Disclaimer: I don’t own Naruto or its characters and I make no profit from this work of fiction.
To Athrun434, whitetiger9953, and
Anon: Thank you for your review and I hope you enjoy this chapter.
To Talltree-san: Thank you for your review. Reinforcements are on the way, you just have to wait for them since they’re not in this chapter.
To MisatosPenPen: Thank you again for your review and your help. Your input is invaluable to me. ^_^
This story is beta'd by the amazing MisatosPenPen. Thank you ^_^
The middle of February was the warmest it had ever been on record. Snow and ice melted rapidly and the sunshine abundant over the city, but not more so than one Naruto Uzumaki. Sasuke laughed while Naruto swung back and forth on the swings, acting every bit the child he was.
They were on their way home from school when Naruto saw the empty swings on the playground they passed every day. Sasuke let him run off like a child to play while he sat at the table and pulled out some of his calculus homework. He was easily distracted, though, by Naruto’s infectious laughter and soon abandoned his homework to stare at his boyfriend.
Naruto urged Sasuke to join, but he scoffed and shook his head, earning a pout from Naruto. “Please, teme!”
“No.”
“Please,” he whined.
Sasuke rolled his eyes and took a seat on the swing next to Naruto’s, hands gripping the metal links loosely. Naruto beamed and kicked from the ground, propelling himself backward and swinging forward, the air rushing through his hair with every pass. Sasuke smirked, swaying slightly, and content just to watch him play.
Naruto dug his feet into the ground, slowing his momentum and finally pausing next to Sasuke, hugging the chain link and smiling at his boyfriend.
“What are smiling about?”
Naruto beamed and leaned over, brushing his lips against Sasuke’s. “I love you,” he whispered.
“Hn, I love you too, dobe.”
“Good, my mom invited you over for dinner tonight.” Naruto stood up quickly and made his way to the table, grabbing up his discarded backpack.
“Again,” Sasuke questioned, grabbing his own bag and shoving his calculus book inside.
“Hmm, and Itachi too.”
Sasuke stalled and whipped his head toward Naruto, who was walking away quickly. “Why is he invited?”
“I don’t know. Mom just invited him, so expect Itachi to spring it on you when you get home.”
Sasuke grumbled marching behind Naruto’s faster pace. Sure, he was a frequent dinner guest at the Namikaze household, but he never got a chance to speak to Naruto when Itachi was invited; who was a less frequent guest.
“What’s your mom making tonight?”
“Hmm, good question. I hope its ramen!”
“Dobe, it’s not going to be ram-” Sasuke broke off, watching everything happen in slow motion. One second Naruto was walking in front of him, the next he was on the ground, three teens on bikes rushing passed them and knocking Naruto down.
He felt his pulse race and rushed to Naruto, kneeling beside him even as he cursed at the rapidly disappearing cyclists. Naruto turned to sit up, clutching his left wrist. He hissed in pain and grimaced, hugging it to his chest when Sasuke reached out to touch it lightly.
Sasuke stood up and helped Naruto to stand, seeing his grimace of pain. He pulled out his phone and dialed Itachi.
‘Sasuke,’ Itachi answered.
“Can you pick Naruto and me up?”
‘What’s happened?’
Sasuke grit his teeth. “Just an accident, but I need you to pick us up and drive us to the hospital-”
“I don’t need to go to the hospital,” Naruto screeched. “Look, all better.”
Naruto moved his wrist and groaned in pain, tears gathering in the corner of his eyes.
“Can you hurry?” Sasuke asked.
‘I’m on my way.’
Sasuke hung up and dialed the Namikaze household. Minato answered, laughing, ‘Hello?’
“Mr. Namikaze.”
‘Oh, Sasuke, Naruto’s not home yet-’
“I know,” Sasuke interrupted. “He’s right here with me. I just wanted to let you know that Itachi is picking us up and we’re heading to the emergency room. I think Naruto’s wrist is broken.”
“I’m not going to any hospital!”
Sasuke shot him a glare, one that said he was going or else.
“I’m not going!”
Minato sighed over the phone, ‘We’ll meet you there.’
Sasuke hung up and turned to Naruto, putting his foot down. “You’re going to the hospital, end of discussion.”
“No!”
“Dobe, this is serious. It could be broken.”
“So, I don’t need to go-”
“You need to have it x-rayed.”
“I’m not going.”
“Dobe, this isn’t up for discussion!”
“I don’t need to go. It’s fine, probably just sprained.” Naruto laughed nervously, swallowing when Sasuke shot him a withering glare. “I don’t like hospitals.”
