Thanks for waiting, and sticking with our story. So far, I believe this is one of the best stories I've written. I wanna thank you guys for showing this story some love, and I'm just amazed that in only 3 chapters (now 4), we gathered almost 100 followers! You don't know how thankful we are about that. It shows us that we're doing something right XD. Without anymore waiting, here's the next chapter! Yay! Enjoy.
~Four~
Naruto slammed the phone against the receiver, his azure eyes glistening with more accumulating tears. The blonde, 19 and pregnant, now stood dependently against the wooden floorboards of the wall, his arms wrapping protectively around his meager person. "Sasuke." He mused. His mind wandering off as the tantalizing numbness of abandonment overwhelmed him. But than again, can one truly classify this act as abandonment? Or rather isolation? Naruto clutched the silk robe closely into his sweaty palms, wrapping his naked flesh to contain warmth. The wooden floorboards cold against his thighs, as he sat taut. Lolling back against wood in utter silence. A dial tone?! A fucking dial tone?! The distant sound of roaring cars elicited vacuous thoughts to rush through him. The curtain above his cranium fluttered in the wind, a ripple of smooth white cloth, flowing graciously. Naruto stared vacantly at his feet, mouth slightly agape, as the feel of a single tear trickled down his flustering cheeks.
He cradled himself, drawing his knees in, and the deadly sound of silence embraced him. Light shining through the cracks of the blinds, he continued to dwell on his unsuspecting encounter. The blonde was too young to raise this baby alone, and Itachi wasn't exactly the person he'd hoped to manage a child with. He loved Sasuke, and having Itachi boss him around more than usual, wasn't the best part of his life. However he had to get by with what he could manage to make ends meet for his unborn child. His bare feet scuffed against the slightly ridged wood, his body distorted like an infant child, clinging to its mother desperately. His blonde hair matted. Dial tone. Sasuke had officially set himself aside from Naruto, and it seemed that the raven was venturing further and further down the opposite path.
Itachi would be returning soon to get Naruto, so he stumbled to his feet, swiping off small specks of dust from his exposed limps. He stretched abruptly, scooping up the outfit laying perfectly before him upon the master bed, at which he came to a halt. Intently recollecting the pleasure he and Sasuke shared during their 6th year anniversary. He held the clothes close to his heart. The intoxicating aroma of Sasuke's scent, wafting into his nostrils, as he inhaled heavily. The bedroom door opened abruptly, eliciting Naruto to jump from being startled. Itachi narrowed his eyes accusingly, walking proudly into the room with the obviously naked young man. "Itachi, what-"
"-I told you to be ready to go, after I finished my errands. You're still undressed and, I truly don't have time to waste-"
"-You don't have to do this." Naruto retorted under his breath harshly, whipping around towards the bathroom, as Itachi made himself comfortable on the edge of the master bed. He glared at Naruto. The young blonde, growing insecure under the watch of his future brother-in-law, hesitantly glanced over his right shoulder to meet those damning eyes. "Wha-"
"-I don't need you, Naruto. But for my brother- as if I truly give a damn how he lives his life- I feel it is my utmost duty to help my nephew or niece have a more healthy and developed start." Naruto analyzed the older man's taut body, his azure eyes widening as Itachi rose from the bed and stalked toward him. He cupped Naruto's cheeks firmly, angling his face to force eye contact. The blonde's heart paced rapidly. The damning look in the older Uchiha's face, scared him, but he conjured up the strength to stay calm. "This is your fault, and you're going to fix it..." He hissed in a demanding whisper. Naruto shuttering slightly at the feel of his warm breath tickling the shell of his ear. "...Everything. You. Will. Fix. And. Make. It. Right." He shoved Naruto back softly, swirling around on his heels before, departing towards the doorway. "Get dress, Naruto. We have to use this time wisely. If you need anything, I'll be downstairs waiting." He looked over his shoulder at the naked boy, denoting how exquisite Naruto's person looked. His sun-kissed flesh, toned and smooth. The robe adorning his beauty marvelously.
Sasuke evidentially has more quality in taste than I thought.
"Don't keep me waiting, Naruto. Or do I have to dress you myself-"
"-Itachi, I'm not stupid!" Naruto growled, his teeth baring as that damned smile crawled up the other's face. "You Uchihas always doubt my intelligence! I'm tired of everyone treating me like in some idiot!-"
"-By your example of being a responsible adult...This little stunt can be added to the list of all the bullshit ideas you've accumulated-"
"-Go to hell." Naruto snapped. Itachi smiled, his cold, emotionless eyes falling right on Naruto, who became flustered and looked away.
