For the Love of His Son

Disclaimer: Not mine. Bummer.
Summary: Lord Sasuke Uchiha believes that he has lost something precious to him and struggles to convince himself everyday that it didn‘t exist. What will he do when a blond haired peasant arrives at his doorstep claiming he has something the Uchiha “misplaced.” (SasuNaru)


Author’s Humble Thanks: Okay, I feel horrible for not saying it before now, but I love you guys! Thank you to everyone who has left a review, and those who read it and thought, “Gosh, I should leave a review” and even those who read it and said “Heh… whatever” (I like to see the hit count go up too, sad the things that entertain me, but true none the less.) It’s awesome to hear what you all liked and what you may not have. I must say I was surprised at the response to my “descriptions” of Orochimaru and Itachi at the end of the last chapter. Normally, I never would have gone into that much detail, but when I tried to pull the “Alfred Hitchcock Card” (what you don’t ‘see’ is scarier than what you do) for what Itachi did to Naruto, I had a lot of raised eyebrows, so this time I tried harder. Just so you know, when I originally imagined the scene, they had a young daughter. Turns out I couldn’t write that. Anyway, the next icky scene (I think) will be Orochimaru and Itachi getting what they deserve. Something to look forward too… yes??


For the Love of His Son
Chapter 6


Kyuubi had never seen Naruto like this before. The boy was practically pushing himself through the bars of his cage to get closer to the demon, presumably to indulge in the warmth the fox provided, but Kyuubi suspected Naruto was trying to hide as deep into his subconscious as he could.


“Kit…” Best to start this conversation now, while he was still somewhat outside of the bars.


“No.” Was the whimpered reply.


“No…no, what?”


“No, I’m not okay. No, I don’t want to talk about it. No, it’s NOT GOING TO BE ALRIGHT!!”


Kyuubi couldn’t help but think the yelling would have been more impressive if Naruto’s face wasn’t smothered in his fur.


“Maybe not now, but soon…”


“Stop it, just leave me alone. Let’s just end this…”


“Kit, you can just stop right there….” He noticed that Naruto’s body was once again outside of the cage, pushed right up against it, but firmly outside. He was waking up. From the panic that flared through the kit’s mind, Naruto realized it too.


“No, I don’t want to wake up… please, please let me stay here.” Naruto grasped onto fur, cold metal bars, slippery cement, anything he could reach.


(Dobe, don’t do this. Enough with the dramatics. Wake up.)


“Kit, do you hear that? It’s your Uchiha. He needs you. He’s calling you.”


“I don’t care. They are coming because of me… I’ll only hurt Sasuke. I hurt everyone.”


(Naruto! Ryuu’s crying! Wake up, we can’t get him to stop, he needs you. I ne… Ryuu is so scared. Dobe!)


“Well, damn.”


Kyuubi smirked as Naruto woke up.


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Sasuke watched as Naruto’s eyelids fluttered open, revealing his crystalline blue orbs. He sat fascinated as emotions ran across those eyes. First confusion, his bright eyes darting back and forth, then when they rested on charcoal eyes, what could be read as relief, and then horror… Horror that ripped Sasuke’s heart out.


“Dobe?” He reached out a tentative hand to brush back sweaty, blond locks. And then Naruto burst into sobs. Sasuke refused to sit by and watch the boy suffer, so he reached out, picked Naruto up and settled him against his chest as Sasuke adjusted to rest back against the head board.


After a few minutes, Naruto seemed to calm down. He slowly lifted his head from its resting place and looked around, “Where’s Ryuu? I thought you said he was crying?” Red rimmed eyes looked accusingly at the dark haired lord.


“Huh… oh, I sent him out.” A blond eyebrow raised, accusation in the blue eyes deepening. If Sasuke were any less of an Uchiha he would have rolled his eyes, “He really was crying, dobe. I didn’t think it was good for him to be in here when you were unresponsive. Soon I’ll have him brought back in. He’ll be fine. You however…”


Naruto closed his eyes. There was nothing, nothing he wouldn’t give to get out of this conversation. ‘This’ conversation made the earlier afternoon’s conversation seem pleasant and fun. But, he knew Sasuke needed, deserved to know what was coming… because of him.


Without opening his eyes, Naruto leaned back against Sasuke’s warmth and began yet another less than pleasant explanation of recent events.