“I know, but it’ll be fine. I’ll be there with you.”
“Do I have too?” He barely spoke above a whisper now, but Sasuke still heard him clearly.
“Yes,” Sasuke whispered, leaning in and planting a kiss to Naruto’s brow.
“But…”
“It’ll be fine.”
“But, I hate having to sit there and wait. It’s always so crowded!”
“You like crowds,” Sasuke muttered, staring down the street, waiting for Itachi’s car to appear around the corner.
“Not when they’re sick! It creeps me out. And the smell! It’s horrible! Please, Sasuke, if you love me don’t take me there.”
“I love you dearly, Naruto, and any other time I wouldn’t take you there; but this is serious. Your wrist could be broken and you don’t play around with that kind of injury.”
Sasuke watched Itachi’s car round the corner and pull up along the curb. He stepped forward and opened the door for Naruto, who bit his lip and sent a glare at Sasuke, before settling into the back seat. Sasuke walked around and sat next to Naruto in silence.
Itachi viewed them silently through his rearview mirror, before pulling away from the curb and driving the ten miles to the hospital. When they arrived, Minato and Kushina were already waiting, Kushina pacing back and forth. When Naruto stepped out of the car she embraced him tightly, ignoring the groan of pain from her son.
“Let’s get you checked out,” Minato replied, rubbing Naruto’s head and leading them inside.
~~
Just as Naruto had predicted, the waiting room was packed. Fortunately, he didn’t have to wait long. He was taken immediately for x-rays, lead through winding corridors until he was standing in front of the door to the x-ray room. He was told to sit, the x-ray technician posing his hand gently in the proper position.
A few pictures later and he was lead to a bed in the emergency room. He sat down to wait, his mom and dad joining him a few minutes later.
~~
Out in the waiting room, Sasuke was anxious. He had wanted to go back with Naruto’s parents, but Itachi stopped him.
“You don’t have to worry, Sasuke,” Itachi remarked, flipping through the business section of Konoha’s newspaper.
“I’m not worried,” Sasuke lied.
“It’s a common ailment, one that is bound to happen at some point in our lifetime. I’m just surprised he got through seventeen years without breaking a bone.”
“You think it’s broken then?”
“I’m 99% positive.”
Sasuke gave a curt nod in response, but remained silent. He didn’t want to admit that he was nervous, and he didn’t want to admit that he was nervous in front of his brother.
“How is school going, Sasuke,” Itachi asked suddenly, turning the newspaper over and folding it neatly in his lap, giving Sasuke his full attention.
Sasuke snorted, “Its fine.”
“Are you keeping your grades up?”
“Do you even need to ask?”
Itachi smirked. As an Uchiha, it was unacceptable to have a grade lower than a B and even that was pushing the Uchiha standard. Sasuke was a straight A student since kindergarten. “What about your friends? How are things in school?”
“You’re being awfully nosey,” Sasuke grumbled.
“Is it wrong of me to worry for my little brother?”
“Mom put you up to this didn’t she?”
“How can I deny our mother when she wants something? You know as well as I do that she is overly fond of you, her baby boy.”
“What does she want?” Sasuke asked warily. Usually, his mom let him be, but when she wanted something she always went straight to Itachi. And Itachi, being the dutiful son, obliged her every request.
“She wants you to call her, at least once a week until they return. She doesn’t like the silent treatment from you.”
“I have a life.”
“You have school-”
“I need to study for exams.”
“And friends-”
“I need to do other stuff than just study!”
“And Naruto-”
“What about him?”
Itachi smiled and stood up, watching Naruto, Minato, and Kushina walk through the thick double doors that led to the emergency room. Sasuke was up instantly, coming to stand next to Itachi and eyeing the bright orange cast critically. He felt his eye tick.
“Orange; how did I know…”
Naruto blushed and mumbled, “It was that or pink.”
“How long will it be on for?” Sasuke questioned, refraining from reaching out and touching him, hugging him, kissing him, and whispering words of endearment while he held him close.
“Not that long, six weeks at most.”
“Six weeks…”
“It’ll be off before graduation,” Naruto smiled.
Sasuke wasn’t mollified. Naruto could sense what he was thinking, so he grabbed him by the arm and led him toward the sliding doors. “Come on teme, the smell is getting to me.”
Sasuke wrinkled his nose, “You’re right, it does smell horrible in here.”
~~
Dinner that evening was excruciating, at least for Sasuke. He was tucked between Itachi and Kushina, forced to face Naruto instead of sitting next to him where he could secretly molest him.
