Chapter 2 (I)

Five years later

Sasuke hit the wooden plank with the back of his palm. The thick slab of wood shattered into a burst of flames as he sent a blast of fire through it.

"A substitution jutsu? Come on, you're much better than that." Sasuke smirked. He stepped back and surveyed around the seemingly empty dojo. He closed his eyes and listened to the sounds all around him. A fly buzzing around, the steady autumn wind blowing through the wind chimes outside, a stray cat padding around the tall grassy bushes, the splashing sound of frogs jumping around in the pond...

-Whoosh-

Sasuke's eyes shot open. He put both his palms up and in the blink of an eye several small red flames ignited at the tip of each of his fingertips.

"You're right, I am much better than that." His opponent appeared in front of him in a flurry of ravens. Sasuke quickly activated his sharingan. If his opponent finished materializing he'd activate his mangekyo and it'd be game over for Sasuke. He sent a blast of fire from his pointer finger at one of the ravens flying by his opponents head, the fire caused the bird to fly in the direction the fire had come from so it could attack its source and protect its master. It's master, who was still materializing, was shocked by this and looked to see where his bird had flown off.

Sasuke quickly grabbed the bird and brought it up so that it was partially covering his face, his opponent's eyes followed and-fell right into Sasuke's trap. Sasuke's hand ignited into a burning ball of fire, effectively killing the raven. As the bird withered to ashes, Sasuke locked his eyes with his opponent who had been looking where the bird had just been. With out the barrier of the raven Sasuke could look into his opponents eyes. It was exactly what he had wanted to happen. Sasuke narrowed his eyes, trapping his opponent in a genjutsu. Sasuke smiled triumphantly, he had won.

"Very good, little brother." Sasuke's opponent, Itachi Uchiha hummed in approval as he easily broke Sasuke's genjutsu. "You used my own ravens against me, very tricky, it took you only a minute this time to trap me, father will be pleased to hear that you're improving."

"Hah, that was more like fifty seconds!" Sasuke chuckled. His eyes bled back to black as he walked over to stand next to his brother. "It's been too easy lately, are you sick? Have you been taking it easy on me?" Sasuke prodded.

Only four short weeks ago it had taken him a whole five minutes to trap his brother in a genjutsu now it was less than a minute, it was too good to be true. He trained everyday but rapid progress like this was just odd.

"Sorry, I have a lot on my mind." Itachi ran his hand through his hair; his usual low ponytail was coming undone due the intense sparring he and Sasuke had partaken in earlier. He was only wearing a pair of loose training pants, his pale sweaty chest laid bare, displaying the smooth skin for all to see. "I've been thinking a lot. I can't concentrate." Itachi admitted.

"About what?" Sasuke asked curiously. He was a bit frustrated that his recent improvement was due to Itachi not fighting at full potential and not because he was getting better. He had an intuition that that was the reason the whole time though so he'd get over it. "It's not like you to let outside concerns affect your fighting, it's strange."

"You're right, it usually does take a lot for something to distract me." Itachi sighed, "but this...it's...its…"

"Spit it out already, for Kaguya's sake, brother!" Sasuke yelled exasperatedly. He had never seen his brother so flustered. Whatever it was that had been bothering his brother must've been huge.

"Its father," Itachi finally revealed. "He informed me last week that my betrothed will be arriving in a months time."

Sasuke froze. A lump formed in his throat and his mouth went dry. A month. This was the last thing he expected to hear today when he had woken up this morning. He knew Naruto would be returning sometime this year since the five years time that his father had given the Uzumaki's was up but still-he hadn't expected Naruto to come so…soon. Sasuke's hands suddenly felt sweaty.

"Naruto...is coming?" Sasuke managed to get out from around the lump in his throat.

Itachi nodded his head yes. Sasuke's heart began to race. A month. For the past five years he had secretly thought of only Naruto. His love for the blond had grown stronger with each passing year. No one knew of his silent obsession so Itachi couldn't have known why Sasuke suddenly looked so nervous.

"You look ill, brother." Itachi palmed his brother's forehead to check for a fever. "You don't feel hot-ah don't tell me-you're sick at the thought of Naruto coming aren't you?" Itachi laughed. The stress melted off of his face as he clasped his brother's shoulder in a friendly manner. "You were so young when he last came, you hadn't even gone through your change yet and you still hated him. I can still recall how I had to make you promise to be nice to him." Itachi's face suddenly turned serious, "but you're older now, would it be safe for me to assume that your childish dislike for my betrothed will stay a thing of the past?"

