Let's Fix This

Dinner With In-laws

Fugaku eyed his daughter-in-law with concern. The normally boisterous girl, who always had something to say at family dinners, be it praising Mikoto's cooking, teasing Sasuke, needling him or flirting with Itachi, was sitting quietly, picking at her food.

Mikoto had noticed too, and was trying to engage her in a conversation, while Itachi kept shooting his wife subtle concerned glances.

Mikoto had just asked her when they had been planning on having children, when she sucked in a sharp breath and Itachi tensed up. It was Itachi who replied in a neutral voice, "We have decided not to have children."

Fugaku was shocked. After Sasuke revealed his relationship with Naruto, Itachi was his and Mikoto's only hope at grandchildren. "Why?" he couldn't help but ask.

Naomi straightened up and answered, "I can't have children. We just came from the hospital. Tsunade-sama said I've got some chakra meiosis disorder, I can't ever be a mother."

Itachi sighed. "Naomi..."

"I know." she cut him off. Apparently, they had talked about this before, and his son wasn't able to comfort Naomi much.

Mikoto trying to get them to be optimistic, said "You can always adopt or use surrogacy."

That apparently had been the wrong thing to say, as Naomi tensed up.

Itachi cleared his throat, "We won't be using a surrogate." He looked at Naomi pointedly, apparently she had already suggested it. "And I'd rather not discuss this before Naomi and me have had a chance to talk about it properly."

Fugaku had never really gotten along with Naomi. He had been the firmest opposition when Itachi had chosen her to be referred his wife. She didn't exactly fit the Uchiha mould. But over the years, he had come to realises that she was the perfect match for his eldest. While he was solemn and serious, she was impish and lively. They balanced each other. She had also somehow grown on him, like a fungus.

He could also acknowledge that she was a very strong person. Growing up an orphan, in a clan that scorned you, with only an elder brother for support, she had certainly built an armour around herself. But now he could see that, despite putting on a tough face, she was barely holding herself together, armour threatening to crumble any second.

He had to fix this.

"Naomi." he began. "You are rude, boisterous, loud and childish. You are a Ninja of mediocre capabilities and everything an Uchiha is not supposed to be." Fugaku saw her eyes dim at each of his words, while his son's eyes had hardened to promise retribution if he didn't shut up. He continued. "Despite all this, you have never let anything stop you from being the annoying and insufferable person that you are. Are you going to let something as insignificant as infertility, do so?"

She blinked at him, before turning to Itachi, "Am I in a genjutsu? I swear I just heard Fugaku-sama give me roundabout compliment."

Fugaku huffed. "You are as incapable as ever. Uchiha don't ask their spouses if they are in a genjutsu, they activate their sharingan. I don't know how you even managed to activate it."

"And all's right in the world again." her lips quirked in a smile. "Say, Mikoto kaa-chan, this tokayaki is really good, is this a new recipe?" she turned towards Mikoto while Itachi gave him a thankful smile and a silent apology.