Maybe it's time to have family therapy. Kushina knows her family doesn't have the best dynamic, but it was good enough for her. All her boys are happy, well, at least on the outside. Never would she have thought to consider the internal burdens they hold.

Minato holds down the entire family, living off of his paycheck. Granted, it's a big paycheck, but it's still him doing all the work.

Naruto cares for his brother while also going to school and handling his own bills and stresses.

Sasuke. Well, he has that thing. That mental thing she doesn't like to think about. He's not doing much, but he's definitely trying his best to meet other people, even though his social skills are shot.

Kushina never dwells on the burdens other have. Despite her efforts to keep this family together, they seem to be tearing one another apart. Albeit slowly.

So, she set up an appointment with Dr. Iruka Umino, the same man who helped Sasuke through his trauma. He knows the family well, and happily accepts that they'll come in first thing in the morning.

...

Dr. Iruka Umino. Specialized in child and family therapy. He sits in an office large enough for a first family meeting. Typically he'd go to the family's home and scope out living conditions---which show obvious signs of abuse if you know what you're looking for---but knowing the Uzumaki family, he knows it's not the home that is the problem. Most likely:

Sasuke Uchiha.

Upon first meeting Sasuke, who was only seven or eight at the time, Iruka had difficulties connecting with the boy. He screamed, clawed, and bit the man. He cried for his mommy and threw all sorts of tantrums. His behavioral problems never went away. But instead, through therapy, once or twice, Sasuke confessed to just bottling up his tantrums. The boy held a lot of rage, and it never went away.

Iruka pushed aside his biases. He couldn't blame the whole unknown familial problem on one person, but deep down, he knows it centers around Sasuke.

As the family walks in, Iruka straightens up and greets them. "Have a seat, please! Anywhere is fine."

Minato shakes his hand, moving to the three-person sofa. Naruto follows, then Kushina. Lastly, Sasuke drags himself in. Seeing the only seat left is the lone chair, far away from his family, he takes it.

Iruka already spots a problem. The distance between Sasuke and his family, metaphorical and physical. Sasuke makes no effort to move closer to his family, and he looks comfortable yet unsettled in his aloneness.

The blank stare Sasuke always sports when in a meeting room quickly flashes across his face before Iruka greets him.

"Sasuke," he says, acknowledging the young man. "How are you? Haven't seen you in a while."

"I'm doing fine." Sasuke's body language says otherwise, and Iruka picks up on the lie. He doesn't delve deeper than that; however, seeing this session isn't strictly about him anymore. He looks to the rest of the family, comfortably sitting on the couch. Their body language expresses that they're uncomfortable but open.

"Mrs. Uzumaki," Iruka starts, taking out a notebook and a pen. "Can you give me a brief idea of what the problem is?"

Kushina pushes her hair back and smiles briefly. "Well, I think my boys might have... I don't know what to call it. But I think both of them need to talk it out, and I'm too emotional to be a proper facilitator and peacemaker." She laughs it off, but it's a sign to Iruka that she can't properly handle emotional-based conflict, especially when it comes to men.

Sasuke holds back a sneer. "What do I need to talk about? It really doesn't concern any of you."

Kushina's eyes flicker over to Sasuke, her disappointment evident on her face. "Sasuke. Please cooperate. I know you hate therapists, but this is---"

He clicks his tongue and rolls his eyes. "Fine."

Iruka scribbles all this down, even notes about the apparent family behavior. Despite Sasuke's unwillingness, Kushina still has a grip over him. He looks up from his notes, smiling at Naruto. "How about you start first, Naruto."

The young man shifts uncomfortably between his parents, not daring to look at Sasuke. "I just." He pauses, and the neutral face he held before falls, showing the tired man beneath. "I think I'm one taking care of Sasuke."

Iruka writes this down, all the while Sasuke bristles in his seat. "And what do you mean about that?"

Naruto continues, scratching his neck and avoiding everyone's eyes. "I love Sasuke, but ever since I was young, I had to take care of him. And I know in our culture, we have an obligation towards family, but it's starting to feel like a burden. I'm forced to care for Sasuke, and it overtakes my life. And because I'm always around him, he's starting to resent me, but it's not my fault."

Kushina gasps. Although this is exactly what needed to be said, she still didn't expect it. "Naruto, how can you say that so easily?"

Naruto clenches his fists. "How can you cast such a burden on an eight-year-old boy? I didn't have a childhood because you both told me to take care of him!"

