Please see the previous chapter for the world's longest author note


Some conversations have to happen after all.

(Present Day)

too brittle to hold


We need to talk.

Hinata furrowed her brows at the text that flashed on the screen of her phone. It wasn't often that Gaara would text her, let alone send something so ominous to her. She wondered what he could be talking about, it had been a few days since she had last seen Temari, but her friend had not mentioned anything that would lead her to believe that something was wrong with her brother, and Haru had not mentioned anything when coming back from practice. She quickly sent a text asking when he would have time to meet and waited. She gathered her hair into a high ponytail and looked around her living room trying to decide where she wanted to start cleaning. Haru would be gone for a few more hours in practice and she certainly wanted to get as much cleaning done before he was home. She missed living with Itachi, traditional homes were so much easier for her to manage, but she could not bring herself to regret the fact that she now owned her own home, modern as it was.

Moving some of the furniture around she decided that she was glad that she let Itachi talk her into hardwood floors instead of carpet and grabbing her vacuum she began to clean the floors in earnest. She dusted the walls and the furniture and then moved onto cleaning the windows, working diligently until everything was cleaned to her standards. Since she had become busier with her writing she had to come up with a system that worked for her to keep the house clean. Haru helped, he kept his room tidy and did his own laundry, sometimes she would find him elbow deep in soapy suds cleaning the bathroom and they both did dishes together, but something about cleaning the house herself was cathartic and needed in her hectic life. She continued to visit Kurenai even to this day and wondered if she should bring this up in her next session, humming to herself she tried to deduce if this was a control thing, but before she could think too deeply her phone buzzed on the table.

Setting down her cleaning supplies she went over and picking up the phone she read the text that flashed on her screen.

I can stop by whenever.

Always succinct, smiling she quickly typed a response back, letting him know that she was home and that Haru wouldn't be back until later as he was training at the Hyuga Kyujutsu Dojo today. Gaara confirmed soon after her text was delivered that he would be by in around half an hour. She glanced around the living room, satisfied with her job thus far and began to move the furniture back to where it belonged. She should prepare some tea for his arrival. Heading towards the kitchen she reached for her kettle and began to boil the water. Gaara preferred Chrysanthemum tea, probably for its cooling properties so she reached towards the cupboard that contained her selection of teas and grabbed the container with the appropriate label. Opening the lid she grabbed her measuring spoon and measured two tablespoons that she carefully placed inside the infuser of her teapot. She waited until the water in the kettle was at a full boil before moving her teapot towards the sink. Hinata carefully poured some of the water onto the leaves in a circular motion to open up the leaves, the water that seeped through she used to warm up the pot prior to discarding it on the sink once the teapot was properly heated. After she was done discarding the water she again carefully poured the boiling water onto the leaves, this time filling her teapot. Once she was finished filling it to her satisfaction, she carefully put the kettle away and put the small lid on the teapot. Hinata figured she could set the table while the leaves steeped. She was in the middle of plating some of the sugar cookies she had made the day before when her doorbell rang.

Hinata headed to the front of the house and opened the door, a bright smile blooming across her face when she found Gaara waiting on the other side. He was wearing casual clothes for once, instead of his regular Kyudo attire. Though the long tunic and pant combination that he preferred to wear could hardly be called casual, Gaara did seem more relaxed when not in Kimono and Hakama. Throwing her arms around him for a quick hug that he awkwardly reciprocated, she motioned him inside once they parted.

"I'm preparing tea, come to the kitchen." Her voice was friendly as she led him towards the kitchen, by her calculations the tea was ready to be served so she headed towards the teapot that was waiting by the sink. "Take a seat, I'm almost done."

"Thank you," he murmured quietly taking a seat at her kitchen table before one of the two tea settings she had prepared. Gaara's eyes followed her movements as she uncovered the teapot and removed the steeper from within it.

"How have you been Gaara-kun?" Hinata asked without turning to look at him as she dumped the contents of the steeper onto the trash and rinsed it out of the remaining leaves.

"I've been well…" Gaara's voice was impassive, not giving her a single hint as to why he had insisted on talking to her so urgently.

Hinata placed the teapot on the table and moved back towards the counter where she had left the cookies when he arrived. She placed those between them and served Gaara a cup of tea only filled a bit over half, she repeated the motion on her own teacup and finally sat across from him. He murmured a soft thanks when she pointed to the sugar container, but without using any he took a sip of the tea, a small serene smile playing along his lips.

