A/N: Sequel to 'The Price of Salvation'. There's sasuhina, sasuhana, naruhina and naruhana in this so stop right now if you don't like this sort of thing. You've been warned. I don't want to hear about how Sasuke and Naruto belong only to each other. If you don't like this scenario then DON'T READ.

Other than that, this is also dedicated to my awesome readers and reviewers. HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Beta: Blood Zephyr

Hunter/Hunted

Chapter 1

"Sir, where are you going?" Konohamaru asked in alarm. Naruto had just slammed his pen down on his desk and stood up, leaving three towering stacks of paper work.

"Out," was the curt reply. Naruto didn't necessarily like being questioned by his assistant. He walked into the adjoining bathroom, leaving the door open.

"But, Hokage-sama, these forms can't be put off much longer-"

Naruto sighed, bending to look in the mirror over the sink. "I'll deal with them, Konohamaru. Don't I always do my job properly?" He ran a hand through his blonde spikes, dragged the same hand down over his mouth. He was presentable.

"Yes, sir. You're right. I'm sorry. What about Kiba?"

Naruto washed his hands of pen ink and dried them on the hand towel. He glanced at his assistant with a frown. "What about him?"

"I told you, he's been trying to schedule a meeting with you since yesterday. He's waiting outside the office now."

Naruto paused in the act of putting on the light cloak he'd received on completing his Sage training. "Oh. Yeah, you did tell me." He shrugged the coat all the way on. "I'll see him when I get back, too. Pencil him in."

Konohamaru did this in the planner he kept on his person at all times, even as he jogged to the office door as Naruto was exiting it. "But-"

***

Kiba stood up when Naruto strode out of the office. "Naruto, buddy, thank god. Look, I need an ANBU unit to help me. I tried to stop her, but-"

Naruto laid a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Kiba, sorry, but I have something to attend to." And he was gone, almost running down the hall, the hem of his cloak swirling as he turned a corner.

Kiba turned to Konohamaru. "Where's he going?"

Konohamaru grimaced, leading the older Jounin into the Hokage's office. "I have no idea."

Kiba studied the man as he started going through papers on the desk. The room smelled strongly of Naruto's wild scent… and something else. His eyes widened. "Has he been acting restless lately?" he asked Konohamaru suddenly.

The younger man glanced up. "You know how different he's been since Sasuke was released from prison, but… yeah, now that you mention it. He has been acting a bit on edge. He's usually so calm and in control. Why?"

Kiba groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. If he was right, this was really going to complicate things.

Life was good.

One, he was Hokage. It was a very difficult job, but one he was glad he'd pursued despite how much it demanded from him. It wasn't all glory and fun the way he'd thought as a kid, but he did have recognition throughout the ninja world as one of the strongest, fiercest and most capable Kages ever to earn the title.

Two, he had Sasuke. It had taken years, many of them with the man sitting in jail. It had taken sacrifices. The man would never be completely owned, but he was Naruto's and that was all the Eighth Hokage cared about.

Third, he was ready to finally start a family.

He'd selected someone he thought would be suitable; meek, willing and unattached. He didn't want someone who'd be too much trouble, or who would make demands of him. She'd be there to receive, house, and grow his seed, nothing more. Sasuke was his true partner and that was that.

Naruto exited the Hokage building and took a moment to inhale the fresh summer air. It was hot, midmorning. A gorgeous day.

Time to hunt.

That was exactly how he saw it. He lowered his head from smelling the air and looked around. Villagers knew he was approachable for the most part, but did not go out of their way to try and stop him when he was obviously intent on getting somewhere. His stride was long and determined. He didn't make eye contact with too many people, not wanting to encourage conversation. Besides, it wasn't an uncommon sight to see him around the village; he was a hands-on ruler, getting involved with the villagers quite often. Just not when he had pressing business elsewhere.

He wondered how she'd react.

She wasn't assertive enough to be a teacher, or interested in medical jutsus. She was incredibly intelligent, a bookish type, so that left the Konoha Library. Top researcher of jutsus and senior archivist, to be exact.

