3rd

"Hey Ukie, you wanna help me with dinner?" Sakura asked her son, sticking her head into his room.

"Uh, I don't know, cooking isn't something I'm good at." The young Uchiha confessed.

"Oh don't worry, you'll be helping, not doing it on your own." Sakura laughed.

"Ok then, but if we're all sick tomorrow I blame you." Ukai joked jumping off his bed.

"I'll take my chances." Sakura chuckled, leading the way to the kitchen.

It was a mini-mission for Ukai at first. The young Uchiha trying to copy his Mother exactly, but once Sakura told Ukai to stop trying so hard and just have fun it got a whole lot easier. The two Uchiha's were laughing at each other and enjoying the bonding time when the doorbell went.

"I'll get it!" Ukai called pulling his apron off and heading for the door.

Opening the door, Ukai was greeted with the big smile of Lord Naruto.

"Uncle Naruto." Ukai smiled.

"Hey, kid how's it going!" Naruto ruffled the boy's hair.

"Who is it Ukie?" Sakura called.

"It's Uncle Naruto!" Ukai called side-stepping to let Naruto through.

"Hey, Sakura!" Naruto called walking into the living room.

"Naruto! Good to see you!" Sakura smiled entering the room.

"Ukie go watch the potatoes." She smiled at her son.

"Ok." Ukai headed back to the stove.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Lord Seventh?" Sakura teased.

"Can I not drop by on an old friends?" Naruto pouted.

"Of course, but shouldn't you be getting home?" Sakura asked.

"I'll head there after this," Naruto added.

"Ok." Sakura smiled.

"I actually came to see Sasuke, is he home yet?" Naruto questioned looking around.

"No, not yet but he should be home soon~" Sakura finished just as the door opened.

"I'm back," Sasuke called walking in.

"Oh, welcome home dear," Sakura greeted her husband.

"Welcome back Father!" Ukai's voice sounded.

Sasuke searched the room for his son, raising an eyebrow at his wife when he didn't see him.

"He's in the kitchen making sure dinner doesn't burn." Sakura chuckled.

Sasuke nodded before seeing his wife had company.

"Naruto? What are you doing here?" Sasuke added.

"I came to talk to you." The Hokage said.

Sasuke nodded and the three grown-ups moved to the dining room to talk. Upon entering the joined space, true to Sakura's words Sasuke saw his son working in the kitchen, both finishing off their dinner and cleaning up the dishes. When Ukai looked up and his eyes met his Father's, the younger Uchiha bowed his head. Sasuke nodded once in return before the parents seated themselves. Ukai then carefully walked over with a tray of tea and three cups, placing it on the table before heading back to the stove.

"You have a well-mannered kid Sasuke!" Naruto smiled.

"Of course." Sasuke shrugged off the compliment.

The very thought of raising an ill-mannered, arrogant child disgusted Sasuke. Ukai was an Uchiha, -which he reminded the boy very often of- and Sasuke was going to see that Ukai grew into the man Sasuke knew he would be.

"Boruto is such a headache." Naruto sighed.

"Babies always are," Sakura laughed.

"Yeah, I guess your right." Naruto chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Even Ukai was a headache at that age." Sakura turned to her son.

Ukai was luckily facing away from the group when his Mother said that, so none of them saw how red his face went.

"Of course Sarada is the handful now, nothing like Ukai, amazing how different it is raising a daughter than a son. But she's an absolute angel, already such a lady." Sakura smiled.

Ukai clenched his fists, surprising himself when the glass in his hand shattered. Pulling back, Ukai hissed and dropped the dishcloth, grabbing his hand and staring at the glass on the floor.

"Opps." He said looking up at the three parents.

"Oh, Ukie are you ok?" Sakura stood and walked over to her son.

"Yeah, it's just a cut, I'm sorry I didn't mean to." The young boy said.

"It's ok dear." Sakura smiled.

Sasuke watched his son carefully, especially after noticing the change that occurred in Ukai's eyes. He watched as the small black line faded and his normal eyes settled in. He then watched his wife as she pulled the loose piece of glass from the younger Uchiha's wound and healing it.

"Are you alright Ukai?" Sasuke asked, watching his son.

Ukai looked up at his Father, nodding before turning to clean up the broken dish.

"That reminds me, I need to ask something of you Sasuke, and I think Sakura should hear this too," Naruto said, his expression suddenly going serious.

Sakura nodded taking her seat again and looking between the two men in front of her. Sasuke turned his attention to his friend too, but Naruto looked from both of his comrades to their offspring who was watching the grown-ups intensely. Naruto cleared his throat lowly so only Sasuke and Sakura would hear it. Sakura, catching the hint turned to her son.

"Uh, Ukie why don't you go check on Sarada." She said.

"She's asleep, and I don't wanna walk away from this, it could burn." The young boy said, throwing away the last of the glass while gesturing to the food.

"It's ok sweety, I'll watch the dinner, go wake your sister and get her ready." Sakura tried again.

Ukai looked from one to the other of the three grown-ups slowly, picking up on the tense atmosphere.

"Ok then," Ukai mumbled, pulling his apron off once more and hanging it up before leaving the room and heading upstairs.

Reaching his sister's room, Ukai opened the door and watched as his sister slowly climbed out her cot. Quickly he closed the door, peeping through to see Sarada slide along the smooth wood of the cot railing as she tried to escape. He watched her grip the top before her foot slipped and she fell. Sarada let out a small gasp before she tightened her grip and hung there. She sighed before looking around and whining. Ukai watched in amusement as she tried to pull herself back up, failing miserably. Sarada gave out one cry before Ukai opened the door again, gaining the attention of his sister.

"Need help brat?" Ukai smirked.

"EH!? Big Bwover!" Sarada fidgeted, kicking her legs around.

"No!" She said turning away from her brother and pouting.

"You sure?" Ukai laughed.

"Hm!" Sarada stuck her nose in the air.

"Ok then," Ukai shrugged leaving the room.

Sarada turned, looking at the space her brother stood in moments ago. She then turned back to her predicament. Her arms were sore and her hands grew weaker by the second, if she lost her grip it would be a very harsh landing. She bit her tiny lip before whining and calling her brother back.

"What?" Ukai smiled.

"Help," The young girl whispered.

Ukai walked over to his sister, smirking and bringing two fingers up to poke her forehead. Sarada stared at her brother and whined at him for poking her. The young Uchiha then assisted the younger Uchiha in getting back into the cot. Ukai watched as Sarada stood and placed a hand over her forehead where her brother poked her. She then frowned and huffed at her brother. Ukai laughed, before picking his sister up and turning to leave, exiting Sarada's room with her in his arms.

"Big Bwover!" Sarada hugged Ukai's neck.

"Shush!" Ukai hushed his sister the closer they got to the parents.

Ukai held Sarada close and bounced her slowly to keep her quiet and calm. He snuck past the kitchen door and pressed his back against the wall. Even though his parents were in the next room, Ukai could only just hear what they were talking about.

"Are you sure?" Ukai heard his Father ask.

"Positive. I just got the report. I hope you don't mind." Naruto spoke.

"Are you sure you want to do this Sasuke?" Sakura.

"I will do what I must to protect our village," Sasuke said.

"So you accept your new mission?" Naruto asked.

New mission? What new mission? Ukai stepped closer to the door, leaning his ear in more.

"I do, I'll make the preparations," Sasuke said.

"We leave in two weeks. I trust you will be ready." Naruto nodded.

"Of course." Sasuke nodded back.

"This will not be easy Sasuke, you might not make it back," Naruto said, dread clear in his voice.

"So be it." Sasuke sighed.