CHAPTER 4: FAILING MEN
Sasuke sprawled on the soft cushions of the sofa, watching as his daughter, Sarada, was engrossed in a book on the carpeted floor. The domesticity of the scene was a stark contrast to the life he had once known. Leaning forward, he peered over the rim of his glass of water, curiosity piqued. "What are you so focused on?" he inquired, his voice low and measured, putting the glass on the side table.
She kept her gaze on the inked pages as she replied, "We have our history exam. The clan in focus is Hyuga. So, Boruto's grandfather had given him a book which he shared with me."
To build a conversation and to get to know his daughter, he let the flicker of interest burn brighter, "Are you having any problem?" He ensured to keep his empty tone as gentle as possible.
Her eyebrows which were tightly knitted together relaxed as she cocked her head upwards and stared at her father, adding, "Not really!" She sat up, straightening her posture, "Their seal was irreversible, did you know?"
Sasuke nodded, "I had my suspicions." He hardly was involved in anything besides his traumatic history; but if one thing had caught his attention in the past, it was definitely the Hyuga Branch Seal.
An inhumane tradition, for which the Hyuga Prodigy rebelled. Neji. He only remembered a couple of instances of coming across him; his eyes were quite unique, though a few days ago, he had also met another pale-eyed Hyuga. Hinata. The one for whom he let his hand burn with the scalding tea, her chakra healed him though. Her gentleness came out of a culture of oppression and control of the Hyuga Clan; it was indeed shocking.
"It was cruel," Sarada hummed. A sense of indignation flared in her determined stare as she flipped through pages of tales of archaic tortures of Byakugan wielders. "Hinata-san is definitely not like the Hyuga members mentioned in the incidents here," Sarada added, musing as her lips curled into a distaste-filled twitch while reading the decades-old traditions.
Hinata. The name rolled out of his tongue, like a whispered prayer to a God unknown.
He remembered his encounter with the woman in the orphanage a few days ago, where he definitely offended her by asking for her name after having a whole conversation.
In his defence, he never had any conversation with her prior to that, and whenever Naruto had yapped about her or anything, he mostly had his ears blocking anything that was coming out of Naruto's mouth.
Her demeanour caught his attention; she was unfit to be a Kunoichi. She was too maternal. Just like his own mother. Short, snowy complexion, midnight-shaded long hair, kind smile and affinity for kids – Hinata Hyuga reminded him of his mother.
"Sasuke-kun," a tender voice called out to him, breaking him out of his thoughts. Sakura waltzed in the living room in a hurry with her damp pink locks sticking to her forehead, and she was munching on an apple, "We have a small-scale festival coming up, I know it is all new. I'd like you to attend...with me." Her pale cheeks dusted pink eventually, mirroring the shade of her hair.
Sasuke's face was masked with confusion; curiosity piqued. "Which one?"
"Lover's Day, at Lover's Lane," Sarada interjected, rolling her eyes.
"Since when has this been a thing? And what is it exactly?" Sasuke reclined back on the sofa, cocking his eyebrow in curiosity.
Plopping down beside Sasuke, Sakura leaned on his arm with warmth dancing in her forest eyes, "After the war, there was one lane, beyond the northern forests...many couples used to go there, so it became a famous spot. And for the past six years, we have had this little festival. It is nothing grand; people dress up, eat lots of good food, dance and drink..."
"And grossly kiss each other and traumatize the children!" Sarada glanced up from the ground and gagged, lifting her lips up in disgust.
"Kids should stay away then!" Sakura leaned forward and pulled Sarada's ear with a playful tug.
Sarada shrugged, picking up her book and pencil case from the ground, "Whatever." She scooted closer to Sasuke and weakly smiled, tapping her pencil at his forehead, "You should go with Mom. I know you are going to say no, but please...go with her."
Sasuke gaped, wide-eyed, his daughter was far more perceptive than he imagined, she read him with ease, "Anything for you, Sarada."
Sarada's grin got wider, her eyes darted to Sakura whose head was on Sasuke's shoulder, Sarada winked and bolted out of the living room, leaving the two adults alone. The air abruptly shifted and was charged.
"You were going to decline?" Sakura looked up, snuggling at his side as she nestled on his shoulder, which made Sasuke's body go stiff at the foreign notion of intimacy.
A part of his brain was pushing him to draw his arm away and retreat into his space, but the other part of his brain which had taken Sarada into account made him stay still, offering whatever comfort Sakura could gather from his warmth.
"You know already. All this is not my thing." Sasuke gulped, "But Sarada is persistent, so I will come."
A dry laugh escaped Sakura's mouth as she pulled herself back, away from him, he gasped in relief and scooted slightly away from her pressed body. She began, "So ... you were ready to decline your wife but only will attend for your daughter." Sasuke looked at her, and tilted his head to the side, speechless. Because she was right. "I don't even know if I should be happy or not!" She gravelly added and hopped off the sofa and began walking away.
"Sakura?" He called out, sighing at his trembling resolve.
She turned around from the archway of the living room, her lips pursed into a thin line as she glared at him with her jaw tense, "Yes?"
He rasped, a light throb pulsing at the back of his skull, "I didn't mean to offend you."
She hissed, her fists clenching and chest heaving hurriedly, "But you did! Like always! You end up offending me somehow."
"I can make up for it, I guess?" He offered, knowing that whatever he could give her was nothing but another failure. Because the Sasuke that he had become was never going to fit the mould of the perfect Sasuke she carried in her imagination.
"You guess?" she snickered, bitterness glazing her tone, "Ino, Hinata and I will go shopping for the festival's dress tomorrow. If you care about your wife even a bit, please join. Sai and Naruto will as well."
With that, she stormed out of the room, the slam of the door echoing through the house, earning no answer from him. Sasuke leaned back, head tipped back and eyes glued to the ceiling. Failure. The relationship between Sasuke and Sakura was bound to crash one way or another, it was evident, no matter what.
Sasuke mentally chuckled knowing how he came after eight years with hopes to mend the broken, thinking that after all those years, feelings could take place and release him from his guilt of being an inadequate husband.
But looking back at almost three weeks which he had spent with his wife, Sasuke had a reality dawning upon him – the bitterness of his lack of love. He simply couldn't love.
The years of his unavailability and lack of attention had festered a venom in their marriage which couldn't be killed. But no matter what Sasuke did, no matter how many times he failed – Sakura was never going to understand the fraying threads which were keeping her marriage standing for the world.
She was adamant in waiting for a man who could give her nothing but disappointment. Sasuke knew that she intended to keep him, no matter the messes, no matter the failures. Sakura wanted to be a Uchiha; Sasuke's wife, so she was living her dream.
.
.
.
"Teme!" Naruto waved a frantic hand from a booth tucked into the far, shadowy corner. "Here!" His boisterous bellow cut through the chatter. The hideous orange and black striped attire, cloaked by a white and maroon Hokage cape was enough of an indication of his presence, instead, his friend chose to yell. Typical.
