#v;anbu

His head aches. He’s careful about sitting up too fast, free hand palming over his scalp as a small groan escapes past his lips. It’s slowly coming back to him, the fight his mission had ended with, the way he’d blacked out - or he assumes he’d blacked out - just before following through with orders. He’s going to have quite a time explaining what happened to Kakashi, when he hardly remembers it himself. After his headache subdues enough for him to take a small look around, he recognizes his surroundings as a training ground, but not exactly recognizing where this training ground was. It looks familiar, but before he can really think too much about it he senses another presence nearby. Eyes immediately blink into red hues before getting up, grabbing the discarded anbu mask in the process. “Who’s there?” He snaps, arming himself immediately and slipping the mask on, only to be presented with... a kid?

What on earth–Oh please don’t fall I don’t have time to give the band-aid song again. “Hey, be careful!” Scrolls are discarded at his side and he’s up, hands immediately reaching out just in case the other manages to tip the high chair over. Thankfully Suengri doesn’t but Sasuke manages to help him out regardless, raising a brow at the peculiar statement he so proudly was shouting. Pretty? That’s a term Sasuke’s used to growing embarrassed over, though this time it’s also accompanied with a bite of his lip to hold back his laughter. “Pretty huh? Where’d you learn that?” Scrunching up his nose, he noses at the little one and sets him down on the carpet near where he was reading. “How about handsome? Hand. Some. Handsome. Say it with me.” It’s a valiant effort, but alas the kid’s latched on to the other word. Pretty! Suen repeats, and Sasuke lets out another snort, palming his face. “Alright, I’ll take it.”

They haven’t spoken since the mission gone wrong, and it’s partly because Sasuke’s been far too bitter to look the blond’s way. Although it can’t be avoided now, not when they’ve both been summoned to Kakashi’s office to discuss the mission report and how both of them seemed to fail miserably, Sasuke due to losing his target and Naruto due to having a bit of trouble after his running off. By the time Kakashi has to excuse himself, Sasuke crosses his arms, leaning back in his seat when left alone in the silence with the blond.

he doesn’t want to hurt her — ironic , she thinks. after everything. she stands in the middle of konoha , her own mask on the side of her belt – uzumaki in nature , with sharpened fangs painted in blood as she stares at him. he’s masked – but karin knows that chakra , knows who he is – had once loved that chakra with everything that she was capable of but it wasn’t enough and she knows that. her head tilts with pride and she’s stupid and foolish and rash , a snarl on her face thrown in his direction. “ a little late for that isn’t it ? ” he had left her , left them and the others – they left her too. and she wants them all to burn – for them all getting close to her , for her being stupid enough and childish enough to think that they wouldn’t leave her - that they had created a family of their own. a stupid foolish girl. “ you can’t hurt me anymore. i don’t give you that power. anyways i’m only here to see him. i’ve found something of interest, ” she flits her eyes to him lazily as she looks him over , “ that’s of no concern to you. ” not any longer – never again. she swallows , she hopes that her guise of confidence works , that she doesn’t appear as a small, tired, girl who’s put too much into everything she’s ever done. that the bags under her eyes don’t show from restless nights of not sleeping and the fact that her hands shake slightly. “ no need to show me where he is , i’ll be able to find him all on my own. ”

At first, he’ll admit, he didn’t recognize Karin as quickly as he should have. He was on look out on this particular night, and the fact that a traveler was trying to get into the village at this time of night was something to look into. It isn’t until he questions her from a distance that he recognizes her, because she is looking right at him and despite his uniform concealing his identity he knows she knows who he is. 

But what was she doing here? 

Warning her to remain where she was, he states that his intentions aren’t to hurt her - of which, she seems very doubtful. Too late for that? Sasuke almost questions this, before allowing it to dawn on him. She was still upset. 

Him? It’s ambiguous, but he knows who she’s referring to. At moments like this Sasuke’s learned to catch on rather quickly. It’s always a dejavu feeling when someone just has to come around looking for the nine-tailed fox kid. It’s a shame that that kid is now in charge of the place and Sasuke was required to protect him. “I can’t let you do that, Karin.” He mutters simply, jumping off of the branch he was standing on and landing before her, practically in her way. 

“Actually, it does concern me, now.” He purses his lips at her attitude, wanting to take the mask off so that she could see his unamused expression, but he can’t. Even if she knew who he was, protocol required to keep it on in case of others listening in or hiding. After all, he’s not sure if Karin really came alone. Some reunion this was, it felt more than tense, almost hostile. 

