Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
Rating Note:
There is some language, violence, and adult themes in this story so I'm going with a rating of M just to be safe. There is mention of sex both directly and indirectly but no graphic descriptions of it. There is mention of rape as well as illusions to it but again no descriptions.
Author's Note:
Hello there!
Welcome to the start of this new project. Looking back, I realized that there was more I wanted to give certain characters after the way Kunoichi's Burden: Village First left off, mainly Kushina. So I came up with new ideas and ran with it. I tried to incorporate the most common feedback the first story received i.e. characters being OOC and fewer flashbacks. I hope that this story is closer to how you all believe the characters would interact and there are definitely fewer flashbacks than in the previous story. The flashbacks will be more commonplace towards the end but they will be at the beginning so hopefully the flow will not be disrupted as much.
This project was started to pass some free time and to keep writing. The story has been drafted. It will be long. Really long. I'll try to update a couple of times a week. It starts off where the previous one ended with the attack. The only notable change is that I decided that Sakura did not tell Minato about Kohana and Tukiko. Their existence is only known by Sakura and Masaki. I probably gave myself carpal tunnel writing all this so it would be really nice if you left a little review to let me know what you think. I look forward to hearing from you.
Let's get started!
~L.H.
Chapter 1: Aftermath
It felt like she had not exhaled for hours. There was a weight pressed against her chest., always there reminding her just how fragile everything was. What took years to build only took moments to tear down. All the struggle, the fight, the tears and blood she had shed to change something, anything, for the better - at least what she believed - was dangerously close to crashing down around her. She did not know how much longer she could bear it. This feeling inside of her was gnawing at her slowly by slowly. In its own way, it was paralyzing.
The content sounds of her child eating were the only thing keeping her from completely unraveling. It was keeping the pressure at bay some. She smiled at him as he ate. He loved food. His world was so simple. He got grumpy when he was hungry. He cried when he was scared. He laughed with everything he had when he was happy. He was happy. He was healthy. He was safe. And that was all that mattered at the end of the day. She leaned her hip against the edge of the kitchen sink as she watched him. He was making a mess. Oatmeal clung to his hair and in between his fingers. He was playing with his food. Normally she would chide him for doing so. He was old enough to understand food was to be eaten and not worn but just this once she would let it slide.
She took a couple more sips of her orange juice before setting the glass inside the sink. She did not think she could manage anything more down her throat. She could practically see the look of disapproval on her former mentor's face. She could all but hear the lecture about taking care of herself. She chose to focus on reality and not the various scenarios her head was thinking up.
He was oblivious to the chaos that the village had been through mere hours ago. "Okay. You're done." She reached for the towel hanging from a hook on the side of the white cupboard. She grabbed him and lifted him out of his chair. She held him at arm's reach. She glanced at the sink. He, in his entirety, may be too big to fit in there anymore. But his head certainly was not.
"But Mama. My castle wasn't finished yet!" He reached for his plate. His arms smelled like apples and cinnamon.
Sakura pressed her lips together as she placed him on the counter and ran the towel through the warm water of the tap. He struggled as she tried to clean out the remnants of breakfast from his blond hair. "Naruto." He stopped squirming at the seriousness of her voice. "Be a good little boy and hold still." She tapped his nose affectionately. His eyes lit up.
"Okay." He sat up straight and even folded his hands together. Her eyes crinkled as she raked her fingers through his damp locks. Once she was satisfied that she got the last of it, she turned her attention to his arms. His shirt was a lost cause. His pajamas with frogs and toads - a birthday gift from Jiraiya - would need to be washed before tonight if they wanted to avoid hysterics.
"Arms up!" He complied with such a determined look on his face that she could help but chuckle as she lifted the shirt over his head. His face covered in oatmeal revealed itself. 'I did not think this through.'
"Mama made a mess!" Naruto giggled, absolutely delighted.
"Mama did." She ran the towel under the tap again and gently began to clean his face. He closed his right eye as she wiped the top of his right cheek. She pinched it for good measure when she was done.