"Of course brother, I'll treat him as if he were my own betrothed."

"Ah, perhaps you should aim a little higher, the way you treat Sakura is a bit-"

"Of course, I meant it figuratively, Naruto isn't Sakura." Sasuke said the harsh truth through gritted teeth. "And Sakura is no longer my betrothed but my wife."

"Very well then..." Itachi smiled softly, "I just want Naruto to feel at home here, I want him to feel like we are all his family."

"Of course you do, I completely understand."

"Thank you little brother," Itachi looked off out to the open dojo doors and at the trees bristling in the wind, "I would never tell father this but I'm nervous, five years ago he told me that my marriage to Naruto was purely for the purpose of having an heir, he said it was strictly business and that I shouldn't invest any emotional bonds into it but...I fell in love...I'm in love with Naruto."

Sasuke said nothing. He had suspected Itachi's true feelings ever since he saw the face his brother had made when he first laid eyes on Naruto. Like he was looking at the shining sun rising over the mountains. He loved his brother too much to say anything about his own true feelings. He had kept his love for Naruto a secret for so long that if he said something now it'd ruin everything.

"Naruto-chan is coming." Mikoto Uchiha announced giddily. She was seated in a plush velvet chair, sipping her favorite mint tea from a silver china cup in one of her most favorite tearooms in the entire palace. Her long black hair fell loose over her thin shoulders and billowed about her face as a maid fanned her. She was wearing a simple red night slip with a black night robe over it. It was almost noon but Mikoto had never been a morning person, getting ready so early in the day was pointless and she took every opportunity she could to put off dressing into the multi layered kimonos that she was required to wear, especially when her husband was out of town. Her attire was plain but to a commoners eye she looked every bit the queen that she was. Her thin fingers were weighed down by a multitude of beautiful ruby and diamond rings and her neck was adorned with a golden necklace but even without all of the priceless jewelry, the three red dots on her forehead proclaimed her queen status loud and clear to all who looked upon her.

"Yes, I know, Itachi told me earlier this morning during our spar." Sasuke retorted passively. He trained his face into a neutral expression. It was taking every single ounce of his will power to remain calm. Itachi had just barely told him the news of Naruto's upcoming arrival when his mother had sent a maid for him with orders to meet her in the dragon tearoom in the east wing of the palace.

His mother's lips quirked into a scowl, Sasuke hated when she did that, it meant only one thing-a lecture was coming.

"Sasuke," Mikoto began in a warning tone, "I know you've never been fond of Naruto but you're older now, I expect you to be nice to Naruto-chan this time around."

"Of course I will, mother." His mother had no idea how easy it'd be for him to be nice to Naruto. If anything Sasuke was worried about being too nice.

"I didn't summon you here just to bark orders at you," Mikoto's eyes softened. She ran her hand through her sons black hair, a habit that she had had ever since Sasuke was a child. Her little boy was no longer a child; he was a man. His strong set jaw, his fine features that screamed Uchiha blood, and his dominating aura that he emitted just by sitting there looking at her, all pleased Mikoto immensely. He had turned into the strong dominant that she had always desired him to be; everything she had wished for her youngest son had come true except-

"When will you give me a grandchild? It's already been three years since you've married Sakura." Mikoto chastised. "I thought I'd be a grandmother by now, with Itachi's marriage being postponed I thought you'd give me a grandchild immediately after your marriage to Sakura since you knew how much I wanted one."

"I know mother it's just..." Sasuke scowled. What could he tell his mother? That he didn't love Sakura? That he couldn't stand her? That the mere sound of Sakura's voice alone made him want to tear her throat out…no; he couldn't say any of that. "It's hard, it just hasn't happened yet."

"Are you at least trying?" Mikoto demanded with out the tiniest bit of modesty. Submissives weren't supposed to ask about sexual intercourse so openly but Mikoto was not your typical submissive.

"Of course I am." Sasuke lied. Though he knew his mother wouldn't buy it, nearly everyone knew of his dislike for his wife. Even the whores living in the dirtiest slums knew. Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno had a completely loveless marriage. Sakura Haruno hadn't even gained the 'Uchiha' last name yet, which could only be bestowed upon her by her husband when he felt she had earned to be an Uchiha. She was still a Haruno; it was a clear sign that her husband wasn't fond of her.

