Chapter 1

"I'll see you soon"

Every night she remembered those words and hoped they were true. She hoped they will see again and this time in a way she hoped for. All around her, she saw people falling in love. Naruto and Hinata are now married. Shikamaru and Temari are expecting and are thinking of having a small ceremony though Ino is vehemently against it seeing as she hopes they have a double wedding with her and Sai.

Sai, even that socially awkward guy now has someone and Lee is also seeing some civilian girl as far as she knew. Chouji is off to Kumokagure again for a "mission" but everyone knows why he is there. Seems she will be left with Kiba, TenTen and Shino as those without a significant other, though that isn't really comforting. Kiba is happy playing the field and Shino will probably settle for one of his distant cousins when he feels it is logical. And TenTen, well she never really showed much interest in guys. Any girl in the same team as Neji and isn't professing her love for him constantly definitely has something else going on and TenTen is too ambitious to bother with things like that though it is obvious that Neji's death affected her deeply. Maybe there was something there that everyone failed to see.

What made her case worse is that she had someone, or at least hoped she had him but he isn't anywhere near. Neither is he anywhere far. He is just somewhere that she didn't know. The only person who has an inkling of where he might be is Naruto but he isn't bothering to find him. He is certain the guy will show up if really needed and that is what matters to Naruto. But all she wants is to see him just once more.

Sakura turned in bed and looked at the time. It has been an hour since she went to bed but as always, thinking of Sasuke always makes time flyby. She has to sleep. She has a full day tomorrow with a new mission to complete. She is currently working for the allied shinobi union in helping with rebuilding of medical facilities across the world. All she can hope for is that wherever he is, he is fine and maybe, just maybe he is thinking of her.

The moon was particularly bright tonight, he mused. Looking at it reminded him of a lot of things. Like his brother. The moon had been in the background the day Itachi massacred the Uchiha clan. It also reminded him of Kaguya who he had helped defeat and seal in a moon he created with Naruto in another world. Then it also reminded of Naruto who had recently journeyed to the moon to save the world, again and he found love there.

The moon always held significance for jinchuriki. It called to them as it held the base of their power. And now, it will have a better significance to Naruto now that it was the site where he finally found for himself what he had always tried to share with everyone. But despite not being a jinchuriki and not finding love on the moon, it held a significance of love to him. Despite it being the backdrop of how he lost his family, it also reminded him of the love his brother had for him and the village. And after creating a moon with Naruto, he singularly created nine to trap the bijju and it was from that he knew of the real love he got from Naruto, Kakashi and Sakura.

Sakura, it was times like this, she came foremost to his mind. She reminded him of love as she had always professed that for him. And she had always abided to that regardless of what he did to her. In his travels around the world, love as deep, pure and uncompromising as that came few and far between. That is why she is someone he has grown to cherish even more so among his other comrades. She reminded him of all the love he had all his life, the ones he had embraced and the ones he had taken for granted.

He always reminded himself of his last words to her. It is a promise that he made to her and in a roundabout way, he hopes she made a similar one to him as she is the one of those he is looking forward to seeing again once he was back.

He had hoped to be at Naruto's wedding and maybe see her but he had been unable to. He had been at Kumokagure to fix his relations with them as they had been hit in his own blind rampage. But as Naruto has always said, the bonds of the heart are more important. So he had known that though he isn't there, his presence will be felt.

Sasuke yawned. Sleep beckons. Maybe his mind will be able to show him images of those he holds dear.

One week later

Sakura just returned from her mission. She had been at a small village at the outskirts on Amekagure. She felt good about the work she had put in there and now was the time to sit down and unwind. She went into a restaurant that always has been her favourite place. As she was about to have a seat, she heard her name. Anywhere she was she would recognise that voice. It was one she hadn't heard in a long time and one that always filled her heart with hope.

Hinata

Her voice was low and musical. It was definitely one of a kind.