"Ouch!" He held his cheek. "That hurt." The grin on his face told otherwise. He had picked up on her habit of saying 'ouch' on reflex when she ran into or tripped over something. Which was admittedly more often than she would care to admit.
"I'm sorry." She countered with mock seriousness. "Let me make it better." She grinned deviously before launching a barrage of kisses.
"Mama!" He giggled as he tried to cover his face with his arms. "That tickles!" He said in between spurts of laughter.
"Surrender!" She commanded in a deep voice. As she added tickling his belly to her well-coordinated 'attack'.
"Never." His arms shot out to wrap around her neck. He pressed his face against the side of hers. Her insides melted. Her worries and concerns were forgotten for a fleeting moment.
She wrapped her arms around him tightly and squeezed. "Don't grow up too fast, Naruto." She closed her eyes. Nearly everything was perfect at this moment. She wanted to stay here forever.
"Mama. You're squeezing me." She let go instantly at his words.
Sakura brushed his hair from his forehead. "Sorry Naruto. Couldn't help myself. You're just so cute." She looked out the window. Her eyes locked on the carving depicting a face she knew all too well. She scooped up Naruto and lowered him onto the floor. "Why don't you go pick out a shirt and pants and I'll come help you get dressed?"
He nodded. "Orange! Orange! Orange!" His exclaims got further and further away as he ran to his room.
She grabbed the gray and blue t-shirt from the counter and followed after him at a much less hurried pace. "Of course orange. Can't have it any other way." She muttered under her breath half-heartedly. Her mind was too preoccupied to grumble about orange.
She had sensed the fight end. She had monitored it closely. She knew that everyone on their side was alright. At the very least they were alive. Beyond that, she could not speak to their condition. No one had trickled into the hospital. It should have filled her with relief but instead, she found herself annoyed. Even without the added compilation of growing another life inside of her, protocol demanded that she stay at the hospital until given further notice. It was standard procedure. The rules had made sense when she wrote them. Yet when it came time to test them she found herself annoyed with their existence. They felt more like a way to keep her alive instead of being out there saving lives.
The logical part of her realized that it was not the rules who were the true cause of her ire. They were but a scapegoat. She knew he was alive. She felt it. But she still needed to see it with her own two eyes.
Just like the hospital, there was a protocol for these things. There would be a debrief in the field while everything was still fresh. Evidence would be collected and shared. Shikaku was the one who insisted on putting that into writing. He held firmly to the belief that memories were not reliable as time passed, the more and more they were altered to fit a version of the truth. And if they wanted to avoid having a Yamanaka poking around in their head, this was the alternative.
He had not come home last night. After spending what had to be at least an hour in the field he had gone back to the Hokage tower. She knew that he knew that she was keeping tabs on him but a part of her was annoyed that he could not spare a second to let her see him. To allow her to verify it herself. To check for any injuries with her own two hands. He knew how she had a wandering mind and how she worried insistently almost to the point of it being compulsive. He knew that just like he knew her.
It annoyed her greatly. Not too long ago she would have stomped over to the tower, leaving imprints of her boots in the streets as she walked for good measure and ripped the door off its hinges before giving him a piece of her mind and communicating just how she felt about the whole thing. But that was then. That was before Naruto. With age came experience and patience. So she would be patient a little while longer. She would bear the unease that has not relented from the moment he had left their bed hours ago. Each passing second was a testament to whatever had happened last night was bad. Really bad. And something told her it was not over yet.
He leaned back in his hair. His head was throbbing. Between the lack of sleep, blood loss, and hours of discussion he was spent. The retrospective was almost worse than the actual fight. Almost. His eyes moved from face to face in the room. Shikaku, Jiraiya, Fugaku, Inoichi and Choza. They all mirrored what he must have looked like. They were tired. But they were here. To serve their leader, their home, Konoha. Minato signed. Shikaku stopped mid-word.
"I think we've all had enough for now." There were no protests. Not that he was expecting any. They were all running on fumes at this point. "Go home. Get some sleep. We reconvene in the afternoon." A couple of hours of sleep would do them some good.