A blush? Did he actually blush at me?
"Get dressed Naruto, your nude presence is very disturbing." The raven scoffed afterwards, and left the room. Naruto stood stiffly, his small baby bump exposed for all to see. Yes, he made a mistake by not consulting with Sasuke, but now he's alone without his boyfriend here by his side. There was a piece of him that ultimately thought that this was for the best. It gave them some time to be away from each other, and Naruto was kinda capable of handling a child. He just needed the unconditional love and support, but unfortunately for him, they sent Itachi as his welcome committee. Naruto sighed nonchalantly, trudging into the bathroom, where he washed his tainted body. His skin reeked of ignorance and deception.
His eyes swollen from all the tears. The faucet spewed out water. His hands cupped together, before he splashed the liquid against his face. Staring vacuously at his reflection with a deadpan demeanor. Naruto was so lost without guidance. Not that Sasuke guided him anywhere. He felt comfortable around the 19-year-old, and his company pleasured him, unlike Itachi's estranged company. He loathed social gatherings, unless his business got involved, or he was forced against his will to go. By choice, Itachi would probably be alone reading an old withering novella, while smoking a cigarette. What a bad addiction. Itachi didn't seem like the type to show any interest in any particular sex, however Naruto did know he had a girlfriend by the name of...Rin? It might have been Rin. It's just he didn't see her quite often, and Itachi doesn't really speak of her much unless others question him about their relationship.
Naruto found it extremely odd, but decided beside himself to mettle in other people's business. Naruto slipped through his orange polo, fixing the dark skinny jeans at the hip, and cleaned over his fresh Nikes. The all white ones. Yes, you could see his small baby bump, but no one truly gave a rats ass, unless you were of Uchiha decent. And everyone knew Fugaku despised Naruto with a passion. Mikoto on the other note adored the blonde, and treated him like her son, which he appreciated. Especially seeing that coming from a woman whose husband pretty much owned majority of the world. Naruto stepped out his bedroom door, coming to an abrupt halt at the sound of Itachi's voice.
"Where are you?!" He hissed. Naruto grew taut, his eyes wide and breath still. The blonde languidly rose his foot, pressing his body against the beige wall. "The hell you mean, you won't tell me?!" Itachi growled, pacing the floor as he spoke. "I don't appreciate you fucking with me, foolish brother." He coyly responded, halting into his tracks. His back facing Naruto, who froze upon the staircase. Naruto held his breath. Itachi chuckled. "I don't care. Just be back home when I told you too! Naruto's upstairs getting ready, I'll take him out somewhere special." The raven walked off again, a hidden smirk adorning his face. He knew Naruto was listening the entire time. The blonde then proceeded down the steps casually. "Okay, bye." Uchiha turned to meet Naruto's questing expression. His onyx eyes analyzing every aspect of his being before he clasped his hands together and sighed. "You ready?-"
"-Where's Sasuke?" Itachi smiled.
"I don't know-"
"-Like hell! You know, he told you so where is he?" Naruto glared at Itachi, he merely rolled his eyes and snatched up his car keys. The older man made his way towards the front door, briefly taking in the scent of Naruto. He smelled of fresh peaches.
He smells just like that idiot!
Naruto groaned. Folding his arms firmly against his chest, as he followed after Itachi with great suspicion. It was one thing for Itachi to volunteer to help him through his pregnancy, but to actually start being nice and taking him out baffled Uzumaki. The crisp smell of fresh air embraced the two as they ventured towards the black Mercedes. One thing all Uchihas loved...Black and expensive vehicles. Naruto froze in his tracks, while the other male continued down the long driveway. "Itachi, where are we going?" He continued as if Naruto hadn't inquired of him.
"Patience is key. Now c'mon before I change my mind and leave you to fend for yourself, Uzumaki." He retorted, opening the shinning car door at which Naruto walked over. He placed the key in the ignition and turned to object forcefully, eliciting the car to roar to life. He looked up at the sight of Naruto's hips swaying perfectly with his confident strides. He'd gained a little weight, but his curves seemed quite delicious in those jeans. He scoffed at the thought, clutching the steering wheel with tenacity, his eyes narrowing when said Naruto opened the passenger door and sat next to him. He jacked the handle into reverse and backed out of the driveway. Naruto snuggled against the door, his arms wrapped tightly around his person. He didn't quite understand why Itachi was being so generous, when all he ever did was treat him like straight crap. Itachi even bullied Sasuke, so why the hell was he helping him?!