Sasuke entered the revamped Ichiraku Ramen; the door chime dangled and clanked as he stepped inside, pushing the heavy wooden door to swing inward. Even after weeks, the development of a Ramen store to that extent amused him; too much shine, too many lights, too many people and way too much noise.
Sasuke lazily sauntered to the booth where two empty bowls were already piled up beside the discarded Hokage's headgear.
"Again Ramen!" He grunted, sliding on the opposite side.
Naruto slammed his palms on the wooden table in excitement, the reflection of a child version of the man across him almost replayed in his mind, "It never gets old!"
"It does! I need homemade food! All this is no different from living in the wilderness, Dobe." Sasuke gruffly retorted. His frustration had a colour of a truth which Naruto's cerulean curious eyes detected.
"Oh!" Naruto nodded, "I know Sakura-chan is not that good at cooking, also she has been swamped with the Hospital's new wing...you probably are eating outside or takeout every day." Naruto continued.
"It is fine," Sasuke snapped his fingers in front of Naruto's distant and glazed-over eyes, waking him up from his trance where he must have had thoughts of pity for Sasuke's life. And an emotional lecture on the ironic traumas of his life wasn't something he was anticipating.
"You should come visit our place," Naruto chirped, his voice a sharp contrast to the growing tension. "Hinata-chan is an amazing cook. You'd love her food." His words were accompanied by the arrival of their ramen, a tantalising cloud of spicy steam rising from the crimson broth.
A memory flickered in Sasuke's mind. Hinata, her cheeks puffed out in a stubborn pout, defending her culinary skills against his teasing. It was a rare glimpse of the Hyuga heiress without her usual air of timid reserve.
That moment he had realised that Hyuga could glare instead of always looking like they carried pale pebbles in their eye-sockets. Her eyes, usually as pale as winter skies, had held a surprising intensity, a lilac spark that caught him off guard.
So, she is indeed a good cook. He mused.
"I will," Sasuke nodded and replied curtly, his tone flat.
The rhythmic slurping of noodles filled the ensuing silence, a stark contrast to the storm brewing beneath the surface of Naruto, evident through the evasive body language.
Sasuke could feel the squirming of Naruto's body, which was almost hidden by the thickly draped Hokage cloak. But Sasuke's keen eyes caught the minuscule movement of his best friend, even the one when his hand froze midway, causing the noodles to topple down his chopsticks and a slight frown etched into his features before he masked it again with another goofy grin and exaggerated slurping.
Sasuke hissed, lacking the patience to see Naruto beating around the bush, "What is it!"
Naruto's voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper, his eyes wide with anticipation. "Are you going to Lover's Day?"
Sasuke tapped his chopsticks against the bowl's rim, the sharp metallic ping echoing in the quiet booth. "Yes," he replied.
Naruto dropped his steel chopsticks with a clatter, his hand flying to his forehead in a gesture of exaggerated despair. "Fuck! Even you're better than me at this!"
Sasuke's eyebrows rose in question as he swallowed a mouthful of ramen. "Better at...?"
"Being a husband!" Naruto groaned in disbelief.
Sasuke had a huge bite in his mouth but he choked in surprise. Husband. He reached out for a glass of water to shove all of the content of his mouth down his throat as they were choking his windpipe. I am a disappointment in being a husband. He wondered in what context could Naruto become so blinded. His mind reeling.
"Yeah right!" He scoffed.
Naruto shook his head, "No, really! You are attending only for Sakura-chan, right? To make her happy after all the time you have messed up. To make up for all the shit you pulled!" Naruto's elaborate assumptions continued and were wrong.
For he was attending to respect his daughter's wishes and he was far beyond any chance of making Sakura happy or make up for his behaviour; there was no return for Sasuke from being a disappointment.
But he decided to hear about how royally the Hokage had messed up his chances of having Sasuke being the better guy.
"So?" He urged him.
Naruto gulped, raking his hand in his hideous short hair, or more like his scalp, "I can't attend, I have an insane amount of pending paperwork! I am literally sleeping in Hokage's office! All the proposals with Ame are the ones I can't let anyone else handle." His lips trembled as he hesitated to continue.
Sasuke prompted with a dark look, "And?" He rolled his eyes at Naruto's yapping about work instead of getting to the point.
He fumbled with words, lips parted open but no words came out, then eventually after a glare from Sasuke, Naruto confessed, "I haven't told Hinata-chan. Because If I do, she won't go. I want her to go and enjoy."
Sasuke shook his head at the irony of it, scoffing, "It is Lover's Day you know; I am sure being there alone would be a bigger disaster."
Naruto's faltering grin widened, eyes twinkled with mischief, "That is why I have you!" And he ended up clapping his hands together. Sasuke groaned at his involvement, which he knew he could avoid if he wanted but since it was his best friend; Sasuke couldn't let Naruto fall into an abyss from which he wasn't going to recover if his marriage's doom had come earlier than it was expected by Sasuke and Naruto's own mind.
Genuinely interested to know, Sasuke queried, "What am I supposed to do in this?"
Naruto shrugged, scratching his chin in a manner to question the sanity of his own idea, "I just want you to keep an eye on her; like if she is eating well and having fun."
Sasuke cursed out loud, "What the hell?" Naruto wanted Sasuke to play bodyguard with his wife. Wow.
Naruto added seriousness masked his animated facial expressions, "Look Dobe, Hinata confines herself in the house when she is pissed. If I tell her that I won't attend, she would be heartbroken and won't attend it, she has never gone in these six years."
Sasuke looked up from his bowl, his sole dark eye scrutinising the dimming sun in front of him and spat, "So ... you mean...you have never taken your wife to the Lover's Day festival since it started?"
Naruto defended, raising up both of his hands, where Sasuke noticed a gleaming detail, or the lack of gleaming detail, Naruto used to wear his gold wedding band which wasn't on his ring finger, "It started the year I became the Hokage. I hardly have time to breathe!"
"One can make time in six years!" Sasuke scolded, wide-eyed at the failure Naruto was becoming.
"Yeah Yeah! I have heard that every time!" He dismissively gestured with his hand, dipping his face down to the bowl, the cloud of steam fogging and obscuring the view of his face. "But just look out for her, will ya?"
"You are right!" Sasuke tapped the wooden table harshly with his chopsticks, "I am doing this whole husband thing better than you," Sasuke almost gloated, scoffing as he inhaled another spicy bite. "All those times you have been on your high horse and berated me about leaving Sakura, yet...you yourself weren't any better husband than I was...despite being here!"
Sasuke pointed his finger at Naruto and glared, reminiscing the memories when Naruto had insulted him, from time to time for abandoning his duty with Sakura. What the fuck was Naruto doing all this time? Sasuke made sure his words cut him.
Naruto swatted Sasuke's outstretched finger away, his face flushing with anger. "Shut up, Teme! Our situations are different. You left Sakura-chan for eight fucking years! I didn't leave Hinata-chan for almost a decade!" He smirked slyly at Sasuke who chuckled in response, earning a knitted brow look from the dumb Hokage.
