Naruto © Kishimoto Masashi

Chapter 2

"Finally!" Naruto cheered loudly as he stretched out, groaning when his muscles popped pleasantly and dropped his back on the wooden floor of the veranda, hands spread at his side.

Sasuke walked back to the living room after seeing their friends off for the night. She stared at the lounging blond blankly before taking her seat beside him. Neji had to escort Hinata home after Naruto declared he would stay with Sasuke a little longer. Before anything could be said further, Sasuke asked Neji if he would mind coming back here after he was done with Naruto's supposed-duty. The male Hyuuga nodded in silent confirmation then left with his cousin. Hinata would have excused herself earlier if her husband hadn't told her to bring their children to the Hyuuga main house beforehand, knowing the head of Hyuuga Clan would never mind spending time with his grandchildren for a night or any day of the year.

"I'm leaving Sarada with Sakura the next time I'm off. It is unwise to expose her to unnecessary danger when she's with me." Sasuke voiced, breaking their companionable silence.

"I can take care of your girl too, you know." Naruto bit back in annoyance, slightly miffed that he hadn't been considered as a viable choice.

"You mean Hinata can while you, being the Hokage, hardly have time for your own children?" Sasuke corrected him, pleased when he slightly twisted in guilt at the emphasis contained her answer to his unsaid question, "You have your duties to do and her hands are already full taking care of your children mostly by herself. While I am going to be occupied, Sakura is my best bet in this temporary arrangement."

Still somewhat stung but unable to argue with Sasuke's solid point, Naruto huffed and muttered under his breath, "Fine."

Sasuke glanced at Naruto from the corner of her eyes. He had turned to his side, back facing her, not hiding the fact that he was sulking. She sighed and looked at the night sky in its velvet-like, bottomless abyss. The weather was getting colder, it wouldn't be long until the first snow started falling any day now.

"If it makes you feel better, on several occasions I used to leave her with Karin, who you certainly know is staying with Orochimaru." Sasuke admitted.

Naruto sat up abruptly at that, gawking at the Uchiha in disbelief. "The only 'Orochimaru' we both happen to know is also the one who didn't mind letting you walk around with your shirt half-opened most of the time. How am I, pray tell, supposed to feel better with that information?!" He demanded indignantly.

"You are being dramatic," Sasuke told him with a humor undertone, "Despite who and how he is, I often find myself being spoiled by him most of the time before and even after I killed him once. Besides, he knows more about parenting than the world gives him credit for."

"Uuhh… o-kay?" Naruto drawled dubiously.

"I would never leave her anywhere near the people I don't trust." Sasuke turned to look at him in the eyes. The way her lids lowered a little, the way her hair fluttered by the chilly night breeze momentarily revealed her Rinnegan, the way her lips curled in a smile lacking her usual condescension, the way her expression softened as a result, all accompanied her light tone when she spoke more for his peace of mind than the need to justify her course of action to him, was plenty enough to put an end to his disturbance.

And suddenly, the silence became awkward to him. On Sasuke's part, she was fine with it now that she had done her talking while Naruto was struggling because he felt like he should say something. Apology for doubting Orochimaru in turn doubting her own judgement? He was not sorry for doubting Orochimaru but he did felt bad for doubting her. But then Sasuke tilted her head slightly and still smiling at him and just like that, a silent understanding passed between them, and Naruto knew he had no need for words anymore.

Sasuke stared at the blond for a while until Naruto caught an impish glint in her normally cold obsidian orb. His mouth opened for inquiry only to let out a high-pitch shriek deafening enough that Neji had to shove an onigiri down his throat to shut him up.

Naruto thumbed his chest frantically with a fist, trying to swallow the food, almost turned purple from suffocation in the process. "What was that for!?" He screeched, pointing an angry finger in Sasuke and the suddenly-reappeared Hyuuga's direction who just assaulted him out of the blue.

"I see you are the real body and not a Shadow Clone." Sasuke hummed in feigned surprise.

