SASUSAKU: TROUBLED TIMES

Pain

When he arrived at the compound, his parents, along his brother and his sister-in-law were there waiting for him. His mother was the first to greet him, giving him a big hug, followed by his brother, who also gave him a hug. His father simply nodded as a symbol of welcome, and so did Izumi but more dryly as she rocked Indra in her arms so that the baby would continue to sleep.

The compound had not changed, and apparently everything remained the same. He carefully observed his father's expressions to see if he had gotten anything about the last battle, but his expression remained as stoic as ever. He went straight to his room while they prepared a bath for him. When he came out of the bathroom and had changed his clothes, his mother went to visit him.

"Son, I see you tired, how was the trip back?" she asked as she approached him.

"Good," he said dryly and observed his mother acting as if she didn't know that he had been traveling with Sakura, or perhaps she was ignoring it?

"Your father wants to talk to you, many things have changed. And you already know that you made a promise to your father," she reminded him, those words confirmed that his mother was ignoring the fact that he had been with Sakura for several months, and apparently it didn't matter. Sasuke looked at her with a frown, he did not want what he had promised his father to take place, in fact he had gone so that Sakura could return to the compound. He didn't want to respond to his mother, that conversation has to be between his father and him. So he got up, leaving his mother confused and went to where his father would most likely be; in his studio.

The main house had not changed, it was all the same, with the same servants, the same walls, the same decoration. And the same angry look from his sister-in-law, that didn't change, and Sasuke hoped it would soon change, since Sakura would return to be with him. He headed with a pain in his chest towards the door of his father's office. Despite the passing of the years, the respect and fear towards his father never changed. He knocked before entering hoping he would be there.

"Come in," said a strong voice. Sasuke opened the sliding paper door and looked at his father sitting in front of his desk. He barely raised his head, just looking to see who had entered. He said nothing.

"Father..." Sasuke spoke looking for some response from his father.

"Welcome son," he greeted him. "I imagine you are here so we can talk about your agreements with the Senju," he spoke as he continued writing. Sasuke watched him from a distance, and began to approach him until he was level with him and sat on his knees in front of his father.

"That's why I came," he said.

"Here I have the divorce papers, sign them, and we'll send someone to sign them for the Senju," he referred to Sakura in a derogatory way, which filled Sasuke with rage, but he contained himself.

"Father, I'm not going to sign the divorce papers," he said and this time his father stopped short from the task at hand and that was when, finally, he looked at his son.

"You're going to sign the papers," he said, that wasn't a suggestion, it was an order.

"Father, I love her, I want you to accept her. The Senju clan is no longer what it used to be," Sasuke began to speak until his father interrupted him.

"No Senju is going to live in this house, much less is going to remain married to one of my sons," he raised his voice.

"Father," Sasuke said irritably, but containing all his anger, "The clan members adore her, she helped the war end, and she saved, treated, and healed many of the clan members. You can't continue thinking that the Senju clan is a threat, she has proven that this is not the case," he explained with the intention of convincing his father, he did not yet want to reveal to him that she was pregnant.