of champagne pouring that rich content on their glasses carefully.

"So Kaoru has been raving about her 'grandfather' on your side." Sasuke started as he gave Naruto her share of drink. "She was sad that she wouldn't have a chance to meet him." He said with as-the-matter-of-fact tone on his voice.

"Yeah…" Naruto nodded.

"You never told me about your dad…"

"I don't really talk about dad after he died…" She pondered while taking a sip of her champagne, "Since every time I talked about him mom will hear me and she'll cry…so I promised myself that time that I will never going to talk about him or even think about him so that I won't make mom sad and…" She paused then she turned to look at Sasuke their eyes met, "To not make myself sad as well…"

"Is it alright for us to talk about him now?" Sasuke asked he sits beside his girlfriend.

"I think so…" she trailed off while she stirred the remaining champagne contents on her glass.

She said it was fine to talk about her dad but for him it's obviously wasn't the case. She's still hurting

"You don't have to talk about him if you're not ready."

"You know…"

"Yeah?"

"I remembered…I was only five then…he told me 'When someone loves you they'll come back for you.'…" Naruto sniffed, not realizing that her tears had started cascading down her cheek, "But he didn't come back Sasuke…" she said facing her boyfriend.

"Naruto…" Sasuke said while intertwining his hand to hers.

With her free hand Naruto started to wipe her tears profusely, "I know he was dead he can't come back anymore…but still I've been wondering if someone I love left and didn't come back…does that mean he didn't really love us? And all that 'I love you's' are just a lie?"

"Naruto…" Sasuke said gently.

"I am really scared Sasuke…I am scared of the future of our family I am scared that one day your dad will find out about us still together and break us apart…and I am scared that you'll leave me too like what dad did to my mom and me…" she said as her tears continue to flow down her cheeks.

Sasuke didn't say anything instead he embrace her silently telling her that she could depend on him that unlike her fears he will always be there for her.

"Sasuke…" Naruto sniffed, while burying her face on her boyfriend's chest.

"I promise I won't leave you and Kaoru…I love you both…"

Meanwhile

A man on his late 30's opened the envelope that his secretary gave him revealing the collection of glossy pictures in it. In that picture was a familiar blonde's solo shot and the other once are her photo depicting herself with her young family. The man smiled nostalgically to the picture while his fingers unknowingly started to trace the line on her face.

"It's been twelve years since then my baby girl but I'm still longing to see you and your mother…" he said to himself aloud.

"Are you ready sir?" the old man asked his master dutifully.

"Yeah…" he nodded, "I've waited long enough I want to make things right I am ready to face my wife and daughter." He said with a determined look on his face.

At the bar, after work.

"Are you alright Sasuke?" Itachi asked his younger brother quizzically he's been noticing the onyx eyed lad twitching and turning on his seat.

"Itachi…" Sasuke uttered, it's been two nights since Naruto shared her feelings about her late dad and her concern about their future because of their father. She insist that was the only thing bugging her, he appreciates her honesty but there's something at the back of his mind telling her it wasn't the only problem she's been thinking and he hates that she couldn't be 'fully honest' with him.

"What? Are you going to tell me what's in your mind or what?" Itachi prodded as he downed his vodka in one go.

"It's about Naruto."

Itachi knotted his eyebrow.

"What about Naruto." He asked looking straight at his younger brother's onyx eyes.

"I feel that there's something that Naruto aren't telling me and it frustrates me to no end." Sasuke said while running a finger on his raven hair exasperatedly.

"Why not ask her directly then Sasuke."

"Even if I could she won't tell me she'll only avoid and change the subject."

"You have to be persistent Sasuke…or else you won't really know…"

Sasuke sighed, "I swear if our god-forsaken father is the reason why she's acting like this I am going to start throwing punches! I really hate that old man!" he growled while slamming his clench fist on top of their table.

"Mommy we have a visitor!" Naruto paused, looking up to meet her daughter's gaze. 'A visitor in this time of day?' she thought to herself.

'Who could it be?' Thinking about the sudden arrival of their 'visitor' made her heart pound against her rib cage so hard it hurt. She felt her fear and anxiety coming back to her in full force. What if…the visitor is Sasuke's dad? What if he's here to take Kaoru? What if he's here to ruin everything?. Naruto found herself cradling her head with both of her hand her head is aching from too much thinking.

Ding dong…

The sound of the doorbell doubled her heart rate. She gulped real hard she couldn't speak. What if all her fears resurface once she opened that door?

"Mom?"

Instead of answering her daughter, Naruto stood up from her seat slowly on her own pace she started to walk towards the door. The more she got closer to the door the more she heard the doorbell continuously ringing her fear doubled.

'We will always be together Naruto we'll face everything together…as a family…I'll protect you and Kaoru with all my life…I love you two to death…"

But remembering Sasuke's promise to her she steeled her resolved.

She have to be brave she have to face this obstacles head on because Sasuke and Kaoru are there for her. With her hand on the doorknob she opened the door only to meet her fear face to face.

"Uzumaki Naruto…"

Naruto trembled, her hazel eyes wavered. There in front of her is the personification of her fear.

Uchiha Fugaku

"I fear that the time is up for deciding…" The older Uchiha's voice is as cold as ice.

"I…"

"It's either go or suffer."

A/N: Sorry everyone for late late late late update! But this is it I'm back! and I'll update as fast as I can if I get 5 reviews in minimum! :D Just to make sure I still have readers! :D

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