"Stop the car!" Naruto abruptly exclaimed, startling Itachi who slammed on brakes with no hesitation. Both smacked their heads against the dashboard (technically, Itachi face planted against the steering wheel).
"What the hell is your problem?!"
"Why are you helping me?! Why are you even here trying to be a good guy, when you're the one who's always been against Sasuke and I?!" The raven gawked at him. The blonde released a mantra of obscenities, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "You never truly encouraged us being together, when all you ever did was talk shit!-"
"-I do that quite often with everyone. I could care less who my brother decides to fall in love with. I can only treat them with respect, since that's how I was taught. Unlike Fugaku, I don't voice my opinions as strongly as he does though-"
"-Whatever." Itachi clutched the blonde's face again. Yanking him forward until his nose almost touched the others. Azure stared unwillingly into black. Naruto felt warm inside. He hated Itachi greatly, but this unfamiliar sensation plaguing his body made him feel somewhat safe in his presence.
"There's a baby involved in this mess now, and you two have to get your thoughts and priorities together, before I have to do it for you." He stated calmly, with an exasperated undertone. "So I suggest you learn fairly quickly how to manage a child." He released his jaws from his tight grip, smirking coyly at the sight of Naruto rubbing his cheeks, before averting his gaze quickly. He started once more down the road. "...And by the way, if you ever yell like that again in my car, you'll be sorry Uzumaki." He hissed, but Naruto simply rolled his eyes nonchalantly and continued with the soothing of his painful jaws. The cloudy sky and rapid winds engulfed them as Itachi continued his journey out along the countryside. Naruto sat patiently, his blue eyes taking in the approaching graveyard, at which the older man stopped the car and stepped out. Completely ignoring the bewildered expression Naruto have him.
That's when the blonde finally acknowledged the black suit, clinging desperately to his person. A fragile rose, white and innocent, adorned his coat pocket and his hair set free as he pushed through the gate. The hormonal teenager leaned forward against the windshield, his mouth agape in awe at the sight of his estranged brother-in-law kneeling before a small grave. Where his left hand rubbed the grass and tombstone delicately, while the other placed the rose at the base of small rock. Naruto couldn't stand it anymore, so he quickly opened the door and approached Itachi's stiff person. His azure eyes averting towards the stone, as Itachi abruptly rose from his squatting position, mumbled something inaudible, and walked pass Naruto. The blonde stared bewildered at the stone.
Kana Uchiha
Here lies the daughter of Itachi Uchiha and... She was a beauty angel, and may god bless her in heaven...God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, so that we could have ever lasting life...God created and God shall taketh away.
Naruto couldn't quite make out some of the words. It seemed that someone had etched through majority of the writing to secure a secret deep within. It stunned Naruto because, he sure as hell didn't know Itachi was once a father, and since the stone didn't have dates, he assumed she died the day of her birth. The blonde turned to his left, noticing the raven staring towards the sky in his black suit, while Naruto clutched his body in the wind. The trees and grass swayed. Both men lost deep in thought, as more clouds began to accumulating in the sky above them. "Naruto, c'mon! I need to go buy you some more comfortable clothes!" The teen took one last look at the grave and departed from its sights. A timbre of whistling wind attacking his eardrums viciously, but he continued on towards the car. Itachi said nothing else during the drive back to town. He simply sighed now and then, but nothing to major that could stir up conversation. Quite frankly, it made Naruto want to go mute and not speak, but with his curious mind that surely would not be an option. "I didn't know you had a daughter." He abruptly spoke to clear the suffocating silence, as Itachi scoffed nonchalantly and glanced over at him daringly.
"There's a lot of things I do that, people like you shouldn't know about." He spoke, coming to a stop at the red light.
"Why keep it a secret?-"
"-Why are you asking so many leading questions?" Itachi gave the boy a long side glare. "Why do you care what happened to her? She's dead. Gone. I've never have her back!" He hissed. Naruto knew how irritated Itachi was getting, just by looking at how his hands turned whiter by the minutes, as he continued to grip the steering wheel with tenacity. Uzumaki held his stomach, his azure eyes averting towards Itachi's. Those onyx orbs seemed to warm up at the sight of Naruto's baby bump, but still he seemed lost in despair.