“When is Fugaku and Mikoto due home, Itachi?” Kushina suddenly asked, passing him a bowl of potatoes.
“Hmm,” Itachi hummed, swallowing his mouthful of food and wiping his mouth on a napkin. “They should be home by the end of the month.”
Kushina smiled, “I can’t wait to see Mikoto! We have so much to talk about. I can’t believe they’ve been away for three months.”
“She was equally enthusiastic to see you again the last time I talked with her.”
Sasuke tuned them out, focusing instead on Naruto’s orange cast…or more specifically, where he had signed his name two hours before. He wanted to be the only person to sign that cast, but when they returned to school on Monday, each one of his friends was going to want to sign it too.
Naruto looked up from his plate and caught Sasuke staring at his cast. He slid his foot forward until it bumped Sasuke’s foot. Sasuke jerked his attention at Naruto, who smiled back at him. Sasuke smiled in return and resumed picking at the remainder of his food.
“So, how is school going for you, Naruto?” Itachi asked.
“Fine, everything is fine,” Naruto responded.
“And your friends?”
“I’m getting along just fine with them.”
“Are you seeing anyone?”
Naruto choked on a sip of water he had the misfortune of just bringing to his lips. Minato followed suit, choking on his own wine. Sasuke whipped his head around so fast his neck cracked.
“That’s very personal!” Sasuke hissed.
“Are you seeing anyone Sasuke?” Itachi laughed, taking a sip of his own wine.
“I’m sure if Naruto was dating anyone, he would’ve told his parents…at least,” Minato replied, clearing his throat a moment later.
“I would think we’d be the last ones to know, dear,” Kushina smiled and stood up, walking around the table and stopping behind Naruto. She bent down and kissed his flushing cheek before grabbing his empty plate.
“Are you seeing anyone?” Minato asked. Naruto looked at him, but quickly looked away. Minato looked like he was struck dumb. “Who is she?”
“I’m not dating any girl!” Naruto pushed his chair from the table quickly and joined his mom in the kitchen. She smiled at him as he entered and sat down.
“You didn’t tell him I’m…,” Naruto swallowed, nearly choking on his words.
“I thought it would be better if you told him.”
“How can I tell him that? Dad wants me to settle down, marry a nice girl, and start a family. That’s not going to happen!”
“You can settle down and start a family,” Kushina smiled and gripped Naruto gently by the face, cupping his cheeks in her gentle hands. She frowned when he looked on the verge of tears.
“I can’t tell dad I’m gay,” he whispered.
“You need to, before he finds out another way. He’d be hurt that you didn’t tell him first.”
“I don’t want to disappoint him.”
“I don’t think you could.” She bent down and kissed Naruto’s forehead. “He’ll love you no matter what.”
Naruto sighed and hugged his mom tightly, whispering, “Thanks.”
“Help me with these, will you,” Kushina laughed and pointed to the small bowls of dessert, his mom’s famous vanilla pudding. Naruto grabbed three bowls and led the way back into the dining room.
Thankfully, there was no more talk about relationships the remainder of the night. Naruto got to eat his dessert in peace, while Itachi and Minato talked on end about the Uchiha’s business growth and their plans for the future.
~~
Sasuke arrived early Monday morning to pick Naruto up and walk him to school. The orange cast on his left hand stuck out in the dismal gray morning. It threatened rain.
“You’re here early, teme.”
“Hn,” Sasuke grunted.
“Still not a morning person, I see,” Naruto laughed.
“How’s your arm?”
“Fine, it doesn’t even hurt anymore.”
Sasuke nodded and fell in step next to Naruto.
They were two blocks away from school when Sasuke stopped dead in his tracks; Naruto walking forward a few paces before he realized Sasuke wasn’t next to him and turned back.
“Teme? What’s wrong?”
Sasuke frowned, still a habit he was trying to break…it was just going slower than he liked. “Everyone’s going to be all over you when we get to school,” Sasuke finally muttered.
“Is that why you picked me up early?”
Sasuke smirked and locked eyes with Naruto, “Not exactly, dobe.”
He grabbed Naruto by the collar and dragged him down a narrow alleyway; a small footpath lined with bushes snuggled against a church. They wouldn’t be seen by anyone walking down the street and no one would be at the church at this hour.
“What are you doing?” Naruto demanded, tripping over his feet and stumbling into the redbrick wall of the church. Sasuke hovered over him, pinning him between his arms and capturing his lips.
