Chapter 4
The tea kettle whistled and Naruto busied himself helping Sasuke with the cups placing them on a tray and taking them to the living area.
“Tea!” Naruto loudly exclaimed walking in the living area beginning to pass it out.
“Wait, can uh, can you guys even drink tea?” Naruto stopped and asked with obvious confusion and curiosity on his face.
Everyone shrugged but reached for the tea anyway.
They all sat around sipping tea. Well Naruto slurped, loudly. Sasuke sipped, and he had yet to see anyone else take a sip. They all seemed to alternate between glancing around the room and looking intently in their cups. There was some quiet talk here and there, but nothing was really being said, and there were certain exchanges not happening. The tension was still pretty thick in the room. Actually, aside from the gentle smiles and casual words exchanged between Naruto and
Sasuke’s mother, it was exceptionally quiet.
Sasuke and Naruto sat across Naruto’s parents, with Sasuke’s parents to their left, and Itachi to their right. Itachi and Fugaku sat stone still.
“Fugaku, fine boys you have there.” Minato piped up.
Fugaku glanced at Sasuke, and then at Itachi, before back to Minato and nodding a thank you.
“Alright, so, look we know this is all a little weird and a little uncomfortable for everyone, I know you were briefed before choosing to accept the jutsu, but I’m sure there are a lot of questions, so if you’d like to know anything please don’t hesitate to ask. It ‘s good to get these things out so that the time we have we can enjoy.” Naruto said after a brief silence.
“Right, excellent idea Naruto,” Minato responded.
Sasuke noticed that Naruto swallowed and inhaled deeply and slowly. Likely trying to figure out where to begin. He’d never seen Naruto so speechless. It was concerning.
“I um, sorry I don’t really know where to begin.” Naruto stammered out.
Sasuke looked at his husband, his pillar of strength nervously searching for words.
He clasped his hand and took a deep breath, squeezing Naruto’s hand.
Naruto gave a gentle smile and nod.
Minato and Kushina smiled.
“Actually, Naruto, if you don’t mind, I would like to address one of the elephants in the room. Mother, Father, are you uncomfortable with my presence?” Itachi asked suddenly.
Minato and Kushina turned to look at Itachi, confused.
“It’s…difficult..to explain I mean, we still love you Itachi. I-, Part of me knows, we know your reasons, we know you wanted to protect the village-“
Mikoto glanced at Sasuke
“- to protect Sasuke.”. We have forgiven you Itachi, we know your pain was extensive. We still love you. It’s just, different, being here it’s hazy, the afterlife, I know we are happy there, I know and maybe remember you are there, but the memories of being here last are so vivid, and it’s. Difficult, but not in a bad way. I am happy to see you. Like this I mean.” Mikoto frowned. “Forgive me, it is difficult to describe, the difference between here, and where our souls rest, very different planes of existence, very different feelings.”
“Perhaps this is something we should discuss privately, as a family matter.” Fugaku interjected.
Sasuke tilted his head, “This is my family, father.” Sasuke held Naruto’s hand tighter.
Fugaku’s gaze was hardened as he looked at Sasuke. Tension sat on his shoulders. Then his gaze traveled up to Itachi.
“This strongly feels like a matter to be discussed between the Uchiha clan and their murderer, especially since the murderer belonged to the clan.”
Minato and Kushinas eyes snapped back and forth, tension rising in the room.
“Don’t come in here talking about the clan or holding it high and mighty. There is no big clan and politics, and as far as technicality goes, Naruto and I are the clan as
I am the sole survivor and he is my husband.
Fugaku looked back at Sasuke with shock.
“Fine. We understand why it had to be done, Itachi, but what I want to know is why you chose the village son?” Fugakus gaze was intense, burning. His words sharp.
“To protect Sasuke, and prevent a civil war, Father.” Itachi answered
“I will not justify my actions to you, I believe I chose the path with less carnage even if it hurt, even if it was painful. Sasuke was protected.”
Naruto scoffed “Protected? Itachi, I respect you and understand that you were trying to protect him and had the right intentions, but you did not protect him. He grew up alone, isolated, and traumatized after you made him watch each family clan member killed. He had to clean up that blood, the blood of his mother and Father, Itachi.”
“You put him in a genjutsu Itachi?” Mikoto covered her mouth.
“I needed him to hate me, so he could enact justice.”
“Yes and it’s all he thought about!” Naruto hollered.
