Disclaimer: Not Mine. Such is life.

Summary: Lord Sasuke Uchiha believes that he has lost something precious to him and struggles to convince himself everyday that it didn't exsist. What will he do when a blond hair peasant arrives at his doorstep claiming he has something the Uchiha "misplaced." (SasuNaru)

For the Love of His Son

Sasuke Uchiha sat with his head thrown back against his chair. His feet were propped up on the large wooden table that filled most of the stone hall he currently found himself in. He idly wondered what the rest of the Uchiha clan would think of his less that proper stature, but that just reminded him that there wasn't much of a clan left for him to give a damn about. And, of course, that made him think about Itachi ,which in turn made him think about Sakura, which, while giving him mild indigestion, also brought him full circle to the reason he sat brooding, by himself, in his main hall.

Somewhere, and sadly Sasuke couldn't really bring himself to care where, his "loving" wife was off laughing behind his back with his "dear" older brother. Obviously there was no love lost between the couple, and under normal circumstances he might have even thanked his brother for taking her away, but for one small detail. Sakura was having his baby.

At the beginning, Sakura wasn't even supposed to be his. His parents has made the contract with the Hurano's and it was Itachi's place to fill it. Everyone was happy because oddly, Itachi and Sakura seemed perfect for each other. And then that night happened. Out of nowhere, at least in Sasuke's mind, Itachi had brutally hunted and killed every living member of the Uchiha clan residing in the castle save himself and Sasuke. The town was in an uproar and who could blame them. The golden child of the Uchiha clan had betrayed them all. By the end of the week, Itachi was nowhere to be found and Sasuke was left standing alone amid the rumble that was once the mighty and proud Uchiha clan.

The Hurano's demanded that Sasuke take Itachi's place. The contract still stood as there was still an Uchiha to take her hand. To say that Sasuke and Sakura were against the wedding would be quite the understatement. Sakura insisted that Itachi loved her and would be back for her and Sasuke, well he just couldn't stand to see her face waxing poetic about his murdering bastard of a brother. Neither opinion changed the minds of Sakura's parents and they were married two weeks to the day that Sasuke's family was killed.

Now, Sasuke's plan was simple. The marriage could be handled as long as Sakura didn't touch him, speak to him, think of him or breathe any of the air that might find it's way into Sasuke's lung's. Simple. That simplicity was shattered when, on their wedding night, Sasuke and Sakura found themselves with an audience to ensure the married contract was filled. Sasuke was proud to say that he had blocked the whole horrifying experience from his memory. God bless the complexities of the human mind. After that night, Sakura's family left spouting some annoying nonsense about love blooming and the "Simple Plan" took affect.

So imagine Sasuke's horror when, 6 weeks later, Sakura burst into his study screaming every known obscenity in relation to his name that she could and proceeded to inform him of his pending fatherhood. Sasuke knew that he would never forget the look on her face. It wasn't that Sakura wasn't attractive. She was a classic beauty, all fine lines with the right amount of curves. But that morning, while she loomed over him, all Sasuke could see was hatred, pure, soul consuming hatred, toward him and their unborn child.

She told him she would drink poison, throw herself down the stairs, anything to remove the stain he had left in her. And, if these things weren't enough, she would kill the abomination at the moment of its unfortunate birth.

Few things left Sasuke speechless, but this situation was so surreal he felt as though he was floating over himself watching as he sat in his chair listening to Sakura meticulously formulate the murder of her own child. Part of Sasuke wanted to insist that the baby wasn't his to begin with, but he knew she wouldn't show this much anger if it was Itachi's baby or anyone else's for that matter. Next, Sasuke found himself remembering childhood dreams of how he would react when the one that he loved announced that their love had created a baby and how happy he would be. How he would wrap his arms around his beloved and celebrate and cry and swear that his child would know nothing but unconditional love and acceptance.