He watched wordlessly as they shuffled out of the room one by one. Jiraiya remained rooted. They exchanged glances. An unsaid understanding passed between them.
"I'll have the mission scroll ready for you before then. Be careful." His eyes had a hard edge to them.
The Sannin nodded solemnly before a wry smile pulled at his lips. His eyes fixed on Minato's chest. "That's my line." The Toad Sage left without another word.
The Namikaze looked down and grimaced. The large slash across his shirt said it all. 'Too close.' They had gotten in too deep and too close for anyone to take any comfort in the victory. He rose to his feet and shrugged off his cloak. He draped it on the back of his seat in one fluid motion. It was practiced with ease at this point.
He walked over to the armoire against the wall. He pulled out a clean pair of pants, a shirt, underwear, and a towel before closing the walnut-stained door. Normally he preferred to shower at home but he did not want to alarm Naruto with the state that he was in. He knew that he could simply teleport home and shower before he knew better but Sakura made it very clear that she did not appreciate him 'popping' up out of nowhere. Moreover, he did not want to worry her any more than she already was.
The hot water pelted his skin turning it red where it landed. The pink water pooled around the drain. He scrubbed at his neck and arms. The blood washed away from him. His hands traced the trail of where he had been sliced open. Thankfully the field medic had been more than competent. If the gash had not killed him, his wife would have at the sight of the scar. She was always quick to point out that he relied too heavily on his speed. She claimed he got careless because he thought he was untouchable. She warned that one day he would not be fast enough, that it would all catch up to him. He signed as he ran his fingers through his hair.
Today was not that day.
He turned the doorknob and just as soon as he did, a large projectile came barreling at him and latched onto his leg. The momentum was enough to knock him over had he not been prepared for it. A pair of blue eyes stared up at him with deep excitement. "Dada! You're home."
The tiredness left his body. He put his hand on top of Naruto's head and smiled. "I'm home."
"You're encouraging his behavior." Sakura's dry voice called out. Both sets of blond heads turned to look at her. Her arms were crossed and she did not look all too happy. Naruto pulled himself from his father's leg. "You're supposed to ignore him. Tsume swears by it. Says it gets the dogs to stop jumping in no time."
"I'm not a dog!" Naruto said adamantly.
"Could have fooled me. People don't jump on people as a greeting." Sakura responded with a slight frown on her lips. Minato knew Naruto's antics were not the reason for it. Naruto cocked his head to the side confused.
"Sometimes they do. People jump on bones!" His eyes shone with recollection. Now it was Sakura's and Minato's turn to be confused.
"What do you mean by that, Naruto?" Minato asked him gently.
Naruto scratched at his chin looking less sure of himself. "I… I heard Obito-oniichan say he was gonna jump on Rin-oneechan's bones one time."
The color drained from Minato's face and reappeared on Sakura's. She was redder than a strawberry. Naruto was completely clueless to the murderous intent rolling off of his mother.
"Naruto, can you go inside and draw me a new picture for my office?" Minato smiled at his son. From his experience, defusing a situation with children was not all that different from that of world leaders. Sometimes redirection was all you needed. Naruto nodded and ran off claiming he would draw the best picture ever dattebayo!
"I'm going to end Obito." Sakura ground out in a low tone once the child was out of earshot.
Minato rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm sure he didn't mean for Naruto to hear." He felt her eyes as he took off his shoes. "Besides there's been more than enough ending for one day."
He took her in. She had not slept either. She was mad. It was not her usual fake mad that she projected. She was masking her concern with anger. It was her armor. It was easier for Sakura to be angry than show how scared she had been.
"Sakura -"
"Sit down. I'll make you something to eat then you should go to bed. I'm taking Naruto to daycare today." She did not even spare him a second glance as she busied herself with gathering ingredients on the freshly wiped-down counter.
He sat at the table. He knew it was no use fighting her when she got like this. He knew a losing battle when he saw one. He closed his eyes. The sound of sizzling butter hit his ears before the aroma registered in his nose. He felt the pull of sleep calling to him. He was home. He was with his family. They were safe. He could let his guard down for a little while.
