Chapter 50

Sasuke

To be honest, I'm glad Naruto went to his room and dragged Gaara along with him. I wanted some time alone and possibly talk to Itachi if he wasn't too busy with whatever he was planning on busying himself with until his date with Tenshi later. God, this was a fucking wreck, my whole life … I couldn't believe I talked with Naruto about my parents. It wasn't something I did on a normal basis, or something I really want to ever have brought up in a damned conversation.

And to be honest, I didn't get much sleep last night, which is why I've been more quiet than usual and listening to loud music to keep myself awake most of the day we were out. All I could think about last night, was the last conversation I had with Dad before he drove off with Mom in anger. All because I didn't want to follow Itachi's shoes and take over the family business. God, when I even mentioned that I wanted to be a writer one day when Dad asked what I wanted to do with my future, I thought he was going to break the glass he was holding because it was gripped in his hand so tight. Hell, I think it even cracked, but I don't know, we've been missing a glass in our cabinet since that night anyway.

Dad can be such a thick headed bastard sometimes, but I do honestly say I loved him. He was my father for crying out loud, and he got me whatever I asked if it wasn't too expensive. The most expensive thing I've ever asked for was a laptop, which he gladly got me not knowing I was going to use it for writing and nothing else besides homework.

Sighing heavily, I threw myself onto my bed when I walked into my room and covered my eyes with my left forearm. Deep inside, I wished I hadn't mentioned my parents to Naruto last night, we could have talked about something else, but whenever Naruto's crying and talking about how much he dreams his mother could be, and complements mine, wishing she was also his mother, I couldn't help it. At least it made the dobe happy.

"Hey, Sasuke, is something bothering you?" Itachi's voice came into my room, making me realize I didn't shut the door and groaned silently, wishing I had.

"I'm fine." I said, but he knows everything …

"I know you Sasuke, you only say that when you want to hide from what's bothering you." Itachi said, right on the dot. God I hate it when he does that.

"Fine, I talked to Naruto about our Mom." I sighed heavily, though now rolling onto my side, my back towards him and curled into a ball totally wishing I was alone right now.

"Really?" Itachi asked, and he sounded surprised.

"Yea, he was crying, thinking that if his mom were still alive, she'd despise him for how he's been these past few years. Not standing up to his dad and all, and even thought she'd kick him out because he's gay." I sighed as I finally decided to roll onto my other side to face him, only to see him sitting in my computer chair, listening intently. "I told him that Mom said she was the kindest person she ever met."

"Which is true, I've met his mom once or twice, was always nice to me too. One time I remember her giving me a book of some kind. I don't remember what it is now, I haven't been able to find it in years. Honestly, I wished I had it." Itachi said, shrugging by the end and looking a little sad. "Do you remember last month or so that Tsunade said you had to sign up for a social group after school for a while?"

"I had to … oh, no, not until you mentioned it." I shrugged, thinking of it less and less.

"Well, she's letting you slide, since you've helped a lot in helping me and Gaara take care of Naruto." Itachi said. "I talked to her about a few days ago, but I never got around to telling you."

"Oh, okay." I nodded, yawning a little bit just as there was a knock on the front door.

"I hope that's not Neji." I grumbled and started getting up, but Itachi beat me out of the room and answered the door, only to find that Sakura was standing on the door way and talking to Itachi about something when I finally made my way to the living room.

"Afternoon Sasuke." Sakura said as she waved, and I couldn't help but blush slightly and wave back a little bit. Why in the hell was she here? Her father would kill me and lock her in her room until she turned twenty.

"Well, you can come in if you want to." I mumbled, though I think she heard me because she looked up to Itachi and he stepped aside, letting her walk in and closed the door behind her as she took her shoes off and walked over to the couch, motioning me over to sit with her.

So I did, and I made sure I wasn't too close in case her father was nearby trying to see if we're anything but friends.

"Don't worry Sasuke, my father is at home. I drove myself because I finally got my license." She said, and I smiled when she did. "Dad also bought me the car as an early graduation present."

"Then you can stop by more often?" I asked as I hugged her, making me much happier than I was a few moments ago when she hugged me back.

"I want to have us … back." She said, and I stiffened a little bit. "Don't worry about it, Mom promised that if we were to get together, she'll take care of Dad." She added.

"You sure? I thought your Mom didn't like me either." I asked.