At this Sasuke was forced back into his body. Sakura by now was nearly foaming at the mouth. Sasuke stood and grabbed her arm, dragging her to her bedroom and locking her in, without so much as a word. He could hear her enraged screams as he walked down the hallway, leaving instructions that she wasn't allowed to leave the room.

Back in his study, Sasuke couldn't help remembering his dream and how this entire situation was the farthest thing from that blissful moment that could possibly be conceived. Sasuke felt that perhaps it was best if this child never lived to breathe their first breath. Could he really love something that was part of that woman, no monster, upstairs?

Later that night Sakura managed to escape. Sightings of Itachi Uchiha began pouring in the next morning. Sasuke considered chasing after them, killing Itachi, demanding his child… but something held him back. Reports that Itachi had holed up with Lord Orochimaru meant that any action that Sasuke took could possibly start a war between himself and Orochimaru. Was Sakura worth that? The potential death of the citizens he was honor bound to protect? Certainly not. Was his unborn child? A child that could be dead already if Sakura had her way? But the question that twisted his gut and ultimately made his decisions was: What if he couldn't love the baby?

From that day on Sasuke convinced himself that the baby was dead and all were the better for it.

Shaking himself from his recollections, Sasuke ran a hand through is midnight black hair and reminded himself that although Sakura's due day had past some three weeks ago, there was no baby. The baby was dead. He brought his feet off the table to down to the floor, putting his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.

"There is no baby and this is for the better," he muttered to himself and attempted to once again convince his heart to believe him.

Running footsteps and the door slamming open brought Sasuke's head up. He looked into the eyes of a panting Kakashi.

"My Lord, there is a peasant at the gate who says he has something that belongs to you. He won't tell us what it is or allow anyone near him. He insists he will talk to you and you alone."

"I see. So I have a group of highly trained men who can't make one little peasant do as they ask? Well, by all means, take me to him. I must see what man could single handedly frighten Kakashi, The Copy Cat and all of Uchiha's Knights." Sasuke snidely uttered as he made his way past his right hand man.

Kakashi's uncovered eye widen in offense, "I never said we were scared and just wait until you see this peasant," he mumbled while following Sasuke to the courtyard.

Naruto hurt. It was as simple as that. Everything hurt, his legs, his eyes, his head, his arms, god, everything. He had been running for hours, days, weeks and his body couldn't take much more. He caught himself from stumbling over a large tree root and stopped to lean against the tree and catch his breath. He looked into the bundle in his arms and reminded himself of his purpose.

"Kit, you can't do this much more. It's been 3 weeks. You have to stop."

Naruto closed his sapphire eyes, " I know. I know. We are almost there. I have to do this. Chibi doesn't deserve to be abandoned. Not like I… he has a father."

"How do you know that his father is any better? Did he come after the bitch? Demand his wife and child back?"

Naruto shifted off of the tree and forced his legs to keep moving. "Kyuubi, please, we have been over this. No, I don't know that he's better, but Chibi would be dead if I had left him. Would that be better? If Uchiha isn't better, I stole Chibi away once, I can do it again."

"Kit! You are killing yourself. You weren't strong," Naruto started to growl, "Okay, you were strong, but they hurt you, badly, before you even started this cross country escape. The only reason you are still standing is because I have been feeding you my chakra. Yours is all but depleted. Even if you make it, you'll pass out for a week at best or die at worst. Either way in that time this Uchiha could do whatever he wanted to the baby."

"I know! How many more times do I need to admit it. I realize that things aren't looking good. I realize that this may be the last thing I do, but look at him! Look at him and tell me it's not worth it." Naruto screamed, waking the baby in his arms. He stopped and whispered calming tones to the fretting baby. The baby opened his eyes and Naruto once again felt the air leave his lungs. Dark midnight black eyes peered up from among the soft blankets and Naruto felt his heart stop. He knew, from the first moment he's seen those eyes, that he would do anything to protect this child. And now he was going to prove it.

