Chapter 56

Beta'd by Black Sparrow

Asuma Interlude

He had finally been discharged from the hospital and the first thing he did after arriving at his flat was taking a shower to get rid of the grimy feeling on his skin. A quick look in his closet let him sigh relieved, he still had some clean clothes left, with efficient but careful movements he put on a clean uniform before making his way over to Kurenai.

The genjutsu specialist had inherited the house of her uncle who had died during the Kyuubi attack and was now living in the outskirts of the market district. It was a modest house without a garden but everything inside matched and gave off an air of understated beauty. When Asuma caught himself contemplating how her interior decoration suited her character he had to shake his head inwardly, when had he turned into such a sap?

With unhurried movements the ash user dropped down on the roof of Kurenai's house and unlocked the chakra lock that led inside, his wounds were still aching but he ignored them for now and searched for the owner of the home.

He found Kurenai taking care of some of the flowers she had in pots all over the house. Asuma had to grin somewhat ruefully, the genjutsu user spend nearly indecent amounts of money on D-ranks so that her flowers wouldn't die during her missions.

"How are you feeling?" Kurenai asked without turning around, she was replanting a particular sensitive species and she didn't want to unnecessarily harm the plant.

"I'm not hurting if that's what you mean, though getting back in shape is going to be a bitch." Asuma sighed while he walked closer until he stood right behind her sitting figure.

With interest he watched as her back stiffened and relaxed before she let go of the blue colored species in her hands and slowly wiped her hands on a towel before turning around to look him into the eyes. Asuma relaxed into a slight slouch while he felt Kurenai's eyes wander over his form in search of signs of weakness and pain, she clearly had been worried even if her face only showed a distant politeness. Her eyes though, god he really was turning into a sap, her eyes were big and shiny red and he could practically see the worry and affection that she felt for him, how the hell hadn't he seen that before? Inwardly he snorted, or maybe he had seen it but hadn't wanted to acknowledge it.

A part in Asuma hesitated for a moment, was it really a good idea to make himself so vulnerable? Then he resolutely ignored the skeptical voice and moved his hands to encircle Kurenai's waist, move her out of the chair to pull her against his body.

The kunoichi in his arms stiffened for a moment before relaxing and putting her arms around his shoulders and neck while she pressed her forehead against his chest and idly began to stroke the skin that was in her reach. Asuma closed his eyes while he enjoyed the intimacy between them. A deep breath told him that Kurenai had recently showered; under the earthy smell was a slight hint of the chamomile shampoo that she used when she was in the village.

"It was really close this time." Kurenai sighed while her arms now wandered along his back.

Asuma just murmured before he relaxed even further and then let his mouth wander to her neck. His beard scratched along the sensitive skin and he could feel his lover shiver slightly and move against him in response. A tiny smile stole itself on his lips, Kurenai had never said anything but he knew that she loved feeling his beard scratching over her body. He repeated the action once more before he tilted the genjutsu user's head so that they could look each other in the eyes.

There was something hypnotic about the wine red color and before he could stop himself Asuma blurted out, "I love you".

'Great,' the Sarutobi thought exasperated, 'Now I don't even have the control to confess on my own terms'.

But what done was done and so Asuma concentrated back on the woman in front of him to wait for an answer. In the meantime his hands had started to wander unconsciously over her figure… Kurenai had a really awesome figure.

The woman in front of him seemed to be caught off guard for a moment before a slow smile stretched over her lips and she leaned closer until their lips were nearly touching.

With a nearly inaudible voice she then said, "I love you too." Before her lips touched Asuma's in one gentle brush, it couldn't be called a real kiss, it was more of a light press of each other's mouth.

A strange calm surrounded the two, neither of them could really describe the things they were feeling at the moment but they weren't anxious or confused or unsure, just content and warm, even a bit sleepy.

Asuma shook his head inwardly; he was an idiot for sure. Since starting out this thing with Kurenai everything with had always felt easy and right, why would confessing be any different?

"Let's move in together," was the next thing that came out of his mouth before he could stop himself.

Sasuke Interlude

He had been curious when Kakashi-sensei had finished the training earlier that day and kept him back while sending his teammates home. Sasuke couldn't really think of anything that he had done wrong or needed a private conversation, in the end he decided to just wait until Kakashi clued him in. His Genin-sensei had turned out to be competent and invested in their growth and so Sasuke felt relatively sure that whatever Kakashi wanted to discuss would be in one way or another beneficial to his career.

At least he thought so until he found himself in the Hokage tower listening to Ino's father and Kakashi's explanation of the old man his teacher had taken down and what connection the Elder held to his clan.

"… he had Sharingan eyes implanted in his arm?" Sasuke asked strangely listless, "He desecrated the bodies of my family and stole our Kekkei Genkai?"

Behind him Sarutobi winced inwardly, but what the young Uchiha was saying was the truth.

Sasuke's hands clenched in rage while his face was slowly turning paler with the second.

"And then he gave Uchiha DNA to this Orochimaru? And now you think that man is interested in my body?" the black haired boy's repeated what he had just heard, still stunned and unable to react fully, his mind was trying to process what it just had heard and coming up short.

Every sentence that Sasuke uttered was like a blow to the Sandaime Hokage, blows that Hiruzen was sure that he deserved for not taking actions sooner.

The lone survivor of the Uchiha massacre then narrowed his eyes at the Hokage and Inoichi before he said, "That's not all is it? There is more… what else are you hiding from me?" Sasuke became louder and louder towards the end.

"Sasuke-kun…" the Sandaime began.

"DON'T… don't call me that. What else?" said Genin growled.

"You are not ready…" the Sarutobi tried to placate the young teenager in front of him.