"I told her how much you've changed since Naruto got back in your life, and in a good way." She said, and I nodded, my body loosening up as I relaxed and kissed her forehead.

"Sakura!" I heard Naruto bellow behind me and pull the two of us in his bear hug as he tried to give Sakura a welcome hug. "How have you been?"

"I've been good, how about you?" Sakura asked when Naruto let us go only because Gaara dragged him off of us.

"I finally got rid of the back brace!" Naruto said happily, and it looked like all of his worry about his father was gone, for now at least.

"That's amazing Naruto." Sakura beamed with a smile, her hands resting in mine and I didn't let hers go any time soon.

"Come on Naruto, let Sasuke and Sakura finish their conversation." Gaara grumbled behind Naruto, who had his arms wrapped around the blonde to keep him from clinging to us again like before.

"But Gaara." Naruto whined, I grimaced, but Sakura giggled at Naruto's attempts to talk to her, and he was losing badly when Gaara glared at him, making the blonde sigh heavily and comply with his boyfriend before being dragged back to the bedroom when neither Sakura or I talked until we heard the door close.

"He's really happy to be out of that back brace isn't he?" Sakura asked, though I knew from personal experience, and being with the blonde for so long these past few weeks, that Naruto was faking all that happiness. But this time he almost had me fooled.

"He is." I nodded, not daring to say anything else about the blondes behavior.

"Would you like to stay for lunch Sakura?" Itachi asked from the kitchen.

"What you making Itachi?" Sakura asked, almost like she'd make her decision if she liked what he was making.

"I'm making rabbit soup and for Gaara I'm making chicken fried rice with vegetables since he's got allergies to almost everything in the meat department." Itachi answered, and it was true enough. Gaara couldn't do shellfish now we find out he can't do game meat either. Well, at least rabbit. I wonder if he'd be able to handle duck.

"Sounds wonderful." Sakura smiled, and I was glad she said so. "I'll stay for lunch. I'll call my mother real quick." She added as she got up while pulling her cell phone out and dialed her Mom's number. I knew she'd call her mother and not her father, but that still left me a little uneasy because sometimes her father liked answering other people's phones. And when she said 'hello Mom …' I smiled because that meant her mother started holding onto her phone from now on. Good for her.

"Okay, I'll call and let you know when I'm on my way home Momma. Bye." Sakura said a few minutes later and I stood up, grabbing her hand and pulled her outside onto the back porch. I felt like it was the best place to talk to her because I didn't feel like talking to her in my room. At least today we had a 'heat wave' and the weather outside was sunny, so it felt about five degrees warmer than the forty-seven that was out here now.

"Don't stay outside too long, and I hope you have something warm on also. It might not be that cold out, but you can still get a cold." Itachi said as we walked past him and out the back door. To be honest, I still had on my sweater that I put on this morning, and I was still wearing the scarf I wore when we left too, so I was good to go.

"We have Itachi, and thank you." Sakura said, probably answering for the both of us as she stepped outside behind me and closed the door. Finally, the two of us were alone.

To be honest, just standing out here having her company instead of being surrounded by guys is good enough for me. I haven't spent much time with anyone else but Itachi, Gaara and Naruto. A new change of pace and people were needed, a lot. So when I pulled Sakura to me and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her in and resting my head lightly on top of hers, I felt more comfortable than I have been in weeks.

"So how has life been for you since Naruto's birthday party Sasuke?" Sakura asked in a low voice, and from the sounds of it, she was content and happy within the warmth we were sharing.

"It's been … alright, but I'm missing the company of females a lot, especially you." I sighed. "That, and I've been locking myself up again these last few days."

"Why?" She asked, and she sounded a little worried about the last bit.

"I've been thinking of my parents, and just last night, Naruto and I were talking about them. Well, mostly our mothers, but still … I wished we hadn't on my part." I told her.

"What was it exactly about your mothers' that you talked about?" Sakura asked after a few minutes of silence between the two of us.

"Naruto was wondering how his mother would treat him if she were a live, knowing he's gay and all." I said, not willing to tell her the rest because she doesn't know about how abusive his father is, or was. I'm not completely sure, I'm still going for the man I know. I'll let Naruto decide if he's changed or not.

"I'd try to help, but my parents and I moved here when I was two, so we wouldn't know anything about Naruto's parents." Sakura sighed, and I could tell she sounded a little depressed.