"At least I wasn't here! You..." He began, "You were here, Dobe. If you couldn't even take your wife out on Lovers' Day for once in six years...that says a lot about your unavailable presence." Sasuke wiggled his eyebrows at him, chucking a napkin at his face. "You yourself weren't the husband of the year, loser!"
"Are we arguing about who is the worst husband?" Naruto slumped back on the seat; retorts died on his spice-burnt tongue. His shoulders dropped as he leaned his head back to the headboard of the booth, heaving a deep sigh.
Sasuke straightened, abandoning the steaming bowl for a moment, to gauge the dilemma of his best friend and himself. "I believe we are," he responded, stretching his limbs and craning his neck to ease the bunch up tensed nerves aching under his skin.
"Hinata-chan..." Naruto gasped, "She will get disappointed yet again!" Naruto got flushed, rubbing both of his hands over his face and grumbling.
Sasuke noticed the frown lines deepening over the forehead of his friend, the lips curving into a frown, "If there is any consolation, Sakura is already pissed with me," Sasuke believed that it was better to take the heat instead, because the gloomy Naruto was a lot harder to handle, and Sasuke was definitely lacking the patience for it.
"Why?" Naruto demanded, his voice rising in anger with rejuvenated energy pumping in the veins of his neck. "What did you do now, Teme? You just got back, and you're already hurting Sakura-chan!" His fists slammed the table, his blue eyes flashing with fury which were almost dazed just a couple of moments ago.
"Nothing," Sasuke replied nonchalantly. "I was going to decline Lover's Day but gave in for Sarada." He paused, a bitter taste lingering in his mouth. "But Sakura didn't like that I was only going for Sarada, not for her."
"She has all the right to be mad at your ignorant ass!" He shrieked, people around them were already spooked to find Hokage and his Shadow Hokage amongst them, inhaling Ramen bowls like breathing, but his loud and booming voice caught their attention as their heads turned to their booth.
Sasuke could notice from his peripheral view and hear the mutterings, which he willingly ignored, to save himself from committing another bloodshed after a decade.
"Of course you'd say that." Sasuke rolled his eyes, "I was honest with her. I can't act what I don't mean, Naruto. She always knew about how I am about festivals." Sasuke raked his hand in his hair, pulling the long bangs back and revealing the purple eye which made Naruto twitch in his place, possibly Kurama was still salty about the Genjutsu from the war times. Sasuke had a satisfying tingle creeping up his spine knowing that.
Naruto groaned, shaking his head, "Even if she is aware about your lack of interest. You should show excitement for her. You also know how Sakura-chan is! She loves all these things; getting ready, exploring music and food. You took it away from her for eight years, giving it back shouldn't bother you."
Sasuke muttered to himself under his breath, ensuring that Naruto didn't catch that otherwise he would have murdered his eardrums with another string of insanely loud indignation-filled lecture, which was a hypocritical move from the Hokage himself. "But it bothers me."
"Also...it is not a grand festival. Kids aren't even allowed. So, you can have your corner from time to time. Food is amazing." Naruto licked his lips, winking at him.
Sasuke brought the bowl to his lips and swallowed the last remnants of the broth, an action inspired by the man across from him, "How would you know? You yourself never went."
Naruto squinted for a moment then nodded, an epiphany of memory coming back to him as he revealed, "Ah! Actually, I have. Sakura-chan went with Tenten once, and they both passed out. I had to pick Sakura-chan up. I got her a meat wrap there, and it was divine. You should get her once again and parcel one back for me."
Sasuke poked his tongue on the underside of his cheek, peering at the man in front of him who had been whining about lacking time for festivals like that. But he definitely made time to assist Sasuke's wife despite the busy schedules bounding him.
A detail he ensured to not voice out, for Naruto would fumble and blame Sasuke again for not being available and becoming the reason for Sakura's drunkenness alone in a festival which she consciously attended with her friend. So, instead of stating the obvious anomaly, and being called jealous or unavailable prick, he chose to silently take in the budding reality which had a multi-faceted chaos simmering beneath the surface.
He grunted in response, "Hn."
Naruto leaned forward; his voice was urgent. "You have to make it up to her, Sasuke!"
Ironic coming from this guy, Sasuke thought.
Sasuke slumped against the booth, his gaze drifting towards the window, showing the darkening sky. The sky was ablaze with colours, a breathtaking canvas of orange, pink, and lilac. A familiar shade of lilac caught his attention, but he couldn't quite place it.
Unaware, he turned back to Naruto.
"Yeah, I am. Going to this couple shopping with her tomorrow..." He frowned. The look of disinterest masked his feature, his one arm draped on the back of the booth as he sat tilted towards the window.
"Good." Naruto followed his stare and glanced outside. "The sky is so pretty today. Boruto used to love it when he was six or seven." A wistful glaze glinted in his eyes, "Oh...that pink reminds me of Sakura-chan." He pointed outside, Sasuke didn't need to look, he already had seen and yet didn't think of the familiar shade of pink. Gulping the guilt down his throat, he stared quietly at the shining sun sitting in front of him.
"Are you coming tomorrow?" he asked. Naruto's attention shifted to Sasuke.
Naruto questioned, "Where?"
Sasuke pursed his lips, "Shopping. Sakura said that you and Sai would tag along too."
"Oh...yes, Hinata-chan mentioned this morning. But she didn't ask me to come," Naruto's lips jutted out, a grown-ass man was pouting. Sasuke rolled his eyes.
Sasuke could figure out the answer himself, but he needed to attack back, avenging all those fires that the dearest Hokage-sama loaded at him, acting like a saint all those years, "Would you have come, if she had asked." He couldn't resist a jab.
Naruto chuckled lightly, rubbing the back of his neck, to tame the nervousness reddening the tanned face of his, "Ah! Well...Ambassadors from the cloud are arriving tomorrow, so I doubt I would have the time."
Sasuke let out a throaty laugh, "No wonder she didn't ask." A taunt that must have touched a sore nerve as the colour vanished from Naruto's face and his jaw clenched. His eyes darkened as he stood up abruptly from the booth, his knees hitting the table, rattling the empty stack of bowls.
He slammed the money on the table, gritting his teeth and bid him farewell, "Bye."
Naruto got out of the booth and began walking away, "Dobe!" Sasuke called out for him, with a smirk twisting his lips, a hint of malice dancing in the slur of his tone.
He spat, "What?" Naruto didn't turn around; Sasuke could see his stiff shoulders from the glance over his own shoulder.
Sasuke lashed out another blow in the deep and cutting tone of his, hitting right on the spot as Naruto's frame almost shivered, "Perhaps you needed your own advice much more than I needed those."
Naruto threw a distasteful look over his shoulder at Sasuke; cerulean eyes against the obsidian and purple, clash of sun and moon, "Get a life, Sasuke." His words with bitter undercurrent didn't hurt at all. Sasuke was tired of finding a life or a home anyway and was awaiting death with open arms, he knew that he was a hollowed-out shell yearning for oblivion.