The plate being placed before him with more force than necessary jolted him awake. He rubbed his eyes. He must have dozed off for a couple of minutes. Into his focus came a plate with eggs, toast, and a slice of tomato. He held his tongue about the tomato. He was not a huge fan of them but Sakura insisted on adding them wherever she could get away with them. "No bacon?" He asked curiously.
"I can't deal with the smell right now." Her back was to him. There was something strange in her voice that he was too tired to decipher.
"Sit with me?" Sakura's shoulders dipped. She was powerless against that tone. She knew it and he knew it. She lowered the pan she was holding and rinsed her hands. She wiped them with her apron before lowering down in the chair next to him.
"Did you eat?" He asked her. His eyes watching her face.
"Not really hungry." She admitted. Some of the heat had subsided a bit. She could never stay mad at him long and that was before the possibility of him almost dying.
He poked at his food. He was not all too hungry himself. But she had made it for him so he would eat it all. Hunger or no hunger.
They sat in silence as he finished his food. He leaned back in his chair and Sakura made to get up to gather his dishes to join the others in the sink. He grabbed her and pulled her to him. She did not fight it as he rested his head in the crook of her neck. He inhaled deeply. Her scent caused the tension in his shoulders to relax. Out of reflex, she began to run her fingers through his hair.
"Why?" She asked him softly.
"Hm?" He struggled to keep his eyes open.
"Why didn't you follow protocol?" She looked at him. Her eyes locked with his.
He was not going to get off the hook so easily. He leaned back. "I didn't want to bother you. There was a field medic close enough. He took care of it."
She tried not to let the offense she felt show through her expression or bleed into her words. She paused before speaking. "It's my job. I'm the head medic. It's my job to make sure the Hokage is in peak health, especially after an attack. I am never too tired, too busy, or too bothered to do my job. Especially when it comes to my Hokage. Are we clear?"
He felt her chakra move through him as she spoke. The field medic had patched him enough to keep him alive and he had done an admirable job. But he would be lying if he said the sensation was anything close to Sakura's healing touch. The way she worked, and healed, it was an experience. It was almost pleasant. There was a familiarity to it. It was comforting. Nothing like the pressure that was being felt when he was being healed earlier. He felt the tension, aches, and pains leave his body. He closed his eyes and let her work.
Sakura frowned. The traces of the foreign chakra - the field medics - in his system painted enough of the picture for her. His injuries were more severe than he was letting on. Whoever he faced was strong. The unease was back tenfold.
"Minato." Her stern voice pulled him from the lure of sleep.
His eyes were alert when they met her determined ones."We're clear."
"Good." She raised her hands from his chest to his face. He felt the warmth from her fingertips. "The two of us, that's the only way this works. I refuse to be outnumbered by our children." Her cheeks were dusted red as she watched the realization dawn on him.
"Chi-children?" His eyes widened.
She bit her lip to keep her smile from completely overtaking her face. She kissed him. He was so caught off guard that by the time he registered the action she was already off his lap and halfway across the room.
"Naruto. Time to go!" She grabbed the boy's backpack from the hook on the wall. Naruto entered the room almost instantly. She helped the boy into his coat.
"Bye-bye, Dada!" Naruto waved at him as Sakura did the velcro straps on his light-up shoes.
Minato waved mutely. His brain was barely working.
"Get some sleep, Hokage-sama. That's an order. We'll come to check in on you in a few hours." She sang over her shoulder before closing the door behind her.
"Children?" Minato asked into the empty room dazed. He shot up from his chair. "I'm going to be a dad again." He said to himself in disbelief as giddiness slowly filled him. He grinned. The smile slipped off his face as reality set in. He gathered his dishes and put them in the sink. He rolled up his sleeves and began to wash them. His mind was far off.
He was going to be a dad again. The stakes were even higher now to get to the bottom of the new threat.