***

He paused upon entering the hushed atmosphere of the library. It was somewhat crowded. Tokubetsu Exams were held during the summer, so every Jounin who felt him or herself eligible was parked at the desks, some sitting in aisles with caffeinated drinks by their hands and backpacks, no doubt full of food, to fuel their frenzied studying; books weren't checked out during exams, since they might be used for cheating. No one wanted to leave and risk the book they were cramming from being snatched up by someone else. He inwardly bemoaned the fact that the first part of the exam was written, necessitating this crush of people on his hunting grounds.

Heads glanced up at seeing the Hokage enter, waited to see if some announcement would be made and when none was forthcoming, lowered to resume studying. Nothing was said.

Naruto prowled between the desks, making himself at home as he searched unhurriedly through the first floor. He reached the first row in the long procession of aisles to the right of the entrance and walked up it leisurely, stepping over outstretched legs.

He heard a soft, feminine voice and turned his head. There, through the books in the aisle to his left, he could see the back of her head.

"Water jutsus, water affinity and countering water techniques are in section C of the library, upstairs and to your right," she said to a bespectacled girl.

Naruto slowly walked around the end of the aisle and studied her as she turned from the departing girl and resumed shelving some books. He leaned against the wall, blatantly watching her. She glanced up and he liked the way her eyes widened at seeing him.

"Oh! H-Hokage-sama! Is there s-something you needed, sir?"

"Nothing at all," he said easily. His hands were in his pockets. She wavered, unsure if she should ask again or just leave it at that. He enjoyed her confusion. It made him horny. Eventually she was called away by another patron. She left to help them with a last glance behind her at Naruto.

He waited a beat and followed her. Sauntering casually, idly looking over titles as he passed them, he exited the aisle to find her bent over a table, explaining something quietly to three students.

The dramatic curve of her hip pulled her modest skirt tight as she bent over. The heavy swell of her breasts balanced the curve of her hip as she reached across the table to turn another boy's page to point something out. One of her legs came off the floor, calling attention to her shapely calf, ending in a black pump.

Naruto felt blood settle heavily in his loins. He was visited by an urge to rip the clothes from her where she stood and spread her on that table, on top of the books, in front of everyone. He wondered if the students would run away or stick around to watch.

She was moving, clicking briskly away to retrieve data for someone. He followed.

***

Apparently, she was too busy to notice right away how he tailed her, but a few of the students saw and thought to watch. He quelled their curiosity with pointed stares. They held his blue eyes for all of two seconds before dropping their eyes back to whatever books they were holding.

Aisles, shelves, corners, back rooms. She bustled and he followed. The sway of her hips, the way her long hair brushed against her bare arms, all had him hot and tense. She was just so female. He couldn't think about anything but dominating her.

She turned to answer a question some boy asked and saw him watching her. She hesitated, his direct gaze unnerving her. The answer she gave the boy was stammered, her eyes skipping to the large blonde who watched her from twenty feet away.

Now that she'd noticed, she couldn't fail to be aware of how he followed her. It wasn't obvious. He looked at what the patrons were studying, glanced at how a few spoke amongst themselves in whispers, perused books in a careless manner… but he was stalking her. His occasional pointed glance in her direction emphasized this.

Nervous, she circled the entire library, on the pretense of helping people. Some actually did need help. She even took the stairs to the second floor. She didn't immediately see him come up behind her and breathed an audible sigh of relief. The way he'd been shadowing her was creepy. If he needed something, why didn't he just say so? Or maybe he was reviewing her performance of her job here? She hoped no one had complained about her or-

He appeared on the low wall that overlooked the ground floor of the library. He crouched there, having jumped from downstairs, his eyes going directly to her when she made a small frightened sound. Other people also uttered muffled cries of fright at seeing a large man suddenly appear like that. Then they saw that it was the Hokage and relaxed.

