Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
Chapter 32: The Loneliness That Is Carried
Flashback
He glared at the scroll lying open before him. He had read and reread the contents at least three times, not once did the words on the parchment paper change. Nor did their implication. He had no right to feel as offended or conflicted as he did. He should have seen this coming from miles away. News traveled fast in their world.
He contemplated just setting the scroll on fire. But they were witnesses. Protocol was followed. The official messenger hawk from another land was treated with the utmost respect and decorum. The head of the aviary had hand-delivered the bird. And of course, there was Shikaku. He had seen the crest of the Kage displayed proudly across the hawk's chest and messenger bag. He doubted Shikaku would say anything if he did follow through and burn the scroll but there would be silent judgment and that was nearly as bad.
The path his thoughts were leading him down was a dead end. Even if there were no witnesses, he never could turn his vivid fantasy into reality. It just was not who he was. He had an obligation. Both to the Kage and to her. He tapped his fingers against his desk rhythmically. He was stalling. He knew that. Shikaku knew that. His cobalt eyes first darted to the clock before they settled on Shikaku's face. He had been studying him this whole time, intently.
"Please send someone for her." The words felt like acid on his tongue.
Shikaku nodded his head curtly and left without a word.
Minato clenched his jaw and forced his curled fist, the one resting on his thigh, to relax.
"Come in," he leaned back in his seat, there was a single knock on his door not even ten minutes later.
She smiled at him as she closed the door quietly behind her. She was in a good mood. She was practically radiating in it. He could see the curiosity laced in her green eyes.
"Hokage-sama," she bowed shallowly, playfully, unnecessarily. "Am I in trouble?" She asked tongue-in-cheek. She was in a really good mood.
It only served to make his mood more dour. "Sakura," he saw the playfulness leave her completely at his tone. She straightened her stance and became more alert. "There's a mission request from the Kazekage for you." It felt like he was chewing on sand. That's how difficult it was for him to get the words out.
"A mission?" She looked at him with slight confusion.
Minato nodded his head. "The news of the success of the children's mental health clinic has reached Suna it seems." It really, really irked him at this moment how damn good she was at her job.
"I see," she licked her lips as the gears in her head turned.
"The Kazekage has officially requested that you go to Suna and set up similar clinics in the Land of Wind. The details are in this scroll," he gestured to the rolled-up scroll on his desk. "But at a high level, he wants you to vet, train, and get the clinics up and running."
He registered the shocked look on her face. Her right hand came to cover her stomach and her left curled around her necklace.
"How long?" She asked him not all quite there.
"Six months, all expenses paid by Suna." He kept his tone neutral even if it felt like his insides were being clawed out.
She subconsciously chewed on her bottom lip. She was already thinking three, or four things ahead. He was sure of it.
"Give me a couple of days, Hokage-sama. I'll have an answer for you." She locked eyes with him after some time. Her jade irises were alert and focused.
"Of course," he nodded his head. He held out the scroll.
She took a couple of steps before reaching out for it. She grabbed the end.
"Hokage-sama?" She asked him cautiously. Her emerald eyes did not look away from his.
"Sorry," he let go of the scroll. He watched her leave with a heavy heart.
His eyes keep moving from left to right, stuck on the same sentence. Over and over and over again. He must have read the words at least thirty times but it was just not making any sense. His brain was too jumbled. His emotions were all over the place. He had not been able to focus the second she had asked for a couple of days.
This was the first time in a long time that he was so torn between being the Hokage and being her partner. The last time ironically had been Suna too when she demanded to go on that mission to seal the One Tails in the Kazekage. She had argued she was fulfilling a promise. He could not argue with her logic as the Hokage. She was right. The Kagekaze, a village they had a treaty with, had asked for her specifically. Just like now.
But as her partner, he had argued with her. He did not want her to go any more than he wanted her to go now. Maybe even less so now. Six months. He could not fathom how he would get through them without her. She was not even gone yet and he was already miserable just as the mere thought of it. He would miss her more than he could even put into words. He would worry about her every day until she was by his side again. Sleep would be hard to come by. Food would not be appetizing. His job, his job that he loved so much would be a burden. It would be a shackle that prevented him from being there with her.
He realized he was being selfish. He should be proud. He was proud of her and all her accomplishments. She had many. She was well respected. Her career which she worked so hard for was flourishing. Her name was everywhere. She was someone admired and looked up to. She inspired generations. She was the embodiment of hard work paying off.
It was for a good cause. Despite the punch she packed, she had an incredibly soft heart. Especially for children. Even more so for orphaned children. The entirety of her genin days was molded by orphanage children. Naruto, Sasuke, Sai and Kakashi. It affected her perspective. With each child she was helping heal in a way she felt that she was honoring those versions of her loved ones she lost forever.
That was her drive. That was what motivated her to work so hard. Her love for her teammates. She wanted no child to have to go through the struggles that the four of them did. He understood that. He admired that.
It was an incredible opportunity both for Suna and for Sakura. He could not be the one to hold her back. He would not be the one to hold her back. This was important to her. It mattered to her. Whatever she decided, he would live with. No matter how painful it might be.
He sighed. He set the book down on the coffee table and brought his fingers to his temples. His elbows dug into his thighs as he tried not to let his imagination get too carried away about what the next six months may hold.
Mercifully he did not have to sit in silence for much longer as it turned out.
"I'm home," Sakura said in a cheery voice that had hints of tiredness. She peeled off her boots with a content sigh.
"Welcome home," he smiled softly at her.
"Minato," she wrapped her arms around one of his. "How was your day?" She looked up at him. Her eyes were sparkling with excitement.
"Can't complain," he really could not. "How was yours?"
"Hectic," she said with a hum. Her brows furrowed. She reached for the book on the table. "A parenting book? Did you finish all the pregnancy ones already?"
He did not. But if she was going to be in Suna for six months that was nearly the entirety of it all, he could not do much to help from all the way back in Konoha. Kami forbid if the project ran into any delays - and they usually did when they were of this magnitude - their child might actually be born in Suna. The thought of missing his child's birth was heart wrenching.
"I'll highlight the important parts for you," once he got his head back on mostly straight.
"Thank you." She kissed the corner of his mouth. She rested her head on his shoulder.
"Sakura?" He called out her name.
"Hm?" She rubbed her eyes.
"Promise me you'll take care of yourself."
She sat upright. "What?" She looked at him, bewildered at his overly serious and somber tone.
"In Suna," he swallowed down the lump that had formed in his throat. "Promise me you'll take care of yourself. That you won't work too hard like you did when starting the clinic from the ground up here. That you'll eat proper meals and get enough sleep. I'll worry less if you do."
He saw the realization dawn on her. The surprise on her features melted into something else.
"Darling," she bit the corner of her lip. "I wanted to wait until I had all the details figured out," her expression softened. "I'm not going to Suna."
He stared at her blankly, not fully trusting his ears. "You took the mission scroll," he furrowed his brow together. That was all but a yes in his mind.
"I said I would have an answer for you. And I do." She reminded him. "You remember Mai, right? Yamanaka. Blonde, blue-eyed, has super cute hair?"
"That helps," he deadpanned.