“When I left the castle, I left a clone behind as a decoy. I knew no one would bother him for a least a week, but just in case someone did, they would come into my room, see ‘me’ and leave. I figured he had a week, week and a half, at most before being discovered. He lasted much longer. I’d actually forgotten about him.” Sasuke raised an eyebrow at this. What must it be like to have so much chakra that you could ‘forget’ when a piece of it was missing? “This afternoon the clone’s chakra and m-memories returned.”


Naruto’s body started shaking, his breathing becoming shallow. “Dobe. Stop.” Sasuke said harshly, his tone nothing less than an order, “You may not be a trained ninja, but you have the potential to be greater than us all. Call on the inner strength I know you have and tell me what happened. It is NOT happening ‘now’. No one can hurt you ‘now’. Right ‘now’ you are safe and with me.”


Naruto’s eyes widened, but he nodded slowly. Sasuke was right. Naruto Uzumaki was not weak or scared or unable to protect those that needed it.


“Itachi found my clone as soon as it left my room. Somehow he found a way to prevent my clone from leaving, some kind of chakra fused bracelet. It even allowed the clone to be in the presence of Orochimaru.” Naruto stopped again. He ruthlessly fisted his hands to control the emotion threatening to wash him out to sea.


“Orochimaru, of course, knew about the Shadow Clone Jutsu. He knew that if he did anything to the clone it would just “poof” away. So he decided to use the clone and the fact that its memories would become my memories to send me a message.”


The feeling brewing in Sasuke’s chest told him he wasn’t going to enjoy the “message”.


“Orochimaru and Itachi locked the clone in the dungeon and then proceeded to t-torture the only two people who ever showed me any kindness at that place, for two and a half weeks… and then they killed them. Before ‘killing’ the clone to send him back, Orochimaru said that he would be seeing me and my “little companion” soon.” Finishing, Naruto, if possible, pressed tighter against Sasuke’s chest.


“And Itachi?” Sasuke growled.


“He said to say hello to his foolish little brother.”


“Fuck!” Naruto jumped at the unexpected and loud outburst from Sasuke.


“I’m sorry. Naruto, I’m so sorry.” Sasuke pulled Naruto towards him again and pressed his face into Naruto’s silken hair. He smelt like the first breeze heralding in the beginning of spring.


Naruto closed his eyes again, he was so tired. He just wanted to stay like this, for a little longer, forever. Here, he had Ryuu and Sasuke and maybe even friends. Naruto’s eyes snapped open. He sat up, pushing away from Sasuke.


“Naruto?” Sasuke questioned, he had been enjoying the moment as well.


“I have to go, leave, right now. I can’t be here. They are coming. I can’t be here, you are all in danger. Ryuu, you, Chouji, Ino… god, all of you.” Naruto slid off the bed, his legs threaten to buckle under him, but he pushed forward heading toward the door.


He gasped as he felt strong arms wrap around him from behind, lift him up and settle him once again against the lord’s firm chest on the bed.


“No, dobe. You are not leaving. Never try again.” Sasuke said brusquely, his arms tightening in what could only be seen as a threat.


“Teme! Let me go. I don’t want any of you to be hurt. I should have left immediately, gone back, made up some story about running away, so that they would never think of you or Ryuu again. Taken whatever punishment they willed…” Again Naruto tried to escape the lord’s arms.


“Naruto! If I have my way, you will never see either of those men again. Whether you are here or not does not change the fact that ‘that man’ is my brother. He killed every other Uchiha. Eventually he would have found out about Ryuu. Do you think he’d just let that go unnoticed?”


“Sasuke, please… think. You don’t know me. I am no one important. If I can distract them, even for awhile, give you all more time, wouldn’t that be worth it?” Sasuke paled. The question was too close to one he had asked himself for months… was one life worth the cost of so many others?


Finally, Sasuke pushed Naruto away. Naruto let out a relieved sigh and made to get up again.


“No you don’t,” Sasuke held Naruto’s shoulders and turned him so that the two were sitting, facing each other. “Naruto, I think it’s time that I told you a story or two. As Kakashi said, you seemed to enjoy surprising us, I’m looking forward to returning the favor.”


Naruto eyed the door, but curiosity made him look back at Sasuke and nod.