“I’ve missed you,” Sasuke breathed, pulling away from Naruto’s dewy lips.
“I’ve missed you too,” Naruto sighed. “I liked when we had your house all to ourselves.”
“You just liked being able to yell at the TV when we were playing video games and not get in trouble.”
“And what do you miss-,” Naruto choked on his words when Sasuke cupped his crotch and rubbed. “No-not here,” he hissed.
Sasuke smirked and leaned in next to Naruto’s ear, “I can’t take not being able to touch you like this. Give me this one time, Naruto?”
Naruto swallowed hard and leaned his head back against the brick, moaning softly. “What if someone sees us?”
“No one will see us, dobe,” Sasuke whispered, tugging at Naruto’s jeans and pulling the button through its hole. He attacked the zipper with gusto and shoved his hand in Naruto’s boxers, feeling the hardening flesh concealed inside. “But they will hear us. Can you keep yourself quiet?”
Naruto bit his lip, stifling a moan when Sasuke palmed him, rubbing up and down on his hardened shaft. His fingers teased at the underside of his balls, curling around the sac and rolling them in his hands.
Naruto brought his fist up to his lips, biting into the side of his thumb in an attempt to smother his voice. He was panting now, his breathing harsher, his brow glistening with sweat. Sasuke attached himself to Naruto’s neck, licking right below his earlobe while tugging on Naruto’s shaft. The result was an instant grunt followed by harsher panting.
It felt like heaven for Sasuke, being able to fondle his boyfriend. He pumped the engorged flesh with frenzy, sensing how close Naruto was to the edge. He wanted to complete him, to feel Naruto’s essence on his hands, to smell his musky scent.
With a stilted grunt, Naruto finally released into Sasuke’s hand, his body shivering from orgasm. He collapsed against Sasuke, his head resting in the crook of his shoulder.
Sasuke tilted his head to the side and nudged his shoulder. Naruto looked up and captured his lips briefly. “That was unexpected,” he gasped, still trying to catch his breath.
“Hn, for you maybe.”
Naruto pulled back, his back bumping against the brick wall. “You planned this didn’t you?!”
“Of course I did,” Sasuke replied, a grin cracking his haughty face. “I haven’t been able to touch you for two months now; not with Itachi taking up residence at home until our parents get back.”
“Idiot, I can’t go to school looking like this!”
Sasuke’s haughty grin widened. “That’s why I packed an extra pair of jeans and boxers for you.”
“You planned for everything,” Naruto frowned and then looked around him, suddenly realizing where they were. “Did it have to be a church, really? It’s sacred!”
“It was the only place that offered us the cover that we needed.”
“It’s a church!”
“Come on, before we’re late for school. You still need to change, too.”
“What about you,” Naruto whispered. He pushed himself off the side of the church and followed Sasuke more sedately.
“I’ll be fine; my sole focus was touching you today.”
“I don’t like it-”
“You can repay me after school, on the roof. How does that sound?”
“How do you want me?”
Sasuke stopped and turned around, whispering into Naruto’s ear, “On your knees with my cock down your throat? Think you can do it this time?”
Naruto swallowed and nodded. The last time he’d attempted to deep throat Sasuke he ended up gagging himself to the point of throwing up. He felt like he had let Sasuke down and they hadn’t attempted it since.
~~
Naruto emerged from the bathroom, redressed and not feeling so sticky. Sasuke was waiting across the hall, leaning against a wall with his arms crossed. Naruto smiled and leaned against the wall beside him, the shopping bag that now carried his soiled clothing swinging in his hands.
“You can put the bag in my locker; I’ll wash them for you.”
“You better,” Naruto replied, handing him the bag. But he smiled all the same and followed Sasuke to his locker.
“Oh my god, what happened?!” Tenten shrieked, running up to Naruto and grabbing his arm.
Naruto would have jerked away from her if Sasuke hadn’t been standing right behind him, trapping him in place. He bit his lip, “I had an accident after school on Friday.”
“Wow,” Tenten remarked, turning around and digging into her backpack for a marker. She pulled one out and asked, “Can I?”
Naruto nodded, watching Tenten sign her name in Chinese script. When she was done she handed Naruto the marker. “I think you’ll need this.”
She wasn’t wrong. Before he even reached his first class, he had ten names on his cast, all from his closest friends. It was a miracle he even made it to his first class on time.
He took a seat at the back of the class, Sasuke taking his usual seat next to him. Sakura walked in and caught sight of Naruto’s arm, a look of surprise crossing her face. She sat down in her usual seat and turned to face the teacher as he strode in with is face lost behind a book.