"She's been helping me along with Ionichi. She joined about a year ago on the project. She's amazing. Really detail-oriented. Level-headed. The children really love her. They respond so well to her. She's agreed to go in my place. I thought I would need more time to convince her that's why I asked for a couple of days. But she says she looks forward to it. I didn't want you to go back to the Kazekage empty-handed."
He blinked a couple of times as he processed the information. "Are you sure?" He searched her face. This was her project. This was her name and reputation.
"I'm sure," Sakura said firmly. "I won't lie, the thought of going to Suna was a really nice one. It's probably my second favorite place on earth. It would be great to see the friends I made there again, along with the Kazekage's family. Oh, I bet Temari and Kankuro are just so cute right now! And the weather is probably still nice enough." She mused out loud dreamily. "I was really excited at first when you brought it up. I really wanted to go too."
"But it's just not a good time," she looked down at her stomach. "Six months is way too long of a time to be away from Konoha, from you. Pregnant or not." She smiled up at him openly. "Mai will be amazing. I have complete faith that she can duplicate what we did here. I'll send the Kazekage a letter beforehand explaining why I won't be the one to do this for Suna and the Land of Wind. I'm a very hard person to say no to. And I'll endorse the crap out of Mai. Her work will speak for itself. He won't be sorry."
He was blown away. His face conveyed that much. "Are you sure you won't regret not going?"
She had genuinely looked excited when she described it all. He felt bad that he could not make the decision easier for her. That he could not give that to her.
"It's for the best. The blueprint is solid. We had two years to work out the issues we ran into. All that hard work is now paying off. Someone else can take what is here and run with it, replicate it. Suna will be the first to see it up close and personal. Other nations could soon follow suit. This is the way to go. I'm only one person. There's only so much I can realistically do. But this is perfect. Once this gets off the ground just think how many kids out there will have help."
Her voice was full of passion. Her whole face lit up. It was truly breathtaking. She was breathtaking.
"Maybe I can go visit the clinics sometime in the future. That would be really nice." She smiled warmly at him. "Maybe we can even go together."
He searched her face. Relief welled up inside of him. "So you're sure?" He had to ask just one more time.
"Do you want me to go?" She asked him pointedly.
He shook his head quickly. "No, I want you to stay. But it's not about what I want."
She chuckled. "Then it's settled. I'm not going." She tapped his nose. "I can't believe you thought you'd get off so easily."
A blond brow shot up.
"You knocked me up," she reminded him. "You have to deal with the consequences. I have a feeling I'm going to be a handful."
"I'll uphold my responsibility to the best of my abilities," he held her closer to him. She pulled her legs up onto the couch.
"I'll hold you to it," she warned. "Mai should be ready to go after a day's notice." Her tone and expression turned serious.
"That's fast," he blinked in surprise.
"One of the many perks of being single." She stated with a grin.
"Do you miss it?" He asked her jokingly.
"Aspects of it, sure." She tapped her chin as she pondered it.
"What will happen to the kids she was seeing?" He did not need her to dwell on his previous question for too long.
"I'll take them on." She had her work cut out for her. Thankfully she did the initial intake screening and Mai took meticulous notes. She would figure it out.
"Won't that add to your workload?" Concern bled into his tone.
"I'll offload some responsibilities to Rin and Shizune. They're ready for it. Either of them could practically run the hospital." She could not help but smile. They had come such a long way.
"Okay," he was pleased to hear that she was not trying to do everything on her own, for once.
"Sorry, Minato." She tilted her head to look him in the eye.
"For what?" He asked with a frown.
"I thought we were on the same page. It never occurred to me that you'd think I was actually considering going. I just jumped right into planning and logistics. So I completely missed what was right in front of me. I should have realized sooner." She wrapped her arms around his torso and gave him a squeeze. "It must have been awful."
"It was," he nodded in agreement.
"Would you have missed me?" She asked him playfully.
"So much," he ducked his head down to place a quick kiss on her lips.
"How much?" Her green eyes practically sparkled.
"You would not have been disappointed in the amount." He answered noncommittally.
The smile slipped off her face. She shoved him.
"What kind of answer is that?!" She asked in a huff. Sakura crossed her arms and turned her face away from him.
Minato laughed. "Bubblegum, don't be like that." He tried to turn her to look at him. She held firm in her avoidance. He lowered his chin on her shoulder and wrapped his arms around her.
"You weren't even gone and everything was starting to remind me of you. The sun, the wind, and even the birds in the trees. It felt like they were saying your name. Hell, even Shikaku was reminding me of you. I saw you in every face and in everything. Food tasted like water, the air felt like sand, and water was oil. The colors were muted. I was twisted into knots just thinking about it. My heart probably would have given out if I had to live it."
Her frame stiffened against him. "Why didn't you say anything then?" She asked him in a small voice once she remembered to breathe. "Why didn't you try to talk me out of it?"
"I don't want to be the reason why you don't follow your dreams. I don't want to hold you back from being who you are and doing what you want." He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.
She leaned her head against his. "That was really good. Did you rehearse that?"
"Off the cuff and from the heart," he turned his head to kiss her cheek.
She made a sympathetic sound and sighed deeply. "Maybe I should tell Mai I changed my mind."
His grip around her slacked. She turned around in his arms and pinned him with a look of remorse.
"Just thinking of all the letters and poetry I'd be missing out on if I ended up staying. It would be a tragedy." She sighed dreamily. "How nice would it be to be reading one of your letters in the moonlight? So romantic." She was practically squealing as she pictured it. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder right?"
"What do you get out of tormenting me?" He answered her query flatly.
Sakura giggled. "I'm just kidding, jeez. So dramatic," she rubbed her cheek against his. "How lucky am I to have such a sweet, sweet, sweet husband?" She asked, completely changing her tune.
"Pretty damn lucky," he said with a grin.
Sakura rolled her eyes heavenward. "And he's so humble too," she could not get her words out with a straight face. She pecked his lips. "I don't want to do this without you. Any of it." She slowly raised her eyes to his.
He saw traces of fear in her jade orbs. It stirred something inside of him. He pinned her securely against him.
"You're not going to do this without me. I am going to be here every step of the way, right next to you."
"Good," she muttered, letting herself get caught up in the moment. Suna was nice but it was not as nice as this. She had everything she needed right here.
A thought migrated across her mind. She kissed the base of his throat before she got up from the couch. She held out her hand. Minato took it wordlessly. She all but hauled him to his feet.
He remained rooted in place watching her with curious eyes as she closed the distance between them. Her face was the picture of concentration. Her hands slipped into the back pockets of his pants. It did not take them much time to migrate to the front pockets.
"Uh, Sakura?" He asked her in a tone littered with hesitation.
Her eyes lit up. She held out his wallet. "Good you have it," she put it back in the pocket she found it. "You're going to need it where we're going."
Before he knew what was happening, her hand was pulling him towards the door.
"It's time for you to walk the talk, Porky." She spared his confused face a glance. "You're taking me out on a date. I want to be pampered, fussed over, and doted on."
A slow smile stretched across his lips. There was a lightness in his eyes.
"Whatever you say, Bubblegum."
"Continue to play your cards right and you might be reminded just how lucky you are." She winked at him.
