Final Love, sequel to Young Love and New Love and the last story in the set, thanks for reading!

Final Love

Chapter one: Returning

I hit the post with a small, "Ha!" It was about noon and I was tired; I'd have to stop by the shops soon to get some food, both for myself and the manor-- we were getting low again. Wiping my forehead with the back of my hand, I panted lightly before kicking the post again.

Finally I stopped, breathing deeply a few times before wiping the sweat from my face and taking a drink. I cooled off for a few minutes, then grabbed my sweat shirt and headed for the village.

Today was nice and warm, which made it a little harder to cool off. As I was heading to the market, I spotted the hot springs and decided it wouldn't hurt.

As I paid and went to the changing rooms I told myself not to stay too long. There was shopping to be done after all. Then, after that mental note, I dove right into the amazing water.

It was nice and warm, but in a relaxing way. I sighed contentedly and grabbed a wash cloth, cleaning myself slowly to help the relaxing process.

After, I just sat there and soaked in the comfort. I leaned my head back wondering again, like every other day, if my Naruto-kun would be back soon. I missed his big dumb smile and I wanted him back.

If I was being honest with myself, I missed Sasuke too. It was stupid to, considering that he left everyone behind, especially me. My mind didn't work that way; I would always miss him, if only for his presence.

And, though I know Naruto didn't want to leave me behind, he did leave soon after. I promised him I'd train hard until he got back, and he promised he'd hurry back. This seemed like forever ago.

Every day since he left, I prayed time would pass faster so he could hold me again… A blush crept its way onto my face as I remembered what it felt like, when I fell asleep in his apartment. Again, it seemed like forever ago.

Then, remembering that the two and a half years was almost up, I knew Naruto could be back any day. That thought made me too giddy, and so I told myself it could be a few weeks yet.

A few weeks was close, though, and it still made me a little giddy. Deciding I'd been in too long, I stood and covered myself with a towel quickly.

Hurrying out from the springs I couldn't help but notice people lively gossiping around me, I knew something big was up, but I didn't have time to stop right now. I'd gotten really behind on time, so it wasn't until I was leaving the market, that I heard, "He's back, Naruto's back!"

My eyes widened and a blush spread across my face; Naruto was back? I had to find him; I had to find him now.

But…what if he's changed?

"Well of course he's changed," I whisper to myself, feeling silly. I wondered where he could be, and the more I thought of where to look, the faster my heart sped. By the time I decided to act, I was near hysterics.

I kept to the streets to keep from attracting attention, trying to keep to a fast-walk. As my heart pounded, more blood went to my face.

Finding myself to the side of town, I saw Kiba and Akamaru, leaning against the large tree that grew here. "Hinata!" he called, waving at me.

"H-hello," I said quietly, walking closer. "Have you seen Naruto-kun yet?" I had to ask, just in case.

"Nope," he grinned at me, petting Akamaru's head. "You'll see him eventually; don't worry about it." He and Shino, knowing me best, both picked up on my little crush… Though, it took Kiba much longer.

I looked at the ground and kept walking, looking back and waving lightly. "I'm going to keep looking. T-thanks anyway…" I walked to the corner, only a few paces out of sight when I heard him.

"Heyyy!" Naruto's loud voice called, probably to Kiba.

My heart sped up again, even when I thought it couldn't anymore. I took a deep breath pressing my self to the wall at the corner. "Naruto…" I breathed.

They had a small conversation and he forgot about Shino. I wanted to giggle, but a bit of fear flowed through me instead. What if he forgot me, too?

I heard him walking toward me, and when he turned the corner, he stopped.

He looked at me, and I blushed, and when he said "Hi" everything went black, but I heard him shout my name.

She passed out! I can't-- okay, well, maybe I should-- believe she passed out! I caught her by the shoulders and shook her lightly, hoping she'd come to. "Hinata!!"

"Come on, Hinata, wake up…"

Slowly her eyes started to open, and she looked at me and smiled.

"You scared me! Half to death!" I tell her.

"N-Naruto-kun," she said my name, blushing. I put my arms around her and hugged her to my chest.

"I missed you," I whispered.

"I missed you too…s-sorry I fainted," She smiles, tears in her eyes. "I'm so h-happy your back!"

I lean in and press my lips to hers. The absolute worst part of that training was missing her ever waking minute. I wish I could explain it to her in words, but for now this is the best way I can think of.

Her face was so close; I could feel the warmth of her cheeks-- they were scorching. Was it even possible for a person to blush so much? I pulled back to check her face and she seemed fine. Well, fine for Hinata.

I grinned at her and she jumped for me saying, "Y-you have no clue h-how much I missed that smile!" She hugged me so tight I thought I might break, and I knew she'd gotten a lot stronger, we both had.

