The Healing

I don’t own Naruto or the characters there of.



The Healing



Chapter Five



With spring came many things. The flowers in the back garden bloomed and released their gentle scents into the air. The birds returned from their winter trip south, chirping and building nests for their soon-to-be offspring. The days warmed in a precursor to the summer heat, leaving the days comfortable. Spring meant new life in many ways. Animals became parents and ushered in their offspring into the world. For Fugaku, it brought a realization of his own life.



Today was a day but it was also a step for him and his sons. It was their first spring without Mikoto Uchiha tending her garden. In their eyes, the gardens bore her very life-force.



In the springs past, Mikoto had spent many afternoons tending her flower beds. He’d offered to hire a gardener to take the task from her hands but time and again she’d refused him. She told him it was something she enjoyed and would be a shame to give up. Even when the cancer therapies drained her energy, she always found time to at least do some weeding.



With her gone, the flower beds surrounding the house and in the backyard were showing the signs of being left to grow wild. It was one reason he stood outside this morning. Sasuke and Itachi were already up and about, gathering the necessary items for the first spring tending. There were even a few additional bulbs bought to be planted in her memory--all flowers and colors she would have liked.



It was part of his therapy. After the anger with his therapist passed, the grief took to another stage and then another. Though he loathed admitting it, he was on the cusp of the final stage. All that it took was moving forward. It was the step today’s exercise with his sons would hopefully assist in.



The relationship remained strained, but was progressing. Itachi had all but stopped attending counseling sessions, only attending those requiring the entire family. Sasuke still held in his anger at Fugaku--the action slowing down the effectiveness of the therapy sessions. Father and son continued to visit with Genma Shiranui regularly. It was getting better. Naruto’s regular presence in their life helped mellow Sasuke enough to be more open to his father, though his eyes told of his residual mistrust.



“Father?”



Fugaku turned to see Itachi, dressed in old jeans and a tee-shirt. His long hair was pulled in a high ponytail and his lips curved in a faint smile. Sasuke was mumbling about the early morning, obviously preferring to sleep in than work in the garden with them. “Let’s start by getting rid of all the weeds. Your mother would have been out here at the first sign of green.”



Itachi’s smirk grew. “I remember two or three years ago she was out here in the snow because a few weeds had begun springing up before the snow was completely gone. She ended up with a cold for spending so much time outside only to have a cold snap kill all her budding flowers.”



“I think she thought of the flowers as children much in the way you both were hers.” Fugaku tossed each son a pair of work gloves and gardening equipment. “Let’s get started.”



Sasuke eyed the weed filled flower beds. “Mother is probably turning over in her grave at how we’ve let her flower bed grow out of control.”



Fugaku felt a twinge in his chest while thinking of Mikoto. It still hurt almost unbearably, but he’d learned how to redirect his pain towards more productive things than drinking. He wasn’t sure he considered himself an alcoholic. He didn’t crave the alcohol itself, but what it helped him forget. As he coped with his pain, he’d come to understand that if given time, it would have turned into as much a physical dependence as an emotional one. After the first couple of grief counseling sessions, he’d stalked through the house and poured every alcoholic substance down the drains--including the cooking sherry. He feared what he might do if the utter despair took him down the same dark road it had before.



“I remember,” he murmured. “She loved this garden so much.”



Sasuke’s eyes turned sad, through he didn’t cry. “I miss her.”



Itachi placed his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Me too.”



Fugaku didn’t voice his agreement, though he felt it just as keenly as his sons. They were healing and it scared them all. With healing came easing of the pain and without the pain to remind them of what they’d lost, each feared forgetting her. Today wasn’t just about coping with Mikoto’s loss, but also ingraining her memory into each of their minds. They were ready to move on with their lives, but couldn’t until they’d put to right what she meant to them.



Fugaku knelt before a flower bed and began to rip each unsightly weed from amidst the budding flowers. Sasuke and Itachi followed his motions. There wasn’t much talk; it still hurt to speak of her in the past tense. Each had his own coping method and yet, the three were slowly regaining trust in each other. Minato and Naruto’s returned presence in their lives saw to it.