"Be good Naruto." She hugged her son before he bounded off to join the other kids playing in the playpen nearby. She had fought tooth and nail for the daycare against the council. The increase in medical-nin meant an influx of shinobi in their child-rearing years joining the workforce. And unlike other shinobi that did not have missions every day, medical-nin were working basically every day either out on a mission, in the hospital, or at the various clinics. They were in high demand. Having stable childcare was sorely needed. It was worth it.
"I'll be back around lunchtime. Mika-san." Sakura smiled at the blue-haired blue-eyed childcare worker.
"We'll see you then, Haruno-san." The woman smiled back at her easily.
She made her way down the hall into her office. The chunky heels of her boots click-clacked off the quiet walls. She grabbed the files wedged into the metal file holder near her door. She had her marching orders for the day. Rounds did not stop just because there was an attack earlier today. Illness did not need a reason or event to wreak havoc on the population of Konoha.
She filtered through the files. Someone - her money was on Tsunade - had already filtered out the patients with contagious alignments. Her compromised immune system put her at higher risk when dealing with those cases.
"Come in, Rin." She did not even give her a chance to knock. The brunette was used to it.
"Good morning, Sakura-sensei," Rin said brightly.
"Good morning, Rin-chan." Sakura's response was more subdued as she continued to pour herself into the files in front of her.
"I saw Naruto-kun at the daycare. Actually, I heard him first." She grinned. Amusement danced in her warm brown eyes.
"We're working on his indoor voice. It's still a work in progress." She said almost sheepishly. Was it too much to ask for, to have a well-behaved child?
"I get what you mean." She clasped her hands behind her back. "I did my rounds this morning. Is there anything else I can help with?"
Sakura shook her head. "The injuries from last night were more or less contained." She could not help but feel her lips tug into a frown.
"What is it?" Rin was sensitive to the slightest fluctuations in her mood. It came from years of watching closely.
"Do you know who the field medic was?" She should have already had the report waiting on her desk. Any time the Hokage so much as had a cold it was all recorded.
Rin rocked back and forth on her heels. "Tanaka Ryo."
"He's one of the older recruits in the program right?" She made it a point to know the names and faces of everyone who went through the medical-nin training program.
Rin nodded. "He joined five years ago. He was in one of the earlier years."
"He did a good job." She had to admit that. Even if she was still not happy that had not been her or even Rin. "Where is his report?"
Now it was Rin's turn to frown. The brunette avoided eye contact with her former mentor.
"What?" Sakura snapped.
"Hokage-sama told him to go home before the debrief. At least that is what I heard from Tsuande-sama. She heard it from Shikaku-san when Yoshino-san dragged him for a checkup this morning." Rin was not a snitch but she knew out of her former sensei whose bad side she would like to avoid more.
"I see. Well, I have nothing more for you to do Rin." Sakura looked around at her desk as if something magically would appear that she could hand off to her. "Thank you for all your hard work. The kids at the academy really like your lectures."
"Really, Sakura-sensei?" Her whole face lit up.
Sakura nodded. She could not help the smile on her face. She was so proud of Rin. "Really. Keep it up. I'm going to be relying more on you in the upcoming months. I'm counting on you to keep everything afloat until I'm back to one hundred percent." It was still early but she worked with Rin. If there were going to be symptoms she would be one of those impacted. Sakura felt she deserved to know. It helped that Rin could keep a secret.
Rin's face went from happy to shocked to ecstatic so fast that it nearly gave Sakura whiplash. The woman rounded Sakura's desk and wrapped her in a hug faster than the time it took to blink. "Congratulations, Sakura-sensei! I won't let you down."
Sakura gave her a squeeze for good measure. "You and Obito will have your hands full soon enough." She paused. "More full." She added. Naruto was already a handful and then some.
"Can't wait!" Rin clapped her hands. "What if it's a girl?!" She gushed.
"Don't jinx me," Sakura said quickly as if the universe was actively listening in on the conversation.
"I have a good feeling, Sakura-sensei. All the dresses! Oh, now I really can't wait."
Sakura did not have it in her to reign in the excitement Rin was displaying. "Let's not get too ahead of ourselves." She brought a fisted hand to her hip. "Speaking of which, if Obito knows what is good for him he'll stay away from me for a bit."
