The Healing

I don’t own Naruto



AN: Commissioned by annieme. Enjoy.



Warnings: character death, angst, drama, Naruto is an Uchiha pimp, kiddy SIN (no there’s no shota you pervs)



The Healing



Chapter Two



The smell of fresh coffee wafted from the kitchen along with that of cooking bacon and eggs. Fugaku stirred on the couch, his eyes slowly blinking open in the morning light. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d slept so well, though the stiff muscles spoke of his night on the sofa.



“Fuck,” he muttered, swinging his legs to the side and sending the blanket to the carpeted floor.



“You’re awake.”



Fugaku blinked at the blond youth standing in the doorway. “What time is it?”



“Eight. Dad made us stay upstairs so not to wake you up. Are you hungry?” Naruto grinned from where he stood. “Dad won’t let me cook so he got up to cook breakfast. I think he likes having Sasuke here. I don’t bother him to wake up so he got to sleep in a little.”



Fugaku’s lips twitched a little. “May I assume you woke my son early?”



The grin on the boy’s face grew wider. “Yep. He wasn’t too happy about it either.”



Fugaku shook his head, standing slowly to work the creaks from his joints. “No, I imagine he wasn‘t.”



“Naruto!” Naruto winced at the tone. “I told you to let him sleep.”



“It’s fine.” Fugaku moved towards the kitchen. “I was awake.”



“Oh? Well, Naruto go tell Itachi and Sasuke that breakfast is ready.” Minato shooed his son towards the stairs. “Are you hungry?”



Fugaku nodded, accepting a cup of coffee. “Surprisingly.”



“You were exhausted. I’m surprised you didn’t fall asleep in your dinner,” chuckled Minato.



A large bowl of eggs, a plate of bacon, and another of toast was placed on the table along with salt, pepper, and any other condiments. Fugaku nursed his coffee as his two sons and Naruto raced into the kitchen. One night with the blond hellion had already destroyed a lifetime of manners.



Silverware clicked on the plates as mouths were filled with food. Sasuke and Itachi seemed to be particularly enjoying the meal just as they did the night before.



“You don’t have to rub it in,” commented Fugaku, making both sons look at him as if trying to determine if he was serious or joking.



Minato chuckled and Naruto giggled, soon followed with embarrassed chuckles from both Uchiha boys.



“Sorry, Father,” they chimed together.



“I suppose this means I’ll need to take cooking classes.”



Itachi shrugged, reaching for a second piece of toast which he layered with jam. “You could always hire a housekeeper.”



Sasuke elbowed his brother. “We won’t need one once Mother gets well so why hire one for just a few months?”



Fugaku froze mid bite, lowering his fork slowly to the plate. For a moment, he’d forgotten about his wife. He nearly brought a hand to his face in shock. How could he have forgotten about his wife dying in the hospital?



Minato caught the look in Fugaku’s eyes. “Well, if you boys are finished, why don’t you go outside and toss around a baseball? You can help Naruto run off some of his excess energy.”



Naruto pumped his fist in the air. “Yes! Let’s go play baseball.”



“No batting. I’ve already had to replace the neighbor’s windows once. I’d rather not have to do it again.” Minato shooed the three out the door before turning to Fugaku. “What happened?”



Fugaku took a shaky breath and a small sip of his cooling coffee. “Mikoto is terminal.”



“Christ.” Minato slid his chair towards Fugaku. “I’m guessing you haven’t told your sons.”



He shook his head. How could he tell his sons that their last memory of their mother would be her dying while attached to a hundred different wires? “I don’t think I can.”



“Don’t you think they deserve to know she’s dying? They might like the chance to say goodbye.”



“I don’t want to believe she’s dying. I want them to hold onto the spark of hope.” Fugaku cupped his face in his hands. “I don’t know what to do.”



“How long?”



Fugaku shrugged. “A few weeks according to the doctor.”