She didn't. But she didn't confront him, either. Instead, she turned and located a cart of books that needed to be re-shelved. She latched onto the cart, trembling slightly now in anxiety and made her way down an aisle at random. She was busy looking behind her, trying to see if he was following her. The upper floor of the library wasn't as populated as downstairs, but there were still quite a few people.

He was nowhere around. Her hand went to her throat, where sweat was trickling over her collarbone to slide into her cleavage. A sigh escaped her. Now she glanced at the high shelves surrounding her and saw that she was in the wrong aisle for the books in the cart. She walked quickly to the aisles across the room, turning a corner into an L shaped extension to the room that, for the moment, was free of people. Three short aisles were at the end of the long part of the L. She went to the last one and positioned her cart to begin re-shelving.

The first book was on forbidden jutsus. She had to step on the footstool placed in the corner to reach the very top shelf, where the book belonged. There, squatting on top of the shelves, was Naruto. His blue eyes had her stifling a scream as she toppled backward. He vanished and she felt him behind her, catching her before she could fall.

***

He didn't release her immediately. Her struggles against his chest were very pleasant, very… soft. So much soft woman in his arms. He squeezed her, lowering his face to her cleavage. He pressed his nose to the valley the top buttons of her silk blouse left exposed and inhaled.

She went still, quivering in fear and incomprehension. She was probably wondering what the Hokage was doing, putting his hands on her like this. He raised his head from her breasts, licking the sweat there as an afterthought. She jumped in his arms. A small 'eep' sound passed her lips.

He'd been walking the tops of the shelves, watching as she peered around, looking to see if he'd followed her. The way she'd visibly relaxed had amused him. But hunting was done.

He looked down into her wide lilac eyes. "I want you, Hinata".

She blinked, dismay on her face. Then a blush crept up her neck, slowly covering her face. He didn't receive a protest, so he stood her on the footstool again. This placed her breasts at eye-level. He bent forward and closed his mouth over one peak, through the plum-colored silk of her blouse. The nipple hardened immediately into a plump berry of sensitivity.

***

Hinata grasped the shelves behind her, her mouth falling open silently as the wet heat of his tongue and lips dragged her blouse against her skin. The material abraded her nerves, making her shudder, which made the entire bookshelf teeter disturbingly. Naruto steadied it with a hand.

He wanted her. When he'd said those words, her heart had actually stopped beating for several seconds. Her childhood love of him hadn't left her. It lay dormant within her, acknowledged as an impossibility in the face of his constant, never-ending pursuit of Sasuke. Even now, she knew, as the whole village knew, that they were living together. But he wanted her and before she could say anything he was standing her on the stool and sucking her nipple through the fabric of her blouse.

The sensation was more than she could stand. No one had ever touched her like this. Even as she grabbed the shelves behind her for support, she felt her nether lips swell rapidly, becoming dewed with sticky moisture. Then, oh god, he was hooking a hand into her blouse, ripping it open with a small tug of his fingers. The buttons flew off to hit the wall behind him with small ticking sounds, bounced off his chest. She looked down to find a kunai in his hand.

***

A flick and the bra was dealt with. Her breasts spilled free richly, making her murmur in protest. He ignored her to latch directly onto one rosy crest and rolled the puckered nub on his tongue, his hands pushing the halves of her blouse aside to slide around her waist, slipping to her back to hold her steady against his mouth.

The hard rhythmic suction had her panting, her hands settling like frightened birds in the nest of his hair. He feasted, moving from one breast to the other and back, dragging his tongue across her skin, slurping up and down the deep cleavage. He released her waist with one hand to cup and squeeze one deliciously overweight orb and shoved as much of it as he could into his mouth, sucking for all he was worth.

She uttered a scream that was cut short with the back of her hand. They both froze as the faint murmurs of students that had been constant background noise stopped briefly. There was no one down this small extension of the upper floor, but all one had to do was turn a corner and they'd be in plain sight. There had to be over a hundred people in the library itself. After some consideration, Naruto decided he didn't care if people knew what was happening or not. That was actually better. It saved him the time of having to make it known that she was now off limits.