But the morning training sessions and dropping off Sarada at her desired destinations – it was a normalcy that tasted like life. Yet, the home was still unfound.
Sasuke attacked back as he was relishing the opportunity to unsettle his rival, knowing the shock that could shake his friend even more, "Oh loser, I do have a life. Might end up training your son from next week onwards."
"What?" Naruto turned around, gaping with surprise shining from each lineament of his face. Jaw slackened in disbelief; spirit shrunken under the weight of his unawareness about his own son.
The Uchiha, savouring the moment, stood tall, his dark figure casting an imposing shadow. With a cruel smirk, he added, attacking the last bit of sanity that his friend had, "As expected, you haven't been home enough to know that, have you?"
A primal rage erupted within Naruto. His fists clenched, and with a thunderous roar, he lunged forward, connecting with Sasuke's chest. The impact sent the Uchiha staggering backwards, a low, menacing chuckle escaping his lips.
"You know what! Shut up!" Naruto snapped.
People around them were habitual of seeing the occasional outbursts of violence between two ex-enemies anywhere, especially in the bustling eatery.
Because teenage girls still giggled seeing the two towering presences reflecting like Sun and Moon over them, women sat straighter accentuating their figures in which neither Naruto or Sasuke were interested, on the reception counter the familiar face of a man and his daughter shook their head with a light smile and children peered at them with awe twinkling in their eyes, mouths agape.
Sasuke figured that their audience believed it to be another usual banter, but at that time Sasuke had started avenging all the years of torment from Naruto who acted like a fake saint. This was more than just a petty argument; it was a long-overdue reckoning.
Naruto, with his holier-than-thou attitude and constant lectures, had been a thorn in his side for years. Now, he was turning the tables, exposing the cracks in Naruto's carefully constructed facade, showing that Naruto himself was nothing but another failure of a husband. A twisted satisfaction made him feel like the Sasuke from the academy, relishing the fall of Naruto at every turn.
As Naruto stormed out of the café, Sasuke leaned back against the cool, tiled wall, a triumphant smirk playing on his lips, revelling in the chaos.
The dull throb at the back of his skull relaxed with the grim satisfaction seeping within, knowing that his return to Konoha bore some fruits at least. He got to know that Naruto was crashing, just the way Sasuke was. If we lose, we lose together.
Sasuke leaned to the side, at the table of their empty booth, looked down, squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath to calm the inner demons that gnawed at him and pushed Naruto to the edge. He shouldn't have done that too harshly.
His eyes flew open once a minute had passed, and his obsidian depth met a pair of pale lilac eyes staring back at him. Lilac. The familiar one, just like the shade on the sky. Her eyes. Fuck!
He was definitely not better than Naruto. They both were going to hell together. They were both the sides of the same shattered coin. Naruto and Sasuke were the architects of their own demise, their own destruction. And the crumbling had just begun, the thrashing rang in Sasuke's ears.
"Uchiha-san," she muttered softly, tucking a dark lock behind her hair.
He hummed, "Hn."
She gestured to the side, a small formal smile playing on her lips, "It is our booth."
With a curt nod, he stepped aside, granting her and her children the space to settle.
A grating voice shook him out of his guilt-ridden reverie, "Sasuke! I am practising Rasengan!" The blue-eyed brat looked up with amusement, she was right, he was loud like her husband.
Sasuke tilted his head, "Will see." Boruto grinned back at him, challenge swimming in his eyes. So similar to his Dobe.
"Uncle Sasuke," A soft tone, mirroring her mother's tender tone, the midnight-haired smaller child spoke up, drawing Sasuke's attention.
He lowered his head, "Yes?"
Her brighter blue eyes widened as she offered, "Will you eat Ramen with us?"
He shook his head, "I just had it with your father."
Her lips turned into an 'o' before she shrieked, excitement surging in her smaller frame, "Daddy was here?" She almost jumped from her seat.
Sasuke nodded, "Yes. Just left a couple of minutes before you came." His eyes darted to his friend's wife, who bore no interest in knowing the whereabouts of her husband seemingly but the piece of information affected her as her small hands were curled into fists on her lap, betraying the mask of stoicism and indifference she donned.
"Do I have a deadline?" Boruto asked as Sasuke was about to leave their side.
Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the child, almost toppling to the other side of the table, "No. The quicker, the better for you."
Hinata added, noticing the leaning frame of her child over the table, "Sit properly, Boruto." Her words were a soft reprimand, a subtle tug at the reins of her exuberant son. The waitress, a young woman with a kind smile, placed steaming bowls of ramen on the table, their rich aroma filling the air.
Sasuke felt like an odd piece staying there. Before he could slip away unnoticed, two women a decade younger than him approached him, "You are the Uchiha, right?" The blonde one breathed in awe, unable to crack the indifference spreading across Sasuke's features.
Sasuke denied his identity, "No."
A giggle; delicate and silvery rang in his ear, certainly not from the women who approached him with boldness and were now dipping their heads to hide their embarrassment-dusted faces. He looked to the side, a pair of serene lilac eyes were on him, a small hand covering her mouth to stifle laughter, and long midnight-coloured hair framing a reddened face.
He squinted and hardened his glare on the heiress, to no avail, for she turned her head towards the girls who were playing with their sleeves, hoping for any reaction from the esteemed Uchiha. A 32-year-old man shouldn't have fangirls. Sasuke mentally grumbled.
Her voice had a tinge of honey, "He is just leaving, do you mind?" She smiled at the girls, who scurried away with a disappointed nod.
Sasuke huffed, "I could handle it."
Hinata bit her bottom lip, "Sure, you could. I just handled it politely." Another honeyed giggle followed her assumption of his lack of competency in matters requiring politeness.
He shrugged, a movement barely perceptible under the guise of a heavy black coat, "Sure, you did." Giving in to her victory.
He ended up on the bustling street outside the Ichiraku Ramen, sighing as if he held his breath for so long. He looked up at the sky, once a tapestry with multiple colours, was now a cloak almost as dark as his cloak. A colour, once again a familiar colour; midnight. As dark as the familiar locks of hair.
Fuck!
.
.
.
The next day, under the bright sun, Konoha bathed in a glistening golden glow. A gentle, almost teasing breeze, carrying the sweet, intoxicating perfume of blossoming cherry trees, ruffled Sasuke's raven hair as he strode along the bustling thoroughfare. Sasuke was draped in his usual black cloak and grey shirt and pants underneath and went along the street.
Carts dragging forward beside him with vendors calling out their best prices, children running after each other with loud cackles, cheerful chatter of merchants taking a lunch break with aromatic smell wafting from delicacies in their grasp – crossing the morning dew-covered cobblestones pathway with gentle echoing steps, he looked up to the Hokage monument where the faces of their past leaders and his friend were carved with precision.