“If you need a place to stay, just to get away; you and the boys are welcome here. Next time, I would advise going to the spare bedroom instead of crashing on the couch. It might be more comfortable.”



Fugaku started laughing. It wasn’t really a happy laugh but more of a release of all the pent of anger and sorrow he felt. Minato was a lot like Mikoto in that sense. They both had the gift for bringing him out of his natural shell and forcing him to feel things. Right now all he felt was hurt, fear, and sorrow but at least he was feeling.



“I’ll keep that in mind.” Fugaku wiped his damp hands on the rumpled material of his slacks. “I suppose we should head to the hospital for a while.”



Minato nodded, standing with Fugaku. “Are you going to tell them?”



“I don’t know…if you were in my position, would you tell your son his mother was dying?”



Minato slid his hands into his pockets. “I don’t know…I honestly don’t know.”



“Yeah.” Fugaku sighed, gathering up his coat.



“I packed up the leftovers for you and your sons. You might want to drop by home before going to the hospital. You look like you could use a shower and a fresh set of clothes.” Minato brought a bag of food from the kitchen and handed it to Fugaku.



Fugaku smiled a little, accepting the bag. “Thanks.”



“Next Saturday?”



“Pardon?”



“Would you and your sons like to join Naruto and I for dinner next Saturday?” Minato chuckled.



Fugaku nodded, “I’ll have to ask my sons but I don’t think that will be a problem.” He turned to stare at even his normally seclusionist older son playing happily with the two boys five years younger.



“Naruto and I will look forward to it.”



“As will I,” Fugaku agreed. “Itachi. Sasuke. It’s time to go.”



Both boys said their goodbyes to Naruto and thanked Minato. As they settled into the large SUV, Fugaku backed them carefully on the street.



They made a quick stop at their house before heading to towards the hospital. Once in the parking lot, Fugaku parked the car but kept the engine running.



“I need to say something to you before we go see your mother.”



Both boys looked to him, questions in their eyes. It killed a small part of him to be staring at them. There was still hope there and he was about to kill it. Did they really need to know their mother was dying? She was still going to die. Would they hate him for telling them or hate him more for not?



“What is it, Father?” asked Itachi, the first to speak.



“It’s about your mother. She…” he began.



“She’s going to come home soon?” Sasuke asked excitedly.



Fugaku’s voice caught in his throat. “No, Sasuke. She’s not coming home.”



Itachi froze, his mind quick to translate those words. Pain erupted across his face and tears pooled in his eyes. Another nail was pounded into Fugaku’s heart at the sight of Itachi’s pain.



Sasuke looked between the two nervously. “What do you mean?



“Your mother…she’s…she’s been declared terminal.”



Itachi’s fist landed hard on the armrest; frustration, anger and pain blazing a path across his face. “Fuck!”



A hard look was shot in Itachi’s direction. “Watch your language.”



“Why? It’s true. We are all fucked.” Itachi opened the door of the car and stalked towards the hospital.



Sasuke looked a little confused. Looking to his father, he nibbled on his lower lip. “What’s terminal?”



Fugaku sighed and forced himself to look his son in the eye. “It means your mother isn’t going to get better.”



His lip quivered, ripping another hole in Fugaku. “You mean…Mother’s going to die?”



“…yeah.”



Huge tears pooled in Sasuke’s eyes, trickling down his cheeks still soft with baby fat. “But she’s just sick. She’ll get better. The doctor will make her better.”



Fugaku shook his head, hand lifting to pull Sasuke close. “No…she won’t.”



Sasuke closed his eyes and began to cry. All Fugaku could do was hold his son. Inside, he was crying alongside him.



oOo



Three weeks later…



He hated hospitals and not only because his wife was laying in one dying.



Fugaku sat with Mikoto, mindlessly staring at the television. He’d long since given up on finding anything worth watching and instead, left it at some random sitcom. One would think that the cost of her stay in the hospital would at least give access to decent television. The television now did nothing more than provide background noise. Instead of watching the show, he was thinking of Minato.



