Best Served Cold

Hi all! This is painfully late but I realize people are still reading it and I should not leave it unfinished. So here is the next chapter.


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Sasuke slammed the door closed before turning to stomp up the stairs toward his room. He grabbed the door roughly repeated his treatment of the previous door. It couldn’t be true. There was no way it was true. He tried feverently to deny what he had been told but the boy’s eyes had made it quite clear it was absolutely true. He tore off his gloves and unwrapped his forearms before flinging the items across the room. They landed softly with an unsatisfactory plop. With a growl of frustration he grabbed the weapons pack at his waist, ripping it from it’s binding, and threw it forcefully toward the wall. He felt a small gratification as it hit the mirror on the wall, causing it to shatter. Slowly, he sank to the floor as the tinkle of falling glass danced in his ears.

Seated on the floor, he slumped forward and squeezed his eyes shut as he took in an uneven breath. Opening his eyes, he reached into a scroll pocket on his chest and slowly withdrew a shinny bauble. He ran the cord across his hand until the iridescent crystal laid in his palm. He closed his hand tightly and brought it up to his face. Closing his eyes he tried to breath in the faint scent. He had a son with Naruto. He and Naruto had...

“Sasuke?!”

Sasuke quickly stood as he slipped the necklace back into the scroll pouch. He looked down at his flustered wife as she stood in the doorway taking in the broken mirror before looking back toward him. Concern showed in her face as she took a step forward and outstretched her hand to him, “Sasuke what happened?”

“Nothing,” he growled, as he stepped back before her fingers could touch him.

Ino drew her hand back to her chest as she looked at her cold husband with sad eyes. He never told her what was troubling him and the only time she witnessed any kindness from him was when he was with Okibi. She knew that being Okibi’s mother was the only reason she was still around. She had long since stopped being a wife in any sense of the word. Sasuke did not seek her for her companionship or her warmth. The last troubled her because she wondered where he went for it. Surely any man desired the warmth of a woman’s body from time to time, but Sasuke had stopped visiting her bed after Okibi turned two years old. They had failed to conceive another child and Sasuke had sent her to visit the medics. After a thorough examination, they had deduced she had very low fertility. They had said it was a miracle she had ever conceived Okibi.

She looked at Sasuke’s stiff back and mustered up her courage. “Sasuke, I spoke to Okibi when he came back from school,” she began nervously. Hn, was the non-communicational grunt she got in response. “He... He said he met with the Hokage’s son.” Sasuke grunted again as he began, once again, to remove his protective gear. “Okibi said the boy... He said the boy...” Ino gritted her teeth and grabbed Sasuke’s elbow to turn him to face her. “Did you sleep with Naruto’s wife?!” she blurted loudly, as she searched his face with her blue eyes.

Sasuke stared slack jawed at his red faced wife. Snapping his mouth shut, he glared and ripped his arm from her hands. ”What?” he growled threateningly.

Ino was too upset to notice his tone and she continued franticly, “I know you guys had some weird rivalry when we were younger, is that what you fought about? Did he catch you with his wife? Does he know the boy is not his?”

“I never touched the girl!” he yelled, trying to stop the woman’s babbling.

“Then why do our sons look identical?” She grasped his forearms as she pleaded for an explanation.

“It’s just a coincidence!” he raged, as he shook her off. He paced the room and waved his hand in the air. “You met the woman, she looked like she could have been my sister! The boy just takes after his mother! He doesn’t even look that much like Okibi, he just has black hair. His eyes are even blue!”

Ino’s lip quivered and she wrung her hands as she watched Sasuke stomp around the room. Was it guilt or righteous indignation that was making him so angry. Ino vastly prayed for the latter. “Can... can you promise me that it’s not true?” she questioned meekly.

Sasuke’s eyes flickered red and he spoke through gritted teeth, “I don’t like having my word questioned Yamanaka.” Ino flinched at the surname that was no longer her own. “I NEVER laid a finger on that woman.”

