The Last

Chapter 14

"Why did Naruto's parents react like that?" Sasuke asked, confused. The Namikaze siblings looked at each other, they had wanted to know too. "How did your parents treat Naruto?" Fugaku asked, looking at the siblings sitting across him in the waiting room with Mikoto and Itachi.
"They don't really do anything. I have never really seen them in the same room before... Except for this one time when Naruto had arrived home while we were near the front door and Mom screamed at him for being out late when it was not even dark outside and there was never a curfew for us all. Naruto had acted like they were virtual strangers and he was being awfully formal. " Menma recounted. Fugaku took a deep breath to calm himself. Itachi bit his lips, why hadn't he noticed something was not right with Naruto's family and how they treated him. 
"And you guys? How are you guys to Naruto?" Fugaku asked, making the siblings flinch. Sasuke frowned, why didn't Naruto tell him about this sort of family problems either?
"We weren't exactly any better. Mom and dad didn't pay attention to him, so we formed that habit too, slowly. We always brushed Naruto off until he stopped coming to us for help altogether. We realized our mistakes though. We tried to change but our sudden care terrified Naruto that he avoided us completely." Ahri said, looking down at her lap. "He shut us out because we didn't care at the start and now we're too late." She cried softly. Mikoto hugged the girl, "it's never too late to care."
"It's all my fault." Itachi mumbled, making everyone look up at him.
"It ain't your fault, you are a good boyfriend." Menma said, patting Itachi on the back. Itachi shook his head. "No, I wasn't. I didn't even let him explain anything. I just broke it off and walked away!" Itachi sounded like he was about to burst into tears again. Kaguya ran her hand over his back as some sort of gesture to comfort him. The Namikaze siblings looked at each other. Is this why Naruto was crying that day? They did not blame Itachi either, the man seems like he is beating himself up about it. "Okay, that's it! You! You two should stop beating yourself up about this. Clearly, Naruto doesn't want you two to be like this right now. We cannot change what has already happened but we can change what the future holds. Uchiha, I am still expecting that marriage, you hear me? You know whatever it is that you were talking about before so you know how to fix it. I may not have been the best sister he can have before but I am sure hell going to try now! He will be fine, I know he's a fighter. Sasuke, Naruto used to talk about you a lot before he stopped talking to any of us anymore... But you are a big part of his life and he needs you. So get your shit together. Itachi... I don't know much about you because, yeah... BUT from that picture you sent me, I know you love him. I KNOW, that he loves you too." Kaguya said, giving the two a pointed look. "Don't make me slap an Uchiha in public." She warned.
"I probably deserve that slap." Itachi muttered, looking at his fingers. Kaguya spluttered and waved her hands around, her siblings restrained her before she flipped him off in front of elders. "You! Ughh!" Kaguya gave out a noise of exasperation before she started digging in her bag. "Where did I put it?" She muttered to herself as she started throwing stuff out onto the ground. After half her bag's contents are on the ground, she held up a wrinkly folded piece of paper, "AH HA!" She held it out to Itachi. "Naruto dropped this on the ground. I believe it is for you." She said wriggling her eyebrows. Yaoi yaoi yaoi.
Mikoto stood off to the side, reading the note that she snatched from Naruto's room. Fugaku noticed her wiping at her face as she stared at the piece of paper. "You okay?" Fugaku's voice may have seemed emotionless and uncaring despite the words uttered but Mikoto could hear his concern and she found comfort in that deep gruff voice. She stared up her husband. It sent a pang in his heart seeing his wife's eyes brimming with tears. He pulled her into his arms. "We failed him. We didn't try hard enough. We didn't save him." Mikoto wailed. Fugaku patted his wife's head to comfort her. He wasn't the best at comforting people but at least he was trying. "We did all we could, anata. Sunshine is a fighter. He will survive this."
"But if he wanted to be alive, he wouldn't have done that," She muttered, "he wouldn't have. He felt cornered and that there was no where else to go. It may have been a temporary problem but he decided to use a permanent solution to solve his problem! He didn't come to us! We could've helped him! We needed him... I needed him. He's our sunshine." She mumbled, hitting Fugaku's chest weakly. Fugaku eased the letter from her grip and read it as he rested his chin on her head. The rest of them watched as Fugaku's hand trembled as he read the letter. The paper wrinkled a his hand gripped it tightly. Sasuke and Itachi jerked in alarm when they saw some tears welling up in his eyes. Their dad had never shed a tear, not even if it was an extremely tragic incident. He didn't even look up at anyone as he buried his face into Mikoto's hair, willing himself to stop crying. He had to be strong. He had to be strong. He needs to be Naruto's strength now. Naruto would not shed a tear in times like this. The boy would stand strong and take care of everyone even if he was hurting himself. Now it is their turn, they will carry Naruto's morals and kindness. For Naruto.