"I'm so glad to hear you are ok, I worried something had happened since the last time I saw Temari." She looked at him worriedly, noting how he was avoiding full eye contact with her, only glancing at her eyes without holding the stare. "Is… is everything ok Gaara-kun?" Brows furrowing in worry her voice was soft and full of trepidation.

"I'm alright Hinata," he finally answered, taking another sip from his cup he placed it back on the saucer carefully before bringing his eyes to rest on hers, his brow was slightly furrowed and despite his calm demeanor Hinata could tell that there was something that was bothering him.

"I wasn't sure if I should tell you this… Temari thought it would be better coming from me." Gaara started, his words drained the blood from her face and she could hear her heart beating in her ears, what if he was ill? Was Gaara going to be ok?

She couldn't lose him after finally patching the bridges she had burned with her naivety and stupidity. Did he need her? She would do whatever was in her power to help him if he asked. Hinata opened her mouth to voice her concerns, but quickly closed it when she saw the fear that flickered in his eyes.

"Sasuke is back." He murmured, his voice so quiet that momentarily Hinata thought she had misheard him.

"Pardon?" She asked after a moment of stupefied silence. "W-what?" Hinata searched Gaara's eyes trying to discern if this was a joke that he was playing on her.

"I saw him at Ichiraku's with Naruto… Haru," Gaara sighed uncomfortably, his eyes were apologetic. "Haru was with me."

Hinata hummed for a moment, taking another deliberate sip from her teacup. She knew that this day would come, and had talked extensively with Kurenai in preparation for it. Hinata would have to admit that she was amazed that they had managed to shelter Haru for 14 years without being found out or raising the suspicions of the younger Uchiha. She looked at Gaara kindly, she wasn't upset that Sasuke was back, if anything she was upset that Gaara felt apologetic about this situation.

"Who else is aware?" Her brows furrowed as she set the teacup down, it wasn't like Gaara to be so apologetic over something that was bound to happen anyway, which meant that they had not told her for some time. Though their secrecy hurt, she understood it. Hinata was well aware that she had not been the easiest person to deal with after they had been found.

"Itachi," Gaara's soft voice was kind, but she could see the small cringe that he was trying to suppress in the tightness of his lips. "I informed him first."

Now, this upsets her. Itachi was not her keeper, Hinata didn't have to be sheltered, and though she understood why they felt like they had to treat her as such, it did nothing to ease the sting that his words caused. There had been a time where she had closed her eyes and ears hoping that the storm she was in would pass, sheltering Haru with her body and soul just for survival, but now? Now, Hinata was a well-established individual, she had demonstrated that she was capable of caring for herself and for her son. That her friends had made an arbitrary decision to keep her in the dark and discuss this extensively prior to informing her hurt. Even if she could see why they had done it. Hinata sighed and took a bite from one of the cookies.

"I guess this was not going to be a secret forever," she said wistfully, her opalescent eyes smiling sadly at her friend.

"I should have told you sooner," he conceded, the frown between his brows growing deeper. "I simply wanted to make sure that countermeasures would be in place to keep you both safe."

"Sasuke isn't a criminal Gaara-kun." There was mirth in her voice as she said this. "Being an absentee parent isn't a crime." The way he pinned her with his stare made her feel as though he believed that it should be.

"I'm much more concerned about the actions that he may take once he learns of Haru." He said succinctly, taking another sip from his tea.

"I supposed he never did learn of him," Hinata mused. Even though she had sent letters none of them appeared to have been opened. "Do you think I should retain an attorney just in case?"

Gaara's eyes snapped to hers, worry was etched deeply into their depths. Hinata smiled kindly at him and sighed.

"Do you think that he would demand for his rights?" He asked slowly as he watched her refill both of their teacups halfway.

"Hmm, there is no way to tell really." Once she was done refilling the teacups Hinata took a moment to think. "If I'm honest, I'm kind of surprised this didn't happen sooner. It's not like we were trying very hard to hide after Haru's grandparents found out."

Hinata cringed slightly, once Haru was out of the bag everyone learned of him in due time, at least those that were around. It wasn't like she requested no one to tell Sasuke at that point. They just decided on their own not to, and many who had tried had apparently been shot down the moment her name came up in conversation. As far as she knew Sasuke had not been good at keeping in touch with his family and friends, going months without a single call. Fugaku had mentioned in passing that he was as stubborn as a mule and he was tired of fighting with Sasuke, but never elaborated past that. Hinata did not know if Itachi had mentioned something, or if anyone else for that matter had, all that she did know is that he never reached out. It's not like she was hard to find now, as an author all it would have taken was a fan letter or even reaching out to her editor or agent. Gaara shrugged, partially concerned about how well she was taking this, but relieved that she was not packing her bags to disappear from their lives.


