The family he always wanted (Part 2)

35. *A Lil Long*

"So... you boys know what today is, right?" Yusuke & Boruto glanced at each other and back at their mother, responding with a silent nod. "And you both know... she's going to be sad, right?" They nodded again and in that moment the boys felt their mother's anxiety lingering through the room.

She couldn't hide the hurt behind her eyes or the dejection in her voice. "Ok, babies. I know she's going to turn to you both for support."

All of their faces reflected with sadness.

They knew this day was coming but even still, none was prepared for the heartbreaking news unexpectedly coming towards Hiroko's way.
***
Hinata walked down the stairs with heavy steps and then she turned to the diner room where Hiroko was with Sasuke and Naruto.

She was asking them both a bunch of questions while playing in their hair. "Daddy, did you and bestie have fun camping with big brothers?" He gave her an exciting answer like he always did.

Hinata's heart wouldn't stop thumping hard and her eyes kept growing watery. She took a deep breath and joined them in the dining room. "Mommy, can you help me with their hair?" The little girl asked nonchalantly and Hinata gently picked her up from the table and sat her down in a chair to face all the adults.

"We have to talk to you about something important first, sweetie." She looked up at her mother and then she shot a curious look at her dad and her bestie. "What's wrong? Am I in trouble?" Her small voice showed a hint of worry. "No, of course not."

The little girl looked at both men and instantly felt bad. Maybe she was picking up on their anxiety but there was a weird feeling in her stomach. "Nobody's been inappropriate with me mommy." Sasuke pursed his lips and felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. For whoever's sake, they'd better had not been being 'inappropriate' with her. He'd kill the whole world to ensure his baby's doll's safety.

"Then what's wrong? Why do you, bestie, and daddy look so sad? Did we run out of ice cream?" Naruto could feel his heart splitting open and he kept his head down.

"Hiroko," Hinata stated her baby's girl name in a gentle yet firm way, and that caused the little girl to look at her with a glint of apprehension. She sensed something serious but she couldn't pinpoint it until her mother told her.

Hinata knelt in front of her daughter and her eyes followed her mother's every movement, not saying a word and the thick silence between the adults had the little girl playing with her fingers anxiously.

"This," she touched Sasuke's knee. "Is your real father." Naruto's heart dropped and he felt a huge hole burning through his chest, Sasuke's body tightened and he swallowed the small lump in his throat.

Her eyes confusingly shifted from her mother to her father, to her bestie, and then back to her mother. "What do you mean?" She couldn't understand what her mother was saying.

"I... I mean." Hinata softly swallowed and repeated herself. "This is your birth father, your real blood-related father." She emphasized and gave her daughter a long-deepening gaze.

Hiroko blinked a couple of times and began playing with her fingers more. Her bottom lip dropped and her gaze fell to the floor, Naruto & Sasuke were too stunned to say anything and Hinata was afraid of saying something else.

After what seemed like forever, the silence was no more when Hiroko finally spoke again. "So... he's my daddy?" She pointed at her bestie and Hinata nodded. "And not him?"

Then her finger moved to her father & Hinata shook her head no. "Your bestie is your biological father..." The little girl tried processing the newfound information she's just been told but it was just too much on her.