Naruto could get Sasuke to talk when no one else could, though most of their time was spent with Naruto doing the majority of the talking. Sasuke was more relaxed around Naruto despite the occasional disagreements over who was the better sniper. It was times like those that Itachi put down his foot and claimed his superiority in the gaming field. Contests amongst the three weren’t uncommon--the winner always changing.



Fugaku tossed aside another weed and smiled sadly at the deep brown earth. The silence with the three of them was more than just sadness. Today was for memories…and for goodbye. It was time they started living again…not only for themselves but for her as well.



Coming to terms with Mikoto’s death had been hard on them all with Fugaku and Sasuke expressing their loss in a more visible fashion. Itachi mourned his mother silently as he did most things not involving Naruto. Yet again it was proof of Naruto having an impact on their lives.



For Fugaku, the impact made on his life was less from the younger Namikaze and more from the elder. Minato had become a staple in his life. It still felt strange around him, especially after the incident in the bathroom. Even thinking about being with someone else twisted his stomach with anxiety. He couldn’t deny the physical attraction. The emotional part wasn’t so easy.



Genma helped him work through the issue mentally but truthfully, Fugaku wasn’t sure he could ever love someone as he did Mikoto. She was dead and he still loved her with every breath and thought of her every day. Would it be fair to another if he couldn’t love them as he did Mikoto? Would allowing himself to feel for another deface her memory? He didn’t voice his concerns in therapy. If he did, it was a sign he was ready to move on and in doing so, truly say goodbye. Genma wasn’t the type to let up when he sensed a patient was holding back. He’d dug in until Fugaku had revealed all his secrets.



“Sasuke’s grades are getting better.” Itachi’s words brought Fugaku from his revere.



“I know. I’ve been speaking with his teachers. They say you’ve been helping Naruto as well. Minato told me Naruto’s grades were improving.” Fugaku laid aside a trowel and sat back on his haunches. “I’m proud of you.”



Sasuke blushed from ear to ear. “Mr. Namikaze helped too. He’s an architect so he’s good in math.”



“Apparently Naruto did not get his math skills from his father,” chuckled Fugaku.



Itachi smirked and Sasuke released a small laugh. “He’s terrible. I’m surprised he can even add.”



“You’re good for each other.” Fugaku sifted his fingers through the freshly turned soil in the flowerbed. The dark brown dirt fell loosely between his fingers to the ground.



Itachi sent his father a sly look. “Like you and Minato?”



Fugaku’s head shot up to stare at Itachi in disbelief. “Where would you get an idea like that?”



Sasuke stopped what he was doing to glance curiously his father and brother. “Idea like what, Father?”



“Itachi doesn’t know what he was talking about.” Fugaku clenched his fingers in the dirt. Were his emotions so visible to his sons? Could they both see how he both yearned and feared seeking a more intimate relationship with someone other than their mother?



“Itachi knows everything!” Sasuke stood up with his arms crossed. “He’s the smartest. I’d even bet he’s smarter than you.”



“Would you like to put that to the test?” Fugaku couldn’t back down from the obvious challenge in his son’s voice. Itachi might not have meant for it to turn into such, but Sasuke had snatched the proverbial ball from his hands and was running with no sign of stopping any time soon.



Sasuke poked out his bony chest. “Anytime.”



“Wait…” Itachi’s eyes grew wide at the confrontation, obviously not sure what to make of it.



“S’suke! Tachi! We’re here!” The thought, ‘saved by the bell’ could be applied to the conversation as Naruto bounded around the house towards where they worked on the garden. “Aww, you started without us. Dad kept dragging his feet. I practically had to drag him from the house.”



Minato rounded the house, chuckling at Naruto’s loud statement of his tardiness. “I was attempting to let you three have some family time before we joined you.”



“But Daaaddd! We’re their family now.” Naruto plopped down on the damp ground between Itachi and Sasuke. “Besides, what if they found something cool buried in the ground?”



“Like the dead cat…” Fugaku muttered to himself, making Sasuke pale and Itachi glance down where he’d been previously digging.