The lively Konoha in his sight was the epitome of peace, the peace that was once a mere dream.
As per Sai's cryptic directions, he was on the right path – he ended up reaching a more upscale part of the village; the streets are wider and cleaner, the shops were grand with mainly glass doors gleaming with the reflecting sunlight, the decorative lamp posts lined the boulevards with each one having an adorned metalwork and lanterns.
The air had a stronger scent of flora with occasional rustling from the leaves serving as a comfortable sound. The Hana District is beautifully landscaped with well-maintained gardens and carefully tended trees of Cherry Blossoms, Maple and willow are strategically planted to create an arching look on the street from both sides, a breathtaking canopy overhead.
Beyond the entrance street, the residential area was fairly large. High walls, crafted from aged wood and reinforced with iron, shielded the homes of the village elite. While not as expansive as the Uchiha compound or the Hyuga Manor, these residences exuded an air of quiet authority.
The Hana district stretched towards a larger compound, lined with speciality stores and boutiques, showing the riches and refinement of the inhabitants.
Finally, He gasped.
Sai had mentioned that the shop was named 'Yukari's', and Sasuke ended up standing in front of a large wooden door with delicate carvings of floral designs, with the warmly lit lanterns above it casting a warm glow. It's daytime, why are they lit? An unnecessary thought crossed his mind, which he shrugged as he looked around to take in the elegant scenery.
On the porch of the shop, pots of seasonal flowers lined adjacent to the gate, adding a natural touch with a welcoming aura, softening the imposing opulent energy of the area. He pushed the door to enter a vast hall leading to spacious aisles with racks of clothes lined on the sides, glitter and stones glinting under the assault of lights.
Tender murmurs of the customers roaming in the aisles, the clinking of wind chimes along with the tick of a huge wall clock – a cacophony that suffocated his senses. Especially the overbearing perfume hanging in the air.
Soft thudding steps of Sasuke on the carpeted floors alerted the staff as one neatly dressed woman with a sleek bun and blushed cheeks came to him, greeting him with a bow.
Sai had told him to just mention his wife, so he did, "Ino Yamanaka."
"Ah, they are at the back in the fitting rooms. I will lead you," she smiled and gestured at him to move ahead of her. He nodded.
Crossing the hall with mannequins dressed in silk and satin and shelves along the walls with jewellery and sandals, Sasuke ended up in another spacious hall. Tiring.
Sasuke felt like a newborn baby in the new Konoha and was suffering from sensory overload with all that glitz and glamour and piercing gold lights at each corner. He was a stranger in a strange land, a solitary figure adrift in a sea of luxury. His Konoha, the one he once wished to destroy, wasn't like this.
"These are the fitting rooms, booked by Yamanaka-sama."
Of course. Booked.
Rows of velvet curtains concealed tiny dressing rooms. Opposite these, plush, overstuffed couches invited relaxation.
A man, ghostly pale with raven hair was plopped on the couch, immersed in a magazine in hand and dead dark eyes roving over the inked pages – there he was, Sai.
"I will be fine," he tilted his head to the side and said to the lady.
"Alright. Your wife is in one of the fitting rooms, Uchiha-sama. If she needs assistance, she can ring a bell string from their rooms," she explained and with a graceful curtsey, she melted back into the shadows of the shop.
He didn't linger on the fact that she knew who he was. Everyone knew, to his dismay.
With keen disinterest, Sai regarded his approaching presence, eyes still glued to the glossy magazine, "Uchiha."
"Sai." He plopped beside him.
Sai gave him a wide smile which he surely didn't mean, "They just went inside. You are not late."
He hummed, "I know."
A metallic sound of the curtains being pulled and gliding along the brass rod was followed by an excited shriek, "Sai!" Ino emerged out of the room, twirling in a blue knee-length dress with blonde locks flowing around her.
Sasuke looked to his side and saw Sai dropping the magazine on the space beside him, his dead eyes suddenly looking alive as he raked his sparkling eyes over his wife from her head to toe. His ghostly pale face was dusted pink, what the fuck, and Sai had an open-mouthed grin, a smile which felt genuine.
No way. No way, even my replacement finally had a home. Because Sai's entire presence was twinkling like a star as he hopped off the couch in a sleek motion and went to grab his wife, planting a kiss on her lips which she relished as she giggled. Ino freaking Yamanaka had that voice inside her, how.
Sasuke was done with all the changes which were thwarting his dead semblance.
People had changed; he realised. It was not a problem. But people had changed for good, except him, and that was a problem.
Sasuke was lost, still fucking lost, while the world had moved on to better places. The radiant love bubbling in front of him blinded his renowned eyes, piercing envy bloomed in his chest; he was a ghost in his own life, nothing enchanted him, and no one brought him to his knees enough to consume him like the two people in front of him.
He was the same bitter Sasuke. If he didn't have Sarada, he probably would have left that new Konoha in a heartbeat where he was nothing but a memory.
"How do I look, baby?" Ino sheepishly blushed.
Sai gushed, "Perfect, I like this one the best."
Ino was draped over Sai and pouted, "I have yet to try the white one."
Sai was playing with a blonde lock, what the hell, "You will look amazing in everything. I personally prefer this. You look like the sky in this."
Sasuke almost gagged, huffing as he had a chest burn witnessing such intimacy from a literal emotionless ghost, Sai is not emotionless anymore, Sasuke. The voice of his head berated him at his judgemental behaviour. He leaned backwards on the couch, looking in the other direction towards the window where he saw an ANBU mask, standing like a reaper.
"Sai...I believe, you are summoned," Sasuke raised his voice, tone flat enough to mask his annoyance at the pathetic display of affection, thankfully, Sai and Ino distanced from each other as Sai moved like a wraith outside the fitting hall.
"Sasuke-kun! If Sakura rings the bell, go inside to help out, okay?" Ino waved a hand and dashed inside her fitting room, drawing the curtains to close. Sasuke noted her suggestion or command. Not that he could be any help with dresses, considering he had just one hand. Sasuke snickered at his own misery.
A couple of minutes passed, and the shuffle and rustle of clothes were the only sound.
Then...a clang of a bell echoed, from the room beside Ino's and the silence shattered.
Sasuke reached out for the thick coarse fabric of the purple curtain and pulled them to the side as he entered a warmly-lit room. He stepped into the intimate space, the curtain closing behind him like a velvet shroud.
"Ino, could you tie my back?" A gentle request from the woman facing the tall mirror. Sasuke could see the exposed milky back of a woman who wasn't Sakura, the soft arch of the spine, the untainted clear skin of the vast expanse of her back, and the midnight blue hair lifted up and coiled in a bun were undeniable evidence for Sasuke to bolt out.
His feet were rooted to the ground as if trapped in quicksand. A cold dread seeped into his veins as his gaze lingered on the exposed skin. His mind screamed at him to flee, but his body was paralysed. He was a voyeur in a scene he hadn't signed up for.