“Ok, class,” the man spoke. He didn’t bother to lower his book as he addressed them. “I’m your substitute teacher, filling in for Ms. Anko. You can call me Kakashi; just Kakashi. Is everybody here?”
Sasuke snorted, but glanced around the room anyway. Everyone was accounted for.
“Good,” Kakashi replied and finally closed his book, placing it in an inside pocket of his jacket. “I’ve been left with instructions for today’s class, so listen up. I’ll only say this one time.”
Sasuke felt something wiggle uncomfortably in the pit of his stomach. He could sense a class project coming on and he knew he wasn’t going to like this.
“You’ll be divided into pairs,” Kakashi cleared his throat when the class turned amongst themselves, already deciding their partners. They turned as one, listening. “Since there happens to be an equal number of boys and girls, you’ll be divided equally; one boy and one girl. You’ll be paired up and given one of these…
things.”
Kakashi reached down and deposited a car seat with a fake baby nestled inside. The class groaned in unison, but Naruto perked up next to Sasuke.
“You’ll act as a family for three days and at the end of those three days you will turn in a report about your experiences. Sound simple enough?”
Sasuke felt like he’d swallowed ice. He turned to Naruto, who looked wide-eyed at the baby on Kakashi’s desk. But instead of dread in his blue eyes, he actually looked eager.
“Ok, here are the groups, when I call your names come up to the front of the class and grab a
thing. There will be two bracelets inside, one pink and one blue…do I need to tell you who they belong too?” The class murmured as one. “Good, first pair, Ino and Shikamaru.”
Sasuke felt like he was in the deepest pits of hell as his friends were paired off one by one…until finally there were four of them left. He clenched his fist as he watched Sakura turn around and smile, her eyes on Naruto, listening in anticipation. Sasuke growled low in his throat, when he heard his name called next followed by Hinata’s name.
He could have handled Hinata and Naruto pairing up; hell, he could have handled being paired with Sakura as long as Naruto wasn’t paired with her. But now his worst fear was confirmed…Naruto and Sakura were parents to a fake baby and forced to work together for three days. And he couldn’t stop it. He had his own assignment to worry about.
Sakura marched to the front of the room looking highly pleased with herself. Naruto followed behind her. He grabbed the remaining doll and handed Sakura the pink bracelet, fastening the blue bracelet around his own wrist.
“Have fun,” Kakashi muttered and pulled out his book again.
“Let’s go to your house after school,” Sakura replied, taking Sasuke’s vacated seat and facing Naruto.
“Sure, we’ll need to decide who takes the baby what night and when to trade him off during school.”
“Who says the baby is a boy,” Sakura demanded playfully, “What if it’s a she?”
“Then I will apologize profusely to my daughter,” he laughed.
“You mean our daughter,” Sakura corrected.
Naruto’s smile slid away, his brain finally registering what Sasuke had known all along. He turned to stare at the Uchiha, a look of fear in his eyes. Sasuke shook his head, what that meant Naruto didn’t know, and turned back to Hinata.
“So, after school then,” Sakura asked, smiling when Naruto turned his attention back to her. She felt elated, high on her victory over Sasuke this time. After almost two months of keeping Naruto from her, she finally succeeded in getting him all to herself…and there was nothing he could do about it.
“Yeah, that sounds fine,” Naruto murmured, slightly distracted.
“Ok, see you after school then.”
Naruto nodded dumbly as the bell rang. Sakura grabbed up her bag and left quickly, leaving Naruto with the baby. He hefted the car seat and exited the class, his eyes searching for Sasuke in the hallway, but he was nowhere to be seen. Naruto felt his stomach flutter and only got worse from there.
He felt ill all the way up to lunch. Sasuke had effectively ignored him in the two classes they shared before lunch; until he sat down in his usual chair at their usual table. He got one look at Naruto and touched his shoulder lightly.
Naruto’s eyes turned to peer at him from the corner, but otherwise, he didn’t move his head.
“Hey, I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you sooner. I didn’t know what to think of this, and now you’re partnered with Sakura…”
“I don’t like you ignoring me,” Naruto whispered, his voice laced with unshed tears.
“I don’t know what to do, dobe. She’s going to try something-”
“Then let her!” Naruto hissed, finally turning to look Sasuke in the eye.
“And let you get hurt…over my dead body,” Sasuke snapped back.
“I’m not an idiot. I know what she’s capable of now, so I’ll be on my guard. Whatever retaliation she can think of, I’ll fend it off.”