He felt his cheeks heat up at her words. He did not need reminding. He never forgot. But he was not going to keep that little tidbit to himself. At least for the foreseeable future.
He greeted the outside world with a large smile on his face and much warmth in his heart as she continued to essentially drag him down the street.
End of Flashback
He felt surprisingly calm given how events unfolded earlier. On some level maybe he never expected to win. The system was broken. It was created and operated by the Senju. It had always been like that. A part of him had thought that they could not afford to show such blatant favoritism for the Uzumaki, a clan that they had close ties with. The Senju and Uzumaki were as thick as thieves, he should have known that the village would find a way to screw them out of an Uchiha.
He has done all he could. He had been meticulous. He had multiple traps in place to catch them in lies but they skirted them at each and every point. It seemed almost as if the clan head went out of his way to blow their chances. He, like them, could have lied. He did not need to be honest that no family had come forward to accept responsibility for the girl. He could have worded it a million different ways. His truth had put the final nail in the coffin.
Only the Hyuga voted in their favor. Shun believed he did it more out of self-preservation if something like this happened in his own clan in the future. They were very protective of their secrets, of their eyes. They shared that in common. He knew he did not have to worry about him straying.
The other two were more of a toss-up, especially the Aburame. He was difficult to read. He thought he could sow seeds of doubt in Kurama's mind but that too had failed. There was too much groundwork to undo in such a short amount of time. He had underestimated them. He had underestimated her. The trust she built amongst the clans and the council was insurmountable.
His eyes landed on the graffiti under the archways. It was one of the few places in Konoha where it was tolerated. The various tags and colors caught the eye's attention all at once. It was hard to know what to focus on when looking for the first time. He looked up. He took in the familiar sight.
The street art of a woman in white surrounded by bright yellow light. The Goddess. Her distinctive gold eyes, flowing white hair and robes, and cold face stood out amongst the darker colors. The Mural was faded. It was over a few decades old. The green orbs on her forehead had a three-dimensional effect against her white skin, their depiction on the concrete slab was fairly accurate.
In reality, the green was dull against her skin - flat. They were a mere distraction from the most expressive thing on her face: her eyes. He remembered how the green shifted between jade, emerald, and forest. They reflected her anger, her disgust, her fear, and her hesitation. They said more than she ever did. The fire in them was uncontrollable. It did not bend. He could still see them vividly staring back at him in challenge, in defiance. He had never seen eyes quite like hers before.
He tore his focus from the unchanging face. He turned his head towards the source of presence he felt. He stared at him blankly.
"What do you want?"
"Shunsuke, I'm sorry that the hearing did not go our way." Uito came out from the shadows. He looked apologetic. Whether it was for the outcome or for the interruption, was not clear. His shoulders were hunched over slightly.
Shun focused his gaze on his top knot. "It is a minor setback. We will prevail in the end." The verdict was just all as well. He knew that the hearing cost Fugaku more than it cost the clan as a whole. More of the Uchiha were now unhappy with him. It would only serve to cause more to come to his doorstep and step up for the cause. After all, an Uchiha was taken from them. It did not get any more egregious than that. Even by losing, they had won.
He walked towards the end of the overhang. His feet stopped just before the spot where the sun hit the ground. He could see the waves of heat coming off the concrete. He looked up at the sky. There would be a full moon tonight. The timing was perfect. He did not plan on getting much sleep. There was too much to do. He was not going to make the same mistake twice.
Uito's face pulled into a twisted mask of anger and hate. He took a step towards Shun.
"It's that bitch's fault. She had them all eating out of her hand. They did not want to see the truth." He spat out.
Shun frowned. He was not wrong. He spared Uito a sidelong glance.
"Don't call her that. Have some respect."
Uito's dark brows bunched together as he frowned.
"Shunsuke. She's the enemy." He stammered out once he recovered from his surprise. "We lost because of her."
Leaves rustled in the hot breeze underfoot. "It will be fine. Besides we did not have to reveal that you were the one to see the girl's Sharingan. They aren't on to us."
Uito thought about it. "Do you want me to keep watching the Uzumaki?" He asked hesitantly.
Shun shook his head. "No. I'll let you know when I need you."
Uito's frown deepened. "Can I see you tonight?" He hated the way his voice sounded: meek.
"Not tonight," Shun said flatly. He clasped his hands behind his back. He was back looking at the skyline.
Uito could not help but feel disappointed. He turned slowly. He took slow, measured steps further and further away. Uito held onto a sliver of hope that Shun would change his mind and call out for him. But he did not.
Her life was falling apart. She had only been mostly joking when she said it to Kushina but now it was true. She did not know what to think of what happened yesterday in Hokage Tower. She had no idea he was holding onto so much, that he was hurting so badly. She had no idea how she missed all of it.
He did not anger easily. Most things did not bother him, he shook them off. It took a lot to get under his skin, it took even more to stay there. For him to be able to list off all the things the way he did could only mean that he had been sitting with those thoughts and feelings for a while. For years. For the entirety of the time they knew each other.
There had been a buildup to his anger, his disappointment. She should have seen it. She only shared parts of her past, her timeline because he had asked. He claimed he wanted to know what had happened to the Yellow Flash that she had only known from legend. She had warned him that nothing good could come out of it. He said he wanted to know anyway. She had told him. He had thanked her and she thought that was that.
But he was using it to feed his insecurities, to hurt himself. She should have kept her mouth shut. Yesterday she was at capacity just keeping it together. Even today, with one sleepless night under her belt and half a workday's worth of thinking she still had no idea how to broach it again. His anger was different than hers. She was easy to set off. She was also quick to calm down. She was like a paper bomb. Once the fuse was lit the wait was not long. She exploded. Once. It was over and done. She was left with assessing the damage.
With him it was slow. It was subtle. It took longer to build and longer still for him to let go. He stayed angry for a long time. It was a cold, calculated fury. She could not bring it up until he opened the window. If she tried to force it, it would only make the situation a thousand times worse. She had to be patient. She had to wait for him to come to her. That was how it worked, at least that was how things worked in the past a couple of times he was angry with her.
She ignored the voice in her head that said none of those times was like this neither in scale nor nature. Never had he criticized her character in the past. It was always her actions or decisions. He never judged her or accused her of anything. He had accused her of lying to him, or not trusting him. He was the only one to know her. He knew her past. He knew her struggles. He knew her insecurities. He knew how it was to love and be loved by her. He was the only one she let into all facets of her life. He was her husband. He was the father of her children. How could he say that to her? That she lied to him, that she did not trust him.
It blew her mind. That was not Minato yesterday. She did not know what it was but she knew it was not him. She refused to believe it. He was not cruel. He was not cold. He was not angry. He was not vengeful. He was not petty. He was not himself. He was going through something right now. She just had to be patient. At least that was what she clung to.
It would be suffocating to continue living that way. Acting like nothing was wrong in front of Naruto and Itachi. Being polite and pleasant like two strangers who were forced to work together. They kept the peace. They kept things moving. Having him so close but not being able to reach out killed her. She hated keeping up the facade and not dealing with the root of the problem. But she had to. She could not force the issue. Not when he was like this. It had to be on his terms.