"I bet she was beauty." Naruto stated, watching the smile curl up Itachi's face.
"Oh, she was gorgeous. A precious baby that I loved regardless of her condition."
"What condition?" Naruto inquired. Itachi ignored him, focusing back on the road, while Naruto urged him to tell everything that happened, but he refused. Itachi was quite stubborn like Sasuke, but Sasuke would eventually crack. However, Itachi seemed made of steel. Once again nothing but painful silence engulfed them, and during this time Naruto had an epiphany. "So the only reason you're helping me is because, I'm pregnant and you fear that what happened to your child could happen again!" Naruto exclaimed. Itachi jumped, slamming on brakes again, but this time they both managed to stop themselves from bussing their faces against the dashboard (also with the help of their seat belts). Itachi growled, and jacked the blonde by his collar, forcing him towards his person. The raven heaved strongly, those cold eyes assaulting Naruto's person viciously.
"You don't know a damn thing, so stop acting like you know! You think just because you saw my child's hidden grave, means you now have more knowledge about me than when you started! Naruto, I'm doing this for the Uchiha pride. Sasuke will not damage me with his fornication!-"
"-So it's all about you?! You're only worried about your pride being jeopardized in the matter, when I'm the only one carrying the next generation of Uchiha! This is your family and you're only worried about yourself!" Naruto pushed Itachi away, his eyebrows furrowed dangerously at the sight of the estranged raven. "Your baby is the reason you hate me. Ever since you found out that I'm pregnant, you've been all over my ass, nagging about bullshit! You're jealous of Sasuke and I, and what we share!-"
"-You're so ignorant, Uzumaki." The blonde quirked his right eyebrow at that. "My child's death has nothing to do with why I'm helping you at all. And this petty accusation of jealously that I have for my brother, is nothing but a lie. I don't care about you, or Sasuke. I'm more concerned about getting this baby into the world as healthy as it can be." Naruto gawked at him. "This baby is the Uchiha pride, and with your stupidity, It'll only damage our name even more." Cars drove by the vehicle, Naruto averting his guilt-filled gaze down into his lap. "Kana was born during one of my trips overseas for business, and the doctors had told us this would be a very difficult birth... Since her heart rate wasn't as strong as it should have been. Her heart rate would constantly drop drastically throughout the pregnancy, and my lover at the time was suffering from an illness. So I went off during the beginning of the third trimester. And while I was in Japan, I received an emergency call stating that Kana was coming." Naruto stared intently at Itachi whose solemn gaze told him everything.
"You didn't get to see her birth, did you." Itachi worried his bottom lip.
"And I regret that everyday. I excused myself from the meeting a few hours before presentation and got on the next flight back home. It took me some hours, but when I managed to finally make it to the hospital. Kana was barely breathing, her fragile body small enough to fit inside a shoe box. A gorgeous child. She had my hair, and his blue eyes-"
"-His?!" Naruto exclaimed, watching Itachi smirk knowingly. "Are you-"
"-Naruto, that's not the point. He was merely a one night stand that I eventually found a connection with. My daughter was petite, so amazing. I'd done this; I'd took part in the creation of this human, but she just couldn't handle the world. Poor child was too weak, and she died in my arms. The medicine and breathing tubes couldn't save her." Naruto closed in his eyes to hold back the tears. He seemed so guilty even though he knew what had happened wasn't of his doing, yet he felt accountable for everything.
"Itachi, I'm sorry to hear that. I didn't mean to intrude in your personal life-"
"-You intruded when you stepped out the car and looked at the grave-"
"-Why didn't you stop me then?" Itachi smirked, his eyes mysterious.
"Maybe I wanted someone to finally see what has happened in my life, or maybe I just didn't care." Naruto rolled his eyes nonchalantly, jumping at the vibration against his right ass cheek. The blonde grabbed the phone, groaning at the sight of Deidara's name plastered upon the screen. He answered.
"Hello?...No, I'm not home I'm out...don't worry about with who!...Yes, it's true...you wanna what?!...Fine, I'll be over." Naruto ended the call, arching an eyebrow at Itachi's baffled physiognomy. "What?"
"Who was that?"
"Deidara, my cousin. You don't know him." Itachi nodded his head in agreement, cranking the car back up, at which Naruto grabbed his wrist abruptly. The raven quickly looked in his direction. "Can we go to Deidara's house? He wants to see me, since its been some years." Itachi nodded assuringly, following Naruto's direction to the one place he truly didn't want to return to.