“Dead cat? Like the bones and rotting flesh?” Naruto’s eyes grew wide. “That is so cool. We’ll get to see first hand what a zombie cat would look like.”



“We are not digging up the dead cat. I’m sure Itachi and Sasuke’s mother would never have allowed the cat to be buried in her flower bed.” Minato arched a brow at Itachi’s shifty eyes. “Would she?”



His son’s look made Fugaku blink dumbly. “Would she?”



“Not if she’d known,” hedged Itachi.



Sasuke screamed, tossed aside his trowel and scooted as far away from the flowerbed as possible. Naruto doubled over in laughter, pointing at Sasuke all the while. Minato and Fugaku joined in the amusement, though at more controlled levels. Sasuke shot evil looks towards all those laughing, while eyeing the flowerbeds as if he expected a zombie cat to dig its way up through the soil at any moment.



“I was just a kid. The cat died and I didn’t want Mother to worry. Sasuke was only three and you know how much trouble he was giving her. So…I thought it would be nice if the cat was buried beneath the flowers since her flowers were always so pretty. I was eight.” Itachi blushed a little at the attention from everyone.



Naruto practically tackled Itachi. “Where did you bury it? Let’s dig it up! Dad! Can we?”



“I’d rather not. Let the poor animal rest in peace.” Minato crouched beside where Fugaku was trying to decide if he wanted to dig again, laugh, or cry. “You alright?”



Fugaku wiped his hands on his jeans and stood, leaving Naruto pleading with Itachi for the location of the long dead cat while Sasuke begged him not to reveal it. From the look in his older son’s eye, he would use this day as future torture for his brother. Lately they’d begun to revert back to their more natural state of Itachi torturing Sasuke and the younger having no choice but to take it. Such was the lot of a younger sibling.



“I’m getting there.” Fugaku strolled away from the boys. “Today…was good for thinking.”



Minato inclined his head to signal Fugaku to continue. “What did you think about?”



“Mostly Mikoto. I know we never really talked about before…”



“You don’t have to…”



Fugaku shook his head. “Let me. Consider it part of my therapy.”



Minato hung his head but gestured for him to continue. Fugaku smiled at the motion. There were times Minato and Naruto seemed so alike. They both possessed similar mannerisms, most likely something the younger picked up from his father. Watching them together, he saw in Minato both a mother and a father. It was a role he’d had to develop from the beginning and one Fugaku was just now learning he had to take up. He’d never realized just how much Mikoto had done for them all until she was gone.



Fugaku took a breath, leaning against one of the large oak trees providing shade from the sun. “I was in a bad place then. I took advantage of you and then blamed you for it. I was ashamed of myself for being attracted to someone. Even before Mikki died, I found myself thinking of you when I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry for what I put you through.”



“You sound like an alcoholic doing the steps to sobriety.”



He chuckled a little at the comment. If only Minato knew how close to the truth he was. He didn’t need to attend meetings to know he’d wronged his sons and Minato. Making amends was just something he felt he needed to do. “I just wanted you to know I was sorry for what I’d done.”



“You didn’t take advantage of me because I let you. I suppose you could call it my own shameful act.” Minato reached a hand to scratch the back of his head. “I wasn’t thinking about you or that you might need something more than I could give you. You know we could keep going around in this circle or we can start over.”



Fugaku swallowed--his mouth suddenly dry. It was a thought he’d been playing around with in his head. He remembered back to the day Mikoto had passed. The day seemed most of a blur to him because he’d tried not to remember it. For a long time he’d refused to think about it. Now talking with Minato like this, he wondered if she’d seen that first glimmer of attraction for Minato in his eyes as he sat watching her die. She’d been an amazing woman. It shocked him to think she could be so insistent he would find someone to ‘weather the years with’. But, she’d been right. He’d found someone he wanted to see just how far he could go in feeling.



“Fugaku?”



“It’s harder to say than I’d thought.” Fugaku took a deep breath and looked into Minato’s eyes. “I’d like to see more of you.”