Though they’d made a set date of Saturdays, Fugaku and the boys began spending more and more evenings with Minato and his son. In fact, at least three to four days of the week were spent together. It was almost a family. Those days spent in the company of Minato and Naruto were a balm to the broken Uchiha males.



A hand on his arm brought his attention back to the present. Blinking, he turned to his wife. She looked pale against the white sheets. She’d been moved from a room on the active care ward to one on the long term care ward.



“Do you need something?”



She shook her head.



“The boys went down to the cafeteria. I’m sure Itachi will be eating cake instead of real food.” Fugaku commented, taking her hand in his. “How are you feeling?”



“Tired.”



“That means you need to sleep more. I’ll talk to the doctor to see about something to help you get more rest.” Fugaku prepared to stand when her hand tightened on his arm.



“I’m dying.”



Fugaku’s jaw clenched. “Don’t say that.”



“I’ve been with you too long not to be able to read you.” Mikoto’s hand patted his gently. “Itachi and Sasuke aren’t so good at hiding their feelings. I can see they’re scared.”



“I didn’t want to tell you. I didn’t want you to worry.” Fugaku laid his head on her lap, letting her spindly fingers stroke through his hair. “I don’t know what I’ll do without you.”



“You’ll survive. You Uchiha are good at surviving.” She smiled, looking off into the distance. “You’ll meet someone else and be happy again.”



“There will be no one but you.”



Mikoto snorted, sounding almost her old self. “Liar.”



“I’m not lying.” Fugaku lifted his head to stare at her. “I won’t love anyone else.”



“Even if I want you to?”



Fugaku shook his head, confused. “You want me to remarry?”



“I want you to fall in love. I want you have a companion to weather the years with. I want you to be happy.” Mikoto raised her hand to his cheek. “That’s what I want.”



“I don’t think I can.” Fugaku shook his head. He couldn’t imagine ever being with another person, let along loving them. It seemed too far out.



“You will.” she sighed. “Now go get my sons so I can tell them goodnight before you leave.”



Fugaku chuckled and kissed her gently before moving out of the room towards the cafeteria. He saw his sons seated in a corner playing cards and nibbling on snacks. “Your mother wants to see you, then it’s time for us to head home.”



“Can we go to Naruto’s house tonight?” asked Sasuke hopefully.



Naruto had become Sasuke’s link with dealing with Mikoto’s impending death. Every chance he got, he asked for permission to spend time with Naruto. The blond boy’s exuberant energy seemed to distract him from the ugly truth and he was able to deal with it. In his own way, Naruto did the same for Itachi though the older boy was a bit more reserved in inquiring about visiting the Namikaze household.



“We’ll see. I’ll call Minato and offer to bring pizza. It’s not fair to make him cook all the time.” Fugaku patted his son’s shoulder.



As the weeks passed, they had begun spending more and more time with the Namikazes. The closer Mikoto came to death, most of the time not spent with her was spent in the company of Minato and Naruto.



“Cool. Naruto told me at school that he would teach me how to bat really good at baseball. Maybe when we get to middle school, we can both be on the baseball team,” chattered Sasuke happily.



“I wouldn’t count on it, little brother. You are terrible at sports.” Itachi couldn’t miss a chance to pick on his little brother.



“I am not! Naruto says I’ve got natural talent.” Sasuke crossed his arms as they walked down the hallway.



Fugaku chuckled at their antics. Even in the dark mood surrounding them, Minato and Naruto’s mere memory pushed aside the darkness enough to make things bearable.



“Naruto lied. I think he only told you that because he likes you.”



Sasuke stumbled and his face flared red, making Itachi’s eyes widen before doubling over in laugher. From the look of his younger son, Sasuke wished he could disappear into the ground.



“Oh my god,” Itachi chortled, “ you like him. You like him like a boyfriend.”