He would come to seek her out and she would be prepared. She would be ready. She would help him with anything she could. She would move mountains to help him. She would explain to him that she did not believe a word the darkness in his mind was trying to convince him of. She did not see him in the way he accused her of. She never did and she never would. She was the one who had failed him if she ever made him feel that way.
He had been the light and the way this whole time. It was his turn to lean on her and let her be the light. He kept her darkness at bay for almost a decade. It was her turn to return the favor. That was what working together and partnership meant for her.
So until that time came, she threw herself into her work. Her theory had been correct. The ANBU used the same base of their toxins. It would mean that one antidote was enough to counteract the effects. It was tremendous news. She had finished the early stages of testing the first batch of antidotes she had.
She had already tested it against some of the samples taken from Bat. It was promising. She looked at the vial in her hand that contained the antidote ready to be injected into a live test subject. She slowly filled the syringe. She tapped it to remove any pockets of air. She looked at the unconscious form of Bat. The swelling in his brain had gone down some. It was perfect that he still had some residual poison in his brain. It would be vital to see if the antidote worked.
Sakura briefly looked over the results of the brain scan that Tsunade had performed just earlier this morning.
"Are you ready?" She asked the grim-faced Tsunade.
The blonde nodded. Sakura brought the needle to his arm. It pierced his skin. She pressed down on the syringe. She pulled it back. She lifted her eyes to Tsunade.
"Now we wait." She said quietly.
"I'll do a scan tomorrow and every day following for a week as you asked." She frowned. "Hold off on giving him the memory-enhancing supplements until we see if the antidote is working or not."
Sakura nodded. "Do you think he'll be in any shape for Inoichi to take a look?" She braced herself for the answer.
Tsunade looked at her with stern eyes. "You know that I can't make the call right now. He's not getting worse. Assuming the antidote does not change that, it might be possible in a couple of weeks. I don't know how fruitful it will be. We just have to be patient, Sakura." Tsunade punctuated with a sigh.
Sakura kept her mouth closed to prevent herself from voicing her frustrations. They exited the room. Tsunade looked over her shoulder and down the hall.
"How are you feeling?"
"Specifically or generally?" Sakura asked her dryly.
Tsunade raised her eyebrows bemused by the question.
"Specifically about the impromptu exam you asked me to perform on you this morning."
Sakura rubbed the back of her neck. "I'm feeling okay, thank you." She barely looked at Tsunade as she answered the question. She was still really tired but she supposed another sleepless night was the reason behind it.
"And generally?" The Sannin asked her slowly. Her amber eyes studied Sakura closely. She looked paler than usual.
"I'm taking it one day at a time." She smiled unconvincingly. "I'm sorry if I worried you."
Tsunade furrowed her brow. "It comes with carrying for someone. Stop taking guilt for every little thing. As your doctor, it is an order."
This time the smile was genuine. "Yes, Tsunade-shishou."
"Are you sure you're okay?" Tsunade asked again.
Sakura nodded. "Yesterday was just really taxing. I'll take it easy. I promise."
Tsunade nodded. "Don't make me regret saying yes to your help."
"I won't." She said firmly.
Mikoto pushed her sunhat up from her eyes. It was slightly too big but it was what Sasuke and Itachi had given her last year's Mother's Day so she donned it with great joy. It was a little late to be out in the garden but she figured she was only going to grab a few tomatoes so it would not be too bad. That was the intention anyway. When she stepped outside and walked over to the planters that were along the side of the house she noticed that the raised beds were overrun with weeds that seemed to sprout overnight.
She pulled out what had to be the eight weeds from the base of the tomato plants. She stared at the leaves of the errant plant, it also looked like thin maple leaves. She looked at the pile of discarded weeds that she had made. All the leaves looked the same. She furrowed her brow. Most invasive plants varied in appearance and size but that was not the case right now. All of them were the same.
She looked up when she heard footsteps on the walkway by the house. She smiled at the familiar faces. It was two women she was friendly with. They all had children around the same age.
"Hello there!" She said brightly. They stopped and turned to look at her. Their bright yellow parasol kept the sun's rays off of them.
The smile fell slightly from her face when she saw scorn on their faces.
"Mikoto," the taller of the two - Rika - said tightly. The other merely nodded in her direction. It was a far cry from how they greeted her just a couple of weeks ago.
"Can I interest you ladies in some refreshments? It won't take long for me to whip up some lemonade." She offered graciously ignoring the unease spreading through her.
"No, no Mikoto. We would not want to burden you or Fugaku-sama." Rika said in a sickly sweet tone. Her dark eyes regarded her from head to toe.
"I'm sure you have much better things to do, Mikoto-san. Please do not worry about us. We will manage." The second woman - Hitomi - added with a nod of her head.
"It's really no bother, please do let me know if you change your mind." Mikoto smiled tightly at them. Mikoto even went as far as to put up a hand to bid farewell. She turned back to her tomatoes.
The women walked off. They were still within earshot when Mikoto heard their giggles and not-so-hushed whispers. She loosened the dirt in the planter. She would have been more upset if that had been the first or even second time something like this happened today. She had a feeling that they were just getting started. She wiped the sweat from her upper lip with her wrist. Her gloved hands busied themselves with mixing the dirt.
She loosened the dirt from the weed she pulled out of the planter. This time when her sunhat did fall over her eyes she did not bother to push it back. It blocked everything other than plants right in front of her. She removed the dried dead leaves from the root balls to allow them to breathe. She was so engrossed with her task that she nearly jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Are you alright Mikoto-san?" Shisui asked her gently. His eyes were brimming with concern.
"Shisui-kun, hello." Mikoto smiled warmly at him. "Why wouldn't I be?"
He shuffled awkwardly on his feet. His eyes darted in the direction that the two women with the parasol had gone before they came back to her face,
"You saw that?" She asked mildly as she pulled a ripe tomato from the plant and put it in the basket next to her.
"I did," Shisui said tightly. "I'm sorry that you're having to deal with this."
Mikoto made a noncommittal sound. "I saw you yesterday in the stands on Kushina's side." She pulled a dandelion from the planter. It joined the pile of weeds.
Shisui nodded. "You must think I'm a sellout just like the rest." He masked his hurt well.
She shook her head. His eyes widened slightly. "Between you and me, the right outcome happened yesterday." She smiled at him softly. "Between you and me." She repeated.
He nodded. "Of course."
"Do you want to help me pick out some more tomatoes? I'm thinking of making a light salad with them." She asked him as she pulled another large weed.
Shisui smiled slightly. He crouched down and began to pull some tomatoes. "Sounds delicious. How many do you need?"
"For four I think five tomatoes should be enough. Sasuke-kun eats them like they're apples." She chuckled.
"For four?" Shisui looked at her confused. "Are you expecting company?"
"Not company. Just you."
A slow smile pulled at his lips. "That would be great. Thank you."
"How are your parents doing?" She asked softly.
"The same." He said simply. He put a couple of tomatoes in the basket. Itachi had given him dried mushrooms that day he saw him on the monument. So far there did not seem to be much change in his father.
"Pick several more," Mikoto said after a brief moment of silence.
"Why?" He asked, confused.
"So you can take some home." She answered breezily.
He looked at her. He smiled at her gratefully. "Thank you, Mikoto-san."