Sasuke frowned, staring hard at Naruto who stared back just as hard. His mind screamed loudly to fight and defend what was his from an invading threat.
“You call me the minute she tries anything,” Sasuke commented tersely.
“I can handle-”
“Promise me!” Sasuke demanded. There was desperation in his voice that caused Naruto to shiver and lower his hardened gaze.
“I promise,” he agreed, his face softening considerably.
~~
When Sasuke finally dropped Naruto off at his front door, car seat in hand, Sakura had been waiting inside for over fifteen minutes. She drove straight to Naruto’s house and knocked on the front door. She was greeted by a man who Naruto highly resembled and led into the living room while he found his wife.
Sakura concluded that it must be Naruto’s father and that the redhead who came to greet her was his mother. Naruto barely resembled her at all.
She sat down across from Kushina, who offered her a glass of lemonade. She refused politely with a short shake of her head.
“So, how do you know Naruto?” Kushina asked, eyeing Sakura with a critical gaze.
“We go to school together, Mrs. Uzumaki.”
“Hmm,” Kushina hummed. “And what brings you by? Naruto isn’t home yet.”
“Oh, we’re partners for a school project-”
“Hey mom, dad, I’m home!” Naruto shouted from the foyer, attempting to take his shoes off one handed. He hopped into the living room, tossing his shoe over his shoulder. He stopped when he noticed Sakura sitting on the couch.
“Hey, Sakura, I didn’t know you were here already,” he laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head. He had hoped to get home before Sakura arrived and warn his mom.
“I drove straight from school. If I had known you were walking, I would have offered you a lift. I thought you had a car?”
Naruto shook his head, “I have to wait until I’m eighteen to get my license.” Of course, he should have remembered that Sakura had a car.
“Oh,” Sakura sounded shocked, her head swiveling around to look at Kushina as if asking ‘was he serious’.
“It’s fine,” Naruto laughed and ducked around the corner. He grabbed up his fake child and made his way back into the living room, setting the car seat on the floor next to the coffee table.
“What’s this, Naruto-dear?” Kushina asked and leaned forward, eyeing the doll skeptically.
“It’s my project for the next three days,” Naruto answered, reaching into his backpack and pulling out the worksheet. “Sakura and I need to work out who takes the baby what night and when to switch off at school…we also need to name him-”
“Her,” Sakura corrected.
“Or her,” Naruto amended. “It looks like it will go live at 6 o’clock tonight.”
“Oh, you’ll make a great fake-dad, Naruto,” Kushina laughed.
“Thanks mom, you’ll make a great fake-grandma!”
Kushina’s smile withered, “You’re such a brat! I’m too young to be a grandma.” But she laughed as she stood, leaving Naruto and Sakura alone in the living room.
~~
Minato was in the kitchen when she re-entered, her smile fading to an unhappy grimace. She resisted the urge to look over her shoulder.
“What’s wrong, love?” Minato questioned, snaking his arms around her hips and drawing her close.
“Naruto gets to play house for the next three days,” she bit out.
“And what is wrong with that?” he questioned, put off by her bitterness. It wasn’t like her.
“It’s his partner,” she sighed, kissing Minato quickly. “I don’t like her.”
“I think you’re over-reacting here,” Minato laughed, but Kushina shook her head. “No?” he questioned.
“Call it mother’s intuition, but there’s something about her I just don’t like.”
“You act like Naruto is into her-” Minato paused, his eyes going wide. “Are they dating?!”
He sounded too happy for Kushina’s liking, his eyes sparking with hope.
“Oh, god no,” Kushina shrieked. “Absolutely not!”
Minato laughed again, gripping her hips tighter. “Are you sure you’re not just jealous that he has a girlfriend?”
“Naruto doesn’t have a girlfriend, dear.”
The way Kushina said it made Minato believe her. He poked his head around the corner, watching Sakura scoot closer to Naruto who took a scoot away from her in response.
“It looks like she wants to be, love,” Minato replied, turning to face his wife. She didn’t look happy watching Sakura corner her son on the couch.
“Huh,” she scoffed. “Go in there and break it up.”
Minato jerked away from the doorway, shocked. “Why would I do that?”
“Because she is practically straddling Naruto’s lap, and if you couldn’t tell, he doesn’t like it. So go in there and break it up. Do it for your son!”
Minato sighed and walked into the living room. Sakura immediately distanced herself from Naruto and it didn’t go unnoticed by Minato that his son sighed in relief at the distance. He frowned and sat down, eyeing the two of them.
