this chapter took forever to get out because i kept getting sidetracked by television shows, video games, and my own issues with actually making this one as close to how i imagined it. i hope you guys like it.

enjoy.

Neji meets Sasuke's parents.

.&.

They spent little time together outside of the estate, which meant that Neji hadn't seen much of the world beyond the walls of their house. This was partially because of the reactions they would receive from the villagers— many people didn't like that they were a couple or that they had a child together (or, as some would call Neji, an abomination). Also, they feared for Neji's life.

They were afraid that Neji would be treated differently, that he'd be ostracized like Naruto had been growing up. They feared that Neji would be hurt by the people that claimed to love their hero, despite their indifference towards Sasuke. They feared news of their son reaching the wrong people— he would surely be targeted for his bloodline.

However, these things didn't stop Naruto from suggesting that they take Neji to see their parents. Of course, this earned an exasperated sigh from Sasuke, who thought the idea was horrible. Neji didn't need to see the grave-sites of their parents.

"Honestly, Naruto." Sasuke said from his spot on the couch, his fingers running across the open pages of the book he'd been reading. "Don't you think that's a bit much?"

"Not really," he responded. "I think he needs to know about them and where to find them. I mean, they are his grandparents."

"But they're dead," the raven sighed. He looked over at Naruto, who was staring at him like he'd committed adultery. Naruto looked almost comical and Sasuke wanted to laugh, but the better part of his brain kept him from doing so.

"And? What's your point?" Naruto asked, growing increasingly annoyed.

"My point is that there's no reason for him to know about them, or know where they've been buried. If they were alive then that'd be a different story, but they're not, so no... he's better off without knowing."

At some point during Sasuke's mini speech Naruto had shifted from his spot next to him, his arms crossed over his chest and a look of determination playing on his face. Naruto wouldn't take that for an answer— their son had a right to know where he came from.

"Fine, be that way." Naruto huffed as he walked around the couch, slinking down the hall towards Neji's room where the little boy was talking and laughing to himself.

Sasuke shook his head and returned his attention back to the book he'd abandoned in favor of dealing with Naruto. He couldn't believe that Naruto had to the nerve to bring up the topic of taking Neji to see their parents. As far as he was concerned they were dead and had zero to do with their lives. There was nothing Neji would or could ever gain from knowing about them.

It was while Sasuke was lost in thought that Naruto entered the room, Neji nestled in his arms and giggling as he pulled on a strand of Naruto's hair. With each pull he would wince, but he made no move to stop Neji. Instead, he slipped his feet into his shoes and sat the boy on the floor. Neji, of course, decided to make a run for it the minute he was placed down. He crawled over to Sasuke, a smile plastered on his pale face and blue eyes staring up at him.

"Daaa!" Neji shouted, pulling himself up so that he was standing in front of his father.

"What, baby?" Sasuke asked, bending the corner of the page he was on and closing the book. He sat the object down on the couch beside him, pushing it back out of Neji's reach. It would do him no good to find that Neji had torn pages out or slobbered on it.

"Go." Neji said, standing wobbly by himself and pointing towards the door with one hand. "Go, Da!"

"Go where?" Sasuke asked him. He was fully aware that his son wouldn't answer him, but decided to ask regardless. Sasuke leaned down and picked Neji up, settling him in his lap as he listened out for Naruto, who was currently grumbling to himself about something being lost.

"Baaa! Go." Neji babbled, slapping Sasuke's arm with his chubby hands.

Sasuke blinked. "Where, baby?"

"With me," Naruto answered as he rounded the couch and knelt down so that he was on level with Neji. "Hold him still."

"Why?" Sasuke asked, gently sliding one hand around Neji's body to keep him in place. He watched as Naruto slid his feet into his shoes, the right one first and soon followed by the left. "Where are you going?"

"I told you, Sasuke." Naruto stood up. Neji instantly reached up for him, his fingers grabbing at the air. The blond bent down and picked the boy up, holding him against his side as he turned to walk towards the door.

"You're taking him even though I said not to?" Sasuke questioned incredulously.

"Mm," Naruto hummed in response.

"Why?"

"Because, while you don't want him knowing your parents, I want him to know who mine are." Naruto said, tightening his grip on Neji as he wiggled. "When he gets old enough to join the academy they're going to tell him stories about the Fourth, about my mom... about me. I want him to know them on a personal level, not just from what he hears in these stories or history lessons, Sasuke. They're my parents, his grandparents, and he deserves to know. Just like he deserves to know yours."

Naruto grabbed the bag they used as a diaper bag and slung it over his shoulder. He maneuvered Neji into the other arm so that he could he slip his free arm through the second strap. Neji laughed the entire time, viewing his moving from side to side as a game.

"I'll let you know how it goes," Naruto spoke as he stepped out of the open door, offering a rushed 'say bye bye' to Neji, who was waving over Naruto's shoulder. Sasuke could hear Neji repeating his words.

Sasuke stared at the door as it closed, his jaw slack and mouth open. Had that really happened? He clenched his fists at his sides, torn between going after them and demanding that Naruto listen to him for once and just letting them go, saving his annoyance for later on when they had Neji in bed. While he was sure that both instances would cause a ruckus, he figured that waiting his anger out was the best option.