She was shaking. Her reaction had his aggression rising up in him and suddenly he wanted all of her.

He swept her off the stool, and dropped her onto the book cart, her round ass settling into the well that was supposed to house the books. She braced herself with her hands behind her on the cart. Her legs faltered in the air until he dragged the stool over, sat on it, and propped them on his shoulders. He lowered his head to her spread thighs.

"Hokage-sama, you shouldn't," she began in a mortified whisper.

Those blue eyes glanced up at her. "Call me Naruto-kun, the way you used to. I like that."

"B-but Hoka-"

One blonde brow rose.

"Naruto-kun…"

He looked down again and found a large wet patch on her modest panties. He leaned forward and sucked once, tasting her through the cotton material, making her squeeze his shoulders with her legs convulsively… before ripping a ragged hole in the garment with his teeth.

"Oh!" she gasped.

She was hairless. The smell of her was light, almost shy, the way she was. Her folds glistened with her pearly arousal and Naruto wasted no time in stretching his neck to lap strongly with the flat of his tongue, gathering the cream there in his mouth and tasting it as she writhed in pleasure.

Hinata stared down at the blond head between her thighs. She knew her face had to be as red as a tomato by now, but oh god! She checked a moan as she heard two people, a man and a woman, come into the next aisle over. They were visible through the small gap between the tops of the books on one shelf and the bottom of the shelf above. They were searching industriously for a title they read from a piece of paper the girl held. Only a few feet and one book shelf separated them from her and the Hokage…

The library was silent. She kept her mouth open to make her harsh breathing silent as well, but his mouth… oh, his mouth was doing things to her and a piercing feeling was slowly twisting inside her, making her jerk roughly once, twice, as it built. Naruto steadied her hips as the cart creaked.

The only noise in this section of the library was the wet sounds of Naruto sucking Hinata's exposed labia, running his tongue up and down the inner lips, flicking at the fat clitoris with his tongue as it swelled, peeking from beneath its hood. The two people in the next aisle stopped their murmuring, looking at each other as if just becoming aware of these sounds.

Naruto let himself feel her tremors, her efforts to control herself, perfectly aware of the people behind him in the next aisle. They probably had a good view of Hinata spread and panting, with one well-known head moving busily between her straining legs.

He wondered how high her self-control was and suddenly gave her clitoris a good, hard suck. She bit her lips, but not before her sob had made it past. He sensed whoever was behind him turning around, looking through the books to see who was making the noise, especially when he kept sucking and the cart rocked back against the wall with a thud as she pushed her thighs against his shoulders. A hand rested on his head, hesitated, then pressed, urging him to continue.

Well, alrighty then.

***

Hinata opened her eyes when the unbearable suction stopped. Her gaze was caught by the two pairs of eyes peering at her between the books on the shelves behind Naruto. She had a fleeting thought to cover herself and push the Hokage away, but he was suddenly there, pushing between her legs, forcing her thighs wide enough to split her sensible skirt all the way to the hip on both sides. She looked down and gasped.

That would never fit into her.

Her first sight of a naked penis froze her so that all she could do was stare and quiver inwardly. And then he was nudging at her, splitting her apart as her head fell back and she clenched her jaws around a scream.

He stopped, frowning down at her panting, sweat-coated face. She was incredibly tight, forbidding him entry even though her arousal was abundant enough to drip between the twin moons of her ass. "Are you a virgin?"

A sound came from the two people behind him as she whimpered an answer. "H-hai, Hokage-sama."

That changed things. Actually, no it didn't. It was just that an idea had come to him. He pulled back from her entrance and instead set his length against her slit, rubbing back and forth, up and down along the slick valley. The head of his organ scraped her clitoris each time it moved upward and slid down, and soon she was writhing again, moaning now, not trying to check the sound.

Hinata thought she would expire from the hot length of him rubbing her this way. Her body burst into flames of desire, of pleasure, and she couldn't stop the sounds escaping her. Her nails dug into the edge of the cart, the cart itself hitting the wall behind her as her nipples tightened and heat spread outward from deep inside her pelvis somewhere. It spread down her legs, up her middle to the tips of her fingers, her cheeks tingling with it.