Hinata bid Gaara farewell a few hours later, both making promises to get together for tea more often. Haru had sent her a text letting her know that he would be home late, as Neji had invited him to dine with him and Hanabi. Hinata smiled at her phone and put it away into her apron. She was currently working on making Miso for the next few days, taking a small sip from the broth she smiled satisfied and reduced it to a simmer. She moved towards the refrigerator to peruse the items within it to try and decide what to make herself for dinner when someone knocked on the door. Frowning, she washed her hands and walked to open it thinking that she was quite popular today to have two visitors.

She opened the door slowly and took a deep breath when she found Itachi waiting on the other side. He looked tired, his eyes were apologetic just like Gaara's had been and without saying anything she moved out of the way so that he could enter.

"I… I brought dinner," he said quietly, lifting a bag containing take-out that Hinata had not noticed he was carrying.

"Of course Itachi-san, this way please." She led him to the kitchen and began setting the table for them.

Itachi moved around her kitchen as if he lived here full time, helping her bring bowls and plates to the table for them to enjoy their food. They worked in silence, whatever he had come to talk to her about today was obviously weighing heavily in his mind. Normally when they got together to eat or talk, he always made sure to ask how things were going at home, but he had not uttered a single word since entering. Neither of them were the world's best conversationalists, but they did know how to best communicate with each other. Itachi was always gentle in his questioning and listened attentively when she spoke, he was always kind but direct and though sometimes she felt as though he was seeing through her, he never pushed her to disclose more than she was willing to. It was not often that she found him ruminating as hard as he was right now and even less often that she found him at a loss for words, but just as he had afforded her the time to sort her thoughts before speaking she kept quiet and didn't push him to tell her what was currently in his mind.

After they were done setting the table and Hinata had completely turned off the stove where the Miso was now cooling, Itachi brought out a pack of beer and after opening a can offered it to her. Hinata took it from him and indulged in a sip from the beverage before handing Itachi a bowl of fresh rice from her cooker. He took it and gave her a grateful smile. Both now taking a seat, they faced each other, an awkward silence settling between them. Itachi had brought Korean food for them to share and Hinata grabbed a mandoo which she nibbled as she looked at him curiously.

Itachi had not touched the food and instead simply sat there, hands resting upon the table and brow furrowed. Hinata could guess what he was trying to find the courage to discuss with her, and though she knew she could theoretically relieve him of the stress he was currently feeling, part of her was angry enough to feel content as she watched him squirm under her stare. She took a bit of the bulgogi he had brought over and set it on his rice bowl, head tilting in question. Itachi looked at her, and sighing he took a bite of the food she had presented him with.

"What is it?" She asked him gently as she finished the mandoo she had been nibbling on.

Itachi chewed the food deliberately and slowly before setting his chopsticks down, his slender fingers reached for the beer he had opened for himself and he took a long drink from the can before finally looking at her directly in the eyes.

"Sasuke is back." His voice was quiet, and Hinata had a vague sense of DejaVu. It was not dissimilar to how Gaara had told her earlier that day. "He came to see me to ask about Haru."

"I see…" She figured that Sasuke would have had questions after seeing Haru with Gaara, it's not like Haru didn't take after him. "What did you tell him?"

"I…" Itachi took another swig from his beer, and Hinata wordlessly moved another can towards him, estimating that he was running low at this point, he smiled bitterly. "I told him that he was someone I took under my wing…. I showed him a picture from when Haru dyed his hair brown." He winced.

Itachi had gotten that sentence out so fast she was amazed at the speed. He was not one to speak fast, always deliberate with his words. However as the words sunk in, the anger began warming her face. Hinata took a slow drink from her beer and pinned Itachi with an icy stare.

"I'm sorry, it sounded like you said you told him that Haru was … what exactly? And you purposefully showed him a picture from when he dyed his hair brown?" The furrow in her brows was the only indication of her anger, an angelic smile was plastered over her face as she spoke.

"I panicked!" Itachi tried and failed to defend himself, Hinata sighed.

"Itachi…" She began.

"What was I supposed to tell him? Oh! Him! Yes, of course you'd be curious about your son!" Hinata could have sworn that Itachi's pitch had gone up, and found herself trying not to laugh at that.

"You lied to him!"

"I had to." He murmured, looking away from her.

"You had to?" Her voice was definitely rising in volume, but Itachi was most certainly being ridiculous. "He's your brother! Haru is his son. Eventually this truth will have to be spoken, we can't keep him from learning about Haru forever."

