Winter's Fate

Chapter 12

Sweet smells of sugar wafted throughout the Hatake home as Iruka kneaded the dough for the wagashi, while a normally hyper-active blonde sat quietly at the table measuring the ingredients for another batch.

The week hadn't been going well for the Uzumaki-Hatake and he felt the need to take a couple of days off to leave the two Uchiha brothers to catch up and to discuss corporate stuff.

Deciding to spend the day with his papa doing one of the pastimes that they relished in; baking confections.

"Sweetheart, you've been brooding for almost a week now. I'm sure Itachi's reasons for being standoffish has nothing to do with you. Any person would be solemn after receiving results confirming a permanent disability." Iruka said trying to uplift the crestfallen blonde's mood.

"I just don't know...I mean he's known from the beginning that there was a good probability that the trauma could leave some permanent nerve damage, he seemed prepared for that."

"There's a big difference between probability and actuality. A disability affects the psych of a person's mind."  Iruka explained while placing the dough in a bowl and covering it with a cloth.  "He's young, honey and I'm sure he had his future planned out to some extent, now things are considerably going to change for him. It takes time to absorb that kind of reality." The older man explained taking the other bowl of wagashi to work into a dough.

"But he doesn't seem to be distancing himself from Sasuke," Naruto pouted as a heaviness settled in his heart as he dropped small portions of batter onto the baking stones. "I just have this feeling that it's more than the results. It's like ever since Sasuke's arrival, he's been a bit....off. I can't put a finger on it!" He said as he licked the bowl of left over batter. "Maybe he's tired of me being his nurse and doesn't want to personally tell me. I should probably ask Yamashita Karou to assign Neji as his nurse for the duration of his care."

"Honey, I can assure you that it has nothing to do with your nursing skills, you've always stood out and beyond in the profession. Besides, I'm for certain that if there was an issue, Fugaku would've informed your father by now, you're worrying too much." The brunette sighed. Even as a child Naruto took everything to heart, especially whenever it came to the feelings of others. He would come home from school crying because a classmate was mistreated, taking Kakashi's hand into his tiny ones pulling his father out the door demanding that he intervene and conjure some type of justice on behalf of the victim.

"I'd hope that we'd become friends but now I feel like that whenever he's discharged, we'll be parting on uncertain terms." Sadness reflecting in his cerulean eyes.

Sitting a plate full of confections and two glasses of milk on the table, Iruka took a seat next to him. "Talk to your father, he knows Itachi the best.. it would ease your anxiety." He said moving the plate of the warm baked goods closer knowing that sweets always make the blonde feel better whenever feeling down and out.

"He's busy with the preliminary meetings and I know how this time of year can be stressful for him. I don't want to burden him right now." The sunflower mop replied with a mouth full of gooey chocolate.

"Your father is never too busy for you. You're his pride and joy. You and I are priority in his life.  No matter what's going on we always come first."  Reassuring his son while sipping the cold milk. "Are you afraid to talk to him because he figured out that you've fallen in love with Itachi?" Iruka chimed with a soft chuckle as the blonde choked on his milk.

Unable to suppress the heat rising to his cheeks and feeling the pounding of his heart beating against his rib cage. "Wh..what are you saying?" He stuttered.