Growing Pains

XV

Even after weeks had passed since his formal induction into the office of Yunkage, Sasuke still felt uncomfortable. It really wasn’t so bad – he could take short breaks to exercise and to eat – but it was tedious work. He read reports and mission requests, apprehensive and continuously second-guessing if he shouldn’t have sent a higher ranked ninja on this or that mission. If it weren’t for Haku forcing him to learn how to play Go, Sasuke probably would’ve gone insane. He’d get used to being the law in a few months, he was sure, but he still felt like he wasn’t ready and it unnerved him.

Orochimaru and Kimimaru had gone on an extended vacation and weren’t to be disturbed unless it was a dire emergency.
Life was relatively simple in Silk. Sasuke just had to read papers and sign papers and he only had to wear the formal wear when meeting with the Black ANBU, as most had taken to calling the elite ninja from Silk. Silk herself was an oddity, because most chuunin and jounin wore black or earth toned flak jackets with no affiliation and some wore none at all. Sasuke knew it was personal preference, but most had gotten the camouflage speech from Zabuza one too many times. So now most shinobi from Kinugakure wore something that would help them blend with their surroundings instead of something that made them a walking target. Sasuke sighed, sitting back in his chair and rubbing his eyes, tired from looking at text for most of the morning. His life mostly was run by a strict schedule. Haku made sure he went through all of his paperwork – which just seemed to keep piling up – and ate.

He didn’t have much time to devote to his nephews as their Sharingans developed, but he needn’t really worry since Itachi and Kisame had, apparently, faked their deaths if only to stay with their sons. He also didn’t have time to work with his former genin, now chuunin, and he missed those outings. Oh, he could still take them – only now ANBU followed him in the shadows. He was sure background checks were done on the people he spoke with too.

Sasuke swiveled on his chair so he could look out onto the village, smiling softly at the sight of children – pre-genin and civilian – running and playing together. The gardens were being tended and the schoolyard was filled with the classes that were having recess. How had Sasuke had fought to keep recess for the Kinu Academy. He’d argued that recess gave the children a chance to run around and clear their minds; it gave them the opportunity to do better in academics. Since he was Nidaime Yunkage, the parents really couldn’t argue, but Sasuke allowed a study to be done. Twenty children, both shinobi and civilian, were given recess in between two three hour long lectures and twenty, both shinobi and not, were forced to sit through the six hour long lecture. Both were tested. The average highest score came from the recess group and so recess stayed.

But just as soon as he won one battle, another arose for him to triumph over. Except this coming battle he knew would end in a draw rather than victory for either party. Tsunade had sent a missive stating Shizune was coming to study at Kinugakure’s hospital. It was complete bullshit, Sasuke knew, but he couldn’t refuse without stirring up questions he didn’t want to answer. For, you see, Shizune’s escort just happened to be a certain blonde jounin with a grudge against Sasuke.

That in itself wasn’t such a problem.

The problem was that Naruto had no idea Sasuke was Yunkage.

And after striving for years to be Hokage, discovering Sasuke had attained the desired rank before him would rankle.

Sasuke snorted. It would do more than rankle. It would, quite possibly, create even more of a rift between them that would be unable to heal for the rest of their lives.

Sasuke could live with people hating him – it was something he’d worked very hard to do, after all – but living with the next Hokage’s hatred of Kinugakure he couldn’t. So his first order of business was to get Naruto to understand that. Just as he was about to rise his chair to get something cold to drink his office door slammed open.

“Yo, snake-bastard!”

Damn it.

“Orochimaru is no longer here, Naruto.” Sasuke said as he turned to face the blonde, staring at the obscene orange jacket and the obscenely cut blonde spikes.

Immediately, Naruto’s face closed off. “Did he die? Or did he take your body?”

Sasuke wanted to beat his head against his desk. “No. He went on vacation with Kimimaru.”

“So you’re acting.”

“No.”

“You’re really…?”

“Nidaime Yunkage.”

There was silence for a long while. Then Naruto exploded.

“God dammit! You’re always doing this to me! Taking what I want, being better! You don’t have to work for anything! The great Uchiha Sasuke, child prodigy, now the fucking Nidaime Yunkage!”

“Are you done?” Sasuke asked blandly. Naruto gave him a withering glare.

“Look,” Sasuke continued. “I didn’t want this position. It chose me, and now I can’t back out of it. At first I didn’t like it, but it’s grown on me. All the hype I got as a kid was because of my last name – not me. If you’d care to notice, our roles became reversed not too long ago.”

Naruto was deadly silent. “So?”

Sasuke heaved a sigh and sat back down, propping his chin on his fist. “So what? What do you want me do to, Naruto? ‘Nya, nya, I’m a ‘Kage first’? Grow up. All I want is for you to understand that you can hate me, but don’t hate my village and my shinobi because of me.”

“Do you think I’m that low?”

“No. I think you’re a very intelligent, highly skilled jounin. But when you’re in a position of power, things like old rivalries and hatreds become a factor you have to contend with.”

Naruto blinked and visibly relaxed. “You think I’m intelligent?”

Sasuke nodded once. “I always did. Your ideas were stupid sometimes, but if it’s stupid and works it isn’t stupid.”

“Then why did you betray us? Why did you leave if you thought I…?”

“Your intelligence or lack of it wasn’t why I left. I wanted power, Naruto.” Sasuke closed his eyes for a brief moment. “But it did me little good. I grew up. I learned from my mistakes. We created a village. My genin, my nephews – had I stayed in Konoha, they and others like them would never had the chances they do now.”

Sasuke watched those fiery sapphire eyes darken in thought. He finally rose and stepped around his desk to Naruto, placed his hand on his shoulder.

“Just because I defected and avoided you for years doesn’t mean I hate you.” Sasuke whispered.

“But it means you don’t like me.”

“You’re still so naïve.” Sasuke said. “No, I do like you. The reason I defected was for power – you were so much stronger than I. The reason I avoided you for years is because I was ashamed to show my face to you. I don’t hate you, Naruto. I love you.”

“What?” Naruto questioned after a long, silent moment. But he received no answer, for Sasuke had already fled.