“First, you are far from nobody. You’ll remember how Kakashi said that the Fourth had asked him to gather a newborn baby, you, so that he could perform the sealing.” Naruto nodded again, “What you missed during your nap,” Naruto made a face, “was that the baby was the Fourth’s own newborn son.”


Naruto felt the air leave his lungs, but somehow, fresh air refused to come back in. The Fourth’s son? He knew he had a father, everyone has to have one somewhere, but to be given a name, a real person. But then why was he abandoned? If he was the son of such a great man, why was he now nothing more than a peasant, an abused slave. His life had been torture from the time he was five years old. Where the hell where all the people who should have loved him, even if for no other reason than who his father was?


“I don’t understand. How is that possible? Why was I left? How did I become this?” Naruto lowered his head, blond spikes falling in his eyes, once again forcing emotion down that threatened to overcome him.


“Kakashi said that after the Kyuubi was sealed they went to retrieve the baby, but you were gone. They looked for weeks, but finally were forced to accept you hadn’t survived the sealing.” Sasuke looked down to see he was holding Naruto’s hand. When had that happened?


“So, then, how did I get away? I told you about my caregiver, how did I end up with her?” Naruto looked pleadingly at Sasuke for the answers. Sasuke shook his head, he didn’t have any.


“Dobe, I don’t know. I don’t know if we’ll ever know. At this point, I can only think of one person to ask and I doubt Orochimaru will be forthcoming.”


Naruto nodded. There was one thing about this mess that brought him comfort. Whoever had taken him from the forest cared enough to put him somewhere safe. He might not have stayed there, but it still made him feel protected, at one point in his life.


“Alright, I’m the Fourth’s son. Good to know.” Naruto looked up, brilliant, but fake smile spreading across his face. “You said you had a story or two? What other surprises do you have in store, teme?”


Sasuke frowned. He knew the smile was forced. Naruto had been through so much. Should he wait for Naruto to process his confession in the study, his brother’s sicko “message” and his paternity before piling on anymore? Then he looked into Naruto’s eyes. He saw weariness but also determination, strength and trust.


“Dobe, after Ryuu was born, why did you give him your chakra? Did you know that it had to be the biological parents or the baby would reject it?” Sasuke decided to get some of his own questions answered before letting Naruto know of his “motherhood”.


“Well, yes, Kyuubi told me. I was holding Ryuu when he started to struggle to breathe. He was so beautiful, Sasuke, I couldn’t let him die. I turned to force Sakura to do her job, but she died before I could. Kyuubi told me to just hold Chibi… make his first and last moments warm and secure. I didn’t know what to do and then… then he opened his eyes. Midnight black eyes just like his father’s, they took my breath away.” Naruto looked up and blue met black. Naruto’s breath hitched and a blush spread lazily across his cheeks. Yes, he thought, just like that.


“Kyuubi told me I was being foolish, setting myself up for heartbreak, but those eyes trusted me, needed me, l-loved me. I couldn’t fail him. I had to try. I gathered chakra in my hands, I didn’t know how a mother would do it, and simply asked, begged, forced the baby to accept me. I don’t know how long I stood there, giving him my heart…” Another blush, “I mean chakra, but just when I had begun to give up hope, Ryuu started to breathe freely, and that’s all I know.” Naruto shrugged, he didn’t think he could explain it any better.


Sasuke nodded, just one more thing to add to the imposs… wait, that’s a bad word now. Just one more thing to add to the “Only Naruto Can Do It” list.


“After you arrived with the baby and fainted rather spectacularly,” Naruto huffed at the Uchiha smirk he was subjected to, “I had Hinata look at the baby to determine if he was mine.”


Naruto interrupted, deep offense coloring his voice, “Well, of course he is! Did you even look at him!”


Sasuke sighed, “Naruto, when Sakura told me she was pregnant, she followed the statement with her intention to kill the baby. I spent eight months convincing myself that she had killed the baby before he was even born. Your arriving was a miracle, but I had to be sure before I allowed my heart to accept that miracle. As a matter of survival. Can you understand that?”


“Yes and I’m so sorry you had to go through that. You didn’t deserve it.” Naruto gently squeeze Sasuke’s hand, providing the only comfort he could.


“Thank you.” Sasuke allowed a small, genuine smile to reach his lips and received a small, genuine smile in return. He felt his heart skip a beat. Perhaps he should talk to Neji about that?