Minato blinked dumbly, his brows turning down. “I’m not sure I’m following you. We see each other at least once a week.”



“Sometimes I think you’re an idiot.”



Fugaku opened his mouth to spell it out for Minato. He wasn’t really interested in sex, though he wouldn’t be a man if the thought of it didn’t cross his mind. It was more that he was lonely. Genma told him that dating would be hard at first. He believed him but he wanted to try before he lost his chance with Minato. It might not work out, but not taking this chance was more of a smudge on Mikoto’s memory than actually moving on.



Naruto began calling for them, dragging Sasuke behind him upon spotting them. It was probably a case of saved by the bell. Fugaku wasn’t sure if he was grateful or frustrated by the interruption.



“Dad!” Naruto ran up, Sasuke’s hand firmly locked in his. “Sasuke said Itachi has a bet to win and the name of the game is trivial pursuit.”



Fugaku arched a brow. “What bet?”



“Itachi is smarter than you. I bet you Itachi is smarter.” Sasuke puffed out his a chest.



Minato crouched down in front of the two boys. “Well…what are you betting?”



Sasuke frowned, “What do you mean?”



“If you bet something you have to offer something up. So let’s say…if Itachi wins, Fugaku has to buy you a Playstation3. And if your father wins, you have to…” Minato looked up to Fugaku.



“Clean all the bathrooms once a week…thoroughly for two months.”



Sasuke’s eyes narrowed. “A Playstation…and an Xbox.”



“Deal.” Fugaku crossed his arms across his chest.



Minato grinned widely. “Alright…the game is on.”



The two boys raced ahead to tell Itachi the news, leaving Fugaku alone with Minato. Fugaku moved to follow when his arm was grabbed, forcing him to pause and glance towards his companion. Minato smiled, making Fugaku wonder if he’d been playing dumb or just wanting to make sure it was what he wanted. “We’ll finish our conversation later,” he said.



Fugaku nodded and the two walked towards the house where Itachi was already looking nervous. A few words from Sasuke had him paling significantly. Fugaku was planning on buying them the game systems anyway, but seeing Itachi taken down a notch by nerves made him chuckle.



“Since this is between Fugaku and Itachi, we’ll just use the question cards. No help from the peanut gallery.” Minato sent a glare in Naruto and Sasuke’s direction.



Naruto zipped his lips and sat back with Sasuke to enjoy the show. Those two taken care of, Minato took the question cards and shuffled them. “We’re just going to go back and forth. Each question is worth one point. If one of you gets the question wrong, your opponent has a chance to answer the question for a bonus point. Understand.”



Both nodded and Minato began. “Fugaku. In what country is Casablanca?”



“Morocco.”



“Itachi, what story begins with the line, "All children except one, grow up"?”



“Peter Pan.”



“Fugaku, what year did the Berlin wall come down?”



“1989.”



“Itachi, according to mythology, who supports the earth on his shoulders?”



“Atlas.”



It went on like this for nearly an hour. At the end of the stack of cards, the two Uchiha were tied with Itachi up for the winning question. “Itachi…if you get this right, you win the game.”



Itachi shot his father a superior look. He’d only gotten two wrong. “Okay.”



“Itachi, in golf an Albatross is how many strokes under par on a single hole?” Fugaku had never seen his son turn so pale. The triumphant smile fell from Sasuke’s face at the look crossing Itachi’s face. It was obvious to everyone seated; Itachi had no idea what the answer.



A pink tongue darted out to wet suddenly damp lips. Itachi closed his eyes and hazarded a guess. “Four?”



Minato winced, “No that’s not correct.”



“Fuck,” muttered Itachi as his head fell to the table in defeat.



Fugaku retorted with, “Watch your language.”



Minato chuckled at the two. “Fugaku?”



“It’s three.”



“Congratulations. You’re the winner.” Minato patted Fugaku’s shoulder, all the while laughing at the utter defeat on both the younger Uchiha’s faces. “Don’t look so down. Itachi, you’ve impressed even me. I think you should be proud.”



