Chapter Sixteen

Sasuke?!

A year and a half. That's how long it's been since Sasuke and I have taken control of the village. On the large scale of things, things have been going extremely well. I had excellent help and guidance both as village leader and as a parent. Little Itachi learned how to walk and say a couple of words now…with Sasuke though…things got a little heated between the two of us. Stress of work really put us on the spot and we hardly had time to ourselves anymore. "One more fight like that" I told myself "And I wouldn't be surprised if he took Itachi and left." I slammed the stamp down on some documents. Once more he had gotten on my case about not being home enough. I tried to be home as much as possible but it proved to be impossible some nights.

Sasuke had wanted me home last night because little Itachi kept asking 'where's mommy?' When he brought him in to see me this morning Sasuke had a new bruise forming on his arm; he had slammed into another wall. Despite the warnings Tsunade and I gave him he still uses his sharingon from time to time on missions. I know I should be home spending time with him while he can still see me but the thought of my husband in a weakened state upset me too much. I felt bad that I was so easily over powering him and I'm sure he wasn't too happy about it either.

Throwing aside my approval stamp and knocking over my chair as I stood up I ran after Sasuke. My robes billowing out behind me, "Sasuke" I cried, reaching my hand out for him "Sasuke please wait. We can talk this through I know we can." I placed my hand on his shoulder, turning him around to face me. It always startled me to see that the once onyx black eyes that I had fallen in love with had turned to a light shade of gray as the milky white color of blindness took hold. "I'm sorry I haven't been home in a while but I have had a lot of work to do now that we're building a stronger alley with the surrounding villages."

"Naruto I'm just going to go get Itachi from Iruka and Kakashi." Sasuke sighed "I understand that you're busy, I'm sorry I keep fighting with you between my eyes and you always being gone, and then the village always saying your stronger than me, when you're clearly not, it's just" He closed his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair, pulling back his bangs.

"It's just what sasuke?" I crossed my arms across my chest "And if you having your little fantasy about being stronger than me puts you in a better mood then go ahead and believe that. " It seemed that Sasuke was the only one who didn't congratulate me on all the knowledge I had come by. "My offer still stands to teach you some of the things I learned." He kept insisting that even though he may be going blind he didn't need my help learning new Jutsu; said that he would gain his power his way.

"Naruto I keep telling you, I don't need help with anything, I don't understand why you keep thinking I need your help. I'm older and stronger then you" He poked my forehead with his first two fingers. "Maybe next time." He said to me and turned to leave "I'm sorry" He forced himself to say as he walked farther down the hall way. How I wanted to just pull his arrogant ass back here and rape some sense into that boy. Why was he so reluctant to accept my help?

I followed him silently for a little ways; not ready to let the handsome man out of my sight. 'That idiot' I thought 'He took a wrong turn.' Instead of going to the door that lead out to the elevator I installed for him, he turned left, straight for the door that lead to the long winding outside stairs. "Sasuke wait!" I ran hooking my arms under his "Take one more step and you fall and I doubt that all the kings' horses and all the kings' men would be able to put you back together again." 'Had he wanted to prove something by taking those steps' I wondered.

"About time you attacked me." He said smirking back at me. Sasuke's pale eyes trying to focus in on me, "Oh Naruto" he cried; turning he threw himself at me "Naruto I don't know how much longer I have left to see and I want…no need to see your face while I make love to you." He pulled back so he could see me clearly. For a moment we stared at each other before locking lips in an apologetic kiss.

It was rare to see Sasuke so venerable like this. I wasn't going to let it go to waste. "Come on Sasuke, let's go home." I'd take him home, make hot passionate animalistic sex with him, and then sit and cuddle with Itachi. It was the perfect end to a bad day. The only thing I could think to make it better would be to tell him the exciting news I found out yesterday…maybe the day before…I really did lose track of time when I was neck deep in paper work.

I snuggled back with Sasuke and little Itachi. A blanket draped over our legs. This was what we always did after a good round of love making. I watched as Sasuke held back his tears as he looked at his son. "Naruto, I don't know how much longer I have left to able to see, I can barely see the two of you and you're right in front of me" Sasuke said with a bitter sadness to his voice. He reached out to pet little Itachi's head…and missed. He shut his eyes tightly and let the tears fall.

I put my arms around Sasuke so he would know without a doubt that I was by his side. "Seeing isn't everything Sasuke. You can still hear us and feel us and smell us." I joked "little Itachi more than me…unless I start using that scented soap again." I kiss the nape of his neck "I'll be right by your side all the way through this, when the time comes I will help you adjust to the changes." I kiss up his neck and cheek "It pays to be married to the Hokage." This, I decided, was not the right time to tell him about his second child.

"I know and I thank you so much" He ran his fingers through my blond hair "I wouldn't mind if you started using that soap again. You smelled so nice!" Little Itachi grabbed hold of his pointer finger "Itachi, don't worry, I haven't forgotten about you." As much as I didn't want to believe it I knew that Sasuke's sight would be all but gone by the end of tonight. "I'm so sorry" He said in a hoarse whisper.

"Sasuke" I whispered sweetly so he would open his eyes again. I gently turn his head to look at me "I want to be the last thing you see so my picture will stay with you forever." I gave a tearful laugh "I have such a ridiculous hair cut and those whisker markers I think it would be hard to forget what I looked like though." I put my forehead to his "Can you see me?"

"Yeah" He lied, the tears poured down his pale cheeks. How awful it must be to be lost in the darkness. I closed my eyes in a pathetic attempt to join him when…

"So sorry Sasuke," A dark but cheery voice called out "I was held up at the gate."

I pulled sasuke closer to me "Who the hell?" I glared up at the man "What the hell are you doing here?"

The man chuckled softly behind his orange mask "There is no need to be so protective Hokage Sama." He paused to gather the right words "There is no easy way to put this. I am the only other surviving member of the Uchiha clan besides your husband and son. Not counting the one on the way."

Sasuke pulled away from me "On the way!?" Why did he have to sound so hurt by the news? "Naruto, why didn't you tell me that you were pregnant again?"

Before I could answer his question the strange Uchiha continued, "Course there is more to my story then just being an Uchiha. My name is Uchiha Mandara, I helped kill the clan along with the late Uchiha Itachi. I wasn't planning on doing this at all, but I am 180 years well past my death bed and as a sorry gift to the both of you" He paused to take off his mask; his left side was bandaged pretty heavily but his sharingon spun into action in his right eye. "I want to give Sasuke back his sight by giving him my eye. Not only will you see again Sasuke but you will also never lose your sight again. Itachi gave you his damaged eye's that's why you lost your sight, but me, I have at least 3 or 4 good Mangakiyo's to give you, I've jumped around so much even though this body is missing an eye I've still been able to see as if it wasn't gone!" He smiled to the blinded man "So Sasuke, what do you say?"

Sasuke's hand never left my shoulder. Lost in such deep of thought, trying to come up with some form of catch, this seemed too good to be true. Even little Itachi became worried. His little hand came up to rest just below his left eye. Sasuke turned to where his son lay, though he couldn't see him, he moved his hand down from my shoulder to my stomach; he muttered a single word to the man before us.