Her eyes opened and there he was, gazing down at her sternly, watching, wanting to see her face as her first orgasm smashed through her. He sped up the movements of his hips, pushing her over the edge, humping her fast, her moisture and heat making him leak all over her twitching labia and then it was happening, she was coming and not even her hand shoved into her mouth stifled the noise completely.

Naruto looked aside and found the two people, teens, at the end of the short aisle, watching with their mouths open. They saw the Hokage bent over Hyuuga Hinata, their quiet librarian, who was in the process of coating the front of his unzipped pants and his brazen erection with a flood of fragrant cream. The blue eyes held their shocked gazes until they backed away quietly, without saying a word.

***

He helped her stand. One heeled shoe was gone. Her skirt was in tatters and her blouse was beyond fastening. Her bra hung from her flushed shoulders, also beyond usability. She was a mess.

"Are you opposed to marriage?" he asked as if they'd only been drinking tea.

"Pardon? I-"

He silenced her with a finger on her lips and explained what he meant in detail. She listened, going still when she understood what he had in mind.

"And afterward," he concluded, "I would still pleasure you, if you like. Do you agree?"

She'd be stupid not to. To be selected for just such a position was the dream of nearly every red-blooded female in Konoha. It was perhaps not exactly what she'd wanted when she dreamed of him, certainly unorthodox… but to be with him.... "I agree," she said in a low voice.

He nodded. "I will call a meeting with your father tonight. Tender your resignation to this place, you won't be working here anymore."

He took off his Sage cloak and held it for her. She turned and threaded her arms through the sleeves, holding the large garment over her dishabille. He placed a chaste kiss on her cheek and turned to leave. She stood where she was, feeling the aftershocks of her orgasm threaten to buckle her knees.

***

Every eye in the library fastened on him as he walked calmly down the stairs to the ground floor. They remained on him, heads turning to follow his progress, as he strode unconcernedly out of the building. He knew the two idiots who'd seen him with Hinata had spread the word about what they'd witnessed. Whenever Hinata chose to show herself, and she was discovered wearing his cloak, it would set the tongues wagging further. By tonight the whole village would know.

The bright light of noon had him squinting in the glare. He paused on the wide steps of the library, debating whether or not to stop by Ichiraku Ramen's.

No. His lack of release with Hinata had his blood at a low simmer. He would go back to the office and give himself some relief. Then he would hit that stack of paper work before preparing for the meeting tonight.

There was a short cut that led to an alley behind the Hokage building, where he usually entered through the back door. No need for every single person to see him coming and going. But then, everyone would know he'd been at the library today within the hour, so maybe-

He stilled. Without turning, he knew someone was behind him. Hidden. A smell hit him that had his semi-erection suddenly rock-hard and screaming in his pants. He whirled with a snarl, intent on locating that smell and was hit by a bundle of solid female, also snarling. A flash of a red tattoo on a cheek and then the woman had him in a choke hold around his neck, performing a hand seal and transporting them with a blast of her chakra.

She was in the worst heat of her life. During the entire twenty-one day process of pre-estrus, estrus and diestrus, she was normally confined, along with any other clan females or companion dogs, deep beneath the Inuzuka complex. Thank god she only went into heat twice a year, but these last few cycles had been brutal. Estrus cycles differed from woman to woman in the clan, much the way menstrual cycles differed between ordinary women… hers seemed to be very intense and violent, necessitating chains to keep her from going after the males in her family. Time and again, her mother had urged her to find a mate or let the family find one for her. The men they came up with inevitably stank of servility; fear of her wild, animalistic ways during her heat had her nearly killing them in her frenzy. Only Kiba smelled strong enough, which made it impossible for him to be around her whenever she was in heat; he was also affected by her scent.