"I'm not the only one who wants you to impregnate Sakura," Mikoto chided her youngest son, "Your father does as well. The treaty with the Haruno clan is still new and therefore sensitive, they only agreed to the peace treaty your father offered them under the conditions that you accepted a marriage bid from Sakura and that you impregnate her and name your child the heir to the Haruno clan. I don't want to sound like your father but it is your duty to look out for the well being of our clan and by not impregnating Sakura or giving her our last name you're failing at your duty."

"I know all of this mother!" Sasuke bellowed. He was exhausted of hearing his father constantly telling him to do his duty for the clan. He not only heard it from his father but from all of the council as well. They all sounded like parrots, saying the same thing over and over again and now his mother had joined them too. Sasuke had had enough. "But I don't want my first born child to be the future ruler of such a weak clan like the Harunos!" The truth of Sasuke's reluctance to impregnate Sakura finally came out.

"Itachi's first born will become the future king of our clan. I'm sorry sweetie but since you are younger than Itachi your child will have no choice but to be the heir of his mothers clan and since its mother will be Sakura, it will be the Haruno clan that they rule over. I wish you could've picked your own wife but you know how your father is, he does everything for the sake of our clan. This is the lot you've drawn in life and you need to fulfill your princely duties. We all have to sacrifice sometimes, darling."

"But-"

"Enough Sasuke," Mikoto's lips hardened into a thin line. "I want Sakura pregnant by the time Naruto-chan arrives do I make myself clear?"

"Yes." Sasuke was weak to his mother's authority. No matter how dominant someone was they always carried a weak spot for only two submissives, their mothers and their lovers.

"Good." Mikoto smiled sweetly, "don't look so gloomy darling, Sakura is a beautiful girl, she will give you beautiful children."

"But they'll be weak!" Sasuke yelled. His hands clenched into a fist. There was only one submissive strong enough to carry his children and that was Naruto! Sasuke wanted to scream this to his mother but he couldn't because Naruto belonged to Itachi.

"That's fine, it's as you said they'll be ruling over the Haruno clan, one does not need to be strong to do that." Mikoto said calmly, her eyes dimmed as she looked upon her sons face. If there ever were a visual representation of a man drowning-it would be her son. He looked as if he was on the brink of suffocation and the only lifeline Mikoto could offer him was a sad smile. She picked up her golden chalice and drank the sweet wine inside of it. The tingling aftereffect of the wine instantly calmed her tremendous guilt.

Her son would just have to learn how to swim.

After Sasuke left the tearoom he decided to go back to his sleeping chambers. Maybe he could sleep a little and forget all about his mother. Yes, some sleep would be perfect Sasuke thought to him self. If he slept then hopefully Kaguya would bless him with dreams of Naruto. With this newly formulated plan in mind, Sasuke stalked out of his parents palace and mounted onto the black horse he had rode there that morning, he rode away to his own palace with the lull of sleep and Naruto's blue eyes on his mind.

After Sasuke left the tearoom he decided to go back to his sleeping chambers. Maybe he could sleep a little and forget all about his mother. Yes, some sleep would be perfect Sasuke thought to him self. If he slept then hopefully Kaguya would bless him with dreams of Naruto. With this newly formulated plan in mind, Sasuke stalked out of his parents palace and mounted onto the black horse he had rode there that morning, he rode away to his own palace with the lull of sleep and Naruto's blue eyes on his mind.

Sakura Haruno paced around her room. Her waist length pink hair swung behind her as she turned.

"Where is that wretched midwife?" Sakura growled angrily to herself. She didn't have much time; she was doing this behind her husbands back. She jolted when a dull knock sounded at the door. She threw herself onto the bed and feigned a sleepy expression.

"Come in." She announced in a raspy voice.

The door slid open and in walked a hunchbacked elder woman.

"Finally!" Sakura snarled as she dropped her act. "You're ten minutes late! I should have your feet cut off for your tardiness!"

"I'm sorry princess, my feet are swollen, it's difficult for an old woman like me to move quickly." The woman explained fearfully.

"Shut up, I didn't ask for an excuse!" Sakura sat up and lifted her nightdress. "Now get over here and examine me before my husband gets back."

"Yes, princess." The old woman bowed then limped over to the bed to attend to her master's wife.

