Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ A Mother's Son ❯ Nothing Ever Changes ( Chapter 5 )

Kakashi busied himself with housework. He sorted laundry, cleaned the kitchen, but no matter what he did, he still had a restless feeling rooted in the pit of his chest. He could feel something coming, but he couldn't figure out what it was. The only time he felt like he was content, was when he stayed with Sakura. He had decided that talking to her would help wake her up, but soon ran out of things to say.

So he sat, on the end of her bad, picking at threads in the blankets. He tried to figure out what story to tell her, and quickly settled on one he knew quite well.

“Once, there was a man. He was good at what he did, and he was assigned to be team leader of a bunch of kids. Now, this man, he didn't really think the kids could cut it, but they proved him wrong. Again and again, they proved him wrong.”

“There were two guys and a girl on this team, and together, they did many missions, they helped a lot of people. And the man thought that he had made some friends. Then… one day, the man was surprised by his seemingly predictable teammates. The one boy, he decided he couldn't be a part of the team anymore, and went away. The two remaining team members, they quit real soon after that as well. And the man, he couldn't understand. How could all of his teaching do so little?” Kakashi paused, thinking over his next words. “And the man, he thought some really bad things about the girl, right after she quit. He thought that she was a coward, that she was frivolous. The man didn't know that the girl was going through the toughest time of her life, and that he should've been there to help her.” Kakashi stopped again, clearing his throat at the sudden lump. “And now, the man looks at the girl, and is really proud of her, and wishes she would wake up, so she can know how sorry he is, for not being a teacher when she needed one most.” He stopped, and Sakura was still silent, unmoving. Her breathing was even, deep and slow.

He stood up, leaving Sakura's room quietly. He was restless. It was all he could do to stay inside the house. He wanted to be in Naruto's place, hunting down Sasuke, finding Dai. But, he couldn't. Kakashi knew he couldn't. He had made a promise, to stay with Sakura, and he would not break it. He had found out more about Naruto and Sakura's life then he had ever cared to wonder about. Aniline knew the inner workings of their house almost as much as Sakura did. If she hadn't been so helpful, it would've frightened Kakashi.

He moved through the house quickly, looking slyly, leaving things exactly as they had been before. He didn't know exactly what he was looking for, but he would know when he found it. Kakashi wanted at least one shred of proof that Naruto and Sakura should be together, that they loved each other, because from all accounts, their lives were not happy ones.

Back in Sakura's room, he sifted through the things in the closet's top shelf. “Jackpot.” He whispered to himself, pulling a battered shoebox from the very back. It had been decorated clumsily, with stickers and markers. Kakashi brought the box into the kitchen, sitting heavily at the table. He flicked the box's lid off efficiently, staring at the multitude of pictures before him.

Sakura had kept pictures from every part of her life. She had photos of Ino and her together, looking about six. She had a picture of Team 7, all together. Kakashi smiled at the memory, before pushing to the bottom of the box, where a clump of photos were bound together by a rubber band. He pulled them apart, mesmerized by the images. They were mostly Sakura and Sasuke, but the ones closest to the bottom of the pile featured Daisuke.

Sakura and Sasuke at the beach, laughing. Kakashi had never seen a look like that on Sasuke's face before. Naruto must've been the photographer, for there were no pictures of him, not in the whole pile. Another picture showed Sasuke teaching Sakura a technique, and she laughing too hard to listen.

Kakashi flipped through these photos, disgusted with himself. I should've known! He thought angrily. I knew they were involved, but how could I have missed…they were sleeping together…it was never a secret. He replaced the rubber band and looked elsewhere in the box. Finally, he found something useful.

It was Naruto, Sakura, and Daisuke, at the hospital. This had been right after the delivery when the drugs made Sakura giddy. She was grinning from ear to ear, holding her son, while Naruto couched next to the bed, looking at Sakura instead of the camera.

Kakashi knew that she would not smile again like that for a long time. He remembered her haunted look, the first few months. It had been heartbreaking, and the guilt had been almost unbearable.