Sasuke was a couple of steps back from the figure baring her back to him, his eyes darted to the mirror where he noticed that her pale eyes were downcast, while her hands were twisted to reach her back and fumbling with the threads.
Leave, Sasuke. His mind yelled at him.
His breath hitched as he stared, unable to tear his gaze away. Her silvery eyes, wide with surprise, met his through the mirror, reflecting not just her own startled expression but his as well. With a muted yelp, she spun around a futile attempt to conceal her bare back as the mirror was reflecting enough, betraying her efforts.
Her arms crossed protectively over her chest tightly, trying to hold on to the slipping black dress in place. The black collided with her white skin like the moon is usually draped by the dark of night.
Fuck.
Mortification swept over her, her face turning a deep shade of crimson. She bit her bottom lip, her shell-shocked eyes pleading silently. The blush spread like wildfire, moving from her cheeks down her slender neck to her delicately defined collarbones, then to the swell of her breasts. The deep neckline of her dress accentuated the depth of her breasts, unfortunately, thanks to the way she held the slipping dress, clutching tightly at her chest.
The dress, tight around her waist, highlighted her hourglass figure before flaring out above her knees, revealing her trembling, squeezed thighs. They looked too soft, too delicate to belong to a Kunoichi, a stark contrast to the image of a hardened warrior who fought Pain for his stupid best friend. Now she looked like a fragile doll.
Stop staring. Sane voice of his morals called out.
He abruptly dipped his head, closing his eyes shut, enough to pain him. Punishment.
"Uh...Sakura, I thought...she was here-"
"Please leave, Uchiha-san." Gentle yet finality-filled whisper from her, he didn't need to be reminded again so he turned on his heels and bolted out of the room after harshly dragging the curtains.
Outside, the world was a blur. He breathed deeply, a shuddering sigh escaping his mouth and a visible heaving of his chest. Fuck you. He cursed at himself mentally and then moved towards the couch where Sai cocked his eyebrow at him with a smirk.
"What?" Sasuke snapped, with a hiss.
"You look flushed," Sai shrugged.
Sasuke rolled his eyes and sat back, facing the three-lined rooms, "No, I don't."
He couldn't see his face, but with years of practised experience, he knew he couldn't let a mere exposure to a woman's skin make him undone enough to flush. Jaw clenched, sole onyx eye hardened with a straighter back, he sat awaiting his wife. His foot tapping the floor betraying the mask of stoicism he was aiming to cast over himself.
What the fuck is wrong with you, Sasuke. The voice inside his head bellowed, you checked out your best friend's wife, have some honour. The shrill reality seeping into him, making him wince.
It was the first time he had a reaction like that to a woman, unfortunately. He always had his control backing him, despite being away for eight years from his wife, he never let any distraction mess with his control. Sasuke Uchiha wasn't ever easily swayed.
Okay, a mistake you shouldn't repeat. His mind attempted to salvage the situation, quelling the heat blooming inside him.
Sai was snickering beside him, which he ignored to save himself from committing a murder.
What must she be thinking, that a Uchiha came back to Konoha being desperate and a pervert?
The sane part of him continued to berate him.
Ino emerged, a whirlwind of colour and sound, her arms laden with discarded dresses. "I'm done!" she announced, her voice a cheerful melody.
Sasuke, his voice flat and emotionless, interrupted her, "Hinata was calling you." He gestured vaguely towards the room that held the source of his humiliation.
Ino dropped the clothes on Sai's lap and rushed to Hinata's room.
Sasuke had a moment of weakness where he let the control slip and made not just himself uncomfortable but also her. That woman didn't even know him, she had all the right to think of him as a pervert. But he knew he didn't intentionally continue to stare; it was just, a moment of uncontrolled motivation.
What was worse was that she was a married woman and he was a freaking married man. His eyes shouldn't have lingered beyond her face, not enough to know how far her blush could go or how soft her skin was or the curves and dips of her body.
Sasuke was a prisoner of his own mind. He had violated a sacred trust, and the weight of his transgression was crushing. Shame burned through him like wildfire. He had failed yet again.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
He failed to rein himself in, he wouldn't again. He huffed, nodding to himself.
Sai tapped on his shoulder, "You sure you don't need water."
Sasuke groaned, glaring at his side at Sai's poker face, "Could you shut up?"
Sai shrugged indifferently, his lips curving into a faint, indifferent smile.
Ino came out with Hinata trailing behind in the black dress flowing around her, Ino's yapping was immediately blocked out by Sasuke. His eyes found Hinata who was engrossed in the words coming out of Ino's mouth. Good, she didn't throw slaps at him, at least.
"Oh God, the dress was so damn hard to tie!" A familiar voice, his wife's tender voice rang in his ear as he averted his gaze to the third room.
Sakura emerged from the room in a beautiful emerald green dress, rightly fitted at each of her muscles. Her pink hair contrasted really well with the deep green layered fabric cinched to her body. Her arms were bare, the skirt of the dress reaching below her knees, and the neckline plunged just enough for it to be provocative. Yes, Sasuke, stare at this woman. His morality sounded satisfied.
Sakura smiled, approaching him, "How do I look, Sasuke?"
He stood up from the couch and managed to reply with a faltering smile, "Pretty, the dress matches your eyes."
She stepped closer, her perfume, a sweet and intoxicating blend of floral and musk, filling his senses. Her arms encircled his neck as she rose onto her tiptoes, her breath warm against his ear. "I'm glad you came," she murmured.
He wrapped his hand around her lower back, engulfing her in a hug, despite the simmering need to take a distance, but he needed to feel her, to remind himself of the truth. Her hard muscles pressed on his, a hot reminder for him to forget the softness he witnessed. He pulled her in closer by her waist, as a reminder to forget the curves. He placed his chin on Sakura's slightly tanned and scarred shoulder, to forget the clear and milky white complexion flashing before his eyes.
Ino's laughter shattered the moment. "Lovebirds, get a room," she teased, winking at Sakura.
Sakura's hand found his face, her fingers tracing the lines of tension etched into his brow. "Are you alright?" she asked softly.
Sasuke forced a smile. "Yes." But as he looked into her eyes, he knew it was a lie. She couldn't catch the lie.
Sakura twirled in front of Ino, a playful glint in her eyes as she struck pose after pose. Lover's Day festival really brought out the youthful teenage energy in her.
Sai came behind Sasuke, "With my knowledge, I sense trouble for you."
Sasuke elbowed him sharply, a grunt escaping his lips. "Did I not tell you to shut up?"
Sai yelped, but a chuckle followed, "Fine, Uchiha."
Sakura's voice boomed, "I am picking green because Sasuke-kun liked it."
Ino pouted, "Um, I am going for blue. Sai called me sky in this," she passed a wide grin at Sai, who blinked back with a wider smile. Get a room.
Sakura's attention shifted to Hinata, who was lost in contemplation before a mirror, a purple gown held up for inspection.
"Hina-chan, no whites or purples!" Sakura exclaimed; her voice filled with playful authority.