"I know, but I told him what my Mother said about his once before she died."

"And what was that?"

"That my Mom thought his Mom was the kindest person she ever met." I told her, and it wasn't a complete lie either. "And besides, Naruto's said he wished my Mom was his sometimes."

"That's nice of you, and who wouldn't? I remember your mother at least, and she was very nice when we moved here. Greeted us to the town and everything. Made us feel welcome." Sakura said, and that much is true. As far back as I could remember, Sakura's and my parents would hang out every other weekend, doing something in town that would have Itachi babysitting Sakura and me for a couple of hours. And being with Sakura during those hours were always what I anticipated for on those weekends. "Your dad wasn't too bad either."

"Are you kidding? My father had a rod stuck up his ass half the time." I laughed lightly, hugging her a little tighter.

"You got that right, but a lot of the time he was just being a very caring father, and you know that." Sakura laughed with me before pulling back slightly and poked me in the chest. Something she did to prove she was right, and she was.

"Fine, he was over protective of Itachi and me." I sighed, wishing I could roll my eyes, but then she'd know I didn't mean what I said.

She was about to say something else when the back door slid open and the two of us turned to see Naruto standing in the door way with a sheepish grin that I wish he didn't have plastered on his face.

"Itachi's making hot chocolate, white or dark?" He asked.

"I'll have dark." I said.

"White, I've been wanting to try it." Sakura answered with a small nod.

"Okay, thanks, and lunch will be ready in ten minutes." Naruto added and closed the door behind him when he went back inside.

"Ten minutes …" Sakura sighed, and I knew then that she wanted to talk about something else.

"Is everything okay?" I asked as I looked down at her.

"Yea, I just … Why did Naruto's father leave?" She asked, right out of the blue. "I mean, I know he had alcohol problems, I hear Naruto talking about it with Shikamaru once in a while when we're in English class because he's complaining about how much his father drinks. But … why did he leave if Naruto was in such bad condition?"

"Oh … um … I don't know, really." I said, truthfully. "But Naruto think's it's because his father's trying to sober up or something."

"Okay …" She said, and I could tell in the way she said it, that she was going to ask more questions about the blonde that I swore not to tell anyone, and I had to think quick before she asked me.

"And I would ask Naruto about the rest …" I said quietly. "And I would think about asking after lunch, preferably before you leave because his father comes home around dinner time."

"His father was abusive, wasn't he?" She asked anyway, and I wished she hadn't because I could feel myself tensing up at the words 'father' and 'abusive' because they were used in the same sentence.

"You don't have to say anything if you don't want to." She said a few minutes later when I didn't say anything. "Your body language said it all." And she was right. "And not only that, I've seen Naruto in pain and you and I both know he doesn't do martial arts, so he's never trained for it. I've even asked Neji and Lee if they've ever seen Naruto around the gyms they go to and they've never seen him there."

She really did her homework.

"Don't tell Naruto you know, he's already stressing enough as it is." I mumbled as I watched Naruto moving back and forth in the kitchen, helping Itachi set everything up for lunch and making the hot chocolate. He looked much more energetic than before we came home. I guess hearing when his father would be home really set him for the rest of the day. But, it was either that, or he was putting on the best mask anyone has ever seen. And I only say that because Gaara doesn't looked all that much worried about Naruto.

"Alright, I won't ask him." Sakura nodded as she backed up again a few inches and placed a soft kiss on my lips, which I happily returned.

"Thank you, and lets go back inside, looks like lunch is ready." I suggested when I watched Naruto head towards the back door from the corner of my eye and knocked on the door lightly so he didn't have to open and close it again.

"Hey, maybe you should talk to someone about your parents. It might help you bring closure to yourself and them. It would really help you." Sakura offered, and I only shrugged.

"I don't know, you know how I hate talking about my own problems." I sighed, which was half a lie. Sometimes I wished that no one would hear anything but my own problems. Guess that comes with being a spoiled rich kid.

"Come on, give it a try." She said, pressing on the issue at hand and I sighed heavily with a small nod. Hell, why not try something out that's different for a change? Naruto's been able to talk about his problems with Ibiki, maybe I can and see if I can get better results than Naruto … who seems to get more paranoid the more he talks about his problems afterwards for a day or two.