Fugaku decided to save his son before the earth really did open up and swallow Sasuke whole. “Itachi stop torturing your brother. He’s too young for that sort of thing.”



“Well, at least you like Naruto since you are going to be his father-in-law. I’m going to go tell Mother.” Itachi trotted down the hall followed quickly by a terrified Sasuke.



Fugaku took his time making his way up the hallway in the direction his son’s disappeared. He wanted to give them a chance to work it out between themselves. Itachi’s affection for his brother made Fugaku happy. He’d been worried when Sasuke was born that the age difference might make things hard on them. Five years with no intermediary siblings was a lot of time.



As he rounded the corner, he saw both brothers standing together in the hallway. Sasuke had his face buried in Itachi’s chest, obviously crying. “Itachi, what’s wrong.”



As he approached, it was obvious Itachi was crying too. “It’s Mother. They won’t let us in the room.”



Fugaku pushed open the door to see Dr. Hatake calmly stopping the machines, a sad look on his face. He glanced up as door opened, but Fugaku’s attention was completely focused on Mikoto. She was laying calmly against her pillows but was still…too still.



“Mi-Mikoto?”



“I’m so sorry, Mr. Uchiha. She passed only a few minutes ago. It was very quiet, probably in her sleep.” Kakashi placed a hand on Fugaku’s shoulder. “I’ll leave you alone.”



Fugaku stumbled to the bed, lifting a still warm hand from the soft sheets. “Mikki?”



He waited for her to open her eyes. He waited for her to open her eyes and ask why he was so worried. He waited…



It never happened.



Instead, his sons joined his side. Sasuke cried silently against his shoulder while Itachi kissed Mikoto’s head and rearranged her bed sheets.



There was so much he had to do. He had to call the funeral home, go through her things to find a dress…he couldn’t think. He didn’t know what to do. He’d thought he was prepared for this but now that he was there, he found he wasn’t. He was lost. Just as lost as Sasuke seemed.



“Father…I want Naruto…” Sasuke whined against Fugaku’s chest.



Fugaku lifted his gaze to see Itachi pulling out his cell and dialing a number. He wanted to ask if it was Minato’s number…he just didn’t have a voice. He could barely do more than hug Sasuke to his body.



Time passed as he sat at Mikoto’s side. He refused to allow them to take her away. He didn’t want her taken down to the cold morgue. She deserved better. A gentle hand on his shoulder pulled him from the depths.



Minato’s sad eyes gazed down at him. “I’m sorry.”



“I…I…don’t know what to do.” Fugaku shuddered, his arms tightening around Sasuke.



“Hey, I’ll help you. Itachi, Naruto is waiting in the waiting room down the hall. Why don’t you and Sasuke go sit with him while your father and I talk.” Minato pried Fugaku’s arms from Sasuke.



Reluctantly, he released his son and turned his attention to Minato. Minato tugged Fugaku to the corner and took a phonebook from the bedside table.



“Is there a funeral home you want to use?”



Fugaku shook his head. He was never able to bring himself to look up funeral homes. Doing so would be accepting Mikoto’s death and he wasn’t able to do that.



“Okay. I know a place. They will take care of her.”



Minato dialed a number and spoke quietly with a man on the other end. Fugaku let his mind drift. It hurt less if he wasn’t thinking about it.



“Someone will come pick her up. Come on, let’s go. We’ll get you guys something to eat. You can get her some clothes tomorrow.” Minato stood, pulled Fugaku to his feet, and led him from the room.



Fugaku stared off into nothing seated beside Minato in the extended cab truck while Itachi, Sasuke, and Naruto sat in the rear seats. Sasuke released small whines every so often, his head laying on Naruto’s shoulder. Itachi sat on Naruto’s other side, not laying on him as Sasuke was but still basking in his presence.