“Yeah…” Itachi muttered, “Proud to be cleaning bathrooms.”



Fugaku laughed. It felt like the first time in forever. The five of them together felt like family. Even Naruto had grown on him. He wanted to keep it. Perhaps it was a bit selfish, but he wanted to keep Minato with him.



“Dad! I’m hungry,” complained Naruto. As if to add evidence to his claim, his stomach grumbled loud enough for everyone to hear. “See!”



Minato ruffled his son’s hair and walked to the refrigerator as if he lived in the house. He began taking out vegetables and meats, Naruto immediately moving beside him to assist as he did at home.



“Come on. Everyone can help.” Minato gestured for the three Uchiha’s watching him with dumbfounded looks on their faces “It’s not wise to deny Naruto food.”



Sasuke was the first on his feet, immediately taking a place beside Naruto to help him begin mixing the sauce. Itachi took over chopping the vegetables while Minato and Fugaku manned the stove and prepared the meat.



Minato kept a careful watch on Naruto’s adding of ingredients set aside. “I have to keep a watch on him or else I end up with bananas in pot roast or chocolate dipped tomatoes.”



Sasuke wrinkled his nose, punching Naruto in the shoulder. “Don’t add anything weird to my food.”



“I’m not your wife! I add what tastes good.” Naruto stuck his tongue out at Sasuke, reaching for a container of cinnamon, which Minato quickly snatched from his reach.



“Let’s stick to the recipe today.”



Naruto’s lower lip poked out defiantly, but he didn’t push the issue. “Fine, but when I get married, my wife is going to cook the way I want to.”



Sasuke and Itachi’s eyes narrowed slightly. The action wasn’t caught by the adults but it stated loudly in their own minds. Neither one liked the idea of some stupid girl coming in and stealing Naruto away from them by cooking.



“Naruto can be my wife if he wants. I’d eat chocolate covered tomatoes if he made them.”



Fugaku choked on the tea he was drinking, while Minato turned from the scene. Small snicker-like coughs shook his body while Naruto grinned at Sasuke. “If we get married, you’ll have to be the wife cuz I’m a boy.”



“So am I, moron.” Sasuke sniffed indignantly. “You could be Naruto Uchiha then.”



“Well, what if I wanted you to be S’suke Namikaze?”



Itachi only scowled in Sasuke’s direction, his expression determined to get the one up on Sasuke. “I’ll marry Naruto and even be the wife.”



Minato didn’t bother hiding his laughter at this point, leaving Fugaku to deal with the argument over who would marry Naruto. He knew Itachi was old enough to know better than childish thoughts of marriage, but seeing Itachi’s focused eyes made him wonder just how attached his older son was to Naruto. “I think we should drop the subject. No one is marrying anyone for a long time.”



It was Naruto’s turn to pipe in with his two cents. “That’s not true. You’re going to marry Dad, aren’t you?”



Fugaku opened his mouth to deny it when Minato spun around to face his son. “Naruto!”



“What? It’s true, isn’t it?”



Fugaku was at a loss for words. Even Minato seemed to have trouble explaining their relationship. Even if they were officially in a relationship, it would be a long time before either was ready for a permanent arrangement. “Let’s just table this discussion for a later date.”



With the marriage excitement out of the way, the kitchen was soon filled with the scent of spices and food. It was good. It had been long empty with Mikoto gone. Sasuke reached around Naruto to snag one of the tomato slices Itachi was cutting for the salad. “S’suke is going to turn into a tomato,” joked Naruto.



“It’s a vegetable…it’s good for you,” muttered Sasuke with his mouth full of tomato.



“Actually it’s a fruit.” Itachi corrected.



“For real?” Naruto eyed the red slices Itachi sat before Sasuke, taking one from the plate and popping it in his mouth. “Looks like a vegetable to me. Tastes like one too.”



“I don’t care if it‘s a vegetable or a fruit, it’s good.” Sasuke shoved another quarter slice in his mouth just to make the point.