“When Hinata checked Ryuu, she saw my chakra and Sakura’s,” Naruto gave the lord a look that said he understood that was how it worked, “but she saw yours as well.”


“Huh, well I guess that makes sense.” Naruto sat back, thinking, “I mean, I gave him some, but surely it would fade away to allow his parents’ chakra to work. Just like healing chakra right? It doesn’t stay in the body. It does its job and dissipates.”


“That’s not what happened, dobe.” Sasuke waited until blue eyes met his, “Hinata saw Sakura’s chakra, but just trace amounts, hardly normal for her being the baby’s mother. She said that it looked like our chakras were working together to push Sakura’s out.”


“I-I don’t understand. What does that mean?” Naruto yanked his hand from Sasuke’s and clasped them in his lap. His posture was anxious, his eyes looking anywhere but the young lord in front of him.


Sasuke answered, his voice revealing no emotion. “It means that as of yesterday, Ryuu holds none of Sakura’s chakra and is developing his own chakra through a blend of our chakra’s together. It means, dobe, that for all intents and purposes, you are his mother.”


Sasuke didn’t know what he was expecting from Naruto after he found out this new development, but seeing Naruto throw himself off the bed and run for the bathroom to loose his stomach’s contents, again, was not it.


Sasuke stood and walked to the doorway, listening to Naruto whisper to himself, “Oh my god, what have I done, so stupid, so fucking stupid…”


“Dobe.” Naruto didn’t reply, but he stood and washed his out his mouth, drying it on a towel. Finally, he turned slowly to look at Sasuke.

“My lord, I didn’t know. I never would have, you must understand. I didn’t know this would happen. You must be angry.” Naruto bowed his head.


Sasuke, in a very un-Uchiha manner, snorted aloud, “You really are stupid, aren‘t you?”


“Wh-what?” Naruto looked up shocked. Sasuke was pleased to see anger flash across blue eyes.


“Naruto, come here.” Sasuke turned around and walked back to the bed. Naruto followed at a somewhat more hesitant pace. After they had settled, once again looking at each other, Sasuke began, “You saved my son’s life. Why the hell would I be angry at you?”


“Maybe because I stole a piece of your son, bastard!” Naruto jumped off the bed and started to pace, throwing disgusted looks at Sasuke with each turn.


And just like that, Sasuke was the one confused, “What?”


“Who’s stupid now, my lord?” Sasuke did not miss the sarcasm attach to the honorific and raised a dark eyebrow in annoyance. “You’re telling me that you and I share a child. You never asked to share a child with me. I took that from you, your choice, oh my god, I violated… almost ra…”


“Damn it, dobe. Stop. You did not. Do you think I wanted to share a child with Sakura? Obviously she wasn’t keen on sharing one with me. We slept together one time, you idiot and that’s only because her fucking parents were IN THE ROOM!” With that, Sasuke was off the bed. “After she left with Itachi, do you know what stopped me from chasing after them? DO YOU?!” Sasuke’s eyes fluctuated between black and blood red.


Naruto backed away, but shook his head, never breaking eye contact.


“I thought maybe it was better that Ryuu died, because I didn’t think I could love something that was a part of her. I-I gave up my first child because their mother was so horrible that I didn’t think I could look at the chibi and not see her and the destructive hate that we shared.” Sasuke closed his eyes. He couldn’t look at Naruto’s innocent gaze anymore. He turned around, fists held tightly at his sides and walked across the room, away from the blond.


“Sas…” Naruto began, but was immediately cut off.


“But, now because of you… because of you I have my son and he isn’t a part of someone I hate, he’s a part of you, of us.” Sasuke’s voice became so quiet at the end that Naruto almost didn’t hear it. “Thank you. Thank god for you.”


Naruto hesitated for a moment before crossing the room until he was behind Sasuke. Standing behind him, Naruto realized that his nose reached to the middle of Sasuke’s shoulder blades. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around the taller man, pressing the side of his face gently against his back. He felt Sasuke tense, but then immediately relax in his arms. Naruto had just closed his eyes and released a contented sigh when Sasuke turned around suddenly, wrapping his arms around Naruto.


“Naruto.” Sasuke whispered. Naruto looked up into Sasuke’s face, mesmerized, as he always was, by the depth of the black pools that were the lord’s eyes.


For once, Sasuke had no idea what he was doing, he wasn’t thinking, his heart had taken over and it needed something, something that only Naruto, the blond dobe that was a walking impossibility, could give him.


