Light our Shadows

Ch 18: Kintsukuroi

Kage Sasuke was right on Fugaku's heels. Incessant. Relentless. Unyielding in his pursuit of an explanation for the answers he long since sought. He reached out towards him, wanting to bring this chase to a stand still, but he didn't get the chance to close the distance. His fingers were nearly broken by the sudden appearance of hard oak as his father slammed the door to his study straight into Sasuke's face. The kage's whole body jerked back before the rest of him could meet the wood as well. His body was trembling worse than his shaking fingers.

The Shadow Kage's wounded glassy eyes deepened into a glare. His gaze set on the hard wood door that stood between him and his father. Rejected. He grit his teeth. Dejected. He banged on the door with his left fist, nothing more than a growl of frustration escaping him. It did nothing to help the dulling pulse of pain his fingers just suffered, but he didn't care. He was pissed and even more so, Sasuke was hurt.

He wanted to yell, wanted scream at his Father to open the door, to let him in, because they weren't done, but he knew the man never would. So Sasuke stayed silent. Quietly suffering in the familiar pain that his fathers willful ignorance brought upon him. Denied his attention once again, and this time his age had nothing to do with it. This wasn't protection. His father simply didn't want to talk to him. His words from just before echoed through his mind. "It matters more than you at the present moment." Why? He wondered to himself. No, maybe that was the wrong question.

He thought back to his walk with Naruto the other day. How the blonde had insisted his father hadn't said anything that bad when Sasuke was so sure that he had. They'd heard the words differently then. Him and his husband. What did his fathers words truly mean? Were his own perceptions swayed by all the ill emotions he still harbored towards his Father? It was possible at the very least.

Still, Sasuke wasn't about to back down because of that. He was much too stubborn to do so. If his father thought that this door was enough to shut him out and keep him away, he was mistaken. He debated being a real asshole and kicking the door down. Perhaps he'd send it sailing off its hinges with a fireball jutsu. Because yeah, he could do that pretty damn good one handed no less. But no. His mother would likely be the one to have to clean up the mess. He wouldn't have this soon to be verbal quarrel burden her. He teleported into the room. Not a scratch on the door. It remained locked. Just in case this got loud, he put a silencing jutsu on the room for good measure.

His eyes shifted to his father. The man was pulling a bottle of sake out of his desk drawer.
"Tell me what you meant by that. When you said the Coup matters more than I do..."

"I meant exactly what I said."Fugaku's back remained turned. His voice terse he picked up his glass. "Get out."

"No. The time I have left with you is limited. I won't let this chance to speak with you go to waste. Whether you like it or not."

"Is that so?" Fugaku turned to face his son.

"It is." Sasuke insisted. "Am I not this clans future? I don't understand. Why shun me even still? How can such a thing matter more than your own son? I'm proof of my own potential. You must see that. "

"Enough, Sasuke...." Fugaku gripped his glass tighter. His eyes closed. As if that would make Sasuke disappear altogether. "...I will hear no more of this."

"No more of what? Anything I have to say? Why do you ignore me like this? What did I ever do that was so wrong? You...you treat me like I'm nothing. Like I'm worthless, and for what? Why? Because I'm not like Itachi? Because I'm not a prodigal genius like him? Excuse me for not graduating in a year and taking more than a first attempt to master the fireball technique when I have a dominant affinity for lightning!"