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Constellations (complete)	By : momhuey8 Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male > Naruto/Sasuke Views: 1362 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 27
- 28
- 29
The days turned into the same routine. Whenever Naruto and Sasuke would cross paths in the house, which was happening with less and less frequency, Sasuke would glare at Naruto.
“Are you going to tell me now?”
“Sasuke… I don’t know how.”
Sasuke’s eyes would narrow and he’d turn on his heel and stalk away.
Neji finally got the baby and, Suki, his own baby girl, tucked into their beds and with a resigned sigh, went in search of Sasuke.
He found the other brunette in the twins’ room, standing in the dark looking down at the sleeping six year olds, their golden heads gleaming in a ray of moonshine.
Neji came and stood next to Sasuke and tucked the blanket more securely around their shoulders.
The twins each had their own beds but were sleeping together wrapped in each other’s arms. Their slack, little faces were blotchy and tears had dried on their cheeks in crusty streaks. They were the oldest, and the most sensitive to the fear and tension in their house.
“I never thought I would be enough,” Sasuke murmured. “I’m not worthy and don’t deserve this life. But they should be enough. Why aren’t they enough?”
“You dishonor Naruto,” Neji said quietly. “It is a slap in his face for you to think that he would willingly abandon his children. Or you. Or life in general. He has struggled to survive against overwhelming odds since the day he was born. That has not changed.
“I understand you are afraid, but we all are,” Neji continued when Sasuke said nothing. “Including him.”
When Sasuke continued to stand in silence, Neji finally sighed in resignation and left the room.
“Naruto, please,” Neji said, wrapping his arms around Naruto’s waist.
Naruto had a bag packed and was heading back to the tower.
“I have to get back to work. We’re not getting anywhere and we’re…running out of time.”
Neji felt lightheaded for a moment, but found that part of his brain where he was spending more and more time; the part that was detached from everything and allowed him to remain the only functioning parent in the house.
“That’s not why you’re leaving, though. You’re running from him.”
“What’s to run from?” Naruto threw his arms up, sounding hysterical. “He won’t even stay in the same room with me.”
Naruto pulled himself free.
“Anyway, I’ll be back. I just need to keep working. We have teams working around the clock now and I need to be there. I can’t sit around here while others are trying to save my life.”
“Are you resting at all?”
“I’m fine.”
“Naruto.” Neji wrapped his arms around him again. “Please don’t shut me out. Lean on me.”
Naruto’s jaw worked. “I told you, if I lean, I’ll fall. And I don’t know if I’ll be able to get back up.”
Then he left.
Sasuke woke and looked at the window to estimate the time.
It came to him that his house was completely still, no noise or commotion inside or out. A quick scan confirmed that he was the only person in the house. Again.
He threw his arm over his eyes and a wash of unease swept through him as memories of other times alone in this house skittered through his mind; when he was a child, when Naruto had been in the hospital seven years ago. Every day for the last week. He absolutely hated it.
After relieving himself he shuffled to the kitchen and went to the counter. The note was there.
Sasuke, the children are at Hinata’s and I am at the tower. Don’t know when I’ll be home. Get the children. There is dinner ready to be heated. I love you. Naruto loves you.
His jaw clenched as he crumpled the note in his fist. He was alone again. He had one of the largest families in Konoha and yet he was alone.
He’d never liked being alone. He probably wouldn’t have survived the years in Sound without Toshio. He’d never learned how to turn off his brain, or distract himself from his own thoughts. Whenever he had too much time by himself, his thoughts and memories would swirl, invariably in a dark direction until anxiety and fear and doubt would cause him to seek distraction in human company or physical exertion.
He could go get the children and try to hoist himself out of his own personal morass by taking care of their needs, but the more he woke to an empty house, the harder he found stepping up to his responsibilities.
This thing with Naruto sapped everything out of him. He had no joy, no life, no ambition, and no energy. He wanted to crawl into bed, pull the covers over his head and sleep forever.
It was irrational. The only thing that meant anything at all to him in this world was having his family near him. What he felt for his family could not be expressed with mere words. But he was now alone here because he’d shoved everyone away.
Why did he do this? Why did he avoid Naruto? Why did he leave rooms when Naruto entered? Why did he make Neji choose between the two of them? Why did he upset the children?
Did he think he could bully his way into a resolution, making everyone miserable enough until they found a solution just to shut him up? Did he think distance would make this situation less frightening, less painful?
He should be helping with this. But the bits he’d unfortunately overheard were all about frustration and a growing sense of hopelessness. Konoha, Sand, Rock, Mist and the Toads had their best on this and they were no closer to an answer than when the situation first started.
All he knew for sure was that he hated his Uchiha-ness, his weakness, when, each time he looked at Naruto these last days, each time, the blond would say, “I don’t know how to fix it,” he could almost feel his mind splintering into shards of agony and…insanity.