"Of course I am not! I've been here the whole time and you know it!" Naruto yelled, shaking a fist at her but retained enough sense to not picking a fight right here, right now only because it was very late and the neighbors were sleeping. He was lucky no one started waking up from his noises because the house was secluded enough to maintain a certain level of privacy.

"You are too loud," Neji remarked dismissively in explanation of his deed.

Naruto gingerly rubbed his sore and swollen cheek, glaring darkly at Sasuke, who was ignoring him and did a very good job at it. "You didn't have to pull it that hard and whatever happened to asking nicely?" He mumbled moodily.

In response Sasuke crossed her legs, the tip of her toes slightly teased the grass below with her perching on the edge of the veranda, elbow on her knee, chin propped on the back of her hand and looked at him from the corner of her eyes with a very familiar superior smirk.

As expected, Naruto's hackle raised and he opened his mouth decidedly to give her a very colorful piece of his mind. To hell with the hour and sleeping infants and neighbors.

"Stop that, Naruto." Neji cut his cousin-in-law off before the irritated blond could bark any word with an admonishing frown, removed his ANBU mask and flopped down on the other side of Sasuke, breathing out wearily as soon as he seated.

"You should listen to your ANBU Captain whose responsibility is your own safety, Naruto. It is already his fate to babysit you on daily basis, do not be a burden to him at night too." Sasuke chirped, mimicking the tone of a mother reprimanded her misbehaving child.

Neji gave the Uchiha a cross look with enough accusation to convey she was helping his situation as much as Naruto without wasting his breath to say it aloud.

"Neji could have returned home and slept already if only you hadn't called him back!" Naruto pointed out, growing like a pissed off canine. "And you sound like a woman it is ridiculous!"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Are you under the impression that I am somewhere in the gray area between a male and a female all these time to forget I am indeed a woman?"

"Could have fooled me," Naruto retorted, scoffing.

"Ah, my bad. Now I remember how I lost my arm. Who would do that to a woman in the first place. Am I right, Neji?" Sasuke lifted her chin, looking down her nose at Naruto and enjoyed watching the blond shrink in humiliation at the reminder.

"Leave me out of your squabble." Neji groused and pinched the area between his brows, wondering why he signed up for this again or if it was written somewhere in his job description that he had overlooked.

Naruto crossed his arms defensively and huffed. "I'd rather you and I both lose an arm than losing you," The blond grumbled sourly.

Because Naruto had turned away from Sasuke due to the embarrassment caused by his admission that he missed the sight of her eyes softened at those words from how much they meant to her. The privilege fell on Neji who had been discreetly keeping a watchful eye on their interactions. It dawned on him since the moment he arrived, the reason Sasuke had requested his presence back here was because of Naruto. Even after everyone went home she was still in plain sight, maintaining a respectable distance with Naruto like how friends should be. The low wall outlining the house would provide every passerby a clear view of what they were doing. No frolicking behind closed doors. No sneaking physical contacts in the shadow. No spoken words gave away any innuendo that they were sharing a secret guilty pleasure behind his cousin's back where her husband was in the house of a single mother with child at wee hour. While Naruto went as far as placing ANBUs to keep Sasuke safe and undisturbed inside the village, Sasuke had been protecting Naruto in her own way too, by making sure there was no ammunition could be formed to use against his image and social status as a Hokage when he was seen with her. These were witnessed by someone whose blood related to his wife, an important figure in his own inner circle, one of the many who knew him on a personal level, grew up with him, watched him get to where he was today and pledged loyalty with him altogether.

It was as if Sasuke had been challenging the conspiracy against her and Naruto, to catch them, while it was also without doubt that they cared for each other, a lot, more than friends did, even more than lovers did, and all the even more than a family did. If there was something that could make someone both envy and admire at the same time, Neji believed what before his eyes would be more than suffice.

Naruto and Sasuke certainly involved in a relationship, but it was too vague and too much to be given a precise name.

"I seriously can't imagine Orochimaru as a parent figure. That's so wrong in many ways!" Naruto complained, pulling Neji from his musing.

"You will understand when Mitsuki is old enough to live here on his own," Sasuke said in attempt to get the blond off the topic, knowing it was a lost cause with persuading Naruto otherwise until he saw it with his own eyes.