"When exactly, did you forgive Sasuke?" Itachi asked almost accusatively. His dark eyes searched her face as though he was seeing her for the first time in a long time.

"Forgive him for what? My choices were my own, my mistakes were my own. Sasuke didn't put a gun to my head and tell me to run away from home, he didn't force me to make the mistakes I made. What exactly should he be forgiven for?" Hinata's voice had dropped a few degrees below her regular warmth, her eyes had hardened and Itachi flinched under her stare.

"Should I not forgive him for not reading the letters? For showing no interest in Haru? For ignoring my text? For saying I didn't matter when I called?" This is something she had extensively gone over with Kurenai, and it was appalling to her that Itachi would bring this up now as an excuse to hide behind. "Tell me Itachi-san, what exactly should I be forgiving him for? Getting me pregnant? It takes two to make that happen, I could hardly pin all the blame on him."

Itachi held her stare, but Hinata had the distinct feeling that he was acting like a petulant child at this time, and though her anger at him for lying so blatantly and basically referring to Haru as a charity case had not abated she couldn't help but smile.

"I understand your concern, I'm not sure how we are going to… Sasuke can get heated." She supplied kindly and grimaced.

"I don't want Haru to…" he swallowed, his words petering out and losing their initial conviction. "I just don't want him to get hurt."

Hinata could sympathize with that, she didn't want Haru to get hurt as well, but this was an inevitable confrontation. It would have to happen eventually and though she was sure it would not go down well, there were steps that they could take to mitigate the potential shit storm that was sure to come down on them. She resolved to speak with Kurenai, and with Haru about this. She wasn't sure what his stance was in regards to meeting his father or even wanting to know about him, but she was sure that once Sasuke learned of Haru there was not much that she, Itachi or even the Uchiha couple could do to keep him away. Hinata watched as Itachi finished his beer and opened the one that she had given him previously. She took a long drink from hers as well and sighed. They both held eye contact for a moment, Itachi's obsidian eyes looked tired and a little scared, she was sure that they were a perfect mirror of her own.

"I think Haru will beat him up if given the chance. Office life has really done a number on my brother." Itachi's lighthearted remark was all that was needed to slice through the tension that heavily hung between them and giggles came unbidden.

"I surely hope not! I don't think Sasuke can outrun one of Haru's haya let alone one of his otoya." Hinata said in between giggles, as she cleared the tears from her cheeks she saw Itachi's mouth quirk into a smirk.


Temari's heels echoed around the office as she paced it, Shikamaru was sitting at his desk leaning back on his chair and following the blonde with his eyes waiting until she was ready to talk to him. Sai was sitting on the sofa, since Temari had so rudely interrupted their meeting and immediately went into this pacing frenzy neither of them were sure if they should stay or go. Finally her teal eyes snapped to Shikamaru's uninterested gaze.

"Sasuke's back," she watched as Shikamaru's back straightened and the fog that normally settled over his gaze when he was not interested in something cleared, his sharp eyes bore into hers. Sai didn't even bother turning to look at them as he continued to review the pictures he had taken during his trip. "Sasuke's back and he saw Haru with Gaara."

"Tch," Shikamaru clicked his tongue and rolled his head cracking his neck bones. "He saw Haru, but did he realize who he was?"

"Sasuke would need to be blind to not notice the resemblance, but I never did think he was particularly bright." Sai supplied without looking up from the laptop he was working on.

Temari's eyes narrowed as she glared at Sai, but before she could spew whatever biting sentence that was brewing in her tongue Shikamaru stood from his chair and walked around his desk to make sure that the privacy screen was active. Crossing her arms she watched as he leisurely made his way back to his desk, his dark eyes connected with hers for just a moment, but that was all she needed to know that he was already thinking of the consequences this could have.

"He's stupid, not blind." Shikamaru's drawl made Temari's lips curl into a smile. "If he had made the connection we would be trying to find Hinata instead of talking right now." Taking a seat back in his chair he closed his eyes and sighed. "What a mess."

"I'm confused." Sai chimed up from his spot on the couch. "I didn't realize that Hinata's son was a guarded secret. I thought everyone knew." His brows furrowed in question as he searched Shikamaru's and Temari's faces for an answer.

Temari sighed and finally took a seat across from Shikamaru on the chair that Sai had been occupying prior to her entering the office. She rubbed her face with her hands and stared at Sai. He did have a point, she couldn't really remember when it happened but eventually Haru ceased to be a zealously guarded secret and slowly began spending time with others in group settings. Temari knew that Itachi even took him out to eat with Shizui and that Neji and Hanabi spent time with him on their own as well. Keeping him hidden wasn't sustainable, but there had been an unspoken agreement between them all that Sasuke would not be mentioned and that they wouldn't bring Haru up to him either.

