Light our Shadows

Ch 16: Me or the Coup de tat?

No response was given to his husband. Instead, uncertain looks were exchanged by his so called family, it was as if they didn't know how to respond. None of them. Which was total bullshit if you asked Naruto. It wasn't a hard question. At least, it shouldn't be. Sasuke was made to repeat himself like he'd previously spoken in tongues. Which did they care about more? Him or the coup de tat?

To Sasuke's credit, he didn't show any frustration on his face at the repetition or his family members hesitation to speak. His tone didn't raise. It stayed at the same even level. He wanted answers- answers that he could only get from the three soon to be deceased people before him. Patience it seemed was his only option. So he kept calm. They couldn't stay silent forever. If they tried, their silence would be taken as an answer in and of itself instead. As undesirable as that would be, he'd accept it if he had to.

But this was sick. Naruto was repulsed by the lot of them. He didn't understand what was taking so long. Their responses should have been immediate. How were they not? Why was it taking so long? Damnit. Did they actually have to think about it?

Sasuke had asked him a similar question one night. A long time ago...

They were young, late teens. It was about a year after the war. The two were merely dating back then. Naruto was still in kage training at the time, and honestly he'd messed up pretty bad. Kakashi Sensei let him assign some missions one day. Get him ready for the real thing, whatever. There was this one s rank that had looked really cool. Perfect for Sasuke from what he'd skimmed. Even though it was super important for the village the council didn't raise a single protest. They actually put a rush order on it. That should have been a red flag right there.

He'd been over confident. Proud even that he could separate his work and personal feelings like so many had doubted he could at the current time. Naruto insisted that Sasuke could get the mission done no problem. Except he should have read the whole way to the end of the file because the mission was anything but open and shut. It was hell, Sasuke almost died three times over - if he didn't have his Rinnegan he would have-and it was all the blonde's fault. When Sasuke got home, before he could make any apologies, he was leveled with the question.

"Which do you care about more? The village or me?"

As a budding Hokage, Naruto knew the answer expected of him. Not just by Sasuke in that moment but by everyone. He knew that the village should come above all else. He knew that probably more than anyone. His father had done that when he was Hokage, put the village before him and his mom, but staring into the depths of Sasuke's eyes, seeing all the fear and the dread of the answer -The Uchiha looked so damned hurt-the expected answer hadn't been the one he gave. He hadn't even had to think about it. Sasuke's name it just came out and the following 'You. The answer will always be you.' Just tumbled out straight behind.

Truthfully, nothing in this world mattered more to Naruto than Sasuke did. Nothing else ever would. Maybe it made him a bad Kage, putting Sasuke above the village, one life over so many others, but Sasuke was and will always be his most precious person. His husband took priority. Every time. It was non negotiable. Sasuke deserved to be put first. He really did.

"It's not a complicated question." Naruto spoke up, blue eyes threatening to dye red the longer Sasuke's loved ones stayed silent. Naruto starting to feel they were ignoring his husband. That they had no intention of giving him a straight answer.

"Naruto." Sasuke's hand rubbed his thigh soothingly. His voice softened towards the blonde. "Don't rush them, Sunshine. Let them think."

"Think?" Naruto's head snapped to Sasuke. He leaned towards him voice lowering to an angered snarl. "What the hell is there to think about? Are you telling me there's an actual choice here?" One read of Sasuke's face and his eyes completely bled to red. "There shouldn't be one to make."