Slowly, Sasuke leaned toward Naruto, concentrating on pale rose lips. He wanted, needed to feel them, taste them…


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If anyone were looking for Akamaru, he could be found under Ryuu’s crib with his paws securely over his floppy ears. Kiba wished he could join him.


“Is this normal?” His voice was a decimal below an all out yell to be heard over the non-stop screams of one, Ryuu Uchiha. Kiba was beginning to think the blond kid wasn’t the only one demon possessed around here and at least Naruto’s demon was contained.


Ino answered with a dark glare, continuing to rock the upset boy. He had started crying right before Sasuke burst into the room carrying a limp and unconscious Naruto.


“Kiba, babies cry. They can’t speak, so they cry. Yes, it’s normal.”


“Yes, but this much, for this long and this damn loud!” Kiba gave into temptation and pressed his hands over his ears.


Hinata scowled at the young man and walked up to Ino. “Here, let me try… again.”


And still the baby screamed. Hinata was worried. Kiba was right, this wasn’t just normal baby behavior. Ryuu was crying ‘for’ Naruto. Not because he missed his mother, or needed something, but because of Naruto’s pain.


“That’s it! I’m taking him back. His little nest has always worked in the past, even if Naruto was just sleeping next to him. He’s going to die from lack of air and I can’t see Uchiha being happy about that!” Kiba ‘gently’ grabbed the dark haired infant and stalked across the hall intent on ending his pain. And, of course, the baby’s too.


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When Sasuke opened the door to Kiba’s knock, he had every intention of murdering the person on the other side. Slowly, painfully…


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He could feel Naruto’s sweet breath against his face. His mouth lifted into a small smile when he felt how fast Naruto’s breaths were coming. He almost died when Naruto returned his smile with a shy, trusting smile of his own. So close now, so close…


KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! “Okay, boss, we really, really need the nest now.”


Naruto jumped back, startled at the interruption. Sasuke turned red eyes to the door, cursing rather creatively. “Someone is going to fucking die,” he muttered and started toward the door.


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“Oh, hey. You alright? You’re looking a little red in the face.” Kiba asked, pushing his way in as the door opened, completely oblivious to the murderous intent of his boss. “Oh thank all the angels in heaven, you’re awake.” Noticing Naruto standing near the window, Kiba ran to him, “Here, take it. Please.” He thrust the wailing infant into Naruto’s arms and then started dumbfounded when the baby immediately stopped crying. “Really, we thought we were going to die. He wouldn’t stop and…”


As Kiba rambled on, Sasuke watched Naruto quietly cradled the baby against his chest. He noticed that when he finally calmed down, Ryuu’s body gave a huge shudder of relief at being safe in his “mother’s” arms. Sasuke felt his heart swell. Then he looked into Naruto’s face and knew his heart had to have burst. Naruto, who had always looked at the boy with affection and love, now started down at the sleeping boy with raw emotion upon his face. Sasuke saw awe, possessiveness and love, god, so much love. He noticed the tear slide down Naruto’s cheek and reached up to wipe if off with his thumb. Naruto looked up and their eyes locked. Sasuke was startled when Naruto reached up with is own free hand and wiped something wet off of Sasuke’s cheek as well.


“Kiba, leave.” Sasuke quietly interrupted, without breaking the precious eye contact.


Kiba stopped his tirade about demon babies and glanced at his boss. What he saw made him close his mouth and walk quietly out of the room. Sasuke and Naruto stood in front of each other, holding each other’s faces, eyes locked. The only sound in the room was the gentle snores of their son.


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“Naruto.” Sasuke whispered once again and Naruto knew he would never grow tired of hearing his name fall from those lips.


“Hmmm.”


“Can I? May I?” Sasuke wanted so much to finish what Kiba had interrupted. He needed it. He would die without it and so, without further ado, he leaned forward, taking Naruto’s lips into their first kiss.


Sasuke closed his eyes, he wanted to experience the feeling with all the rest of his senses, knowing it would be that much sweeter. He slowly moved his lips against Naruto’s, mapping out the texture, pushing against the softness and tasting the uniqueness that was Naruto’s alone. Sasuke was in heaven and just when he began to pull away, he felt Naruto’s lips hesitantly moved against his own. His eyes snapped open, only to shut again at the gorgeous whimper that escaped Naruto’s lips. He felt Naruto lean towards him and wrapped his strong arms around the smaller boy. Finally, because breathing is such a nuisance, they separated.