His anger, his self-preservation, would surface and he would hurt everyone around him, again.
“Come in,” Shikamaru whispered. “But be quiet.”
Neji stepped around the councilor into Naruto’s office and followed Shikamaru over to a corner where a number of people sat in a small huddle on the floor. Naruto sat alone at the conference table, his head resting on the back of the chair. He was asleep.
“We’re trying not to wake him, but we didn’t want to leave. He’d be upset if he woke to an empty room.”
Neji’s heart broke at the dark circles under Naruto’s eyes and the awkward angle of his neck as his head lolled to the side.
He walked over and gently pushed his fingers through the dull blond strands.
“Naruto,” he whispered. Then before desolation and despair could gain a foothold, he shifted his mind into that isolated little box that he was finding with more and more ease.
“Sorry I’m late,” he said to the group after he joined them in the corner.
Trying to juggle the entire household himself was becoming a magic act. Between the children’s schedules, keeping the house organized and food ready for whoever he’d managed to wrangle into feeding them, keeping the children in Naruto’s life by shuttling them back and forth between the tower and home and his service on the team trying to solve the demon problem, Neji was hanging on by his fingernails.
At this point, Sasuke was getting the short end of the stick. He hardly ever saw Naruto or Neji and only saw the children when he opted to go pick them up from wherever they were. It alarmed Neji how often Sasuke chose not to.
Neji was worried about Sasuke. He was probably the neediest person in the family right now emotionally, but to break through the wall he’d erected to find the part that would acknowledge the situation and accept support would take more time and energy than Neji had at the moment.
“It’s fine, Neji. We assume if you had anything to report, we’d already know.”
Neji’s jaw clenched and his head dropped.
“Neji-san, that wasn’t a dig,” Lee said, patting his arm.
“I know. I just hate having to be on this team. Certainly it is possible that we can find a way to eliminate the demon without harming Naruto, but so far we don’t even have a direction, even with all Nara’s research.” He looked across the room, where Naruto’s head was now resting on his arms on the table. “And we’re running out of time.”
The group was silent for several seconds, knowing there was nothing that could be said in response.
“I wish he’d spend more time at home,” Tsunade finally said. “He should be with his children and you.”
“Home is…” Neji started, and then stopped.
“I can imagine that Uchiha-san is not dealing well,” Lee said.
“I can’t even describe how terrified he is,” Neji whispered.
“Then he needs to get his ass down here and help,” Fukasuku’s clone said. “Hyuuga is dealing…”
“Enough,” Neji cut in. “I will deal with my family. This group will deal with the threat to Konoha and the Hokage.”
Two days later when Neji arrived, the group was sitting around the table. Naruto was slumped, his chin on his palm, his gaze bleary.
Neji was late again today because he’d had to wait for Hinata to return from her mission debrief before he could turn the children over to her. He’d attempted to talk to Sasuke, but the seething look stopped him.
“Hyuuga-san, we are just wrapping up. If you’ll give us your report, we are going to call it an afternoon.”
“Team Eight returned from investigating the lead the toad gave us.” Neji sighed. “The hermit who served with Orochimaru, the one who might have had some insight into the seal died six years ago.”
At the devastated looks around the table, he whispered, “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, Neji,” Naruto said. “There’s probably still someone out there who knows something. You can’t stuff nine demons into nine people without a fair number of people knowing something.
“No matter what happens,” he continued, “this research needs to continue.” If the demons get loose again, there has to be a way to fix it, or humanity is done.”
He shook his head. “These guys are a bunch of moronic dumb asses. What do they think? They’re going to put leashes on them and teach them to sit and roll over?” He rubbed his eyes. “Fucking idiots. They’ll be the first to die.”
He pushed to his feet. “Anyway, again, thank you all for your dedication and hard work. You are Konoha’s heroes.” Everyone sat silent, each wanting to deny this but unwilling to argue with their leader. “So tomorrow, same time?”
Everyone but Neji shuffled out of the room.
“How is everyone?” Naruto asked when they were alone.
“The children are well,” Neji answered.
“I’m going to try to be home for dinner tonight. I’ll try to get home in time to help fix, but I’m expecting a team from Mist to arrive this afternoon. If they get here on time, I’ll be home early.” He sighed tiredly. “I need to pick up some changes of clothes anyway.”
“Naruto…” Neji started.
“Tell me about the kids’ week,” Naruto interrupted, knowing where Neji was going, but not wanting to pick at the open sore that was Sasuke.
Neji sighed, but took Naruto’s hand and pulled him to a couch by a sunny window.
“Here, sit in the sun and I’ll tell you what you’ve missed.”
After Naruto was comfortable, sitting in a warm ray of sunshine, Neji stood by the window and started talking about the minutiae of the kids’ days.
Neji had only been talking for a few minutes, when he noticed that Naruto had fallen asleep.