"Please, please Kyuubi, just help me get Chibi to his father. Please…" Naruto begged.

"As if I could ever say no to you. Naruto, I know that you see yourself in this baby and I will help you give him a happier ending, I promise, even at the risk of ourselves." Kyuubi sighed and sent a burst of chakra throughout Naruto's body.

"Thank you. Look! Even Chibi thanks you!" Naruto exclaimed as the baby in his arms produced what Naruto called a smile and Kyuubi insisted was a smirk.

"Naruto, why don't you just give him a name. Calling him Chibi seems, well, stupid."

Naruto was quiet for a moment, concentrating on staying up and moving. Then he looked at the small, dark haired infant asleep in his arms and quietly said, "He isn't mine to name." Kyuubi fell silent.

"State your purpose." Shikamaru grumbled from his post at the front gate. He'd seen many troublesome things working this post, but he could tell, without this boy even opening his mouth, that this was going to be the most troublesome yet. The peasant was wearing a weather beaten cloak and seemed to be caring something precious is his arms if his posture was anything to go by. His stock of sun blond hair shone in the shadow of the main gate and his eyes were filled with pain, exhaustion and a determination Shikamaru didn't think anyone could posses in one body.

"I would like to see Lord Sasuke Uchiha. I have something of his that he… misplaced." Naruto responded. He could feel his legs shaking and it felt like his whole body was moments from collapsing.

"Well, what is it and we'll carry on the message." This was from a second guard with red tattoos under each eye. He condescendingly eyed Naruto up and down. "There's nothing that you could have that he could ever have "misplaced" or wanted."

"You'll excuse me if I don't care what you think." Naruto snapped. My god, he'd tracked through the freaking wildness for three weeks after kidnapping a child at great personal risk to himself. He had thought that once he reached Uchiha's estate that all his problems would be temporarily solved. But noooo, he barely had the energy to stand and talk at the same time, much less argue with some dog looking freak. "I will speak to Uchiha NOW!"

Suddenly, the men at the gate noticed the air shift around the young man's feet. Soon a red chakra could be seen circling around his body, pulsating outward, pushing the men back.

"Perhaps if I say 'Please'" Naruto growled. No one saw the silver haired man race into the castle.

Sasuke rounded the corner to see a young man, barely older than a boy, standing in the middle of a small storm of red chakra.

"I don't want to hurt you. I just want to return something to Lord Uchiha," the boy stated. Sasuke could hear the weariness in the boys voice.

"Then why don't you put down the shield and let us escort you to him," Shikamaru, who silently congratulated himself on his previous "troublesome rating" being correct, asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, let's see, because I'd rather that you didn't hurt me either!" the boy said while looking around to see that he was slowly being surrounded.

"You can't argue with that logic," Sasuke was startled to hear Kakashi say in his ear.

"What the hell is going on here!" Sasuke yelled, pushing through his ranks and standing in front of this nothing of a boy that had his entire courtyard at a stand still. Although, even he was wary of the boys power. Who or what could do this? And what did he have that was so important for Sasuke to see?

"Are you Sasuke Uchiha?" the boy looked up with the bluest eyes Sasuke had ever seen. For a moment he found himself unable to answer.

"Yes. What do you need of me?" Sasuke spoke, blinking his eyes to shake away the feeling he got from looking at the boys emotion filled and exhausted eyes.

"Thank god." The chakra dissipated like it had never been there. Sasuke watched as the boy looked down into the bundle in his arms. "Chibi, we made it. We're here."

Before Sasuke could move the boy placed the bundle into his arms. Sasuke looked up and saw a brilliant smile grace the boys relieved face before his eyes rolled back in his head and he fell to the ground. Sasuke started when he felt the bundle in his arms wiggle. Shifting the blankets he found himself staring into midnight black eyes, identical to his own. Sasuke felt his breath stop in his throat.

"A baby? My baby." Sasuke choked out.