Rin sobered. "He doesn't. But don't worry. I'll take care of him."
"Thanks, Rin. I know I can always count on you."
"So you let the cat out of the bag?" Tsunade's amber eyes fixed on hers.
"I never understood that expression. Why would anyone put a cat in a bag?" Sakura leaned back against the hallway wall. It seemed just her luck to run into everyone today. "And don't cats like to be in things? Or is that only true for boxes?"
"Don't be coy with me. I invented it." Tsunade retorted. She was just missing a wagging finger to go with her tone.
"More or less. Like, you said, it's not something that I can hide forever." She gestured vaguely to her person. She was not looking forward to swelling up again.
"So you told him?" She pressed.
"I told him. Not sure if fully registered, you know? I left before he could get a word out." She smiled at the memory of the perplexed look on his face.
Tsunade looked at her with an expression that did not leave much to be desired. "You sure like torturing him."
"He makes it so easy. And it's teasing not torture. There's a difference." She chose to not dignify Tsuande's scoff with a reaction.
"Six one way, half a dozen the other." She said dryly. "Have you eaten?" Tsunade took a step forward to stand across from Sakura as a nurse was trying to make his way down the hall.
Sakura rolled her eyes. "Yes, Mom."
"If you think I won't hit you just because you're pregnant, think again kid." It was a warning as clear as day. That was the line.
"I'm okay. Thanks for asking shishou." Sakura backtracked. It was nice to have people care about her even though it was annoying on occasion. Sakura waited for a pair of civilians to shuffle past them. She lowered her voice. "Anything from Shikaku?" She had to pick up Naruto in ten minutes. She did not have much time to mince words.
She gestured with her eyes. Sakura followed her into an empty room. Tsunade shook her head once the door was closed. She crossed her arms. "I don't know much beyond what you told me last night. There were four assailants. From the tight lip that Shikaku had, it could have been catastrophic. They were coordinated, organized, and strong. Anything from your end?"
Sakura rolled her ankles as she shuffled her feet. "No. He hasn't said anything." In his defense, he did not have much of a chance to. "And I doubt he'll tell me anything now that he knows."
"He probably wants to keep this off your plate." They both knew that stress was something to be avoided.
"I'd rather just know. Otherwise, my brain will just preoccupy itself with thinking of all the scenarios." Frustration colored her words.
Tsunade pointed to Sakura's forehead. Sakura furrowed her brow. Not that Tsunade had drawn her attention to it, she had not heard Akemi's voice in her head since earlier this morning.
'Hime?'
'Flower-chan?' The familiar voice ran out.
'You've been quiet.'
'Not much to say.'
"Do you want to share with the rest of the class?" Impatience bled into Tsuande's words.
"Doesn't seem like she has much to add." She bit the inside of her cheek. She mentally added following up with Akemi to her always-growing To-Do list.
"I haven't had a chance to talk to Jiraiya yet. I'll keep you posted."
"And I you," Sakura added.
"And Fluffy pooped on Liko's hand! It was so cool!" Naruto kicked his feet in the air as he recalled his day. The resident daycare bunny was a huge hit with the kids. Probably a little less so with the adults who had to look after him.
Sakura scrunched her nose. "Sounds messy." She rearranged her grip on the boy on her back. His arms hung loosely around her neck.
"And smelly. Liko didn't even cry. She's brave." There was admiration in his voice.
"Girls gotta be tough." Sakura mused. Granted, she was sure younger Sakura probably would have cried in that very scenario. "What else did you like about today?"
His face took on a reflective expression. "Oh! I saw my new friend again."
She smiled. That was her Naruto making friends with just about anyone. "Did you have fun with your friend?"
Naruto nodded vehemently. "Yeah! She's really cool. Really nice too. She gave me some stickers."
"That's great, Baby." She fought back a yawn. The lack of sleep was catching up to her.
"Mama." The sudden seriousness in Naruto's voice caught her off guard. "I'm not a baby."