Last night had ended her pre-estrus phase, sending her into the estrus phase itself and the absolutely imperative need to be mounted, to mate at all costs. She'd broken free of her chains, running through the compound as a scent, impossibly strong to her sensitive nose and irresistible, had her exhibiting more strength than usual. Kiba had tried to stop her and had ended up throwing her to the ground, his eyes glazed as he fumbled at his pants in preparation for mounting her. Her mother and some other strong females had dragged him away and she had lost herself in the village.

Hunting.

***

She tracked him from his manor to the office, keeping well away from the smell of her younger brother. He'd only try to stop her again. Then he left the Hokage building and his smell nearly drove her insane… it wasn't the smell of heat. Males didn't go into heat, but it was something akin to the rut other animals went into. At any rate, she was aware that he was in a state of heightened sexuality.

She waited several minutes before following at a safe distance.

She was across the street, outside the library when he exited it an hour later. The smell of another bitch was all over him, but so was his sexual frustration. It was more than she can stand. Outside the Hokage building she made her move.

Naruto glanced around his surroundings, registering a bunch of dogs suddenly stiff at the sight of him. There were women too, lounging around the large room. They are as stiff and still as the dogs, all printed with their clan's facial tattoos.

The smell of them is interesting… but he only has eyes for the one who brought him here. Hana. Her name comes to him through the fog of sexual need clouding his mind and then she is growling, threatening the other females who've been creeping up on him. They flee, leaving the room as Hana's kunai sails after them, speeding their flight.

Him. Her. The dogs.

He rushes her, intent on mounting her, and instead of meekly submitting like he instinctively knows she's supposed to do, she sends him staggering to his knees with a powerful kick to his jaw.

Ah. Yes. Inuzuka women never submitted. He remembered that now.

Well, neither did he. Ever. The bitch would learn soon enough.

On his knees as he was, the position placed his head at the level of her waist. He grabbed her hips, yanking her forward before she could resist him. He buried his face in her crotch, a low growl rumbling through him as her scent, the very core of her, ripped the last of his sanity to shreds. It was overpowering, waking something deep inside him. It was as unlike the smell of Hinata as night was unlike day. Hostility and aggression rose up in him a thousand times stronger than it had for Hinata.

Her vulva was swollen to twice its normal size thanks to being in heat. The pressure his face put on her flesh through her pants had her throwing back her head and coming right where she stood. She keened to the ceiling and the dogs, crowded against the walls in fright, yipped in commiseration.

He could smell her release. His eyes were red with the need to be inside her, his claws shredding her clothes to have her naked.

***

She is tall and she is strong. She fought him, trying to assert her dominance, and more than once he slapped her with enough force to spin her to the floor. Still, she does not give in. The chase excites him, forces him to establish his superiority over her. Her own claws make short work of his clothes during these initial steps to their mating and then he manages to flatten her against the wall with his body. His fangs drip, longing to mark her… but he won't. Not until he's spoken to the other one he's marked.

Hana had to be six feet if she was an inch. Her punches, her wildness, were nearly too much for him to handle, even unleashing his strength as he was. The challenge stimulates him as he's never been stimulated, making him access Kyuubi to hurl her to the wall once more. He grabs her hair and holds her still and now he does bite her, forced to do so in order to bend the demon bitch to his will.

She submits at last, quivering to stillness beneath his sweaty, heaving chest, her breasts pressed against him.

He has only to grab her ass and lift her slightly to set her down on his erection. Her weight drops her down despite his impossible width and she is clawing at his chest, twisting and turning, trying to get away from the murderous pleasure of being stretched so wide. Her swollen, overly sensitive cavern tightens at being penetrated, making him drop his head to hers and growl. Then he is all the way in, there is no place for her to go and he holds her hips still as he begins moving.

***

The thrusts are long. He pulls out to the tip of his massive rod, and slams all the way in, each time. His length has her going on her toes, the penetrations painfully deep. She is screaming and he likes her screams. He licks her face, her mouth, and then he is kissing her.