“I told you to watch over him Itachi” Fugaku directed
“No don’t blame all of this on Itachi Father, he tried to bring peace, he hated himself so much he wanted me to hate him too so I would take his life, and it worked it made me want to be more powerful, but you, YOU traumatized HIM, you made a soldier of a young child, positioned him in war, and planned a coup he was forced to stop.” Sasuke now snarled to Fugaku
“Sasuke, don’t defend me I do not deserve it.” Itachi tried to say
Naruto snapped in “Maybe not for all of your choices, like manipulating Sasuke, but you were manipulated too Itachi, yes, you deserve to be defended, you did what you could in some pretty fucked up situations and for that the blame doesn’t go to you” Naruto’s voice stern, steady “no, it was the shit leadership of the village”
“Precisely why I planned the coup” Fugaku piped in
“No, your way was wrong, Father, you planned to use the 9 tails” Itachi shot back
“Me?!” Naruto asked wide eyed.
Fugaku refused to make eye contact.
“It was for the good of the clan”
“And the bad of the village” Itachi sighed.
“Enough!” Sasuke shouted.
“The coup was stopped, the village was shit, the clan died, I killed Itachi and now here we are, can we move on?!”
Minato stood “Listen, there is a lot of emotions running heavy, let’s take a step back, okay?”
Fugaku’s eyes shot up to Minato’s.
Minato nodded, “Look, the village wasn’t in the best shape, I know that, there was so much I wanted to do, so much I wanted to change, I can’t imagine what must have transpired after our deaths. I’m sorry to hear that it didn’t improve, I’m sorry to hear of the treatment of your clan Fugaku, I have always respected the Uchiha.”
Sasuke felt new anger boil up, rise in his blood, spilling over
“Wasn’t in the best shape? Sorry for the treatment of the Uchiha? What about your son? What must have transpired after your deaths? Oh you mean how the entire village shunned your son, cursed his name, beat him, ridiculed him, singled him out? How the shitty third Hokage put him in a run down apartment and let him live there alone, take care of himself alone, gave him a pitiful monthly allowance only to abandon him the rest of the time, not caring if he ate nothing but ramen, and drank spoiled milk? Yeah the village wasn’t in the best shape.”
“Sasuke” Naruto said in a hushed voice
“No Naruto! He should know! He should know how they stripped you of your name! How they pushed you around, ignored you, laughed at you, hurt you, and you never even knew!!” Sasuke screamed his voice giving out as he breathed shakily.
Kushina had tears in her eyes now
“Naruto?” Kushina said softly
Naruto glanced at her, then at Minato before looking away.
“But, Mikoto, he wasn’t given to you and Fugaku?” Kushina looked in confusion
Mikoto looked up from her hands
“No, they wouldn’t let me, not after they suspected the Uchiha were responsible for the 9 tails attack” Mikoto finished softly
“WHAT” Kushina looked enraged, she stood quickly stomping towards the door
Naruto looked at his dad who’s face was riddled with pain, tears in eyes.
“Mom, where are you going?” Naruto called rushing over to Kushina
“N through U were reanimated yeah? Well the third Hokage’s might be around so I’m gonna go kick his ass!” Kushina raged
“MOM NO” Naruto caught her before she reached the door
Minato snapped out of his daze, racing over as Kushina flailed, pointing her finger at Naruto
“Naruto Uzumaki you let me through!”
Sasuke nearly shrunk into the corner at the sight of the angry woman ablaze. Hot-headedness must be an Uzumaki thing.
“Kushina, darling, it’s one of the rules, we can’t harm. I understand, trust me, I understand, but we can’t sacrifice what little time we have with him.” Minato said, voice steady and soft.
Kushina instantly calmed, wrapping Naruto in a hug.
So that’s where Naruto got the talk no jutsu from, interesting.
Minato joined, wrapping his arms around both.
“I’m so sorry son, I’m so sorry Naruto” Minato mumbled
“We, we are sorry. We love you, Naruto” Kushina whispered into his hair.
“I know mom, I love you guys too” Naruto sniffled.
Sasuke looked up at his dad, Fugaku who was looking at him and Sasuke, his expression no longer cold.
“Minato, is right.” Fugaku broke the silence.
Itachi snapped his gaze to Sasuke, then back.
“I agree” Mikoto said “we don’t have the luxury to waste our precious time”
Mikoto waved Sasuke and Itachi to walk closer, when they did she wrapped them both in a hug.
Naruto tugged his parents along and wrapped his arms around them, and out of the corner of his eye Sasuke saw Minato tug his father in.
“Altight, alright, enough” his Fugaku broke away seconds later, smoothing his clothes.
Sasuke quickly moved as well and scoffed at the pout on Naruto’s face at the breakaway.
“So, about the arms?” Kushina asked pointing to Naruto and Sasuke
“Heh, about that” Naruto said glancing at his and Sasuke’s matching bandaged arms and scratching his head.
“I’m going to prepare dinner.” Sasuke said quickly escaping the room.