Her lips tugged upwards. "Don't mention it."
He looked at the weed pile with a furrowed brow. She followed his eyes.
"Um, Mikoto-san you know that's marijuana right?" He pointed to the leaves.
Her eyes widened. The color drained from her face.
"How did that get in there?!" She asked in shock as she looked at the planter as if she expected it to answer her.
Shisui pressed his lips together. "Must be some kids who thought it would be a funny prank." His tone made it clear he did not find it to be so. He looked at the pale woman. "Let's get you inside. I'll finish weeding out the…weed." He cringed at his word choice.
Mikoto nodded as she let herself be led inside. "You'll get rid of it all?" She asked him.
"I will." He promised.
"Thank you, Shisui." She took off her hat and put on the hooks in the entryway.
"Don't mention it, Mikoto-san. I'll be back before you know it." He handed her the basket with the tomatoes. She took it.
She smiled. "I'll have lemonade waiting for you."
He grinned. "That sounds really refreshing."
She hummed loudly as she finished twisting the last of the dandelions in the flower crow. She placed it on Tukiko's head. "There, now you're a princess too." She grinned. The yellow flowers popped against her dark hair.
"Just like me!" Karin pointed to her own crow. She had picked white clever to be her flower of choice. The delicate white flowers poked out in her red locks.
"You're a princess too!" Kushina nodded in agreement.
"What about you? Obachan?" Karin asked her. Tukiko continued to work to make a necklace out of clovers. She was concentrating really hard.
"Um, I guess I need a crown too then, huh?" She looked at the field. "I think I'll go with both of your flowers. Do you want to help me pick out some more?" She asked Karin.
The girl nodded. She slipped on her shoes after stepping off the picnic mat. "I'll be over there, there's more white flowers." She pointed over her shoulder.
Kushina nodded. "Stay where I can see you." She watched as the girl ran off to collect the white flowers for the crown. Things have been good since the hearing that happened a few days ago. They had developed a routine now. Both Tukiko and Karin had more therapy sessions under their belts.
They seemed to be doing better. Even Mai was optimistic even if it was cautiously so. She was happy. She was in her happy little bubble with the girls. Things were finally on the right track for them.
She pulled the yellow dandelions and alternated with the leftover white flowers she had from Karin's crown. She looked over Tukiko's shoulder. Karin was still diligently picking the white flowers. She had a fist full of them in her left hand that she kept adding to one by one.
"I think you have enough Karin-chan! Don't stay in the sun too long." She brought a hand to her mouth as she projected her voice.
Karin came running over. She kicked off her shoes. They landed haphazardly. Kushina was in too good of a mood to scold her. She would let it slide for now.
"Do you want any more fruit?" She asked Karin.
Karin shook her head. She readjusted her crown. She looked up at the giant oak tree they were under.
"I want to climb that tree." She pointed.
Kushina turned to look at the tree. She would not get very far without being able to use chakra.
"Okay. But don't break anything." She pinned Karin with a serious look.
"Okay." Karin grinned. She ran and gave the tree a bear hug. Her arms not even making it around a quarter of the tree.
Kushina shook her head as she chuckled. Tukiko took a blueberry and popped it into her mouth. She looked at the necklace in her hand. She stood up and walked over to Kushina who was staring at Karin. She tapped her on the shoulder.
"Yes, Tukiko-chan?" She asked in mild surprise.
Tukiko held out the clover garland. Kushina blinked in surprise. "It's beautiful." She gushed. She touched the clovers. "Very well done. Do you need help putting it on?" She looked up at her with violet eyes.
Tukiko shook her head. She held it out even more. Kushina tilted her head to the side.
"For me?" She asked in a small voice.
Tukiko nodded. She watched as a big smile pulled at Kushina's lips. She took the offering with both hands slowly. She carefully put her head through it.
"Thank you, Tukiko-chan. It's perfect." She smiled brightly. Her heart was so full.
Tukiko gave her a small smile in return.
He ducked to avoid a kick that was both too high and too slow. Shun was not bothering to conceal his intentions. He was holding back. Itachi vanished only to appear behind him. Shun foresaw the jab, he stepped out of the way to avoid it and the roundhouse kick.
He threw another punch and Shun caught it. He pulled his fist back and it collided full force with Itachi's face. There was a popping sound. Shun ignored the smoke. He looked up. He jumped backward to avoid an elbow to the face. Itachi watched for weakness as he dodged Shun's attacks.
Shun was holding back that much was clear. He was not even sweating yet. He leaped back on his hands. He tried to catch Shun off balance. The older Uchiha avoided his sweeping leg. Shun was watching him too. It was the game within the game. Neither of them wanted the other to truly know their fighting style. All the while they tried to learn from each other.
Shun stood up straight, breaking out of his fighting stance. Itachi did the same. It was over. For now at least.
"I need to keep some energy for chasing down bad guys." He said with a chuckle.
Deception. Itachi knew that had taken next to nothing out of him. Shun was one of the best. He was only second to his father and it was a lot closer than he cared to admit.
"I've figured it out," Itachi said blandly. "What you're really trying to do."
Shun looked at him nonplussed. "What is it that I am trying to do?" He asked breezily.
He smoothed the flyways against his head. "Your plan is to only have one clan in this One Konoha of yours. That is the only way there can be peace. Even if the clans are dissolved and forced to intermingle and live as one there will never be unity. There will only be resentment and tribalism. They will stick together unofficially. It is human nature." His tone did not fluctuate once despite his gut churning.
Shun kicked a rock underfoot and he pondered Itachi's claim. "You're right." He said simply. His eyes, tone, and expression were all flat.
Itachi furrowed his brow. The stress lines under his eyes creased. "If you recognize that then how can your goal be obtainable?" He asked him. He ignored the voice in his head telling him to back off.
"You overlooked one little thing, cousin." Shun's lip curled upward as he regarded him. "I'll attribute it to your youth." He sighed. "We as a clan are one war, one illness, a couple of generations removed from becoming like the Kurama. Reduced to one family, one bloodline."
Itachi watched as he brought his hands behind his back. He was prepared for anything. An attack, further explanation. With Shun he could not afford to relax his guard not even for a minute. His dark eyes watched him closely.
"That is the reality of our clan, of any clan in the village." He paused. "We are drying Itachi. Whether anyone wants to see it or not. Most families only have one child, that does not even enough for replacement, so forget about growth. That is before we account for lives lost on missions, and how many died in the war. We are at our lowest numbers going back to when Kohana was founded. It is a problem."
He brushed his locks from his face. "Our customs, way of life, and culture will all be lost in the not-so-distant future. It might be sooner than we think if Konoha decides to expedite the process. You might not want to believe it given how friendly you are with the Namikazes but it is true. We are at their mercy. The same is true for any and all clans."
Itachi frowned. His head was spinning with everything Shun was throwing at him. It was hard to formulate a coherent thought from start to finish.
"You can't control the future. No one can." It seemed like common knowledge but it seemed to miss Shun.
Shun nodded. He was being oddly patient. "We can plan for a better one. For everyone." He paused as if to gather his thoughts. "In nature," Shun began again. "Genetic variation is the key to ensure not just survival but dominance of a species. We've been closed off for too long. We need new blood."