“So,” he started awkwardly. “It’s that time of the year for the parenting class, eh?”
“Yeah,” Naruto nodded.
“You’ll do fine; you have a lot of practice with babysitting.”
“Thanks dad,” Naruto positively glowed with pride causing Minato to grin like a fool.
He exhaled softly, liking the idea of his son being a father someday. His eyes slid over Sakura, noting that they made a good-looking couple. Now, he just needed his son to look around him and take notice.
Shaking from his musings, Minato held out his hand for Sakura to shake, saying, “I didn’t get a chance to greet you properly. I’m Naruto’s dad.”
She accepted his hand with a small smile. “I’m Sakura Haruno.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Sakura.”
“It’s nice to meet you too, Mr. Uzumaki.”
“Oh, it’s Namikaze.”
A look of confusion crossed Sakura’s face and Naruto took pity on her. “My mom kept her maiden name when she married,” he answered.
“And your last name?”
“Mom just had to have her way, so I ended up with her last name too.”
Sakura felt her head throb in confusion, wondering what was wrong with this family.
“It’s best not to over think it,” Naruto replied, noting her confusion. “Mom was hyped on painkillers and nearly crushed my dad’s hand until he agreed.”
Sakura chuckled, just imagining the scenario. She was beginning to see Naruto’s resemblance to his mother.
“Hmm, so do you have everything worked out?” Minato asked, nodding towards the doll and interrupting their moment.
“Uh, yeah,” Sakura answered, her smile fading slightly.
“I’ll take her overnight and Sakura will have her during school. Sakura will also come home with me after school for two hours-”
“Isn’t it about time you finished up, Naruto,” Kushina interrupted, wiping her hands on the flowery apron she now wore. “You have homework to finish and then supper.”
“I don’t see why Sakura couldn’t join us,” Minato replied.
“That would be lovely” Sakura replied as Kushina answered, “I didn’t make enough.”
Minato laughed, “You always make more than enough, Kushina.”
Kushina frowned, but gave a curt nod, storming away. Sakura narrowed her eyes on the retreating woman, but quickly turned her attention to Naruto.
“It looks like I get to taste your mom’s cooking,” she smiled, but inside she wasn’t thrilled. Kushina didn’t like her, that much was obvious, and truth be told she didn’t like Kushina herself.
“She’s amazing,” Naruto replied, grinning from ear-to-ear. “She’s the best cook in the world, right next to my dad!”
Minato smiled. A second later Kushina beckoned him to the kitchen and he rose with a frown. He had a feeling he was going to hear it from his wife.
Naruto chuckled nervously and pulled his backpack into his lap, pulling out his homework.
~~
Kushina entered the living room an hour later, just as Naruto was finishing his last piece of homework. “Go wash up Naruto, dinner will be ready in ten minutes.” She eyed Sakura coolly and turned to answer the door when the bell rang.
A moment later, Sasuke walked into the living room, his eyes lingering on Sakura before landing on Naruto frozen by the hall bathroom.
“Hey Sasuke,” Naruto smiled, visibly relaxing; “I didn’t know you were coming over tonight.”
“Hn,” Sasuke responded.
Kushina led them into the kitchen with a satisfied smirk. Sasuke promptly seated himself next to Naruto, forcing Sakura to sit across from them. Like hell he was going to let Sakura beat him to the table and to his Naruto.
He sent her a self-satisfied smirk and received a withering glare in return.
“Oh, Sasuke I didn’t know you’d be here tonight?” Minato commented, taking a seat at the head of the table.
“It was a last-minute invite,” Sasuke replied, turning to smile at Naruto’s dad. “You know I can’t pass up Kushina’s cooking.”
“She is amazing,” Minato agreed, sending his wife a wink. Kushina blushed and passed Naruto the plate of her famous BBQ chicken. “So, Sakura, I don’t recall seeing you around before? Are you new to the area?”
Sakura smiled at Minato, but Sasuke noted a bit of strain behind her smile. “I’ve been in Konoha since Jr. High, when my father transferred from Iwa unexpectedly.”
“That must have been hard to leave behind your friends,” he asked, passing Sasuke a bowl of green beans.
“Not really. I didn’t have many friends until I moved here. I’ve been happiest here.”
Minato nodded satisfied with her response. Sasuke wanted to roll his eyes. He wasn’t fooled by Sakura’s act. She was trying to gain Minato’s favor, but he knew she’d already lost.