She had encountered the Uchiha once since learning of Haru when she was traveling for work, she had tried to bring Hinata up in conversation to gage whether or not he had actually bothered to read the letters but the moment the name had left her lips his eyes had frosted over, and he had said without preamble or room for argument that if all she wanted to do was talk about his ex then he would be leaving. She never tried again. Temari wasn't sure exactly what could be done at this point, and she knew that while Hinata had most certainly become better in the last few years, Temari didn't know enough about mental health to know if this would be enough to make her spiral. Her mental health had been fragile back then and though Temari had come to terms with the anger she harbored towards her friend and her actions, she also could not help but worry that things would crumble again, but this time before her eyes.

"Stop," Shikamaru's voice cut through her pondering. "Hinata is not a child, and she is not the person you found back then. Don't infantilize her." If this had been told to her by anyone but him, Temari might have snapped and bit their head off, but she knew the Shikamaru meant well, and that he had seen the worry etched in her face.

"Maybe we should call for Kiba and Shino?" Shikamaru mused. Shino was in the middle of a Shamisen tour, and Kiba as his bodyguard could not leave him behind. The idea of asking Shino to cancel his concert left a sour taste in Shikamaru's mouth and the look that Temari gave him would have been enough to wilt a flower. Sai didn't comment but did stop clicking in his lap top, thus making his dissatisfaction with that suggestion known. "What a bother…"

"Suigetsu and Jugo are still around, plus I am sure Karin would love to catch up with Hinata and Haru…" Temari said pensively, a murderous streak lighting her teal eyes up, the smile on her lips was too sinister to be anything but concerning.

"Are you trying to put a hit out on Sasuke?" Sai's monotone cut through what sounded like the beginnings of giggles coming from her.

"Of course not." She responded drily. "I was just thinking that they would be good… for protection."

"Protection…" Shikamaru raises a brow as he stares Temari down. A dusting of pink began to bloom on her cheeks.

"I don't see why she would need them." Sai comments, going back to his work. "I believe Zabuza and Kisame are sufficient to instill fear on anyone that may cross Itachi, or them."

Shikamaru was still staring at Temari when the wolfish grin spread on her lips. Pinching the bridge of his nose, all he could think about was how bothersome his life was going to be from now on.


Author's Note

Hi everyone! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and that it felt like a balm when compared to the previous ones. The drama is starting to pick up so wish our boy Haru luck. I really need to utilize my tumblr better, so if you're not following me there you might want to, I will be posting some behind the scenes stuff in regards to the writing of this story there in the future, some of that stuff you might find interesting.

I'm debating if I should join the SasuHina month prompts but unsure, maybe it'll help me jostle some ideas for this fic? I've been writing it out of order so the chapter after this one is not done, but 2 chapters down is done, so that's been fun.

If you are here after that short story that was my Author Note, I want to say thank you for giving my story a chance, I hope to see you again.

Much Love,

Emi


Translation Notes:

Mandoo: Mandu, or mandoo, are dumplings in Korean cuisine. Mandu can be steamed, boiled, pan-fried, or deep-fried. The styles also vary across regions in the Korean Peninsula

Bulgogi: Bulgogi, literally "fire meat", is a gui made of thin, marinated slices of beef or pork grilled on a barbecue or on a stove-top griddle. It is also often stir-fried in a pan in home cooking. Sirloin, rib eye or brisket are frequently used cuts of beef for the dish.

Haya/Otoya: Kyūdō archers usually shoot two ya per round, with the haya being shot first (haya means first arrow; otoya means second arrow).


Summary that I wrote myself to help me remember what this chapter was supposed to be about:

Hinata in the present learns of Sasuke's return, fights(?) Itachi. Hinata is rightfully upset that she had not been told sooner and wonders how much longer she will be able to keep Haru out of the shit storm that is sure to follow. Temari interrupts a meeting between Sai and Shikamaru to explain that she had learned from Hinata that Sasuke was back in town. Shikamaru suggests calling for Kiba and Shino, which is dumb because Shino is on tour. Temari suggests calling for Jugo, Karin and Suigetsu for backup instead. Sai asks Temari if she's trying to put a hit out on Sasuke, but she reasons that they would be good to have around as muscle. Sai kindly points out that Itachi has Kisame and Zabuza who are terrifying on their own.