"What does that mean?" Itachi asked. His gut was close to full-on revolting against him.
"The other clans," he said. Itachi's stomach sank. "Look at the Slug Princess. She is the result of the union of the Senju and Uzumaki clans. A princess in more ways than one. She benefits from both clans' strengths. She is a marvel. She has longevity along with practically unlimited chakra. Her strength is nearly unparalleled. All of it is due to her genetics. She had accomplished things that people could only theorize before."
It hit him like a brick wall. "You believe the Uchiha Clan will be the only clan."
Shun nodded. He looked pleased that Itachi arrived at the conclusion on his own. "The Senju had the right idea all along. To expand out while we kept it all within. The Uchiha Clan will encompass all the other clans. Their strengths will fortify ours. There will be one clan, one emblem, one way of life. We will be united by blood."
He gaped at him. He did not even have enough of his wits about him to do anything but that. Itachi blinks. Slowly his brain started to move from the screeching halt it had come to. The gears turned slowly.
"That's crazy. No one will agree to this."
Even political alliances had their limits. He could see one or two such marriages happening but it would have to go both ways. No clan would willingly accept Shun's insanity. Not even the Uchiha. Shun fancied himself a visionary. Itachi saw that now. He was delusional.
"They will come to learn how to live with it. We have the force that gives them no other alternative." Shun said almost as if he was remorseful it had come to this.
"Is that your dream then? Everyone kept in line by force, ruled by fear. That is what unity means to you?" Itachi asked him incredulously.
"Only in the beginning. The first generation will be asked to sacrifice the most. They will hold resentment and anger. But they will see the light. They will see that this is the only way to survive, to evolve, and to adapt. Especially when children enter the picture. It will strengthen the bond and move us forward." He said confidently.
Itachi shook his head. "The addition of children does not fix problems, it introduces a new host of ones as well as magnifies the ones already there." How could Shun not see? He was intelligent. His plan was foolish. It was not even a plan. It was madness.
"There are not enough Uchiha to outnumber everyone else for this plan to work." Itachi pointed out yet another problem that he saw. He felt sick to his stomach.
"It takes nine months give or take a couple of weeks for a woman to give birth. Men have no such limitations. One man can father many children in that same time frame. He would be limited to the supply." The lack of emotion in his voice made it all the worse. He spoke as if he was planning on repopulating an endangered species and not talking about human beings.
Itachi stood stubbornly, fighting off the sudden lightheadedness that he felt. "Most Uchiha are not going to agree to this." He said in a low voice.
Shun frowned. "Most do not see that far into the future. They will come around. No one is going to stand in my way. No one."
"Does that mean you're willing to cut down your own?" Itachi asked him with a voice that he himself did not recognize.
"No one." He repeated firmly.
Itachi swallowed back the bile in his throat.
She fought back against the 'I told you so' that was burning the back of her throat wanting to be unleashed into the air. She did not think he would be receptive to it so she kept it to herself. She frowned deeply. The lines on her face made her appear significantly older than she was. That was another thing she gave to Konoha, her youth. And she would gladly do it again.
She stared at her former teammate. He had been the most moderate amongst them. It was what got him chosen for the seat. The village probably could not stomach a woman being in charge anyway. If it was anything like what was happening in the village today she hoped she never lived long enough to see it officially.
Sarutobi sat there with his pipe at the corner of his mouth. It was a surprise the tobacco did not do him in yet. She was sure it would along with the stress of the job. He was tougher than he looked. It was strange to see him without his hat. He looked incomplete without it. She wished that he still donned it. He was far easier to deal with than his successor.
She knew Sarutobi, she knew all of his tells and tricks. He was familiar. They had their battles over the years and they had been glorious. She sharpened her wits against his. He was a formidable foe. They were tied in regard to wins. She was determined to come out on the winning side once and for all.
She took a breath. "She is reckless. She has shown time and time again that she has no fear and no regard for how we do things. She needs to be punished. She needs to be reminded that she cannot do whatever she wants whenever she wants. She's been getting away with it for too long."
He took a long drag of his pipe. He tapped his fingertips together. He blew out a perfect smoke ring. It vanished in front of Koharu.
"She dealt with some major problems for us. Donzo, the Akatsuki come to the top of mind." He said calmly.
Koharu scowled. "Any goodwill she generated with those two acts was used up long ago." She crossed her arms. "She blatantly lied to your face! To the Yondaime's face. That cannot stand to go unpunished." She heard Homura shuffle next to her. He rested a leg on his knee.
"True," Sarutobi blew another ring. He watched it dissipate in the air. "But who realistically hasn't told a lie or two to their Hokage in their life?" He ignored Koharu's scoff of disbelief. "Maybe she had a good reason to?" He mused.
Homura pulled out a handkerchief and began to clean his glasses. His expression was thoughtful. "She did save two lives that day and a third was brought into the world." He said absentmindedly.
Koharu ignored him. "Do you condone her actions, Sarutobi?" She asked him.
Sarutobi held his pipe in his hand. He rubbed the lines on his brow. The liver spots on his hands were noticeable against the thinning skin.
"I do not condone her actions. But I do not condemn them either. I understand why she felt she had to do what she did." He looked at his former teammates, two people who knew him as well as anyone did. "You both are aware of the truth, the more complete version of it, why she is here now. What she is tasked with, you are aware of." He said gravely.
Koharu narrowed her eyes. "She only gets so much leeway. We did not have the privilege of meeting this Goddess of yours." She said almost bitterly.
"She is as much yours as she is mine." He said.
"She is out of control." Koharu insisted. "You must see that."
Sarutobi shook his head. "I don't. I see someone trying to navigate an impossible situation with an impossible burden placed on her. She is doing her best." His dark eyes were bright with conviction.
"You've always had a soft spot for her," Koharu lamented.
He sighed. "If I do it is because she has covered my mistakes. She fixed them before they became catastrophes. So I am a little biased, yes." He admitted.
"Your loyalty is misplaced. You are blinded by your fondness for her." She said in a biting tone.
He frowned. "Perhaps. But I believe her loyalties are with and have always been with Konoha." He cleared his throat. "Because of her Konoha has two new Uzumaki, one of which yields the Sharingan. The other could be just as apt as Kushina. We cannot deny the value she has added to the village."
Koharu shook her head but she said nothing. She could not deny an outright fact. The younger girl could be a suitable jinchuriki for the Nine-Tails once Kushina is too old for it. It did solve a problem for Konoha. The jinchuriki line would continue. They had two Uzumakis that could ensure it.
"She had no way of knowing the outcome when she performed the jutsu. She claims she did not know who the woman was. By your own admission, she was the savior. She was brought back to prevent a war. She endangered us all on a whim to save a perfect stranger. It was too much to simply overlook completely, new Uzumaki or not." Homura was the one to point out what Koharu did not.
"That is true. But that's just how the world works. None of us know the full extent of the consequences of our actions until after the action is taken. Hindsight and what have you." Sarutobi waved his hand in a very carefree way. "It all worked out in the end."
"Do you suggest we do nothing then, Sarutobi?" Homura asked in a level tone. He tapped his index finger against his bottom lip.