Only, Sasuke and waiting weren't things that went hand and hand. Over the years he'd become increasingly impatient with things that were important to him, and how his son was brought up was one of (if not) the most important thing to him. At least, in that moment anyways.

The raven slipped his shoes on, sighing heavily. Things had certainly changed lately. Here he was chasing after Naruto, something he honestly thought he'd never do. It had always been the other way around and he had hoped to keep it that way.

Sasuke knew that Naruto was miles ahead of him, but he wasn't sure where he would be. The entire village would no doubt be trying to talk to the blond about Sasuke, Neji, or just attempting to clean the slate they'd dirtied years ago when they treated Naruto like he was a lowly piece of dirt on the bottom of their shoes. Sasuke was sure it was the latter option, as the village had started trying to save face after Naruto saved them the first time. They would spend a little time cooing at Neji and more time asking how Sasuke was doing, he was sure. This was especially true when it came to the female population of Konoha, despite the fact that Naruto would be holding a mini Uchiha with eyes the color of a tropical ocean.

Knowing this made Sasuke want to find Naruto even more.

Sasuke couldn't think straight after he realized that people who still idolized him would be watching Naruto like a hawk and waiting for the moment to strike. They were a jealous population. Some of them wanted to rid the blond from his life, remove his child, and offer him a life of normalcy. He'd heard it all before— they would tell him that being with a man wasn't what his family would have wanted from him, they would tell him that they could give him better young (stronger, smarter, and perfect), they would tell him that they'd be there for his every beck and call. Sasuke didn't want them.

He couldn't recall how much of his walk to the village cemetery was spent thinking about all the bad things that could happen to Naruto and Neji. It was when he entered the quiet area that his thoughts silenced and he could think rationally again. The people of the village wouldn't hurt his lover or his child, he was just being paranoid.

"Took you long enough," a voice cut through his thoughts. "I've been waiting for like ten minutes."

"Oh? Really?" Sasuke asked, turning to face the blond and a smiling baby boy that was facing his direction.

"Yeah." Naruto said. "I figured you'd follow."

"You know me too well," the raven told him as he walked up to Naruto.

"I better." Naruto chuckled.

They watched one another for a brief moment. Obsidian orbs took in the sight of Naruto holding their child in one of the most depressing places the village had to offer, but it oddly worked. Naruto lit the place up; much like he did at every place he was at.

"Take him?" Naruto asked, holding Neji out to Sasuke. "I want to find their graves. I can't believe I forgot where they were."

"It happens when you haven't been here in a while," Sasuke informed him. "I'm surprised they even bothered to bury my parents here, you know... after what they did."

"They were still part of the village, Sasuke. Besides, where else would they bury them?"

"On the estate grounds?"

"Oh. That's disturbing." Naruto stuck his tongue out in disgust.

"Not really. They buried plenty of my family there, so it was a shock to know that they placed them here." Sasuke told the blond. Honestly, it was weird that out of everyone that had been murdered that night his parents were buried in the village cemetery. Why did they get special treatment when the rest of the clan was either burned, their ashes discarded, or were buried on the compound? Somethings made no sense to him.

"Maybe your parents weren't bad people? Maybe the third decided to place them here for your sake so you could visit them whenever you wanted? I don't know, Sasuke. It would make sense, though."

And, Naruto was right. It would make sense.

"Hn." Sasuke agreed with him, not wanting to delve further into the topic. "Go find your parents while I visit mine."

Naruto nodded and, in a flash, he was gone, leaving Sasuke standing alone with a very surprised Neji, who was torn between laughing at his father disappearing suddenly and crying over not understanding what just happened. Sasuke held the boy closer as he walked toward the graves of his parents that were nestled in the back corner beside each other. The fact that he knew where they were located said something— he visited them more than he let on, despite the fight he'd put up earlier.

They'd been buried together under claims that married couples were meant to be together in death just like they'd been in life. Sasuke honestly didn't that was the reason. In fact, he'd convinced himself that it was to save space.

Sasuke stared down at their grave, growing still, even though he was having to keep Neji from trying to escape his arms. It'd been a good while— before Neji was born — since he'd been by for a visit. The last time he hadn't even bothered to tell them that they had a grandchild on the way and that he was able to continue on their family name. A part of Sasuke wanted to believe that they would be ecstatic, but he couldn't be too sure.

"Da?" Neji spoke, patting Sasuke's cheek with his little hand.

"Neji?" he answered back.

Neji simply smiled up at him, his bright eyes shining with happiness even though they were in the most depressing place in the village. Old memories resurfaced and a pain in his chest bubbled, and he almost came to regret following Naruto. While he knew that it meant the world to his blond, he wasn't sure if it meant the same to him.

Neji's quiet babbling brought him from his thoughts and he momentarily wondered what was taking Naruto so long.

"Hey, Neji." Sasuke said softly and motioning towards the grave in front of them, the corners of his lips pulling upwards when big blue eyes looked up at him. "Say hi to your grandparents."