As soon as they reached the house, the three boys disappeared upstairs and Minato set about making some soup and sandwiches. He usually didn’t like canned but kept some around in case Naruto got hungry and he wasn’t able to cook. He heated enough on the stove for everyone but left the boys alone. They would come eat when hungry.



“I feel empty.”



Minato sat beside Fugaku, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “It’s normal. It will pass. You might think it won’t and sometimes you’ll be ashamed for not living in perpetual mourning but it will pass.”



Fugaku closed his eyes, wanting the world to disappear. He was able to keep down a little soup before Minato led him to the spare bedroom upstairs. He wanted to ask where his sons were but lacked the energy to do so. He’d never felt so tired in his life.



“You need to rest. I’m going to make sure your sons eat. Don’t worry about them.” Minato closed the door with a click, leaving Fugaku alone in the dim lit room.



He hadn’t realize he’d fallen asleep until he awoke hours later. Emotionally, he was still a wreck but he felt more himself. He wasn’t blinded by his loss.



A quick glance at the clock revealed it was close to midnight. He’d probably slept for almost seven hours. His stomach was grumbling and he had to relieve himself.



After finding the bathroom, he made his way downstairs to the house he’d come to know nearly as well as his own. He was only partly surprised to see Minato seated at the table.



“Oh, I expected you to sleep through the night,” Minato commented, looking up from the list he was making.



“I probably would have if I hadn’t had to use the bathroom. How are Itachi and Sasuke?”



Minato smiled, sitting back in his chair to stare at Fugaku. “They are doing okay. Things like this roll off children’s backs like water off a duck. Naruto helped. I was barely able to pry your son from him.”



“Sasuke?”



“Yeah. He’s quite taken with Naruto. If they were a few years older, I would almost think they were in a relationship.”



Fugaku slumped wearily into a chair next to Minato. “Itachi said the same thing. I almost thought he was jealous. I wonder if my sons will fight over Naruto’s affections, romantic or not.”



Minato chuckled, “Naruto has that way with people. He draws them in. I swear, if I could market whatever it is about Naruto that makes people love him, I would make a mint.”



“A world of Narutos?”



Minato paused for a moment before shuddering. “Probably too much of a good thing.”



This time Fugaku did laugh. “Definitely. What are you writing?”



Minato showed Fugaku the list he was writing. “A list of everything that needs taking care of tomorrow. It might help you. First, we’ll need to go find a dress for Mikoto, then to the funeral home and the florist. Then we should probably go clean up your home. You’re bound to have visitors.”



“Thank you.” He really meant it. He would have been lost without Minato to help him. The grief continued to beat at him, making it hard to focus.



“Don’t mention it. That’s what friends are for. We’ll leave Naruto, Sasuke, and Itachi with my uncle while we go about making arrangements. It will be better for them if they aren’t involved,” Minato explained.



The two sat and quietly talked for another hour while Fugaku ate. Afterwards, both retired to their beds. Minato slept while Fugaku lay awake. He was rested enough that his mind whirled with thoughts he couldn’t pin down. Mikoto’s death. Sasuke. Itachi. Minato and Naruto. He wondered how he was going to handle raising his two sons alone. He was thankful for Minato. If not for him, Fugaku wasn’t sure he would have survived. Even now, the depression was heavy but thoughts of Minato kept him leveled.



It was nearly dawn when he finally dozed off again.



oOo



The next day was a flurry of activity. Surprisingly, Naruto was able to keep both Uchiha sons calm and as contented as they could be under the circumstances. Minato assured him they would be fine in the care of his Uncle Jiraiya. Before they left, Naruto made a comment along the lines of ‘yes they would be fine but probably scarred for life from all the porn.’ Thankfully, his sons came away from the day unscathed.



The following day was more stressful. Mikoto’s funeral wasn’t something he could avoid. He stood in front of his mirror, staring at his reflection. His skin had an almost sallow look about it. The bags beneath his eyes were dark and make up was a pointless venture, not that he would use the stuff.