Hinata finally has the one she had been waiting for and that in itself gives hope that good things do come to those who persevere.

"Sakura-san, please, join me"

Sakura was quite surprised to see her. She hadn't known she would be back. Her honeymoon wasn't supposed to be over for another week or was it already a week?

"Hinata-sama, I didn't know you will be back yet'

Hinata looked perplexed. Sakura just smiled as she sat down wither.

"Um, we just arrived yesterday as planned" Hinata replied

"Really, I must have lost track of time. So, how was your journey, Hinata-sama?"

"Please, stop that. It is embarrassing" Hinata said in a low voice while lowering her head.

"What are you talking about, Hinata-sama" Sakura asked with an innocent smile.

"The honorific you are calling me with. Please don't do that, Sakura-san"

"But, Hinata-sama, you are a princess. You are one with the Hyuga clan and now, being Naruto's wife has propelled you into new heights. Not to talk of the fact that you are also the Byakugan princess. So, the honorific is just right" Sakura explained

"But…but…"

Hinata was lost for words till she saw Sakura smiling.

"You are making fun of me aren't you?" Hinata asked with a smile of her own

Sakura laughed out loud "You make it too easy. But I have told you to just call me "Sakura". If you insist on using honorific on me, then I will have no choice but to do the same and as you said, yours is more embarrassing than mine."

Hinata laughed once more. Sakura is a great person and always made her feel good.

"So, Sakura-san…"

"Yes, Hinata-sama"

Hinata laughed once more.

"Where is Naruto?"

"He is with the Hokage. They apparently have some business to take care of."

"Oh. Alright then, spill" Sakura said with a grin all over her face.

"Spill what?" Hinata asked with a look of pure innocence on her face

"She means to spill everything about your honeymoon. Isn't that right Forehead?" another familiar voice said from behind.

"Pig"

"Ino-san"

"Hinata-sama"

"Not you too" Hinata said burying her head in her hand

Ino laughed as she took a seat.

"It was Sakura's idea. One of the best she has come up with in a while. So, if you insist on being formal with your friends, we will also have to be formal with you. We can't make people think we are rude, you know" Ino said all the while smiling.

"So, Hinata, spill" Sakura said once more.

Hinata blushed deeply.

"Ha, there is something. I knew it" Sakura said pointing.

"Of course there is, Forehead. It is a honeymoon. It is the time for lots of something to happen"

"Tell us, tell us, tell us" Ino said bouncing in her seat.

Then Hinata smiled. It was a bright kind of smile that made you want to smile too. Sakura and Ino didn't need to sense him nor hear his voice to know that he had just walked in. The smile from Hinata was telling enough. It was the smile of seeing someone you love and they have all smiled like that one time or another.

"Hope you aren't harassing my wife" Naruto's naturally cheery voice boomed through the conversation.

"Wife…I can't get enough of saying that word" he said as he stood behind Hinata's chair.

"Go away Naruto, this is girl talk" Ino said while looking at Hinata as if she held the secrets of the universe. And for what it's worth, Hinata did hold secrets.

"Well, you will have to hold this "girl-talk" some other time. I have to steal Hinata from you guys"

"Someone has plans." Ino said with a wink and eyebrow wriggling.

Sakura laughed out loud and Hinata just covered her face embarrassed. Naruto though just rambled on.

"Yes. We have been invited to the Hyuga estate by Hiashi for a family lunch."

Ino and Sakura just kept laughing.

"Sakura-chan, what is funny? There is something on my face? Ha, I should have known Konohamaru would try something when I allowed him whisper in my ear."

"Naruto, you still haven't changed." Ino said with a smile.

"Uh…" Naruto said with a lost look on his face.

"Let's go Naruto-kun. It's nice seeing you guys again Sakura, Ino. Let's do this again. Hinata said with another trademark bright smile while dragging Naruto with her.

"They look good together, don't they?" Ino asked.

"Yes. They are perfect for each other." Sakura replied.