The thrusts are hard. Brutally so. Their bodies slap together, her breasts jerking upward sharply with each shove of his hips. She climaxes repeatedly, tightening around him painfully, but he doesn't stop. He thrusts through each savage spasm of her inner muscles. His claws dig into her hips, jerking them forward each time he thrusts into her, enhancing the force that was blinding her with pain and pleasure both.

When he comes, it is a hot rush of fluid in her sheath that seeps out onto her thighs even as he keeps hammering into her body.

He isn't done. And she has her second wind back.

This time he twists her arm behind her back as she swings at him, flipping her over so that she kneels on all fours. He knows she only fights him because she's not satisfied yet. He kneels behind her, spreading her nether lips roughly with his thumbs, and eats her hungrily.

Now she howls shrilly, the feeling is so intense. That sets the other dogs to howling in response. She grinds her dripping lips onto him, smearing his seed and her juices all over his face. He laps and sucks greedily, cleaning her swollen folds of all fluids save his saliva. His tongue enters her and she comes again, on his tongue, in his mouth, only to feel him straighten and ram into her again in one devastatingly powerful punch of his body.

***

It was Kiba, leading Tsume and a few other clan members, who came to investigate, once the other females in heat had caused enough chaos amongst the male Inuzukas in the complex. They heard the shrieks and growls and hurried to the confinement rooms to witness the Hokage standing up from a prone and motionless Hana, who was somewhat bloody. The Hokage himself was coated with all manner of fluids – blood, sperm, sweat and the distinctive discharge of a female in heat – as he made his way to the assembled individuals who watched him warily.

"She's mine. Be at the office tonight to arrange the details," was all he said.

Kiba had to leave the room as the smell of his sister was starting to fog his senses, but Tsume nodded and gestured for one of her relatives to get the Hokage something to cover himself with. Once he'd gone, Tsume breathed a sigh of relief. The girl had finally been seen to. And such a prestigious union to boot.

***

Naruto stopped by the office, where an appalled Konohamaru was told to prepare several documents and get the approval of the council. His assistant spluttered, protesting the flaunting of custom and convention, but Naruto gave him a hard stare.

"Do it, Konohamaru. Don't question me, and don't ever think to second-guess me again or you can find yourself alternative employment."

So his usual control and inflexible ways are back, the younger man thought with a touch of relief. At least that meant paper work would no longer pile up. Kiba had explained how the Hokage was likely feeling the need for a female. That explained why he'd been so out of character lately. His mood had been lighter, more erratic, a touch less responsible.

Naruto went home. Sasuke was in the courtyard, training with his sword, as usual. He came to Naruto and waited, still, even after six months, uncomfortable with initiating any intimacy between them.

He was adjusting slowly to village life, to love, to living with someone who showered him with affection at every possible opportunity. Naruto gathered him close, kissing him, rubbing his face in the dark hair, feeling Sasuke relax after some moments. Then he was kissing Naruto back.

Sasuke pulled away after a few minutes, wrinkling his nose. "You taste strange. And you smell."

Naruto sighed. Then he brightened. "I've found women for us."

"Excuse me?"

"To begin rebuilding our clans."

Sasuke listened as Naruto went on to explain about his day. He knew Naruto loved only him, but hearing how he'd had sex left him feeling off-balance, not quite jealous, but not happy either. That was, until Naruto came to the final statement.

He pulled out of the strong arms. "Are you kidding? They would never agree to that."

"Hinata already has. And I know Hana will. The only one I really care about agreeing is you, Sasuke. Do you?"

Sasuke turned away to pace. He supposed it would suffice, as plans went. But he was worried. He turned back to Naruto, eyeing him from beneath his lashes, a habit the blonde had come to associate with anything Sasuke considered uncomfortable to talk about. "I don't want this to change what… we have. It's still all new for me and bringing this other element into it…"

Naruto understood and was warmed, touched, by Sasuke's feelings. "That's why I've set it up the way I did, Sasuke. No boundaries, no claims made on anyone. Only you and I belong exclusively to each other."

Sasuke thought for a long while. The he nodded once. "Okay. I agree."