She shook her head. "No matter how big you get or how strong you become you will always be my baby."
"Even stronger than Dada?" She could picture the marvel that must be on his face.
She chuckled. "Yes. Even when you're stronger than Dada."
"Okay. But don't call me baby in front of Sasuke. He'll make fun of me. He's a meanie."
"Okay." The terms seemed fair enough. "I won't call you baby in front of Sasuke-kun."
The sounds of the chirping birds filled their ears as they made their way home. "Naruto?"
"Yes?" She felt his chin prickling her shoulder.
"Did you thank your friend for the stickers?" He lowered his eyes to the ground in front of them at her question.
"Naruto?" She asked again.
"No. I got too excited and forgot." He said barely above a mumble.
"That's ok. We all forget sometimes. Just remember to thank her next time okay?"
"Okay." He pressed his face against hers. She turned her head to give his cheek a quick peck.
"I'll make her a picture too!"
"That sounds really nice, Naruto."
"Otosan?" Fugaku looked up from putting on his shoes to see his youngest peering from the door frame at him.
"What is it, Sasuke?" His voice came out harsher than he intended. He had a throbbing headache from all the thinking his brain had been doing since the final enemy drew their last breath. The boy winced as he seemingly lost his nerve.
"Sasuke." He tried again. The edge was gone from his tone. But it was too late. The boy shook his head and disappeared behind the door. Fugaku sighed. He straightened after putting on his shoe.
He felt a pair of eyes burning holes through his head. It seemed that both his sons were determined to get their share of his bad mood. "Itachi, do not linger. Either stand in clear sight or go away. Pick one."
Fugaku watched as his oldest came into view. The boy stepped into the light almost sulking. Or as close to sulking as an Uchiha could get. "Where are you going, Otosan?" His voice carried wiseness beyond his years.
He pressed his face into a firm line. "Hokage Tower."
"Is it about the attack?" Itachi's dark eyes stared back at him.
"That is none of your concern." This time he did not bother to filter his tone. It was clipping. It made it clear that the conversation was over. He turned on his heel and walked off without a backward glance.
"He's gone," Itachi said softly, just loud enough for his brother to hear.
Sasuke poked his head out. The pout on his lips made Itachi want to punish the thing that caused it. "Sasuke," the boy looked at him with his big eyes. "What do you say we go to Naruto's?"
Sasuke scowled. He crossed his arms. "Why Naruto's? He's a big baby."
Itachi hid his smile. Try as he might, Sasuke had not quite mastered the art of the perfect poker face. The edges of his lips turning upwards was a dead giveaway. He grabbed Sasuke's arm. "Let's go." He ran just fast enough that Sasuke could match his speed with ease.
Her eyes darted to the panel of glass being pushed open. She did not even bat an eye when a large frame lowered itself down through the opening. She leaned back in her seat and studied him with unamused eyes.
"There is something depressingly pathetic about watching an old man climb through a window." Her voice rang out.
"Watch who you're calling old, lady." He shot back without missing a beat.
"So I guess you're okay." The words left her mouth before she could stop herself.
"Careful, princess, that almost sounds like genuine concern." His deep voice had a playful edge to it. It reassured her some. It meant that not everything was doom and gloom.
She rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Me, worry about you? Not even in your dreams." She moved her folded hands in front of her mouth to hide her smile. She was positive that it could not be detected in her voice.
"Don't threaten me with a good time, Tsunade." Maybe he should have been more careful with his word choice. The air in the room completely deflated.
"How are you?" She asked him. All the traces of playfulness were gone. Only seriousness remained in her amber orbs. It was like the light was completely snuffed out of them.
He rolled his neck. "Fine. A little sore. A little bruised ego. But, all in all, I can't complain. You should see the other guys." He attempted to cut the tension with humor.
Her lips twitched downward. He followed her eyes. His backpack. "You're off again." It was a statement, not a question but he nodded his head anyway.
"Need to get some intel while the trail is still hot. It was bad, Tsunade. They either got way too lucky or there's a leak."
