Darkness

"In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present."

― Sir Francis Bacon

-------

Minato was smiling with a face that is threatening to break off his face

"Is there something I don't wanna hear about", asked Ryo in a monotonous tone

"Nope, I just don't believe that a legend could lose to a bunch of children", said Minato with a wide smile

"I already briefed you about the B-rank mission, I shall take my leave... Hokage-sama "

"Hahaha you called me Lord Hokage you must truly be embarrassed by losing to them"

"Grrr..."

"Very well... since you already have 2 freshly graduated boys, all we need is a girl for your team and you will be team 10"

"No, send Itachi back to the academy and tell shishui that he can wait a year if he wishes to be on the same team as that of Itachi"

"Ryo but that's"

"Minato, I did it in one year don't you know what I have to go through? kakashi did it at the mere age of 5 and he got broken as well, i won't let that happen with Itachi"

"Sigh...very well, I will inform fugaku of your decision"

"I will talk to shishui and Itachi myself"

-------

2 Months have been gone by, Ryo trained harder each day

Itachi goes back to the academy to complete it, while Shishui agree to the term of being without a teacher for an entire year so that he could be on the same team as that of his best friend

-------

Ryo was drinking heavily all the while staring at the memorial stone when a series of footsteps come and stop behind him

"You know being like this is not healthy for you", said a female voice of Mikoto Uchiha

"why are you here", said Ryo without even looking back

"I have already been watching you, and I think it's time that I stop you destroying yourself"

"Mikoto you were there that day weren't you? the day at the hospital you are the one who brought me back to life"

"Yes"

"why"

"Because you are my light, how can i let you die"

Ryo smiled wryly at that, "you love me"

"Yes Ryo I love you, I always loved you, you are the one who taught me how to even love but-"

"But you are married"

"yes, and you have to forget me, I am someone's wife and Itachi mother, I am having a second baby as well"

"Move on Ryo, I just hope that you live happily, from this moment onward i am going to solely focus on my children, Goodbye my love"

"Damn, she is finally gone", a lone tear fell from Ryo's eyes as he watches Mikoto retreating figure, "Goodbye my love", he whispered before drinking again

-------

Minato is full of smiles and his happiness is contagious to the point of everyone laughing and smiling as he enters the room.

Ryo bares a blank, monotonous face as Minato tells him about Kushina's pregnancy.

-------

Kushina grows rounder with her child and Minato gives him the missions to guard the fiery-haired woman, this was not the mission ANBU General should be doing but Minato trust Ryo absolutely, other than Kakashi and Ryo no one could be Kushina's bodyguard

Ryo agreed to be her bodyguard since he didn't have anything to do these days...

-------

"Nice to meet you, dattebane!"

Ryo is at a loss for words towards the bright, energetic woman who laughs and smiles and lives as though she did not kill and maim and slaughter.

Ryo wondered if it's because of Kushina that Minato is able to be free of darkness that swallowed him

A part of him wished to be like her

The Women who found light in all that darkness.

-------

Ryo always wakes up before Kushina does and makes breakfast – healthy food, but occasionally, more often than he'd like..... ramen.

"This is delicious, dattebane! Just as good as Ichiraku ramen!"

"Please don't each so much, Kushina, you'll get fat."

The woman waved her hand, "Don't worry about the small details Ryo-Kun, ramen is the food of the Gods! The Ramen Gods will make sure that I keep my figure!"

'What the heck is Ramen Gods', Ryo wondered as he watched Kushina eating ramen

"Kushina, eating too much ramen is not good for the baby," Ryo said softly

"Bah! My baby loves ramen or I wouldn't be craving it so much!"

Ryo chuckled, "With your love for ramen I wouldn't be surprised if you named your child after it."

He was mildly surprised when Kushina dropped her chopsticks and stood abruptly and slammed her hands against the table top.

"You're a genius Ryo!"

-------

He watched Itachi completing his day in the academy when he comes in front of little Itachi

"How was your day at the academy"

"Boring, why do I have to do it for another year"

Ryo gently poked two fingers at Itachi's forehead

"Let's go to eat something, do you like ramen"

"Yes, I know a wonderful place for eating ramen", Itachi grabbed Ryo's hand and pull him while running

Ryo's mouth twitched when he saw the place Itachi wanted to eat ramen... Ichiraku ramen!

-------

"I can't take it anymore!" Minato yelled as he harshed slammed the Hokage stamp onto the piece of paper.

Ryo silently watched as Minato ranted about the unfairness of paperwork.

"– I knew something was up when Sandaimei offered me this job so quickly!" Minato lamented as he clutched his blonde locks.

Outside of the room, Ryo could hear Genma chuckling at Minato's predicament and he glanced at Minato's forlorn face and laughed softly.

"Ah! Ryo! You laughed! It's the first time I heard you laugh, it makes you look very handsome, you should do it more often," Minato complimented with a bright smile.

Ryo blinked and said sharply, "Hokage-sama, please don't think that flattery will get me to do your paperwork for you." he gestured towards the organized pile.

"There are more for you when you are done, Hokage-sama," he bowed, "Please excuse me."

"Tch, you always call me Hokage-sama, whenever you are embarrassed", said Minato

When he closed the door, he heard Minato cry in indignation.

And without noticing, he smiled... a true smile – bright and beautiful.

The smile that embodied a life left behind.

-------

"Ryo-Kun, Minato and I decided to name our baby Naruto – for Maelstrom, not the fish cake," Kushina exclaimed happily.

Ryo nodded as Kushina chattered on about what her little boy would look like.

"I hope he has Minato's hair," Kushina remarked gently as her hands patted her enlarged stomach. "I always loved Minato's hair, it's bright and sunny and beautiful. I think it'll be perfect for my little Naruto."

"Yes, your boy will be as bright as the sun, after all, it's your son"

Kushina Uzumaki the women who shine Brilliantly under the darkness, a woman who can't be tainted by darkness, how could her child be ordinary

-------

he finally found his light in the darkness.

He stays with her, protects her

Kushina Uzumaki Namikaze, the women who become his light

Even though he never have feelings for her, but they were friends, a friend that brought him light in all this darkness, a friend he wishes to protect forever

For the first time in years, he was happy

But nothing lasts forever.

[The chapter was not to my satisfaction, not much of the heaviness and too much of a happiness]

[The conversation between Mikoto and Ryo was not to my satisfaction either, but I didn't know what to write in there]

[I will try to do a better one next time, a truly heavy chapter where you might start crying]