"Oh, so now it's my fault? I tried to be a good mo--"

"I didn't have a childhood cause my family died. My whole life's been fucked, Naruto," Sasuke finally speaks up. His voice lacks any emotion.

Naruto glares at Sasuke. "It's always been about you!"

Sasuke shoots up from his seat. "Always been about me?! I've been in your shadow for years! Yeah, sure, I'm the one with the mental illness and need special care!" His teeth grind as he thinks of all the times [Name] gravitated towards Naruto. "But you're literally the ray of sunshine of the family! Everyone loves you! I don't even get a fucking passing glance!"

The divide between Sasuke and his family widens. Minato intervenes, using his commanding but calm voice. He says, "All right, all right. I know tensions are high, but let's calm down."

Sasuke flops back into his seat, arms crossed, head turned to glare at the wall.

Minato turns to his biological son. "Naruto, I didn't know that you were carrying such a burden. At the time, we didn't know what to do. We just lost our friends and had to adopt Sasuke quickly. There was so much going on. We were all in shock, and you, you were the only one who didn't know what was going on. So we just..."

Minato trails off, looking into the angry, tired eyes of Naruto. Kushina places a hand on Naruto's head, using her motherly comfort. "We just gave you the task of caring for him without thinking. We didn't know---we didn't know you'd feel so overwhelmed."

"We're sorry, son."

Iruka sees that the three of them don't need much of his help. His eyes travel over to Sasuke, who broods in the corner like a dark cloud. As he said, Sasuke hardly receives a passing glance as the three of them comfort one another and apologize. Iruka doesn't want to stop their minor breakthrough, but Sasuke is unintentionally being left out.

Cast in Naruto's shadow.

"I'm glad you're all so fucking happy," Sasuke hisses. Kushina turns to Sasuke, who avoids her eyes. "Let me do you all a favor and lessen your burden."

He huffs and stands. Kushina is the first to reach out, but it's already too late for them. The gap between them is too wide, mountains apart.

"Sasuke, don't be like that."

He ignores her. "I'm outta here."

Sasuke leaves. The door slams, and there's silence.

Just as I thought, Iruka thinks, scribbling down the last of his notes. The problem always boils down to him.

...

Sasuke curls up into the side of her. The only one who can make him feel better in this situation. He would've loved to call [Name], but seeing how she's blinded by Naruto's sweetness, he figures she'll take his side. So, he runs to her.

To Sakura.

"I hope I'm not a burden to you too," he mumbles as Sakura runs her fingers through his hair.

"Of course not, baby," she coos.

He apologizes anyway. "I'm sorry. I know we've been arguing lately, and I don't mean to. I just--- Naruto, he's..."

She interjects, "Naruto is an idiot and selfish! He doesn't know what he's talking about."

This doesn't make him feel any better. The words Naruto spoke still echo in his mind. As he ruminates on that, Sakura stands, promising him tea.

He watches her bustle around in her kitchenette. And for a moment, he sees them living together, healthy and happy. Maybe then he can fulfill Sakura's dream of a domestic life together.

"Do you mind if I stay for a little?" Sasuke asks. "I don't want to go home. Hope your roommate doesn't mind."

Sakura stiffens as she sets the kettle on the stovetop. "Ah, I'm sure they won't. I'll text them and tell them, yeah?"

Quickly, she pulls her phone from her pocket and turns her back to Sasuke, who watches her curiously. Her fingers fly across her pink keyboard as if she's frantic about something. Sasuke can't tell what, and although he wants to ask, he lets it slide.

She returns to him with some snacks. While sitting on the sofa, Sasuke rests his head in her lap. A fatigued expression adorns his face, and Sakura looks down at him with pity. With a caress to his cheek, she presses a kiss to his lips.

"I love you, Sakura," he says.

"I love you too."

He closes his eyes, feeling all the pain, frustration, and agony well up in his chest. Tears spill from his closed eyes, rolling down until they land in Sakura's lap. He sniffs, "I'm really sorry, Sakura."

"I know," she says, pressing kisses to his face, "And I forgive you."

He clutches her shirt as he turns to his side on her couch. He crushes his face into her stomach, hoping to drown out the world. It hurt to know the only person he leaned on for so long considers him a burden.

"I think everyone would be better off if I disappeared." The pain claws at his chest, burning, stinging. All he can feel is pain. His tears soak her shirt, and she tries her best to comfort him.

But Sakura can only look on in pity.