Her jaw went slack. "You think they had an inside man?" She asked him in a detached tone.
He shrugged noncommittally as casually as if they were discussing the weather and not a systematic breakdown in national security.
"What did they want?" Again he simply shrugged. A knot formed in her stomach.
"Keep an eye on the Uzumaki," he paused and after some time spoke again. "And the Haruno too while you're at it."
Her mouth went dry. It felt like the knot was going to swallow her whole. "You can't be serious. You think one of them was the intended target?" It had to be one of his crazy conspiracy theories. She would not believe it unless he had proof to back them up.
"Too many variables to rule out anything." She did not imagine the graveness of his words. His whole demeanor punctuated it.
"How long will you be gone?" She did not even recognize her own voice.
It felt like forever when he spoke again. "I don't know. Keep an eye out for messages."
She nodded. There was so much she wanted to say but could not bring herself to. From his eyes, she could tell that was the case for him as well.
"Use your head. Be safe." She regarded him cautiously after uttering her last word. The smile that stretched across his face caused her to exhale sharply.
"I always am." He winked smugly at her.
"Except when you're not." She smirked at him. She waited until he was halfway through the window before delivering the final blow. "If you don't come back in one piece, how else am I supposed to go on a date with you?" The sound of a very tall man falling from a not-so-high-up window was her only response.
She grinned. Maybe Sakura was right. The line between teasing and torture was pretty thin. Either way, it was too easy.
Minato was gone by the time they made it home. The fact should have bothered her more than it did but she told herself that he had eaten and slept so that was good enough for her. The note that he left her thanking her for breakfast and promising her that they would talk more tonight did not hurt either. She had carefully folded it and placed it in the box before she tucked it back safely in their closet.
Naruto had just had his lunch and she polished off what he did not eat so that the next time someone asked her if she had eaten she did not have to lie. She was in the middle of gathering Naruto's toys when a familiar chakra signature at her door caused her to pause. She walked to the door, with blocks still in hand, curious. She opened and freed up her hand by hugging the blocks to her stomach. "Itachi-kun, Sasuke-kun. Come on in." She stepped to the side to let the boys in.
"Sakura-san." The older Uchiha greeted her. Sasuke bowed shallowly in greeting. They neatly placed their shoes on the rack.
"Sasuke!" Naruto ran up to the Uchiha with gusto.
The Uchiha looked less than impressed by the overt display of, well just about, everything.
"Itachi-oniichan!" Naruto looked up at the older Uchiha.
Itachi put his hand on Naruto's head, much to the blond's delight and younger Uchiha's chagrin.
"Let's play!" Naruto did not give Sasuke time to respond before he ran up to the pile of toys that his mother had just put away. Within seconds they were all over the floor again. She did not even react when he scooped up the toys she was holding and they too joined all their friends.
"Do you want to play too, Itachi-oniichan?" Two pairs of eyes turned to look at Itachi.
"Maybe later."
"Shouldn't you be in school right now?" Normally Itachi did not show up at her doorsteps for playdates. She was out of her depths.
"I graduated years ago. Shouldn't you be at work?" He responded almost bored. A pink eyebrow shot up. The Uchiha brothers never ceased to amuse her. She looked at the clock over her shoulder.
"Sorry Itachi, sometimes I forget that even though you're a kid, you're not a kid. Naruto and I were headed over to the hospital." She turned her head to the side. "But now that you're here, would you mind watching the boys?"
Itachi blinked slowly. This was not how he planned it. "Is there a meeting going on right now in Hokage Tower about what happened last night?"
Sakura sighed. "No idea. Sorry. I'm just the Hokage's wife. They don't tell me anything."
The blank look on his face conveyed just how little he believed what she just said. She looked back at the clock. "Well?"
"Fine. But you owe me." Sakura was not the only one who could make the most out of a situation.
"Sure. Thank you." She patted his shoulder as she moved by him. She did not give it another thought.
"Now can you come play?" Sasuke looked up at him from his seated position on the rug.
He exhaled through his nose audibly. "Yes."
The boys cheered at the development.