Unbeknownst to Sasuke, Kushina wasn’t thrilled with Sakura either. From the moment she walked in to the living room and saw her standing there, she loathed her. Something about the girl screamed ‘bad news’. And then with the withering glare she sent towards Sasuke, Kushina knew Sakura was after her baby boy.
Minato looked up from his plate and cocked a brow at his wife. She hadn’t touched her food. She sent her husband a look that clearly stated she was not happy with him, and he had the audacity to look shocked.
Setting her fork down, she turned her attention to Sasuke. “Sasuke-dear, how did that history test go? Naruto said you were studying hard; as usual.”
Sasuke swallowed his mouthful of food and took a quick sip of water to wash it down before answering, “I scored 99%.”
Naruto snorted causing Sasuke to frown at him. “And what did you get on your history test, dobe?”
Naruto bit his lip and muttered too quietly for anyone to hear.
“What was that?” Minato asked.
“I got an 89,” Naruto shrugged. “I had the right dates; I just mixed up the numbers.”
“I thought I helped you with that?” Sasuke demanded. He didn’t spend the last week helping Naruto prepare for that test just to see him fail; not that Naruto had failed by any means. His score had vastly improved from the last 77%, but he knew Naruto could do better.
“I started off ok, but then I got nervous that I was writing down the wrong dates…And then I couldn’t concentrate on the questions and the clock was ticking loudly…” Naruto bit his lip.
Sasuke sighed, “Then we will have to work harder for the next one. I won’t stop until you top 95%.”
Naruto snorted again, “That isn’t likely to happen-”
“I’d be willing to help,” Sakura blurted out. Everyone turned to stare at her.
“That’s a wonderful idea.” “I can handle it just fine.” “I think Sasuke has it covered, dear.” Minato, Sasuke, and Kushina replied in rapid succession.
“Hun,” Minato started. “It doesn’t hurt to have a little more help and I’m sure Sasuke doesn’t want to spend all his time helping Naruto with his studies when he has his own, right Sasuke?”
“I’m sure Sasuke doesn’t mind, dear,” Kushina replied through clenched teeth.
“Actually, I don’t mind helping Naruto study. In fact, I get most of my studying done helping him.”
“But it must be tiresome for you; don’t you need a break sometimes?”
Sasuke felt Naruto clench his fist next to his leg and from the corner of his eye, saw Naruto’s blue eyes focused tightly on his plate.
“It’s not. I have no problem helping Naruto.”
“Yes, but it wouldn’t hurt to have someone else take some of the burden. It’s not like Sakura won’t be around for the next few days, right Sakura?” Minato turned to smile at Sakura, who was positively beaming.
Sasuke could feel Naruto shaking next to him, his lips white with how thinned they were.
“It would be no problem and I think Sasuke could use the break,” she turned a sickening smile on Sasuke.
“That’s settled then-”
“It’s not settled, dear,” Kushina answered.
“But Sakura is willing-”
“And so is Sasuke-”
Naruto stood up suddenly, the plates and glasses on the table clinking from the force. Sasuke could see his fists shaking, but he kept his face down.
“Excuse me,” he forced out, all but running from the dining room.
Kushina shot Minato a worried glance and rushed after her son. Minato watched her go, waited only a minute before following after her, leaving Sakura and Sasuke alone.
Sasuke crossed his arms and sent her a glare. She responded by smiling.
“You’re losing, Sasuke.”
“I’ve already won,” he countered.
Sakura laughed the sound grating on Sasuke’s nerves. “Oh, Sasuke, just because you have his mother on your side does not mean you’ve won. You still need to bring his father around and by the looks of it, he has no idea how you feel about his son.”
“Don’t underestimate a mother’s love for her son. You can dazzle Minato all you like, even gain his favor, but without Kushina, you lose. Naruto will never choose someone who she doesn’t approve of.”
“We will see,” Sakura laughed, not deterred in the least. She wanted Naruto and she would have him and the sooner the blonde realized that, the better.
“Aren’t you taking this a little too far? I’ve spurned your advances and now you’re going after Naruto…all for revenge?”
“Oh, silly Sasuke; you still think this is about you? Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but this has nothing to do with you and everything to do with Naruto. I had time to think what made him special to you…and I want that for myself.”
“You can’t have him,” Sasuke hissed.
“He’s fair game, Sasuke. I will make him fall for me.”
“It won’t work.”
Sakura laughed again and grabbed her glass, raising it in toast, “May the best person win.”
Sasuke grabbed his glass and raised it too, “Oh, I intend too.”