Sasuke looked down to see that Naruto’s eyes were still closed, but the sweetest smile crossed his face and Sasuke almost leaned forward to taste that as well. Instead, he laughed softly and rested his forehead against Naruto’s.


“Sasuke…” His name, said with the reverence of a prayer, he could die happy right now.


The moment was broken by a rather undignified squawk from the chibi resting in Naruto’s arms. Sasuke stepped away from Naruto, placing his hand against the blond’s lower back and steered them to the bed.


After laying Ryuu into his nest and placing his hand on the boy’s tummy, Naruto turned to Sasuke. His free hand rubbed the back of his neck. He bounced slightly up and down on the mattress. It was ridiculously cute.


“Well, that was… well, what was that?” Sasuke wondered how the reddening of someone’s face could possibly be so tantalizing.


“Well, dobe, when two people like each other very much…” Sasuke drawled out.


“Shut up, teme!” Naruto scowled into his lap.


“Dobe,” Sasuke reached over to lift Naruto’s chin, “I don’t know exactly, but I don’t want it to stop. Do you?”


Naruto looked up at Sasuke and realized he didn’t. Not now, not ever. But…


“Teme, this isn’t your mind playing tricks on you, making you believe you like me because of some warped responsibility to the mother of your child is it?” Naruto searched the pale man’s face for any sign of mental instability.


“God, dobe. No, it’s not.” A lesser man would have smacked his forehead, and maybe the idiot’s in front of him as well.


And there it was, finally, the smile that Naruto gave his son, but his time, it was all for Sasuke, “Well then, no, I don’t want it to stop.”


Sasuke leaned forward, his hands on either side of Naruto’s knees. He stopped when his lips were but a hair’s breath from Naruto’s. “Good,” he whispered, and closed the gap.


Naruto let his eyes flutter closed. He wanted to laugh and cry and dance and simply lie still and feel… just feel. Sasuke was so beautiful and he wanted Naruto. How was that even conceivable. Naruto knew that Sasuke thought Naruto did many impossible things, but Sasuke wanting the ‘monster’ was the most impossible thing that he had ever heard.


When he felt Sasuke’s lips leave his, Naruto slowly opened his eyes. Sasuke was smiling back at him. It wasn’t wide and it didn’t contain any sign of a smirk. It was pure and it made the Uchiha devastatingly handsome.


Sasuke watched as Naruto’s eyes glazed over and he couldn’t stop the smirk that tugged at his mouth, “Hn, dobe,” Sasuke touched his forehead to the dobe’s, “I feel the same way.” With that, he gathered the blond boy into his arms and leaned back against the headboard. Sasuke smiled when he felt Naruto nuzzle his chest and release a contented sigh.


They lay there in silence, simple enjoying having discovered each other.


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“Sasuke, you know that thing you do with your eyes? What is that?” Naruto asked, breaking the comfortable silence.


“I told you, family blood line.” Sasuke gently carded his pale fingers through Naruto’s soft, golden spikes.


Naruto rolled his eyes, “Yes, teme, I caught that. What does it do?”


“It allows me to copy and duplicate moves and jutsu’s that I see. I can see and track the movements of an opponent, regardless of their speed. It also let’s me hypnotize an opponent to a small degree, allowing me to subtly suggest moves and thoughts which during a fight can be extremely helpful when combined with the first two.”


Naruto was so still, that for a moment, Sasuke thought maybe he had put him to sleep. Heh, dobe. But then, Naruto quietly asked, “How does Itachi do it then?”


Sasuke stiffened at the name. “Do what?”


“He could take me to another place, somewhere in my mind and do… things. Terrible things. Can you do that?” Naruto had sat up so that he could look at Sasuke.


“Naruto, that’s called the Mangekyo Sharingan, and no, I cannot use it.”


“I always thought it could be highly useful though…” Naruto pondered aloud.


“What?! Naruto, how could you, of all people, think that?” Sasuke asked, disbelief clouding his voice.


“Well, think about it, teme. It’s a world created by you. Imagine all the things you could do… share memories, create sanctuaries within your mind, hell, you could just take someone and escape without ever leaving your castle.” Naruto smiled at the thought.