Sakura Haruno was one of the most coveted princesses in Fire Country simply because of her rare beauty. Her pink hair and jade green eyes were physical traits that screamed royalty. The day she was born everyone knew that she was too good to stay within the Haruno clan, she was born for more. She was raised with this mentality, and when she turned fourteen her father gave her the glorious news that their bid to marry into the Uchiha clan had been accepted. She had not only been accepted into the Uchiha clan but she had been promised to one of the most royal Uchiha's of them all, the young prince and second in line for the Uchiha throne, Sasuke Uchiha. Sure, her father had had to declare war just to get the Uchiha's to accept her marriage bid but Sakura didn't care. She had no interest about her clans rivalry with the Uchiha's or that her people would've been slaughtered if the war actually went through. It was her dream to become an Uchiha, and now she was one.

Sakura had been married to Sasuke for three glorious years. She was living a life of luxury. She had been a princess back in her clan so she was already accustomed to living the good life but the Uchiha's wealth was on a whole other level. The palace that her mother in-law had gifted her and Sasuke as a marriage present was so big it made her parents palace look like a commoner's hovel. A luxurious life wasn't the only good thing that Sakura had gained by becoming an Uchiha, she had also gained the highly coveted, Sasuke Uchiha.

The rivalry between the Haruno clan and the Uchiha clan meant that Sakura never got to see a single Uchiha in her life but she had managed to get a glimpse of the clan her family hated only once, at a mandatory ball thrown by the emperor. Sasuke had been at the ball along with all the other clans in fire country. His pale skin and midnight black eyes and hair had instantly attracted her. He was so different from all the dominants in her clan whom all had variations of dark pink and muddy brown hair. During the duration of the entire ball Sakura watched Sasuke and not once did he smile. It was instant love. She wanted nothing more than to make the sullen boy smile and now, as his betrothed, she'd be able to do just that.

Only one day into their marriage Sakura realized that her simple hope of making Sasuke smile would probably never come true. It had been obvious when Sakura walked down the aisle and Sasuke didn't even look at her that he had zero interest. It had surprised Sakura because she had had many suitors tell her that she was the most beautiful submissive in the whole world, she was like a sakura petal, delicate and lovely. But her beauty had failed to impress Sasuke. On their wedding night, Sakura had thought that Sasuke would be pleased to take her virginity but he hadn't cared a single bit. It had been three years now and Sasuke was still as impassive as ever, even when they made love Sasuke looked uninterested, he was rough and never looked her in the eyes. Sasuke wouldn't even grant her permission to have his name! But all of that would be a thing of the past because now she knew how to fix it; she was convinced that if she gave Sasuke a son he'd love her just like a husband should. It was a known truth that dominants held a special kind of love for the mother of their children and Sakura was going to get it.

Sakura sat amongst her canopy style bed. The open double window let in the chilly autumn air, it gently whirled her long pink hair around her pale face. She lay on her back; her head was propped up against a mountain of silk pillows. Her green eyes were intently focused on the small elderly woman below her who was quietly applying pressure to her bared stomach. The atmosphere was tense, as it always was during situations like these. The woman's hand moved up against her rib cage then back down to the area right below her belly button, where her womb was located. A green aura began to emit from the woman's hand, it grew brighter and brighter and brighter and then in a blink of an eye the light was gone. Sakura clasped her hands in a silent prayer when the elderly woman pulled her hand away. The next words the woman spoke could be life changing. She silently prayed to Kaguya to give her the answer she so desperately wanted, the answer she craved more than anything else in the world, the answer that would make Sasuke-kun love her.

"I'm sorry princess but you're not pregnant." The old woman announced anticlimactically, there was a tint of anger in her gravely voice. It was expected; she was, after all, an Uchiha. Just like everyone else in the clan, she had been hoping that the princess would finally add to the royal family by birthing a pure blooded baby.

"Oh." Was all Sakura could say. There was nothing else she could say that would properly sum up how disappointed she felt. She had been given this diagnosis so many times before that each time she heard it, it became less surprising. It was like she was numb to the words. Sakura had been trying to get pregnant for a whole year and every time it was the same-negative.

"Would you like me to inform his majesty?" The old woman questioned.

Sakura snapped her green eyes at the woman; she reached forward and forcibly pulled the woman closer. "If you so much as speak a word of this to him or anyone else I'll have your tongue cut out and your eyes gouged out, you got that?"

The old woman nodded fervently. Her frail frame shook in fear at the coldness of the princess's threat.

"I won't say a word, princess!"

"Good, now get out of my sight before my husband comes!" The old woman scrambled to her feet and ran out the door.