“Father. The limo is here.” Itachi stood stiffly in the doorway.



Ever since Naruto and Minato left hours ago to take care of errands before the funeral, Itachi and Sasuke had become even more somber. They seemed to nearly lose all life. He hoped they didn’t think they could keep Naruto, as amusing a thought as it was.



“Get your brother.”



“Sasuke says he’s not going,” commented Itachi.



Fugaku sighed, straightening Itachi’s tie. “I’ll get Sasuke, you go wait in the limo.”



Fugaku found Sasuke laying on his bed. He held a small stuffed bear and a blanket belonging to his mother. “Sasuke, it’s time to go.”



“Not going.”



“Sasuke, your mother wouldn’t want you to…”



Sasuke sat up, tears still running down his face. “She’s dead! It doesn’t matter what she thinks!”



Fresh pain wound through Fugaku’s system. His own pain, and Sasuke’s. Too lost in his own pain, he’d never considered what Itachi and Sasuke were going through. Without Naruto around to buffer their emotions, things seemed out of control.



Fugaku sat next to Sasuke, feeling him flinch as their shoulders touched. “I know she’s dead, but it doesn’t stop what she wanted. She told me before she died that she wanted me to be happy. I’m sure she wants the same for you.”



“But…it hurts.” Sasuke brought the blanket to his face, nuzzling the soft material.



Fugaku wrapped his arms around his son. Until Mikoto developed cancer, he’d never been especially close to his sons. The four of them coexisted with Mikoto as their connection. Without her, they were forced to grow together. The bond was still slight and fragile, but it was there now and it tore at him to see his sons in so much anguish.



“Minato will be at the funeral with Naruto,” offered Fugaku as an offering.



Tear reddened eyes gazed up at him, a watery smile creasing one corner of Sasuke’s lips. “Can he sit by me?”



“If you need him to.”



Sasuke nodded, stood, and began dressing in the clothes Itachi had laid out. Fugaku left to wait in the limo.



True to fashion, Sasuke latched onto Naruto the moment he saw him. It was cute to see the two boys sitting together. It wasn’t romantic or sexual in any fashion. They were ten and all Sasuke felt was the need to be close to Naruto. Itachi sat with his father but made sure Naruto sat on the other side.



Minato sat beside Fugaku, offering his support as the eulogy was given and Mikoto was remembered. The sanctuary of the funeral home was surprisingly full. Mikoto was obviously loved by many, who came to pay their respects to her.



Even afterwards, the Uchiha home was filled with mourners. Fugaku, unable to stand the condolences he was given, hid away in his office with a bottle of scotch. He sat in the darkness, feeling truly alone for the first time in days.



With each sip, he became more and more intoxicated. His sobriety was long gone by the time Minato found him. Itachi and Sasuke were already tucked in a large guest bedroom with Naruto between them.



“Fugaku? Everyone has gone.”



“Hmph…fuck ‘em. They didn’t…know her,” slurred Fugaku.



Minato took one sniff of Fugaku’s breath, wrinkling his nose. “You’ve been drinking.”



“Correction. I’m drunk.” Fugaku snickered a little at the roll of eyes.



Minato slid an arm beneath Fugaku’s arm, pulling him to his feet and helping him wobble towards his room. “Which room?”



“Guest room…don’t wanna…I can’t sleep there.”



Minato apparently understood, searching for a room where Fugaku to sleep without the memories of Mikoto. Fugaku just focused on remaining standing. His eyes fought to focus on the seemingly long hallway.



When he finally fell on the soft bed, he pulled Minato down with him. He passed down moments later, his thighs spread with a surprised blond settled between.



Fugaku drifted easily on sleep. He didn’t feel the other slide away nor the faint brush of fingers down his cheek.



Minato closed the door with a click, leaning against it.



“Idiot,” he muttered and moved towards his own room.



To be continued…