“Isn't going through her things a bit unethical?”

Kakashi jumped at the sound of the voice. He looked up to see Aniline standing in the open doorway. “I knocked, but…” she said, as an explanation. She stepped inside, closing the door behind her. In her hands, she toted a large basket. “I brought food, seeing how they have nothing here.”

Kakashi nodded his thanks, inviting her to sit with him. “I'm just trying to find some proof that Naruto and Sakura can actually work.” He explained, gesturing at the pictures. “Everything I've been hearing has been so negative.”

Aniline snorted. “You should've just asked me.” She said. At Kakashi's look, she shrugged. “Okay, so I know that most of what I said wasn't good, but I was talking about the early days, so gimme a break.”

“So, tell me about lately.” Kakashi suggested, reaching into the basket and drawing out a cookie. He thought about pulling down his mask to eat it, it smelled delicious, but instead, put the snack down on the table in front of him, preparing himself for another of Aniline's speeches.

“Lately, it's been mellow. Sakura's been, what's the word? Restless. Naruto's been trying to get her to go back to work, but she won't hear of it. I dunno why.” Aniline said, picking at her nails thoughtfully. “Besides those little spats, it's been alright. The worst was over a long time ago.”

Picking up a slip of paper from the box in front of him, Kakashi smiled grimly to himself. “I think I know why she was so reluctant.” He said quietly, handing the paper over. Aniline looked at it, frowning.

“It's an application for medical training!” she said. “But, it's old…”

“That's what Sakura was gonna do, before she found out about the baby. She wants to be a doctor, but she's too afraid that something else will come and change her life.” Kakashi sighed. “I guess she was right.”

“You're not coming with me.”

Naruto was pulling on his sandals while Sasuke stood over him. Sasuke growled loudly. “Of course I'm coming! It's my son, and my brother! You're the one who should stay behind.”

Naruto stood, shaking his head. He picked up his back pack and walked out the mouth of the cave. He didn't stop when he heard Sasuke catch up to him.

“I'm coming with you, whether you like it or not.” He said firmly, falling in step with the smaller man. Naruto snorted.

“What, so you can take Dai away as soon as we find him? I think not. You'll probably hurt him, like you did Sakura.”

“What? I would never hurt my own son!” Sasuke protested angrily.

“Why not?” Naruto shot back, not breaking his stride. “You nearly killed Sakura, the mother of your child, she might still die yet. What's stopping you from doing the same to Dai?” he asked. This was a question he truly wanted an answer to. He needed to know that Daisuke would be safe, if Naruto got hurt trying to rescue him.

“I never meant for it to go that bad.” Sasuke admitted. “I just needed her unable to fight back. You were in the next room; it had to be fast, and quiet. That's all.” He swallowed a heavy lump in his throat. “It was never about hurting her.”

“Well, good news for me, anyways.” Naruto said, falsely cheery. Off Sasuke's look, he explained. “She'll never take back your dumb ass, now that you've stabbed her in the gut. I've done some stupid stuff, but I don't recall ever putting her in a coma.” Sasuke grimaced darkly, then a smirk spread over his face.

“Are you that worried?” he asked slyly. Naruto started. What the hell was Sasuke talking about. “I mean, are you so worried that she'll chose someone else, that you'll only trust her now, when she's unconscious?”

Naruto groaned, hopping over a log. “You know that's not it. Stop twisting around what I say.”

“But this won't be any fun, if I can't make fun of you.” Sasuke said, pouting. Off Naruto's look, he shut up.

They moved on silently, quickly, towards the village. Sasuke had the suspicion that Itachi would be hiding out near a populated place. With an irritable toddler in tow, he would need supplies often, and would likely be noticed.

“When we get back to the village, I need to see Sakura, before we look for your brother. You would do good to apologize to her. She's probably awake by now.” Naruto said suddenly. Sasuke nodded, not realizing that Naruto was only trying to convince himself that Sakura's injuries were less than they appeared.