"Not ready? NOT READY?! This concerns the Uchiha clan; OF COURSE I have a right to know this!"

Inoichi narrowed his eyes and debated how to reprimand Sasuke for the tone he was using against the Hokage when Shiori intervened. She had walked to Sasuke's right side before she gently touched his shoulder and kneeled down in front of him so that she was now smaller than the boy in front of her.

"Yes you have a right to hear whatever it is that Hokage-sama is still holding back but Sasuke we all see how you are still fighting with what you have just heard, your head is not clear, try to…"

"BUT I still have a right to KNOW!" the boy interrupted her with clenched teeth.

He would have never tolerated any of the men around him to touch him like this, though even Shiori was toeing a thin line but she reminded him so much of his own mother that he took a deep breath and tried to not load off his frustration on her.

"Nobody will deny you this information Sasuke but don't you think that this happens because we are concerned about you? Do you really think that anybody in this room wants to traumatize you even further then you already are? And don't say 'I'm not traumatized' you are Sasuke, the death of your family left a lot of damage and to now hear that they had been used is just as horrifying. Nobody would be able to just continue on with life after hearing that, you need some time to work through that. Do you really think that Kakashi would deny you information if you would be able to handle it right now? Please Sasuke, THINK."

Sasuke had tensed further and further during the time Shiori had continued to talk but he didn't move and he also didn't try to interrupt her again. His thoughts were circling in a strange loop around the fact that some bastard had implanted himself with the eyes of his family. The people around him became unimportant and then he was alone with only his thoughts and his horrible imagination.

Sasuke was only vaguely aware that Shiori placed her hands on his shoulders and gently moved him out of the room before Kakashi shunshined all three of them to the Hatake home.

XXXXXXXX

The silence was overwhelming when the three entered the house, Kakashi quickly made his way to their daughter in the library, his ninken were surrounding her while she was still sleeping. Sasuke stood somewhat stiff and out of place in the middle of the room, his thoughts were still racing while his mind was trying to cope with what happened.

Shiori in the meantime quickly heated up some water for tea before carefully tugging Sasuke to the couch and helping him sit down. His eyes were still far away but his body automatically followed her gentle nudges. Shiori then cautiously placed a warm cup into his hand before taking a sip of her own beverage. During the whole time she kept an eye on the teenager in front of her; she was waiting for an inevitable outburst.

Her only warning that something was about to happen was the sudden spark of unaltered rage in Sasuke's eyes before the plain white tea cup shattered on the opposite wall. The loud noise instantly awakened Hinako in the next room who started to scream in fear and shock. Shiori had to consciously suppress the need to run to her daughter and calm her, her husband should be right beside her. Instead she kept an eye on Sasuke, there was regret on his face as well as a guilty expression when his eyes wandered first to the library door and then to Shiori. The black haired civilian watched him calmly but said nothing about the destroyed cup nor the fact that it had made her daughter cry. Instead she softly placed her own tea cup on the small coffee table and then gently put her hands on his shoulders before tugging slowly but insistently.

It took some moments but then Sasuke relaxed and let her pull him against her form and then into a hug. His whole body stiffened and Shiori could nearly feel him fight down the need to cry, to suppress his feelings as best as he could, to prevent him from succeeding she started to trace slow and soothing patterns on his back and hummed softly. For a long while nothing happened until suddenly from one moment to the next the boy in her arms started to cry. There were no loud sobs or other noises, Sasuke was crying silently with his head burrowed in the crook of her neck, his body slightly vibrating while he tried to suppress the tears streaming down his face, before he simply gave up and placed one hand reluctantly on her shoulder, it was not a hug but it was close enough that Shiori took it as a success. When she heard a tiny noise in the doorway she looked up to see Kakashi with a calmed down Hinako leaning against his torso, both of them were watching Shiori and Sasuke.

Shiori smiled at her family while she continued to give Sasuke comfort, with one hand she waved them closer to join them on the sofa. Kakashi simply shrugged his shoulders before walking closer and sitting down behind Sasuke. Said boy stiffened somewhat before he moved his head away from Shiori's shoulder and looked over his own at Kakashi. The silver haired Jounin had relaxed in his typical slouch but didn't look at Sasuke, instead his eyes watched the world outside through one of the living room windows. Hinako on the other hand looked curiously at Sasuke before carefully extracting herself from her father's arms and climbing over Sasuke's feet to his torso, with a slightly clumsy movement she snuggled between him and her mother.

For a moment Hinako seemed somewhat unsure before asking shyly, "Why are you crying, are you hurt?"

"Sasuke is not hurt, he is sad, Hinako-chan," Shiori explained patiently.

"Sad? Why?"

"Because he received some bad news today."

"And that is why he is crying?"

"Yes, sweetheart."

"Don't cry, Sasuke. I like it better when you are happy," the little girl said somewhat distressed while her little arms clumsily gave him a hug.

Sasuke sobbed and snorted at the same time before he reluctantly returned the toddler hug.

Shiori herself had misty eyes before she pulled both children close to her and hugged them.

"Sometimes crying is a good thing," she said to nobody particular, her voice caught at the last bit.

"Why is that?" Hinako now asked confused, she thought crying was something you did when you didn't feel well.

"Because it can help to heal."

"Crying helps to heal? So when I cry my booboos go away?"

"Not exactly, while crying you let go of all the bottled up feelings and emotions, you feel lighter afterwards. And not all wounds are on your body Hina-chan. Some wounds are on the soul, and before they can heal most people need to cry."

"Oh… than please cry Sasuke. You need to be okay soon, so that I can play with you!"

Kakashi softly snorted from behind them before he moved his hand closer to them and stroked through his daughter's hair, after a second of hesitation his hand also wandered up into Sasuke's.

Said boy was crying again, this time even harder than before.