The little boy tilted his head to the side. Sasuke snorted at how much he favored Naruto in that instance. If anything or anyone was going to lighten his mood then it would definitely be the child he never thought he'd have. Neji was his light, outside of the man that carried and had him. Sasuke wanted the world to know how much his son meant to him, and it clicked the minute the thought crept through his mind— he'd start with telling his parents.

Sasuke knew in that moment that Naruto had been right in wanting to bring Neji to meet them. They were his family and he had every right to know them.

The only problem he had with telling them was he wasn't sure how to start a conversation with the dead.

"C'mon," Sasuke said to Neji. "Say hi."

"Da, hi!" Neji said much too loudly for their location.

"Good boy, but say it to them." Sasuke pointed down to the headstone, leaning over slightly and tightening his grip around his son's body.

Neji simply giggled at the movement and, with one hand, sloppily waved towards the ground. Sasuke figured that was as much as he would do. He was fine with that.

"So, hey..." Sasuke started, feeling awkward. "It's been a while, yeah?"

He knew they weren't going to answer him and that fact made him feel stupid. A part of him wanted to stop before he said anything else, but he knew he couldn't. He truly wanted them to know about their grandchild.

"So, uh... everything's been okay." Sasuke said. "This is stupid."

"...'id?" Neji muttered, looking up at his father.

"Yes, this is stupid, but don't say that."

Neji mumbled incoherently to himself as he continued to watch Sasuke. Sasuke, on the other hand, turned back to the grave and ran his free hand through his hair.

"This is Neji," Sasuke told the headstones that were covered with shadows from the many trees beside them. He knelt down, allowing his son to get a closer look. Neji reached out, clearly interested in touching the stone.

Sasuke could see their reflections on the surface, indicating that someone other than him had been taking care of their resting place. Who, he didn't know. Just that they had been.

"Mother. Father. He's your grandson." Sasuke breathed out, feeling his throat constrict as he fell back to sit on the ground. It was more comfortable and it gave Neji a reason to actually touch the stone. "Surprise."

"It sucks that you're not here to see him, because he's amazing and everything I like to think you would have wanted in a grandchild." Sasuke spoke slowly, thinking about what to say and watching Neji and he hoisted himself up into a standing position. The boy smiled and looked back to Sasuke.

"I had him with Naruto," he began, "you know, the boy you said wouldn't be worth anything more than a carrier for the nine-tails. He's worth a lot more than that, Father. To the village, to Fire Country, and to me. I don't know what I'd do without him.

"Naruto, he's... the best thing that ever happened to me, especially since he's given me the son I always wanted. I hope your thoughts on him have changed because you're stuck with him." Sasuke paused to pull Neji back and stand, picking up the boy in the process. Neji, of course, started to struggle in hold. He wanted to be put back down.

"Neji's a handful and he already has Naruto's temper, but he's my pride and joy. I sometimes like to wonder if the way I feel for him is how you felt about Itachi and myself. I don't know how you couldn't feel the same— you had us for children." Sasuke tried to joke.

"I bet you two would have loved him just as much as we do. I'm pretty sure he'd have you wrapped around his finger. Itachi, too."

"Chi?" Neji asked him.

"Itachi. Your uncle." Sasuke replied.

Sasuke held his son tightly as he tried to come up with more to say. When his mind drew a blank he decided that it was probably best if he were to find Naruto and try to talk him into going home. Telling them about Neji had taken too much from him mentally and he just wanted to be with the two that had stolen his heart.

"This is the part where I say goodbye," Sasuke whispered. "I'll bring him back soon, but for now it's time to go home."

He looked at the grave like he expected to hear his parents bid him farewell. It didn't bother him when they didn't because they couldn't and that was okay. It had to be.

"Say bye bye, Neji." Sasuke told his son. When the boy didn't say anything for a few seconds he looked down to find that he'd fallen asleep against his chest, both arms drawn up between their bodies and a thumb in his mouth. Sasuke couldn't help the smile that graced his features.

Walking back towards the entrance, he thought back on everything he said to them and wondered if he'd ever get the chance to properly tell Itachi.

Others walked past him, eyes warily watching him and his child. Some made several smart remarks, like he knew they would, but most ignored them. He was grateful for those that kept their mouths shut.

The raven didn't know how long he stood near the entrance with Neji still sleeping soundlessly against him. It couldn't have been that long since Naruto appeared almost as quickly as he disappeared, his signature smile playing on his lips as he motioned for Sasuke to join him.

"So?" Naruto questioned, grasping Sasuke's hand in his own and entwining their fingers. He leaned over and pressed a quick kiss to Neji's head, followed by a short peck for Sasuke.

"I told them about Neji," Sasuke said. "I also told them that they're stuck with you."

"You make it sound like a bad thing," Naruto pouted.

"It's not, trust me."

"It better not be," the blond teased, sticking his tongue out. "What do you say we go home now?"

"That sounds good," Sasuke told him.

"We have to come back again," Naruto said as they walked out of the graveyard. "I still haven't introduced him to my parents."

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