Ino nodded timidly and left the room without another word, shutting the door softly behind her. She looked back at the closed door and frowned. Something wasn’t right. He seemed to be telling the truth when he said he had never slept with Naruto’s wife, but there was something else. She had never seen him so irate, apart from arguing with Naruto when they were still friends. There had to be something amiss for him to get so worked up, but how was she going to find out what? She had to get the answer, but from who? Clenching her jaw in determination, she would find someone who might know.

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Ryuu smiled widely as he stood in front of his father. “Can I please, please go to the training grounds outside?” he pleased with big blue doe eyes.

Naruto cringed as he tried to resist his son. Ryuu knew he had his dad in the palm of his hand. Even though the boy looked exactly like his father, Naruto had never been able to harbor any ill will to the Uchiha facade. It was his son, no matter what he looked like. And to tell the truth, the boy was just too cute to ever tell him no. Add Naruto’s blue eyes to the delicate features of an Uchiha and voila, this boy would never have to worry about not getting what he wanted.

“Ryuu, we have a much better training ground right here in the mansion’s compound,” he cajoled, with what he hoped was a convincing smile.

“Dad, I’ve been stuck in this prison my whole life! I only got to go out yesterday to go to the academy. I want to be able to go explore our village without having one of your guards watching my every move. Don’t think I didn’t notice them,” he frown distastefully. “I knew those two were there even before they dropped down to break up the spar I was having.”

Naruto frowned as he took in the ridged stance Ryuu had assumed. His arms were crossed tightly over his chest and his chin was tilled arrogantly as he glared at a nonexistent spot on the wall. He hated to think his son believed he was being kept in a prison. That, added to the fact Ryuu was subconsciously doing a much too good impression of his father, made Naruto eager to get the boy out of the room.

“Okay,” he conceded unwillingly. “I won’t have any ANBU follow you if you can return back here in two hours, you can’t be late to class.”

“Two hours?” the raven complained with a huff.

“Take it or leave it boy, you won’t get another chance today,” he glared down at his son.

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Ryuu walked, smirking slightly as he made his way to the training grounds. He looked up and down the street to where all the villagers were milling, then looked around to see if he could sense any of his father’s guards. Not sensing anyone near he turned and decided to take a ‘short cut’ past the Uchiha District. He was curious about the man, having heard so much about him his whole life and only seeing him that one time yesterday.

Nearing the wall he heard the sounds of metal contacting with wood and wondered if it was the Uchiha practicing in the yard. Flickering quickly into the tree he peered down to see if he could catch a glimpse of his fabled father. Ryuu frowned when he saw it was only the young Uchiha, the recognized son. Ryuu glared before he dropped down from the tree in front of the younger boy.

Okibi jumped back as his mirror image tapped down in front of him. Okibi set his features and tilted his chin arrogantly as he looked at the boy with wary eyes. “What are you doing here Uzumaki?”

Half a smile formed on the doppleganger’s face as he circled. “So disrespectful Uchiha-kun. You know I’m the son of the Hokage, not even the sensei calls me anything less than sama.”

“Your the Hokage’s son, not the Hokage. You’re just full of yourself,” Okibi growled with a hint of indifference. “I deserve just as much respect as you, I’m the heir to the great Uchiha clan,” he continued proudly.

“You think that don’t you?” Ryuu smirked. Okibi looked confused at the boy but Ryuu waved his hand and continued. “What kind of clan has only two members anyway, your mother doesn’t count. She doesn’t have any Uchiha blood. You’ll probably be the last since your father doesn’t have anymore children and you are so weak.”

Okibi clinched his fists tightly at his side as he contemplated how much trouble he would get in to for hitting the hateful boy.

“Then again,” Ryuu continued with his smirk growing wider, “He probably does have other children, just not with your weak mother.”

Okibi yelled and swung a fist at the other boy, but Ryuu caught it easily and held it tight as he continued softly. “I fact, I guarantee your not as alone as you think.”

Okibi’s eyes narrowed and he pulled his arm trying to dislodge his fist from the other boy’s grip. “What do you mean?” he questioned with a growl.