.
.
.
.
.
After an hour of driving from in the city walls to the outskirts of the country. Itachi became very cantankerous. Naruto didn't quite understand why he was acting so trivial, as they grew closer to the blonde's house. The cumulonimbi covered the once sunny cry, and rain pelted the windshield of Itachi's black Mercedes. Naruto now laid asleep against the door, having forgotten that Itachi "needed" his directions to get to the blonde's home, which wasn't all true. The raven remembered quite vaguely how to get to the wooden cabin-like home, but thought nothing more of it as he saw the long-haired blonde sitting on the approaching porch. Itachi's heart hitched, eliciting him to park the car a good distance from the home, something he use to do ever so often. Deidara watched intently, his blue eyes calculating the luxurious vehicle.
Minato actually allowed Sasuke to get a car that fancy?
The elder blonde rested his hands firmly upon the arms of his chair, watching the driver side door open, and out stepped a tall raven haired man. One that he knew had to be the Uchiha boy. Itachi kept his back towards Deidara's eyesight, rushing over to the other side of the car after closing his door. The black jacket hiding his long hair and shielded him from the rain pelting his back as he hastily opened the door, and popped open the black umbrella. He scooped Naruto up in one arm and held the umbrella in the other. The blonde held him close (arms wrapped around his neck like a small child), and Itachi began the excruciating journey towards the home. Deidara calculated those strides, since he seemed to recollect those exact movements from an old friend of his. Right as Itachi took one step upon the porch, he immediately regretted ever coming along with the teenager. In once swift motion, his ex knocked off the hood of his jacket, and narrowed his eyes dangerously. "So you finally decided to come back, Itachi." He hissed. The raven smirked coyly.
"It's nice to see you again, Deidara-"
"-Un, I don't know if I can say the same about you, Uchiha." Naruto stirred in his arms, at which Deidara opened the front door. "Take him inside, I don't want my cousin getting sick while he's pregnant, hm." The blonde glared at Itachi who smiled innocently, stepping pass the man, and into his cozy home. A fire flickered in the fireplace, eliciting the warm heat to wrap around Itachi's cold person. The raven placed the pregnant boy on the couch, watching Deidara's every move from when he shut the front door, to when he walked into the kitchen.
"How many years has it been since we've actually seen each other?" No response. Itachi rolled his eyes nonchalantly, stalking into the kitchen, where he noticed the small convulsions, as the blonde dropped the spoon and covered his face in shame.
"You...you bastard!" The blonde whipped around, his eyes swelling at the accumulating tears. "You have some nerve coming back here!-"
"-Shhhhh! Naruto's asleep. Just let me talk to you." Itachi hissed back in a whisper.
"There's nothing to talk about! You left me for your damn job, and my baby is dead because of-"
"-Don't you blame Kana's death on me! I didn't know you'd go into labor at 7 months pregnant!-"
"-Go to hell, Uchiha! I should've known you were no good the first day I met you at the bar, un. I should have told you I wasn't interested. You caused this to happen, with your slick words and that manipulating forte!" Itachi rolled his eyes nonchalantly, unsure whether to speak against that or just ignore the comment all together. He evidentially chose the latter, and exited out of the kitchen with Deidara hot in pursuit. Itachi grabbed his car keys and umbrella reaching out for the doorknob, right as Deidara grabbed his wrist and pulled him back. The raven whipped around and glared at the blonde just as daringly. "You owe me an apology...I've been waiting years to hear it come from your lips, un." Itachi scoffed.
"Deidara, I don't owe you anything." He snatched his wrist away, the blonde baring his teeth in outrage.
"You should've stayed away! At least Kana would've died with dignity!-"
"-Don't you dare say that about her! I admit, I missed out on something very important, but she died peacefully and with dignity. So don't you dare blame me for anything-"
"-You used me, Uchiha!-"
"-Call it what you will. I brought Naruto over here so you could see him, not for you to jump down my throat about something I had no control over." Deidara stormed off down the narrow hallway, towards his bedroom. Slamming the door with as much force as he could accumulate. Itachi stood alone in the living room, his body lolling against the burgundy leather couch.
"YOU MAKE ME FUCKING SICK, UCHIHA, UN!" Itachi chuckled inwardly at the enraged outburst coming from the back room and smiled.
"Take some medicine than." He announced, glancing over his shoulder at the sleeping blonde.
If only that was his child inside of Naruto...Or better yet, Deidara.