Where We Stand (ILYBD Sequel Series)

Hoped They Were

Kinaru: Hey everyone, my gosh it has been quite a while, hasn't it? I'm sorry! Had a lot going on. Anyway, hope everyone had a fun Halloween, if you celebrate it, and for the record, I don't own Naruto! Only my OCs.  Also once again, sorry for the extreme wait. Meant to write sooner but yeah. Please Enjoy!

 Chapter 7

"He looks so much like Yuna."

Sasuke glanced over to the Kazekage, who was currently holding the crimson half-demon. He wanted to point out how much like the fallen kyuubi the kit really was, but thought better of it. Gaara looked a lot more relaxed holding one of the nine tails than he had the last time Sasuke had seen him.

Though the Uchiha was sure the same could be said about him. His gaze drifted to the raven beast in his own arms. Hiro was attempting to escape his uncle's hold and follow where Naruto had carried his sister off to, but obviously failing as his guardian only held him tighter.

"Did she suffer much?" His question had the red haired kage's body tensing as he looked back at the avenger. "When she saved Naruto, it was painless right?"

Gaara forced a sad smile. "Physically, there was no pain, not that we could see anyway. Mentally is another thing entirely. Everything she had to give up. In her final moments. There's no worser pain." He said softly, running a hand through Zero's short ruby locks.

Sasuke winced, thinking of all the things his fallen teammate had given up. The kits, her friends, family, home, future,.. love? His brow furrowed at such a thing. No that was the one thing she hadn't needed to. In death she was finally given the chance to love and cherish Itachi forever. Even if Gaara thought he'd filled the hole.

"So you and Kyuubi then?" He smirked at the way Gaara sputtered to reply. It was quite amusing to watch the once heartless jinjuriki blush fuchsia and trip over his words.

"N-no no no. We never... I mean...... She..." The Kazekage scowled, glaring at nothing in particular. "Yuna and I weren't anything. I'm sure the most she felt for me was a close friendship, someone she could rely on."

"She wasn't ready to move on." Sasuke agreed, recalling Yuna's time in the cave with Itachi, Kabuto, and himself. "Having carried his offspring for nine months, she wasn't able to. She loved my brother too much as it was. It wouldn't have been easy to fill the void he left in her chest."

"I know. She made it clear when she rejected me."

The elder Uchiha had trouble containing his chuckle. The fact that his kyuubi teammate had openly rejected the man made him more than satisfied. The thought of her allowing the kage to be his brother's replacement had haunted him the past few weeks. He was glad she'd chosen Itachi over Gaara, even when the Uchiha was no longer around.

"Yet she went to you when she found out she was pregnant?"

"No. No, she went to Suna because two years before, I'd told her no one would ever find her in my village. I myself didn't know she was there for almost two months." Gaara argued, looking at the avenger.

Sasuke's brow furrowed as he thought this over. "She didn't want anyone to know...." It wasn't a question, the Kazekage wasn't even sure if it was directed toward him or just the man speaking his thoughts.

"I assumed she intended to raise them away from anyone she knew. She only needed to be in the village in case something went wrong with the birth." He said, frowning a little as he watched Hiro try to break his uncle's hold.

"Sounds like her. She didn't want anyone near her even when she was on team seven." The avenger agreed. He wondered if he was the only one that felt the slight awkwardness of this conversation.