"Tormenting people again are we Sakura?" A deep voice chided from the doorway. Sasuke stepped out of the shadows he had been hiding in. He had come to his chambers to sleep. He had thought Sakura would be in her powder room, getting ready for the day but instead he had walked in to see Sakura grabbing a poor old woman by the neck. Sakura's violent behavior didn't even surprise Sasuke. She was submissive only in name. She liked to act delicate and pure but Sasuke had seen through her act a month into the marriage when she had assaulted a maid who had brushed her hair too roughly while attending to her.

"Sasuke-kun! I didn't know you were home! Your mother told me that you'd be out sparring with Itachi-san all morning." Sakura clambered off the bed so she could stand next to her husband. "If I had known you'd be back so soon I would've had that dumb midwife come earlier." Sakura pouted. The way her painted pink lips pouted out in an attempt to appear cute was excruciatingly fake, it disgusted him.

"We ended our match early, I beat my brother quicker than usual." Sasuke explained as he tried to stave off the irritation bubbling inside of him. He wanted Sakura out of his sleeping chambers so he could sleep.

"Oh, that's wonderful news!" Sakura jumped up and hugged her husband. She inhaled the intoxicating scent on Sasuke's neck. Just smelling it made her legs tremble. Every dominant gave off an aroma and Sasuke's was her absolute favorite.

"Get off of me!" Sasuke barked as he pried Sakura's arms off of him. He could smell her arousal and it was sickening.

"B-but Sasuke-kun, I just received some bad news, I'm not pregnant. I need you to console me!" Sakura cried.

"Stop your blubbering." Sasuke rolled his eyes at Sakura's over dramatic antics.

"Sasuke-kun! Did you forget the treaty conditions? You have to get me pregnant! Remember? It's been three years already!"

"Stop hollering." Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose. He was really, really, annoyed now. He was itching to rip Sakura's lips off so she could shut the hell up.

"I am aware of the treaty conditions, I understand my duty." How could Sasuke forget when everybody kept reminding him!

"Then let's try right now! I can feel that tonight will be a lucky one!" Sakura snaked her arms around Sasuke's waist and pulled him against her body. She looked up into his eyes and smiled mischievously. "Come on, Sasuke-kun, I can see you're irritated, release all of you're irritation inside of me."

Sasuke hated Sakura but she had a point, he was frustrated and rough sex with her would make him forget about how unhappy he was. Plus, his mother had instructed him to get Sakura pregnant, at least this way he could tell her that he had tried.

Sasuke forced Sakura's hands off of him and picked her up. She laughed victoriously. "Thank you, Sasuke-kun! I knew you wouldn't be able to resist such a temping offer."

"Shut up." Sasuke growled as he dumped her on the bed and forced her onto her knees so that her face was buried in the pillows. He lifted up the thin fabric of her nightdress and pulled her panties down. "Just, shut up and don't say a word or else I'll stop." Sasuke murmured as he forced his un-lubed dick inside of Sakura's stretched out hole.

"Yes~" Sakura moaned in pain. Sasuke was never gentle with her but she didn't care. She craved Sasuke more than anything.

"I thought I told you not to speak!" Sasuke yelled. He groaned in pleasure as he grabbed a handful of Sakura's pink hair and yanked it harshly.

Sakura moaned and Sasuke closed his eyes, imagining a pretty blonde with scarred cheeks and blue eyes in Sakura's place. With every thrust Sasuke envisioned Naruto and when he came he imagined it was Naruto's sweet heat cocooning him that he was releasing into.

"You were so passionate, Sasuke-kun," Sakura gushed. "I can feel it happening already," Her thin arms hugged her naked stomach. She tightened her legs so that the cum inside of her wouldn't run out. "I'll get pregnant I just know it."

Sasuke tuned Sakura's ramblings out. He closed his eyes and fell asleep. Hours later when he awoke, he smiled happily. He had dreamed of his angel just like he had hoped he would. At least in his dreams he could be happy.

One week later Sakura found out she was pregnant. Everyone celebrated the glorious news, commoners and royalty alike sang songs of joy, and Sakura's parents even came all the way from their clan territory just to celebrate their daughter's pregnancy. It was a joyous occasion, everyone was happy…except Sasuke. He was a drowning man, now weighed down by anchors, surviving was becoming harder and harder and Sasuke really wanted to just give into the weight of the anchors and never resurface again but the thought of Naruto kept him going. In three weeks Naruto would be arriving and Sasuke would find a way to survive until then just so he could see his love again.