The room was filled with laughter as the group sat down to eat the beef stir fry, rice, and salad. Thankfully there were no more talks of marriage between their sons or themselves. It was pleasant and following it, Minato and Fugaku agreed to handle clean up while the three boys played in the yard. Naruto kept insisting Itachi show them where he buried the cat.



“They get along well.” Fugaku dried while Minato washed.



Minato glanced at his son who was riding on Itachi’s back, Sasuke trotting alongside yelling for a turn while Sharingan barked as he trailed behind them. “Yes, they do.”



“I feel like I’m in high school again.” Fugaku fidgeted with the plate.



“You can ask me, you know. I won’t bite. I’m trying to let you have the control. I don’t want to scare you away again or ruin things by doing something you aren’t ready for.” Minato turned to face Fugaku. “We have time. We don’t have to do anything.”



Fugaku shifted nervously under Minato’s gaze. “Are you psychic?”



“You’re easy to read.”



“Mikoto used to say that. I didn’t believe her.” Fugaku put away the plate in his hand. “Do you think our wives are in the afterlife laughing at us while drinking tea and gossiping on how we are making a muck of things?”



Minato snorted, laughter twinkling in his eyes. “I don’t know about Mikoto, but Kushina would be sucking back a beer, not drinking tea like a lady.”



Fugaku chuckled. He’d never known Kushina but through Minato, she felt very much alive in the way he talking of her. “I wish I could have known her.”



“She was a card. You could say she forced one out of their comfort zone. Or into one. Naruto’s a lot like her.” Minato placed his slightly damp hand over Fugaku’s. “We don’t have to do anything. I mean it. Things can just stay the way they are until you’re ready.”



“What if I’m never ready?”



Minato shrugged. “After living with Naruto for ten years, I’ve developed a lot of patience. I’ll stick by you even if you never feel about me the way I’ve come to feel about you.”



Fugaku closed his eyes, shivering a little as Minato wrapped his arms around him from behind. The warmth was strong. It warmed the place inside him that had been frozen upon Mikoto’s death. “Minato…”



“This is nice. No pressure. No thoughts of anything but watching our children play together.” Minato sat his chin on Fugaku’s shoulder, staring out the kitchen window. “So are you willing to take bets on who wins Naruto’s heart?”



Fugaku snorted. He didn’t even want to think about any of the children as anything but children. Already Itachi was on the cusp of manhood, holding onto the fragile string of his childhood. He would be sixteen come June. Driver‘s license and all too soon college loomed in the not so distant future. “I’m more worried about my own heart at this moment.”



Minato turned Fugaku’s head, lowering his head to brush their lips gently across each other. It felt warm and surprisingly healing. For a moment he could almost swear he felt Mikoto’s arms around him, offering warmth, love, and support. It hurt and also told him he’d found the person she’d spoken of--the person to weather the years with. “How about we start slow…dinner?”



Minato grinned, kissing the corner of Fugaku’s mouth. “Dinner sounds good. Lucky for you, you have a built in babysitter.”



“Where Naruto is concerned, I’m afraid Itachi would give into him every time.” Fugaku sighed, glancing towards were both younger boys were tugging on Itachi’s arms.



Minato followed his gaze. “You might be right. We’ll think of something.”



He lowered his lips, brushing them over Fugaku’s in a deeper kiss. Neither noticed the three boys staring at them through the window. Naruto was grinning widely while Sasuke and Itachi blushed brightly.



“We’re a family now,” whispered Naruto. “Brothers.”



Sasuke sniffed unhappily. “I can’t marry my brother.”



Itachi smirked devilishly. “I have no problem marrying my brother.”



Sasuke aimed a sour look towards Itachi before being urged by Naruto into a game of tag with the dog. The light hearted mood transferred to their play. For the first time in months, the Uchiha household seemed to be healed. They all bore the scars of their losses but were healed by each other. Spring meant the renewal of life for them all.



The end~



A/N Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed this story. It was commissioned by annieme on Ygal. Sorry for no hard lemon but it didn't fit the story and if you are only reading for the lemon then you are reading the wrong person XD I thank everyone for the support of this very rare pairing. It was a pleasure writing for you.