He studied his lover, his love and stroked his hair back. Had he really thought he would find himself in this situation even after he and Naruto had talked all those years ago? Had he truly believed he’d find himself the glue holding this family together?
No, he hadn’t. He realized that he’d been just as guilty as Sasuke of dwelling in denial. It didn’t matter though; the plight was before them and he’d accepted the job Naruto had given him. He would persevere.
What he had was a miracle. He was a mediocre ninja from the lower branch of the Hyuuga clan. He preferred the companionship of men. By all rights he shouldn’t have the home and family he had, including the love of two such remarkable men; men of honor, men of strength, heroes.
And children. He was the father to the strongest children in the land, including a genetic lineage of his own; a brilliant boy and the most beautiful girl in Konoha. They all called him Daddy and his heart swelled each and every time he heard it.
The three of them had had horrendous childhoods. He now had the opportunity to right those wrongs, making sure that Hyuuga, Uchiha and Uzumaki babies were well loved, well fed and had the carefree, happy youths that the three of them had missed. It was fulfilling to an extreme.
He was watching Naruto twitch in his sleep, sending thanks to gods he wasn’t sure he believed in, when suddenly the golden eyes flew open and Naruto cried out.
One second later the couch burst into flames.
“Naruto!”
Naruto leaped up and shoved Neji aside just as the door burst open and a dozen people rushed in, including a half dozen hunters, their swords drawn.
“Stay back!” Naruto yelled. “Hold your breath and cover your mouth and nose.” Then he did a couple of quick hand signs. Neji clutched his chest as his lungs emptied.
All the air in the room was sucked into a compressed ball in Naruto’s hand and within moments, the fire sputtered and died as it found itself starved for fuel.
After soaking the piece of furniture with moisture separated from the ball in his hand, Naruto released his jutsu and the room once again filled with, albeit dryer, air.
The room fell into silence broken only by the popping and hissing of vaporizing droplets on the couch cushions.
“What happened?” Neji asked coming to stand by Naruto.
Naruto looked at Neji, his expression one of stunned disbelief. Then his eyes closed and his jaw clenched.
He said nothing for several moments, then he cleared his throat and straightened.
“Leave us.”
No one moved.
“It’s fine, just give me a minute. Wait outside, okay?”
Finally Lee grabbed two hunters by their collars and dragged them out the door.
“Naruto?” Neji asked when they were alone.
“It’s the demon,” Naruto said looking at his feet.
“I don’t understand.”
“I told you,” Naruto looked up at Neji. “I couldn’t do this forever.”
Neji stared, his heart hammering in his chest.
“Neji, unless we find this source, I only have as long as I can stay awake. If I fall asleep, they’ll pull the demon from me.”
Neji’s breath stuttered in his chest. Then his inner-Sasuke reared its head.
“No,” he said with force. “Unacceptable.”
“Neji…”
“That is a rash conclusion. We have spent no time at all considering our options.”
“Neji, I’m getting too tired. If I fall into a deep enough sleep, they’ll get the demon.”
“Yes, that is the problem.” Neji paced with uncharacteristic agitation. “Now we must explore solutions.”
“Okay,” Naruto nodded after a moment. Neji was not Sasuke. There was a part of Neji reacting in a panic, but under all that, a level head was flipping the situation this way and that, considering all possible options. And because he was Neji and not Sasuke, he was not dismissing out of hand the final, ultimate solution.
“So when you’re awake, your will plays a large part in containing the demon.”
“Yes,” Naruto answered, willing to let Neji work through this and come to his own conclusions.
“Now because you’re exhausted, it is likely that when you reach the delta stage of sleep, your mind shuts down enough to cease being a controlling factor.”
Neji had Naruto’s attention. As a Hyuuga, Neji understood the brain, and further, the body’s chakra system.
.
“So, if we put a finer point on the problem,” Neji moved to stand before the window, “we see that you need the demon held in check while you rest, perhaps only during stages three and four.”
Naruto smiled at Neji.
“Hey you,” he said. When Neji turned in his direction, Naruto continued. “You’re amazing.”
Neji turned fully, his body stiff and his eyes hard.
“And Sasuke is correct; you are too accepting. I’ve warned you…we’ve both warned you…about giving up.”
Naruto’s smile fell and his head dropped.
“You’re right,” he said, properly chastened. “I’m sorry.” He rubbed his face with his hands. “My only excuse is that I’m so damned tired.”
Neji’s demeanor softened and he pulled Naruto into his arms.
“I know,” he whispered. “And I’ve let you down. This particular problem has been before us for weeks and it took a near catastrophe for me to stop and consider a solution.”
Naruto closed his eyes and rested his head tiredly on Neji’s shoulder. It was only a few minutes here and there but it was such a comfort to be able to lean on someone else, to feel that he was shoulder to shoulder with someone who would fight to the death with him.
- 27
- 28
- 29
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Constellations (complete)