Chrysanthemum Blooming

A Daughter?

A Few Weeks Later

Uchiha Compound, Main House

Something had changed. When he didn't know, she saw the smile on his face. She had thought perhaps he was finally taking to little Izumi. Fugaku was in talks with her mother to betroth them all that was left was for her to sign her agreement. Despite what many and even he himself believed, Fugaku was nothing but a figurehead. She was the one who was the descendant of Madara and as such Clan Head. Sasuke's own excitement and joy increased about the same time. Her two boys disappeared together often and yet her little Suke-kun didn't know who Izumi was. So then who were they meeting? Where were they going? Who was it that had made her sons so happy if not the girl that was to be their possible future wife and sister-in-law?

~~~

She had to know, it was killing her. Fugaku was pushing for her to agree to the betrothal but she couldn't. At least, she couldn't without knowing if there was another option, a better option. And clearly there had to be as Itachi hardly recognized Izumi when she was standing next to him. He would sit there as they all sat together for dinner but even if her husband was too ambitious a fool to notice she was not. Itachi didn't care for Izumi. He hardly noticed her sitting next to him, talking. He responded when he was suppose to but made no words of agreement. He was completely detached from the girl.

Sasuke was hardly better, though on the opposite spectrum. He would look at the girl as if she was saying the most outlandish things. He had asked her if she liked to cook only to frown and scrunch up her nose when she said that it was servant's work and not the job of a clan head's wife. Her own eye twitched thinking of how she and her mother before her had always been the ones to prepare dinner for their family. Sasuke asked her if she would help him train only for her to say that her and Itachi were ninja and so did not have time to spend with him but she would was sure they could later after they finished their own private training. The tone in her voice as she had looked at her firstborn was enough for her to call the end of the dinner. As they left she dismissed the boys to their rooms for the night

Fugaku was furious. He ranted on her being unable to control herself let alone the boys. He ranted of his frustration at Sasuke being nothing like Itachi. How their youngest was weak and useless in comparison, a disgrace to the Uchiha. He continued and continued that was until he had actually turned to face her and fallen silent. Terror was clear on her husband's face as he took in the look in her eyes and sweet smile on her lips. He tried to run but didn't get further than a step or two. She grabbed him by the throat and dragged his worthless hide out to her private training area.

This man was not the one she had married. He was not the loving father who had smiled and laughed throwing their oldest in the air and catching him just to enjoy his laughs. This was not the man who had worried at her side as she birthed their youngest and last child than smiling as he held him for the first time and named him. He was not the man that had stayed up and cried with her when they learned a poisoned blade to her womb the night the Kyuubi attacked had left her unable to have another child, their dreams of a beautiful little girl to spoil and protect as their little princess, destroyed. Clearly, her husband needed to be reminded of who was in charge of this marriage and how quickly it could change. It was time for retraining.