"Right, we're going for something different this time," Sakura agreed, moving swiftly to claim the hanger from Hinata's hands. With a toss, she sent it sailing towards Ino, who caught it with practised ease.
Sakura twirled Hinata, causing her to let out a startled gasp, the dark dress swirled around her like dark waves, somehow reminding him of his Amaterasu flames. The dress clung to Hinata's figure, and the intricate stonework at the hem caught the light, casting shimmering reflections on her pale skin.
With a deft movement, Sakura unpinned Hinata's bun, releasing a cascade of midnight hair that framed her face like a dark halo. Stop staring, Sasuke. His mind reeled.
"You look stunning," Ino declared, her eyes wide with admiration.
"Or you could go for pink or red," Sakura suggested, gesturing towards the discarded dresses on the couch. "Naruto secretly loves pink, even though he'd never admit it."
"Pink and Red are your colours, Sakura-san," Hinata responded meekly.
What was weird to him was that nobody questioned the absence of Naruto, was it that common to be an oddity? Sakura would have grilled him with another set of guilt-inducing remarks if he hadn't showed up and Ino would have done worse to Sai than the root did if he had missed his husband duty. But Hinata did not ask for Naruto's presence, nor was he present.
Ino asked, "What does that idiot...I mean, what does Hokage-sama like?"
Hinata scoffed, a dark look shadowed in her eyes, he caught the subtle shift while others were busy eyeing the potential dresses, "Red. Pink." She replied flatly.
Sasuke suggested, shut the fuck up, he shouldn't have but he couldn't ignore the way her eyes dropped to the floor and her body flinched, so he helped, "Get black."
"Huh?" Hinata finally met his eyes, carrying no accusations about his perversion, good! A curious frown on her forehead.
Sasuke feigned indifference, "It goes with everything. Why are we wasting our time in figuring out what the Dobe likes."
Hinata sighed as if that finality struck her hard, "Black it is, then." She went inside the room to get it changed, while Ino and Sakura had their mouths agape paired with puzzled glances, wishing to have another say in the matter to continue the fashion advice.
.
.
.
The line was long near the cash counter, Ino excitedly pulled all of them to a secluded corner and hushed with a whirlwind energy, "Mia-san is my friend, she'll get us cleared after those two customers. So, no worries!"
"We shouldn't cut the line, Ino-san," Hinata spoke up, a mellow tone, not intending to put Ino down.
Ino laughed, mischief glinting in her look, "Sorry, Hinata-chan. Habit." She winked at her. Hinata returned a shy smile, lowering her head.
Sakura's gaze wandered towards the shop entrance, a puzzled frown creasing her brow. "What's going on out there?" she murmured, her voice laced with curiosity. The normally tranquil atmosphere of the exclusive boutique was disturbed by an unusual commotion. "This area is exclusive; people don't gather around much."
The heavy wooden door swung open with a dramatic flourish, admitting a wave of noise and excited murmurs. A tall, imposing figure emerged, his presence casting an immediate aura of authority. Gasps rippled through the crowd as recognition dawned.
With a low growl, "Dobe!" Sasuke muttered under his breath, annoyance bubbling at the back of his head.
Obviously, the commotion was because of the Hokage's presence. Naruto's infectious grin lit up the room, a beacon of warmth in the otherwise subdued atmosphere. The boutique turned into a hive of muffled whispers.
Hinata was beside Sasuke, he felt her stiffen as the beaming presence of her husband brightened approached them. "Hey guys!" he waved.
Sakura squinted at Naruto, "Hokage-sama," she said, her tone teasing.
Naruto's grin widened, revealing a flash of white teeth. "Sakura-chan!" he exclaimed; his voice filled with genuine affection.
A playful shove from Sakura followed, her eyes sparkling with mock annoyance. "You're late!" she chided.
"I wasn't invited." His wide grin dropped and those eyes carrying the sky fell on the woman who felt too small beside Sasuke.
A silence descended upon them, Hinata's eyes glued to the floor while Naruto's fixed on her. Sai and Ino exchanged glances with Sakura and Sasuke.
Hinata lifted up her head, straightening her shoulders and heaving a deep sigh, wearing the mask of impassivity, "It isn't like you to come to these things; hence I didn't mean to impose anything and disturb your schedule." Her tone was curt and cutting, subtle bitterness was not quite hidden as Naruto's facial muscles twitched. A veiled accusation blurred the noise and colours of the room as Sasuke felt the pressure of the impending cracks, something he was all too familiar with due to Sakura and his rocky relationship.
Naruto broke the silence with a soft chuckle, a flicker of pain vanished momentarily from his stare, "How can you assume that my lovely wife would disturb me or impose anything on me."
Hinata stared back, the colour devoid from her face, she did look ghostly with the way her words came out like a murderous chant, "Living with you for thirteen years doesn't leave anything for assumptions. They are simply observations backed by experiences, Naruto-kun." Each word was an aimed dagger.
Shit. Sasuke's blood ran cold. Never once did he think that a meek creature like Hinata Hyuga could have a mouth like that.
But once the realisation of her venomous words hit her, her shoulders slumped, the defiance in her posture melting away as quickly as it had appeared. Her eyes, filled with unshed tears, glinted with a strange, lilac hue. She took a deep breath, her body trembling slightly.
Naruto's smile was a thin, strained line. He scooted closer to Hinata, his hand reaching out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She froze, her fingers tightening around the fabric of her dress, crumpling it. His hand moved to the nape of her neck, a gentle caress that seemed to offer comfort.
But Hinata remained rigid, her body a statue of resistance. The occasional softness flickering in her eyes when she stole a glance at Naruto said otherwise though. But in front of her, she kept the walls up and guarded herself.
"Well, I am here now, aren't I?" Noticing the stiff response from Hinata, Naruto rubbed the back of her neck and chuckled, looking at Sai, he tried to divert his attention, "Sai, you suck at directions!"
Sai's reply was flat, devoid of emotion. "Hana District, commercial road, Yukari's store. Not a chakra science."
Naruto grumbled; his frustration evident "Whatever."
A group of young women huddled near a pillar, their whispers and giggles carrying across the room. They were clearly star-struck, their eyes glued to the group of renowned shinobi, especially the Hokage and the shadow Hokage.
"Your fangirls are here," Sai remarked a hint of amusement in his voice directed at Naruto.
Naruto nudged Sasuke playfully, to lighten the mood, "Looks like they're admiring your ass, Teme."
Sakura groaned in protectiveness, "Naruto!" Slamming her hand on the middle of his back, Naruto let out a wince with a laugh.
Sasuke ran his hand in his raven hair, hoping for the day to fucking end, the tensed clawing energy surrounding them was making it hard for him to breathe, "I don't care."
Another shroud of silence cloaked them, Hinata's eyes averted from her husband and Sasuke started to have a little fun noticing the roiling chaos brewing inside his friend. His vengeance tendencies were kicking in as he saw Naruto suffer with the indifference from Hinata because of some shit he pulled and Sasuke knew that Naruto was unaware of the damage he had caused and was causing. Typical Naruto.