Naruto came to him then and Sasuke was soon laughing, a sound Naruto still found too beautiful, as the blonde dunked him in the tiered fountain in the middle of the courtyard. Then he was sighing as Naruto made leisurely love to him in the cool water.

The meeting required formal dress. The parties knelt to either side of a long, low table, as Konohamaru read the contracts aloud.

On one side sat the Hokage, attired in his robes of office. Next to him sat Uchiha Sasuke, formal kimono with his symbol on the back draped over his alabaster body.

On the other side sat Hyuuga Hiashi and Inuzuka Tsume. Hyuuga Neji and Inuzuka Kiba were acting as go-betweens.

Done reading, Konohamaru waited. Hiashi stated, through Neji, how unprecedented it was for clans to intermingle, possibly resulting in a mutation of both clans' bloodline limits. Expecting this, the Hokage handed a fat, unmarked envelope to Neji, who glanced inside, before handing it to Hiashi. The Head Hyuuga discreetly counted the bills without touching them and found the amount generous.

Tsume had no complaints with the terms, and signed the document Kiba passed to her from Konohamaru. Hiashi hesitated before performing the same action. In the end, he signed. Now Naruto spoke.

"I have documents, stating that any and all children of these unions will either be Uzumaki or Uchiha, that you each will sign. Regardless of abilities displayed in any potential offspring, there will be no Hyuugas or Inuzukas born."

There was silence as the meaning sunk in. Neji ventured to seek clarification. "But that sounds like-"

Naruto cut him off. "Like either woman could give birth to a child of mine or Sasuke's? Correct. For form's sake, Hinata will be married to Sasuke and Hana to me, but the only real union here is that of me and Sasuke. As such, the only way to ensure we don't jeopardize our relationship with petty jealousies is by making sure there is nothing to be jealous about. Your daughters will be treated well. Mother to the future Uchiha clan and/or the Hokage's children will bring status and honor the likes of which neither of your own clans have ever seen. They'll live richly and be under our direct protection."

What wasn't stated, yet clearly understood, especially by the Inuzukas, was that all three of them – Sasuke, Hinata and Hana – would belong to Naruto. There was an undercurrent of possessiveness in his words.

Hiashi turned his head away, but there was nothing that could be done; he'd already signed the marriage contract. To sweeten things, Naruto pushed another, somewhat smaller, envelope towards Neji. Hiashi received it and after checking the contents beneath his side of the table, gave a grudging nod. He signed the document Konohamaru handed him that effectively did away with any heirs he could have gotten out of Hinata.

Tsume also signed. Konohamaru took the documents and locked them away.

The ceremony was held a week later, attended by nearly all the villagers, as well as the Kazekage, despite such short notice. The brides and grooms were praised for their lavish attire and generosity in throwing such a splendid occasion. Traditional gifts were exchanged.

Afterwards, the brides were taken by their families to be prepared to be sent on to the Hokage manor. Naruto and Sasuke stayed with the hundreds of guests until nightfall, before heading home.

***

One kago bearing the Hokage emblem came to a stop outside the huge gated entrance of the manor later that night. Hinata and Hana were both inside, one nervous, the other subdued and expectant.

"I don't know if I can do this," Hinata whispered to the silent older woman. The interior of the kago, while plush, was dark. The bearers set the conveyance down as Hana scooted to Hinata's side. She took the Hyuuga's freezing hands in her own. "I don't know if I can be with them both. I shouldn't have agreed."

Hana stroked the elaborately coiffed hair, darker than her own. Since Naruto had been with her that day she was much calmer, though still in heat, and felt nothing but sympathy for the shivering woman at her side. "Naruto is forceful when he has to be," she said soothingly, "but he can be gentle, too. And I don't think Sasuke will hurt you."

"But I don't know Sasuke-kun," Hinata lamented. "He's so cold. He did all those horrible things…"

The doors to the kago were pulled open then and the women found their husbands standing without, ready to escort them inside. Hana gave Hinata's hand an encouraging squeeze.