"No." Sarutobi sighed deeply. "I am merely suggesting that you be fair when making your decision. Take her whole body of work into account, not just her mistakes." He was slow to get to his feet. "Thank you both for allowing me to share my perspective."
The Elders watched him leave the room.
Koharu threw up her hands. "I give up." She muttered as she rubbed her forehead.
Homura looked at her perplexed. "Is that so?"
"I agree with Sarutobi." She said the words as if they physically pained her.
Homura pushed his lips out. "Okay."
Koharu watched as he began to draft out the punishment. She gave suggestions and her thoughts. They worked diligently to finish the sentence.
He had gotten her signal, she was sure of it. She walked up to the tallest vantage point of Hokage Tower. She looked at the monument that was to her right. Her eyes focused on the likeness of the Yondaime.
"Do it soon. Do not mess it up." She said sternly into the air. "If you do, leave Konoha and the Land of Fire immediately. I will have to kill you if I see you under those circumstances." She took a deep breath. She tucked the flyaway behind her ears.
She looked at the lifeless face of the Hokage. The next such face she was going to set her eyes on was that of his wife. She closed her eyes. She could almost picture it. A small smile broke through her impassive mask. It was lining up perfectly. She was in desperate need of a good cry. She had to take the wins where she could get them. Even if it meant rigging the system.
She moved slowly up the steps. Shikaku waited for her patiently. He did not say anything. She was thankful. Her stomach was in her toes. She knew what this summon could mean, it could only mean one thing. The thing that had been hanging over her head since the hearing. She had been summoned to hear her punishment. It was finally time to face the consequences of her actions in a more formal way.
They reached the top step. It was silly but her eyes locked on the window at the end of the hall. She could just make out the sky. It was so blue. It was a massive expanse. It was a very real possibility that she would not see it again for quite some time. She thought back to how weirded out Naruto must have been when she walked into the daycare and hugged him as if her life depended on it. Wolf had granted her the slight detour.
She had stared at his perfect little face as long as he would let her. He had been in a rush to get back to playing. She had told him she loved him and kissed his cheek. Somehow she had managed to make it out of there without crying. Maybe she was still numb from what this week had done to her or what she had done to herself. Every time she blinked she saw his face. She wondered if he would come to visit her if it came down to it. Or if he would be too disgusted with her to do so.
She had no way of knowing what awaited her at the other end of the door. There was only so much Minato could do. She understood that. It was in the Elders' hands now. She had no disillusions of how Koharu felt about her. The woman probably had been waiting a long time for this day. Homura could go either way.
She heard Shikaku shuffle on his feet next to her. "Sorry," she said.
"Take your time." He said in his distinct way of talking. It was not quite like the Shika she knew but it was close enough to play make-believe for a little while.
"How mad is he?" She asked him, not looking from the window.
"Have you tried not making him mad?" Shikaku asked dryly. His eyes followed the wings of a yellow canary that came to rest in the tree just outside the tower.
She looked at him. "You didn't answer the question."
He gestured to the door with his head. "Your answer is inside."
She sighed deeply. Her heart was beating in her ears.
"Let's get this over with." She squared her shoulders. She set her jaw. She opened the door. Her eyes flickered across the faces: Hiashi, Fugaku, Minato, Koharu, and Homura. She came to stand beside Fugaku. He barely acknowledged her presence. She registered Shikaku who had come to lean against the far wall to her right. She kept her eyes trained on Homura. He was the one holding the scroll so it seemed like the obvious choice.
The Elders exchanged a look. Koharu's face was pitched into the usual creases. She was a vault. A scowly, vault. Her gaze flickered to Minato. Things were still incredibly tense not that this helped matters. She fought back the thought of reaching out to him. She was scared under the bravado. She wanted to go to him to seek comfort but she knew she had no right. Not right now. Not when things were the way they were. Her potential impending jail sentence was something she would have to get through alone. It was fitting considering how she ended up here in the first place.
"Haruno Sakura," she looked at Homura. "I will be reading your punishment for performing a forbidden jutsu, for lying to the Sandaime and the Yondaime, and for your unsanctioned involvement with both the Hyuga and the Uchiha clans. Do you understand?" He asked her in an authoritative voice.
"I understand." Her palms were pressed firmly against her thighs. She stood up as straight as she could. She took in a breath.
He unrolled the scroll. "First and foremost you are banned from interacting with the Uchiha and Hyuga clans in any official capacity unless given express permission to do so. You may not set foot on their property or property associated with them. Individuals of the clan may choose to interact with you of their own volition. If you violate this ban, you are submitting your fate to the discretion of the offended clan head. Do you understand?"
"I understand." She repeated in the same tone. It seemed pretty standard.
Homura nodded. "Because of your meddling with the Bird Seal and your refusal to remove it, you are not allowed to teach anyone the seal you used. You may not share any notes or ideas you have regarding it. All literature associated with it must be destroyed. Failure to do so will result in prison time for up to a year. Do you understand?"
"I understand."
Homaru continued. "You may not teach your modified forbidden jutsu to anyone. Similarly, any notes and literature tied to it must be destroyed. Failure to do so will result in your chakra being sealed, losing your job, being banned from the academy, and teaching medical ninjutsu. Do you understand?"
"I understand." So far it was all pretty tame. The forbidden jutsu had been a big one that she was worried about.
"You are banned from leaving Konoha unsupervised for one year, as well as from missions for one year. The proceeding two years after that you will only be allowed on missions that are approved by Utatane Koharu and myself. And you will be accompanied on each mission by a shinobi approved by Utatane Koharu and myself. This shinobi will be reporting your actions during the mission to us. Do you understand?"
This one hurt. But she was not planning on going on missions so soon after having the new baby anyway. She would take this over jail any day, even if it meant she had a babysitter if she did get the itch to stretch her legs.
"I understand."
"You will not be paid for your work at the hospital for one year. Do you understand?" His voice cut through the uneasy still.
This punished more than just her. It would affect the household. Things would be tight but they had savings. If things got really bad she could always sell her hair to the wig shop. The owner did offer to buy it more than once. She was mostly kidding. They would manage.
"I understand."
"You must report any and all work you do with the other clans. You will provide us, the Elders, with updates. Do you understand?" He asked her with a raised brow.
She bit her lip. "If the clans find out about this they won't want to work with me. They only work with me now because of doctor-patient confidentiality. I can't break that oath." She answered truthfully.
The Elders exchanged long looks. "We do not need the medical specifics. We just need to know what your intentions are. And how close you are to achieving your goal." Koharu clarified. "We want updates on you, not them."
Sakura brought her eyes back to Homura. "I understand." It was not great but she had a feeling they would grow bored quickly. She had a knack for making everything sound really mundane and tedious if she wanted to. Malicious compliance, she had learned that from Tsunade.
"If you are caught in a lie again, your chakra will be sealed, and you will be thrown in prison without a chance to appeal. Do you understand?" He asked her.
"I understand." She nodded to punctuate it.
She watched with guarded hope as he rolled up the scroll. "The punishments and restrictions take into effect starting now. That is all." He said.
She exhaled slowly. She looked at the ground. It was not that bad all things considered. A slap on the wrist. She would not do jail time. She would not lose her job. She was not forced to clean the streets of Konoha with a toothbrush. It was surprisingly fair. She curled her fingers and dug her nails into the skin of her palm. She was definitely not dreaming. She could not believe it.