Because that loser was busy taunting me about how to be a husband for the last decade. Naruto was always in his business, to the point where he evaded his own and ruined whatever he could build.
It was visible in the way Hinata had a stone-cold stare reserved for her husband, a small frown on her lips and tense lines on her forehead whenever she glanced at him.
Naruto tugged Hinata gently by the arm, pulling her closer. He bent down, pressing a soft kiss to the crown of her head. "So, Hina-chan, what did you buy? Let's see it!"
Sakura's voice, bright and cheerful, cut through the tension. "No, no! You will see it at the festival. It'll be a surprise!"
Hinata lifted up the folded dress, unfolded it and let it be completely exposed, "He won't be at the festival, so he might as well see it now."
Wow. Naruto told him that he hadn't told Hinata about his impending absence yet again in the Lover's Day festival. But she apparently knew. Shocker. Sasuke stifled a dry and manic snicker as he peered at his best friend; the world slipped from under Naruto's feet, the dread filling up in his veins and his lips trembled, mouth parted, mind puzzled enough to block out any coherent words. Sasuke could read the tanned canvas standing in front of him, the golden aura around him turned invisible, and the light in his eyes went out like he died a death that he himself chose.
Shock and despair ate him from within, visible through the drooped shoulders, making the Hokage cape look unfit on him.
"Naruto!" Sakura came forward, hurtling the bag of her dress at Naruto.
Naruto woke up from his trance with a shake of his head.
Frustration was held in her clenched fist, "You are not attending yet again? What the hell is wrong with you?" Sakura punched in the middle of his chest, Naruto gulped and looked down, mouth opening and closing, unable to form any words right away.
"Sakura," Sasuke muttered, pulling Sakura back by the wrist. "Calm down. People are watching."
Sakura spun around and jerked her hand free from Sasuke, "Calm down? Sasuke, you don't know! Hinata has never attended this festival because her lover is always busy!"
Ino cleared her throat, sensing the escalating tension, "I am going to get our purchases billed." She grabbed the dress from Hinata's hand and Sakura's fisted clutch. Sai followed his wife, avoiding the conflict brewing.
"Hinata-chan..." Naruto whispered softly, managing a shred of courage.
"I know you meant to hide it this time to make me go," Hinata responded, sniffing as to hide the sob lodged in her throat, she added, "I will go this time whether you are coming or not."
Naruto began explaining, each breath of his was apologising to her, "The cloud's ambassadors are-"
Sakura tugged on Naruto's collar, bringing his face closer to hers, mumbling with such a wishful glazed look in her eyes which Sasuke knew held deeper meaning than simply frustration on Naruto, "You both are perfect together, you idiot! Why do you always have to mess up on the Lover's Day festival?" She bit her lip, "You both are like my dream love!" Sasuke was aware of the deep desire that lurked in her eyes, she saw in them what she envisioned with Sasuke for herself and since she wasn't getting her perfect fairytale, she intended to perfect the ones which were around her.
Naruto croaked out, pulling back from Sakura's intense grip, "I didn't mean to-"
Hinata interrupted, fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve, "It is okay."
Sakura rushed back towards Ino, huffing about how she couldn't take Naruto's idiotic actions anymore and how men were always disappointing, a jab that Sasuke felt within his bones as well.
Sasuke intended to follow Sakura giving much necessary space to Naruto and his wife, but he wanted to witness the fall of Saint Naruto, for future reference when he'd act like an expert at being a husband.
Naruto moved closer to Hinata, pulling her chin up with one finger, "Hinata-"
"I have told you many times...that nowadays, you disappoint me as per usual but your disappointing actions have stopped surprising me for a long time. I expect this from you. I see your absence coming way before you even plan to desert me."
Oh. OH. Shit.
Hinata went back to the reception counter with her slumped shoulders and shivering frame, where Ino and Sakura were huddled and Sakura was groaning, Sasuke remained beside Naruto.
After another wave of confining silence, Sasuke cleared his throat, a smirk plastered on his face, he wasn't truly happy on Naruto's misery, but a lesson was there for Naruto to learn and Sasuke intended to teach him, "Not to be insensitive but-"
Naruto tsked and rolled his eyes, fists clenching at his sides, ready to launch at Sasuke's smug face if only he wasn't in a shop filled with civilians and elite shinobis, "You are insensitive, Sasuke. Out with it already."
Sasuke had clamped down on Naruto's shoulder, and squeezed it enough with his minimal chakra to leave a purple bruise on his skin, "She is not wrong, you know." His voice was low and menacing.
Naruto shrugged off his hand, and retorted, "Sakura-chan isn't wrong either, she is still chasing that dream of love with you." Naruto's lips curled into a grimace, a taunting smirk, a way to hide from retribution for his own actions.
It was a desperate attempt to deflect the blame, to shift the focus from his own shortcomings. Something that Naruto had been doing to him for so long, but only now...Sasuke got to know.
"She is chasing, yes. But..." Sasuke leaned into him, "Hinata has stopped chasing." Sasuke darkly chuckled, as he noticed the fake confidence evaporating from their esteemed Hokage.
Naruto seethed, "Shut up." Naruto's face contorted with barely contained rage.
Sasuke's jaw clenched, his body heated with uncontained fury, "I will, only if you will shut up about how I should handle my marriage with Sakura!" Sasuke glared, his dry laugh dying on his tongue, leaving a bitter taste of immoral victory.
Both men were failing, crashing and crumbling; taking those two women down with them, breaking them apart, but instead of focusing on their own failures, their eyes were glued to each other's miseries. Very typical of Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki, very very typical.
Both of them were the strongest shinobis, but yet, fragile and flawed human beings underneath; capable of making mistakes, capable of failing.
A/N:
FAVS, REVIEWS AND FOLLOWS ARE APPRECIATED!
I want to know your opinion on the story and the characters! Let me know what is your favorite part or which character's journey is exciting you. (SasuHina are the mains, but I am trying to give our secondary characters Naruto and Sasuke some valuable arcs in subtle ways)
Okayyyy! So...my aim with this chapter was to show how big of a dick both Naruto and Sasuke can be as husbands. Like absolute disastrous husbands! I'd smack them if they were to me like they are with their canon partners (Naruto novels aside, I don't consider them canon kishimoto material anyway lol)
Sasuke was so damn tired of listening to Naruto being the expert in husbandary but now witnessing his own failures first hand is such a ride for him! I believe adult sasuke would pull this shit of messing with Naruto as a part of his little revenge for bothering him for years.
Also, does sasuke have a crush? Nah, I don't think so. He simply got swayed. Dumbass.
and as sasuke's actions are more on the face for us, naruto isn't such a saint either, the subtle hints of his fuck ups are in this chapter very loudly hehe.
I love my girls hinata and sakura for lashing out on their men in their own way.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THEIR FUTURE?
.