Knife stops mid-chop, and Sasuke’s staring at the cutting board as he ponders the question himself. What brought this on? Suengri had been quiet for a while, so Sasuke probably should’ve figured something was on his mind, but he was busy preparing lunch and assumed the younger was probably just focusing on the studies before him.

“That’s an odd question.” He murmurs calmly, finishing up the tomatoes before setting them aside with the other chopped vegetables. Picking up a rag, he wipes the residue off of his hands as he turns around to look at the other seated at the table. Leaning against the counter, Sasuke gives a long hum. “If I told you I was actually clueless, would you believe me?” A small apologetic smile, he knows that’s not the answer the other wants to hear. 

“I knew him for a very long time before I ever got to realizing. Things… got in the way.” Spare him the gory details, your son doesn’t need to know what a mess you made. Shrugging a bit, he sets the rag aside before going over to sit in the vacant chair next to the other, facing him. “I think I’ve always liked him, just had trouble realizing it. I wish I’d known earlier, it might’ve sped things up.” Definitely would’ve saved them a lot of trouble and unnecessary fighting. “But… your dad always knew, I think. And he was really brave, he told me one day.” Smiling softly at the thought, he rests his chin in his palm, elbow propped up against the table as he eyes Suengri. 

They were both very late in making things happen, he knows this, but that shouldn’t matter. When shouldn’t matter, only how. The how is the most important part, in his opinion. He wants Suen to know this. “He never gave up on me.” Reaching over to move some of the dark strands of hair out of the other’s face, he tilts his head to look at him. Hopefully his son was a lot brighter than he was in the feelings department.

Ah, it’s really that age of his isn’t it…

 “My little fox, you are growing big…” Sasuke reads (if fatherhood taught him one thing, it was that dramatics always earned brownie points), waiting for the little one to read the words that followed on the next page. Patience was a definitely must when teaching a five year old how to read properly. It’s been a bit of a routine as of late, for him and Naruto to alternate each night with a bed time story, try and help him along. Suengri’s catching on fairly quickly in Sasuke’s opinion, he’s only had to correct pronunciation on a few words tonight. 

A few pages later, Sasuke glances down at the boy currently leaned into his side. He might be too preoccupied with the various illustrations on the page, but he follows Sasuke’s pointer finger over the words. “Out… in the w..wild, I’ll al..always be… ne..ar.” It was a good try, sounding it out was good, Sasuke always makes sure to let him know that. “I’ll watch over you, through your very first year.” 

Figures Suengri would ask for a book about foxes. They’ve been all he talked about lately. Sasuke wasn’t going to argue against it, after all the look on his little face when they agreed? Pure sunshine if he’s ever seen it. And he has seen it, arguably he’s married to it. Thus, the copy of My Little Fox was a new staple in their bed time ritual. 

After a few more pages detailing the little foxes adventures throughout the seasons, and Suengri’s various attempts at not jumbling up his words, they finally reach the last few pages. Sasuke decides to read more than one. “My little fox, you’re nearly grown. It’s time for you to explore alone.” Instead of continuing the narrative like the father expects, Suengri looks scandalized. Raising a brow, Sasuke watches his son turn to look up at him. “They’re going to leave him?!” Blinking in a bit of confusion, it takes a minute for Sasuke to realize he’s talking about the book, and the mother fox ‘leaving’ the baby. A small snort escapes him, shaking his head while pointing to the next page, that Suengri doesn’t look very fond of reading, so Sasuke continues it for him.

“Just know that you can always find me, back at the den, beneath our tree.” Small pauses taken in between pages, and finally he closes the book to set aside the younger’s bed. Suengri looks less angry, but slightly more confused, so it earns a small sigh from the elder. Opening his arms for the little one to return to his side under the covers, he keeps him close. “No one left anyone, the little fox always comes back home.” He assures, rubbing his back gently. A small ‘oh’ escapes his son, and he can feel his cheek pressed up against Sasuke’s chest while the ending settles in his head.

“When can I go explore on my own?”

“Look, can you help me or not?” God this guy was annoying.. even after everything- all those years and he hadn’t changed at all.

“I just..how do you make girls happy? I need to know and it’s none of your business why.”

Stopping in his tracks, Sasuke purses his lips, eyes scanning around and recognizing that the blond was in fact referring to him. He’d been sneaking up to the rooftop, making sure that he was hidden within the shadows, however he’s well used to Naruto being able to recognize his presence better than others. Deciding to take another step, this time into the light the moon provides, he’d still facing the other’s back. “It’s only me.” He’s not an idiot, he knows Naruto knows by now, he knows he can identify the mask he’d torn off not too long ago.