Ryuu laughed as he released the other boy’s hand. Crossing his arms behind his head he leaned leisurely against a tree. “You mean to tell me, you haven’t wondered why we look so much alike?” he scoffed in disbelief.

Okibi flexed his hand and rubbed his wrist with the other hand. “Coincidence, my father said you just took after your mother.”

Ryuu laughed loudly, squeezing his eyes shut. “Coincidence?” he questioned with a giggle. He pushed away from the tree with a large smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “And I suppose the Uchiha cuts your hair into that ridiculous hairstyle?” he smirked when the other subconsciously touched the back of his spiky hair. “No,” he scoffed. “I know he doesn’t, and I don’t either. It just grows this way. The only way not to sport this ridiculous duck-butt style is to let it grow long and wear it in a pony tail, and I was tired of Sakura-san calling me pretty.”

The hand fell slowly down from Okibi’s hair as his eyes darted back and forth, trying to make sense of what the other was saying. He looked slowly up passed Ryuu’s crossed arms and into his smirking face. He felt his eye twitch when he saw the twinkle in those blue eyes.

Ryuu smile grew when he saw that twitch. “Brother,” he edged. That was all it took. Okibi closed the small distance between the two with his fist raised. Ryuu blinked in surprise from where his back was once again against the tree. He realized the younger boy had managed to hit him that fast. He looked at Okibi’s face to see one incomplete Sharingan spinning in his right eye. Ryuu growled as his eyes enveloped in red and he lunged at the other boy. Okibi stood his stance, waiting for the other to close the distance, as prepared to block the attack. Ryuu swung his fist hard and would have been satisfied with the feel of the impact if he hadn’t been surprised by the flash of blonde. He was looking directly into Okibi’s face and his confusion mimicked his own. Looking down to the side they saw Ino standing back up while rubbing her left shoulder.

“Mom!” Okibi cried worriedly, as he dashed to her side.

Ino waved him off as she kept her eyes on the other boy. “Go in the house Okibi,” she commanded quietly, never moving her gaze.

“But...”

“No buts, just get inside. I’ll be there in a minute,” she continued.

Ryuu watched the exchange while still in a bit of a shock. He had hit some he hadn’t meant to. But when the other boy called out mom he knew who he had hit. It was ‘that’ woman. He scoffed as he looked at the woman he had knocked down so easily. This was who the Uchiha had left his dad for? Turning on his heel, he made his way back to the surrounding wall.

“Wait!” Ino called as she saw the boy retreating. He looked back, managing to look down his nose, before vaulting over the wall. Acceptance washed over her as she watched him go, there was no doubt in her mind that that was Sasuke’s son. Resolving to hear the truth from someone, anyone, she took off after the boy.

Ryuu fumed as he dashed across rooftops. Why had he decided to go that way, he had just ruined a perfectly good day? He looked back quickly as he felt a presence behind him, that woman was following him! Picking up his pace he neared the outer wall, but the woman was still close behind. He dashed up a tree that was probably too conveniently close to the wall, he would have to mention at to his dad, and tossed himself over the wall.

“Why are you following me?!” he yelled, dashing across the forest floor as he notice the blonde touch down from the top of the wall.

“I have to talk to you, come back,” Ino called, as she gave chase.

“Why would I want to talk to you! You took my father from me!” he yelled as he turn to face her.

Too distracted by each other, neither noticed the two nin drop down the from the trees to quickly knock both unconscious. “That was too easy,” one complained with a bit of a huff. “We didn’t even have figure out how to sneak into the village or how to lure them out.”

“Enough complaining you bloodthirsty wench. Your just angry we’re already done and you didn’t get to kill anyone. But don’t worry, as soon as the Uchiha realizes we have his family I’m sure there will be enough fighting to satisfy even you.”

“But what if he just pays the ransom as asked, what fun will that be?”

“What powerful man ever makes it that easy?” he scoffed while tossing one limp body over his shoulder. Dropping a note on the ground he set off into the trees not waiting to see if he companion did the same.
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Thanks for continuing to read even after I have been lax for so long. Let me know what you think, I picked it up again because a review asked me too.
-Tereshi