“Dobe, that’s not how it works.” Sasuke shook his head.


“Why not?”


“In order to get it, you have to kill your best friend. Does that sound like something you would do to take a mental getaway?”


“Hmmm… why?”


“Why what, dobe.” Sasuke had no idea why he was getting irritated. He felt… uncomfortable talking about this subject with Naruto. He could only imagine the pain his brother had inflicted. Why would Naruto even bring it up?


“Why do you need to kill your best friend?” Naruto’s eyes looked so sincere, filled with curiosity.


“Itachi once told me it was because you had to prove you were strong enough and dedicated enough to use it and killing someone that close to you would activate it.”


“Okay, so do it.” Naruto smiled, excitement in his eyes.


“What?”


“Activate it! Teme! Are you even listening to me?” The blond cocked his head to the side.


“Dobe, yes, but obviously ‘you’ are not listening to me. I would have to kill my best friend, the person closest to me.” You, he thought. How had that possibly happened so quickly.


“Sasuke, don’t you see, it’s a mental barrier that you have to overcome. In order to convince their mind to activate the Mangekyo, they killed their best friend and then said to themselves, ‘there, I’m strong enough’ and then the Mangekyo appears. So all you have to do is tell yourself your strong enough and it should happen.” At Sasuke’s skeptical look, Naruto shrugged. “At least that’s what I do. If I can think it, then I try it. You’d be amazed at what can happen.”


Sasuke couldn’t believe what he was hearing and worse, he couldn’t believe that it made sense.


He turned to comment when something to his left caught his eye, he turned quickly to look at Ryuu. But the baby was fine, staring up at him with black eyes. Sasuke shook his head. ‘I could have sworn, that for a second, they were blue.’ Sasuke blinked and watched as Ryuu looked right at him, cooing and kicking his tiny legs. Sasuke smiled back and forgot anything had happened.


“So, what do you think, teme?” Naruto drew his attention.


“I, well, I can’t argue with you. I never thought of it like that. I don’t know that I could ‘trick’ my mind to that degree, but I will think on it.”


“That’s all I ask.” Naruto once again rested against Sasuke, this time picking up baby Ryuu and rubbing his face against the sweet baby tummy.


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As Naruto carried on a conversation with his son, Sasuke thought about the responsibilities he needed to see to. His brother and that snake Orochimaru could be on their way at this very moment. He would need to send scouts to watch their movements. Report back when they departed their castle and got nearer to Sasuke’s. At home, Ryuu and Naruto could not be left on their own. A knight, maybe two, would need to be with them at all times.


These things needed to happen now.


“Dobe, I need to see to something. I’ll be back.” Sasuke said, taking a moment to nuzzle the top of Naruto’s head and tickle his son’s chin.


“Hmm… what’s that, teme?” Naruto replied, still making faces at the little boy in his lap.


“I need to send knights out immediately to scout and relay information about Orochimaru’s movements.”


Naruto sat up, thinking. “Sasuke, I don’t think that’s a good idea. It’s a long trip. Once they get there, the chances of getting caught are high. Your brother and Itachi are not stupid. Plus, how will they relay messages in a timely manner?”


“Naruto, they are knights. They are trained for this. Messages can be relayed using birds, fellow scouts… it’s not like this is the first time I’ve done this.” Sasuke stood up. Naruto looked up at him with hard, blue eyes.


“I don’t doubt that, bastard, but this is the first time you have had me.” Sasuke’s eyes widened.


“What do you mean?”


Naruto stood up as well, adjusting Ryuu against his shoulder and grinning wide. “Why would you send your men, when you can send me?”


“No, absolutely not.” Sasuke stated, his eyes cold and hard at Naruto’s insane suggestion.


“Think! Not me, but my clones. I could send out a few dozen. None of them will get tired or be missed here. If they find anything out, they pop back and I receive instant information.” Naruto stood up tall right in front of Sasuke, meeting his glare with one of his own.


“And what if Orochimaru gets a hold of one! Was this afternoon not traumatic enough for you?”


“Shut up! Shut the hell up! You have no idea what I’ve seen. Fuck. You.” With that Naruto turned around and headed toward the door. He paused before opening the door, not turning around. “And teme, it’s already done. I sent them out the moment you wouldn’t allow me to leave.”


With that, Naruto walked out the door, closing it softly behind him.