"Respected Elders," she closed her eyes to keep from rolling them. Hiashi was going to protest. Why wouldn't he? He could only be happy if she was not. "The punishment is too lenient. There are no lasting consequences for her lasting acts."
Homura looked at the Hyuga. "We have come to an agreement. This was the punishment we decided. We will not change our minds. We should all move on."
Fugaku nodded. "I accept." He said in an emotionless tone. Sakura turned her head to look at him. She had almost forgotten that he was standing next to her. She turned back to face Homura before the Uchiha caught her staring. If he did not already.
Hiashi schooled his expression. "I accept as well." He said with a sense of calm that was purely fabricated.
Sakura locked eyes with Minato. She ignored the shuffling of feet and clearing of throats as they all left the room. Shikaku was headed towards the door.
"Thank you." She said the first words to him without Naruto or Itachi in the room. "I know that they would not have been so easy on me if you didn't speak on my behalf. Thank you for doing that."
His expression did not change. "I didn't." He said simply.
Shikaku froze in the doorway. Neither of them noticed.
Sakura stared at him with a furrowed brow, her mouth hung open slightly.
"What?" She asked in a small voice.
He leaned back and crossed his arms. "I didn't talk to them." The door closed without a sound. His eyes tracked it. He pulled some papers in front of him and started to write.
"Oh," she said, stupefied. The small sliver of hope she had budding in her chest was dashed just like that. She stood there for another ten seconds before she turned around and left. She kept reminding herself to be patient, with each step she took.
'It will be okay.'
She wished she still believed that with unyielding conviction.
She stared up at the wooden rafters. The ceiling was her favorite feature of the house. She loved the way the exposed wood brought warmth to the space. She had fallen in love with them back when they had just first started dating and he brought her home to meet his parents. She had spent a lot of time looking up there to avoid accidentally making eye contact with his overly-critical mother.
It had been a tough first few years after they were married, making the adjustment to a kept woman. She had to unlearn everything from the academy and what was gained on missions. It was a completely different world but it was no less complex. In fact, she would argue it was far more complex. She had to manage egos, expectations, and the home.
Her mother-in-law was a cold, horrid, miserable woman. She wanted everyone - but her precious husband and son - to be as miserable as her. Nothing she did was good enough for her mother-in-law. The woman went out of her way to make her life hell. It was passive-aggressive comments, it was constant competition, it was gaslighting. She would move things and Mikoto would be losing her mind trying to find them where she last remembered putting them whether it be earrings, shoes, keys or just cleaning supplies. She was vindictive. She never let Mikoto forget any mistake she made.
She remembered how she once spent hours making Fugaku's favorites on his birthday. She had been simmering sauces all day. She was so excited to have him come home from a long day of work to what she had prepared. She had turned her back for less than a minute. That was all it took. Her mother-in-law had reseasoned everything - badly. To this day she was convinced she did it on purpose. Nothing was servable. The roast was the most painful of the casualties. It was too salty to eat.
She had been devastated. She had almost given up. Instead, she sat there while her mother-in-law served the 'rescue' meal she whipped up. She listened to Fugaku and his father compliment her for a job well done all while her heart was breaking. She had cried. She had apologized to Fugaku for doing nothing for his birthday, for being a disappointment. They were struggling to conceive at the time as well. Her mother-in-law squarely placed the blame on her for that too.
She vividly remembered the look on Fugaku's face when she told him she was sorry that she was failing as his wife. She knew that he had fought uphill to bring his parents on board with the idea that if he were to marry it would be her. They had wanted someone else. Someone who never worked. They wanted a civilian Uchiha. It was not enough that she gave up everything to be with him. It was not enough for them that she completely left behind a part of her identity that she spent over a decade and a half investing in. She had broken down. She had apologized for not living up to his name. It was then Fugaku had taken her hand and ate the parts of the roast that did not touch the sides of the trash despite her mortified objections.
He insisted that it was good. That it just took some getting used to. So adamantly that she had to try a piece too. And that was how his mother had found them, laughing as they ate thrown-out roast. She never saw a person turn that red in her life. It was on that day that she learned she would be fine. She would figure it out. She had a good man by her side.
She learned. She adapted. She adjusted. She ignored the scorn of her mother-in-law. She tried to combat it with kindness. It only worked so well. There were days when all she did was cry. But they were fewer and further between. When she finally did get pregnant she did not stay that way for long. She had a miscarriage right at six weeks. It had broken her. She never felt so alone, so betrayed by her own body. She was angry. She was hurt. She was so ashamed.
She dreaded having to face Fugaku to tell him. She did not want to dash his hopes after they had struggled for so long. She remembered staying in her room, lying on her back staring up at the rafters for hours. She did not want to pretend that everything was alright. She did not have it in her. The doors to her room had opened. It was her mother-in-law so she had prepared herself to receive another round of blame being assigned to her. There was nothing the woman could say that she was not already telling herself.
She had been shocked when the woman grabbed her hand and apologized. She had broken down right in front of Mikoto. Had she had the capacity to feel anything she would have been alarmed. Fugaku's mother was the strongest woman she knew. She did not bat her eyes when they buried her youngest son. She did not shed a tear at his death. She accepted it.
The woman had apologized for how she treated her, for her loss. It brought them together. They got through it together. Things did get better. She learned to weather anything.
She learned so much about her mother-in-law; what a strong woman she was. How she closed herself off from the world after her son died. It was about survival. Life went on even if her heart was gone. She saw her in a new light. They had great years together all the way up to the end when Itachi was just three. She wished he had had more time with his grandmother. He had a lot in common with her.
She sighed as he took the warm towel from her forehead and cooled it in a basin of water. He wrung it before placing it on her forehead. "You worry too much." He chided her lightly. His eyes were soft with concern. "People talk, it's what they do. You shouldn't take it to heart." He smoothed her hair with a gentle hand. "This will pass, Mikoto." He brushed the back of his hand against her warm cheek.
"I was just out in the sun too long, Dear." She reassured him. "I'll be fine. You should get some rest."
He shook his head stubbornly. She looked at the tense lines of his frame and the far-off look on his face. Fugaku needed to follow his own advice. She felt around for his hand. She brought it to her lips. "I'm sorry to be a bother," she said to him sadly.
He locked eyes with her. She could feel his breath on her face. "You are never a bother." He said gruffly.
She shivered. He pulled the covers up to her chin. His hand lingered. She slipped an arm out of the blankets and grabbed his hand. She brought it to her lips. She kissed it. "I love you too, Dear." She smiled at him.
Itachi watched them from afar. He had heard from Sasuke that their mother was not doing well. He needed to see with his own eyes. He looked away. He did not expect to witness a moment of tenderness between them - a moment that should have remained private.
He just needed to see her with his own eyes. He needed to make sure she was okay. He jumped into the night. His feet moved silently along the rooftops. They would be fine. He knew the 'what' now he just needed to learn about the 'how'. The 'when' would come soon enough. He was getting close. He was hopeful that things would go back to the way they were.
"Get well soon, Okaasan." Itachi set his wish free into the air.