"Who is Mitsuki?" Naruto asked dumbly.

"His son." The Uchiha deadpanned.

…

…

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!"

"I don't think it is a bloodline limit because Orochimaru would have his hands on it as soon as his nose sniffed that out. I've told him to research on the matter to see if there is a possible combination to make that happen however, I highly doubt it. Even Obito's Mangekyo Sharingan could only do so much," Sasuke recited, eyes narrowed at her reflection in the steamy tea cup she was holding. "Not to mention hiding such amount of people from prying eyes for this long time has already proven how ridiculous this situation is. It may be something bigger than you lot can feel comfortable with."

"You lot." Naruto repeated.

"So far it seems to avoid the five large hidden villages while spiriting away your neutral neighborhoods, that's why I am assuming. I have done what I could while I was there, now we wait for words from your Eight Tails friend and his companions."

It appeared to Naruto that Sasuke had openly requested assistance, going against her lone wolf style. And that she was working with others, among them was one of the Kages she once wanted to eliminate to create her own ideal world peace. It brought a smile on his face, oddly pleased despite the occasion.

"I sincerely hope I will not have to move back there because they can't run some simple errands."

One eye twitched, his smile became strained. Naruto hoped Sasuke would do away with her meanie-ness, though.

"Hold on," Naruto raised his hand and looked at Sasuke with a solemn expression when something clicked in his mind. "Are you telling me people suddenly disappeared, like, they were transported to somewhere?" He implied, remembered that unpleasant experience when Sasuke was taken from his side to another God-knows-where dimension right before his eyes by a certain grandma whose existence and capacities were beyond mortally acceptable.

Sasuke shifted her narrowed gaze to him and back to her drink, knowing he had successfully caught up to her train of thought. "We are going to pray this is merely paranoia, Naruto."

However, what Naruto had yet to realize was, Sasuke had already used Killer B and Eight Tails as bait to test her theory. Of all Jinchuurikis and Tail Beasts, the synchronization between Killer B and Eight Tails was the best until they were rivaled by Naruto and Nine Tails. She had no intention to put Naruto in any form of danger while there was another good option that could also get the work done. Besides, if the situation ever became ugly, Killer B had enough dirty tricks in his sleeves to get himself out of it. If he couldn't, she would live with the reassurance that the one was sacrificed had not been Naruto even if that might result in him never forgive her for the rest of his life. And that was fine with her.

It occurred to Sasuke that perhaps, she was becoming the second Shimura Danzo.

Sasuke closed her eyes and exhaled, noting the fatigue in her breathing. She set the untouched tea cup down by her side and walked the short distance to the pond, her back facing the two men who silently kept track of her movements. "Go home, Naruto," She told the blond, before said person started filling his protest, she continued, "I need rest."

The finality in her voice told him he was dismissed, no buts. Something also whispered in his ears to not leave her alone, that his presence was both unwanted and needed to her at the moment, that the sudden spike of negative emotion in her charka flow despite her expression betrayed nothing, was because of him.

Sensing his reluctance, Sasuke turned around to face Naruto. "I'll see you in your office tomorrow."

Knowing he lost the argument before it had the chance to start, Naruto did something he hadn't in two years. He puffed his cheeks and protruded his lips, pouting. "Hmph, fine! I'm going home!" And left in a blur of orange and yellow flash.

That lasted exactly one and a half second before the same orange and yellow flash returned, landing noisily before her, invading her personal bubble. "Goodnight, Sasuke. And see you tomorrow." Naruto started at her pointedly, emphasized that it was a promise instead of her meaning to get rid of him and that he would be more inclined to chase after her like those years ago if she ever broke it before taking off again, not waiting for her reply.

Sasuke breathed out in annoyance when the idiot was no longer in sight. "Usuratonkachi," She insulted with an unmistakable affection undertone, and if no one had been able to pick that up, the smile she was sporting would give them enough hints to feel that.

Even so, it had appeared completely platonic despite it could very well have been something more.