It wasn't long before Sakura had to go home. It was a great day for me, even with the little sleep I got last night, but I was glad that she was here to bring my spirits up. It even brought up Naruto's mood when she was here, that was, until Neji got here and they went to the bedroom to work on homework while Gaara decided to read a book … obviously in the same room because he's sometimes over jealous when Naruto's in another room alone with another guy. It was cute, sort of.

"Neji, now you're starting to sound like that prick in the living room." I heard Naruto whine when Neji started laughing for some odd reason. And since Sakura left, I've been cooped up in my room working on my novel. Planning to use my exhaustion to go to bed early so I could wake up at a decent time for school tomorrow.

I sighed heavily, slamming on the enter key on my computer when Naruto wouldn't stop complaining at whatever Neji said, I got up and stalked over to his room and crossed my arms as I leaned against the door way.

"What's going on in here?" I asked, an eyebrow raising as I stared at the two by the computer desk.

"Neji is being a prick, just like you." Naruto huffed and crossed his arms, his eyes still glaring daggers at Neji, who still had yet to stop laughing, though this was really odd … the man rarely laughed, just like me.

"I'm sorry, I was just commenting on Naruto's progress, which is going by a lot faster than last time. And I guess he was stressing a little hard on the last bit of homework and he suddenly went off on me. I'm only laughing because the look on your face was priceless." Neji explained, and hell, I would have laughed too. Naruto facial expressions when he gets frustrated over something is quite a show.

"It's not funny Neji." Naruto whined now, looking like he was about to cry.

"Come on guys, Naruto's already stressing, and Sasuke, you know better than to laugh also." Gaara said from the bed, though honestly, I thought he was asleep because his back was to the doorway and the desk where Neji and Naruto sat. I guess Naruto's loud voice woke him up.

"I wasn't laughing." I defended myself and stopped snickering immediately. I guess Gaara was in a mood. "And where's Itachi?"

"He's outside talking with Tsunade. He got home from his date five minutes ago, and she pulled in right after." Neji said. Wow, I didn't even know she was here.

"Okay, thanks Neji." I waved as I straightened up and went out to the living room to see if they were in there, but I guess they weren't so I looked out the back door when I got to the kitchen and saw the two of them standing there, talking. The look on Tsunade's face was serious, and I honestly wish I could understand what they were saying to each other. But knowing them, the moment they realized I was standing here watching them, they'd quickly change conversation and come back inside like nothing happened … which is exactly what happened a few minutes later.

"Alright, I've brought Minato up to date on Naruto and that he's taking anti-depressants. I've prescribed him half a pill of these, and he has to take it once in the morning and once at night. I prefer you guys make sure he takes it until we can fully trust Minato with this." She said when the door opened and I quickly busied myself with something and went into the fridge for a soda.

"Okay, and thank you Tsunade." Itachi said as she handed him the few bottles she had.

"I'll be dropping by every month with four more bottles of his medicine. Each bottle will supply him with at least a week's worth of medication. I've also explained to great lengths to Minato that someone had broken into his house while the two of them were gone and is going to take damage control when he gets home. I've told him exactly what Naruto's told us so he'll let us know if anything of his was taken." She added to what she was saying earlier.

Itachi did nothing but nod as he put the four bottles in his pocket and crossed his arms while he listened until he finally looked like he remembered something.

"Oh, you should tell Minato I've had someone go in and clean the house, save for the three rooms that were ransacked, once a week. So the house is in tip top shape. I just never told Naruto this yet, and I think he's realized that at some point the last time he was in the house." Itachi said, and he was right. I do remember Naruto mentioning something about how the house hasn't smelled from anything in the fridge rotting because he forgot that there had been food in the fridge when he had to get his back worked on.

"I will." Tsunade nodded before she turned her head to look at me. "And how's Sasuke?"

"I'm exhausted, how about you?" I said, which wasn't a complete lie either. "And I'm glad you're here anyway … I was wanting to talk to you about something." I added in a low mumble.

"Oh?" She said, eyebrows raised in slight surprise.

"Yea, but it can wait until you're done with Itachi." I mumbled, mostly because I'm embarrassed about talking to her.

"I'll be done in a few minutes, want to talk outside?" She asked, and I nodded. "Okay, see you in a moment Sasuke."

And with that I walked back to my room and saved the progress I made on my novel and closed my laptop. It was getting hot so I decided to let it cool off while I talked to her. God, I feel like such a moron asking for help from someone.