Saints and Suffering: A Naruto Fanfiction

Chapter 36- Discussions

Uchiha Fugaku had had a migraine for nigh on weeks at this point, starting with the Kyuubi attack, compounding with several other issues. Namely, the Hokage attempting to disembowel himself on his front lawn due to a marital dispute, and also his elder brother's bastard.

That being said, the presence of the young man named Shijin, well now Uchiha Shijin following his adoption a few days ago; his presence wasn't so bad, and it helped even out the presence of Kushina Uzumaki.

Mikoto and Kushina were driving themselves up the wall, and it seemed to him they were even trying to compete over who could mother their and the other's child more. The fact that both women were looking out for both infants though was good. Mikoto seemed a little less frantic this time around than when Itachi was young.

Besides, the Senju would be rolling in their graves if they knew an Uzumaki was wet nurse to a main line Uchiha. Fugaku got a tiny hint of sadistic pleasure from that.

But the downside. Mikoto and Kushina were wholly absorbed into their young babes, but what about him and Itachi?

They needed food, too, and when Fugaku tried to remind Mikoto of that, she damn near ripped his throat out with her teeth.

Luckily, Shijin is around though. The boy was still somewhat standoffish and likely to remain silent, but he was a decent cook, and he started helping around the house without being asked to.

He took a lot of the burden of Mikoto, and Fugaku could see the relief and appreciation in her eyes when she saw that her normal chores were being picked up by someone else.

Fugaku had overheard some of the discussions between Kushina and Mikoto by accident. Mikoto was worried that she wasn't a good mother, and Kushina had to reassure her in spades.

He would try to let Mikoto know that it was okay to not be perfect, but the words always tripped in his mouth and it came out like criticism.

Before this point, he had been mostly silent about it, but he had figured out a different way to show his support.

Though he was raised in a family that was extremely averse to public displays of affection, there was no chance for Mikoto to misinterpret a hug and a kiss.

She was startled the first few times he had shown her his love and appreciation, but she reciprocated, and Fugaku knew she got the message.

It was comforting to know that such an easy way of showing love existed. He had even started being a bit more touchy-feely with Itachi. Lord knows that even genius boys need hugs, maybe even more than usual.

Itachi, normally stone faced and emotionless, or at least a facsimile of it, even smiled a time or two. Fugaku activated his sharingan as soon as he saw it to burn it into his memory.

Who said that the sharingan could only be used for battle?

But back to Shijin, oh the child was a blessing in disguise.

He had started out as a headache, but now the child was the lodestone of the almost dysfunctional main house.

However, Fugaku could not let idle thoughts own his mind for too long.

He turned his attention back to the document in front of him and his migraine tripled.

The throbbing which had only recently subsided came back in full force, and now there was this tightness that threatened to pull his temples together, squishing his forebrain to mush.

As Fugaku sat in his office and reread the document, more and more issues were popping up in his mind.

Why now? How does he let the clan know?