Sasuke didn't react so much as tensing when Neji wrapped his arms around her from behind and pressed his chest to her back, clearly implying she would not lean on him. She would not lean on anyone in that matter.

"I don't like this feeling," The Hyuuga whispered mostly to himself, rested his chin on her shoulder. When the woman in his arms didn't grace him with any word, he closed his eyes and breathed in her scent. "Even when I am doing this, there is still nothing between us. But you and Naruto, while you are acting as friends should be, there is so obviously something more."

The corner of Sasuke's mouth curled up in a half-smirk. "You are jealous," She observed.

"It is hard not to," Neji stated, "Seeing the person you like with another person, and that another person happens to be the one you have no reason to, not to mention can't, hate. I have started wondering if it ever possible to get through your walls and be someone like Hinata-sama to Naruto, to you."

"Perhaps."

Sasuke didn't straight forwardly refuse his advances and not actively dissuading him either. But then she turned around in the circle of his arms and their eyes locked. "Perhaps," She started again, "When you are no longer feeling the burden of your gratitude that I am the one who gave you the second chance at life after losing it to protect the two persons you hold dear. Perhaps," She tilted her head, moving her gaze above his eyes and raised her hand, the tip of her fingers slightly touched the center of his forehead, "I am seeking an answer in you, that you can be free of the curse you were born to carry, that the same day you almost killed Hinata by hatred was nothing but a mistake of those who had long dead, and that by maintaining their own peace of mind was in truth leading their next generations into destruction. Neji," Her hand slid downward to cup his cheek, "You showed me the result of freedom you have chosen to lead your own life by deciding for yourself how you want to die, unknowingly enforced my belief that there is a need for sacrifice in order to make change for the better." She smiled nostalgically, "Though Naruto destroyed it along with a part of myself, at the cost of mine and his arm. Perhaps, the reason for you standing here very much alive, is nothing but my own selfishness and my unwillingness to stop believing in what I am hesitating to give up. There is no need for you to feel like you are obligated to do anything for me."

"Even so," Neji covered Sasuke's hand with his and lightly squeezed it, "I find myself looking at you more and more than I should be as a friend. Perhaps as that living materialization part of you, there may be a chance for me yet."

Sasuke closed her eyes for several heartbeats and when she reopened them, could only once again echoed her earlier word, "Perhaps."

A/N: This chapter has made its appearance thanks to the reviews, favorites, follows in FFN and comments, kudos in AO3, especially those I have received more recently in this year. I have no intention to update any of my Naruto fanfictions due to many reasons. I became out of sync with Naruto in general after watching "Boruto: Naruto the Movie". Strangely enough, it made me feel a fulfillment that the "Naruto -The Last-" had failed, for obvious reason. I had no idea why there was a Boruto Movie followed after "Naruto -The Last-" where the final verdict of pairings came into light after chapter 700. Yes, I say "verdict". Because I feel like it was a sentence of some sort to those who had not shipped Naruto/Hinata and Sasuke/Sakura, that alone was enough to get me give up on Naruto. Until the Movie for Boruto came around. It was the time I realize something, despite it had been a pure fan-service to those who still wanted to see some Naruto and Sasuke actions and find it in themselves to care, that even if Hinata was Naruto's wife, apparently she was second in compare to Sasuke because thanks to his very (humanly questionable) special bond with Naruto (and vice versa), she didn't end up being a widower at young age. And how much of Sakura we got to see in that movie? It was like a laugh in the face that Boruto, son of Naruto and Hinata, wanted to be like Sasuke and in turn Sarada, daughter of Sasuke and Sakura, wanted to be like Naruto. So maybe there is a bright future for the kids yet, who knows some day they will truly merge Naruto and Sasuke's blood into one entity if there will be an interesting enough story about that.

Personally to me, it would have not been so bad if Naruto had forever stopped at chapter 699. For now I'm through with Naruto.

Thank you for reading this story at whenever it is after this chapter was posted and will then be so kind as taking your time to leave me your thoughts or a short or long reminder that I had started it quite some time ago, I really appreciate it.

See you around,

Asuka K.