Holding her back, my grin widened and I said, "I'll be smiling for you 'till my teeth fall out."

She squeaked a bit at this and I couldn't help but kiss her again, she was still cute as ever. "I love you, Hinata."

"I-I love y-you, t-too," she seemed to stutter a bit more and-- as if it were possible-- her blush seemed to darken.

"Eh-hem…" Kiba cleared his throat as he stood over us, Hinata was suddenly on her feet, hiding behind her hair. I noticed now that it was longer, and she was amazingly beautiful.

The bangs only covered her eyes when she looked at her feet-- looking at the ground, they still showed-- and the rest of her hair seemed to go passed her shoulder-blades. It fit her well, and I wondered how I managed to be so lucky.

I stood up too and wrapped an arm around her waist. "We have a mission," Kiba said, looking at where my hand was before looking to Hinata.

"O-oh," She sighed and reluctantly pulled away from me. "See you later Naruto-kun."

I have a feeling she didn't want to leave my side for days now that I was back, but she had to go right off on a mission. "I'll be waiting for you." I grinned.

She giggled lightly-- something she only did around me, by the look on Kiba's face-- and walked away, looking back every now and then as if I was going to disappear.

I'll be here, I promise. I told her silently. Then I headed into the village, there was a certain little stand that was calling me.

"So," Kiba started in a tone I knew didn't mean anything good. "When we get done with the mission, I guess I'll have to find you and Naruto a tree, huh?"

It took me a moment before I got it, but when I did, my eyes widened and I turned scarlet. "K-kiba-kun!"

"Leave her alone, Kiba." Shino said in that soft, dark, intimidating tone of his, scolding the Inuzuka boy. "Besides... I'm sure they have better sense than to use a tree."

I looked around for a rock to burrow under and hide myself from the world, "N-not you t-too, Shino!"

Kiba only grinned at him as if to say, "Nice one!" I found a small tree that may work instead of a rock…

Then, I thought of what Kiba had said about a tree. I decided to steer clear of trees, unless I wanted more of his jokes to come my way.

As I looked again for a giant rock, another voice called out and I thanked the heavens. Kurenai-sensei was here now, prompting us for the mission.

Though we were all chunin now, and Kurenai thought of us as equals, somehow none of us had dropped the 'sensei' from her name.

"Are you all ready to go?" She smiled brightly at us.

"Yes Kurenai-sensei!" We chorused.

Grabbing onto our packs with one hand, we leapt from the gate quickly, all following Sensei. I had my Byakugan activated as I often did during these sorts of missions; it didn't slow me down, or stop me as it did when I was younger.

I didn't see anything unusual for miles. I was really quite happy when Kurenai told us it was time for a break, even if I was worried the boys would tease me some more.

They began setting up camp and I was in a tree to gain better angle with my Byakugan; a few jokes were murmured as I set up a perch, but they were easy enough to ignore after a few light blushes. I saw something move in the distance, squinting my eyes to concentrate.

The chakra signal seemed vaguely familiar, but I couldn't place it. As I was opening my mouth to tell Kurenai that there was a shinobi not too far off, the figure in my sight turned and I knew who it was. My heart started racing the moment his name came to mind. Sasuke.

"Hinata?" Kurenai said my name curiously-- most likely at how my mouth was open, eyes wide. "What is it?"

"I…" Darn it! What do I tell her? 'Um, oh, it's just Sasuke about 50 yards that way,' right, no. "It's…n-nothing sensei…j-just an animal."

She smiled lightly and turned back to the fire she was making. I bit my lip, weighing the consequences. "Sensei? Would it b-be okay if I took a s-small walk?" I asked, still unsure.

"Uh…" She glanced swiftly at the sky line, "Sure, Hinata, just be back before the sun sets, if you're not I'll send Kiba after you. Be careful!"

I smiled my thanks and leapt from the tree, keeping my pace as calm as I could as I headed into the woods.

That deadline would be important, if I didn't want to get caught. And I didn't, so I had to keep the color of the lights in the forest, on my mind.

As soon as I was certain I was out of seeing distance of the others I broke into a silent run, stealing through the underbrush of the forest floor and around the ancient trees. My heart sped up as I drew closer, and closer, until I had to stop and hide behind a bush. He was there, right there in front of me.

He was taller, that much was certain; even crouching from a bush, I could tell. His hair was a bit longer and the outfit was…different. I blushed lightly at some of the muscles that escaped the sleeve of his shirt, committing the 'new Sasuke' to memory.

Suddenly, he turned ever so slightly in the way of my hiding place, his eyes boring through the leaves straight to me. "Show yourself." He ordered, and I noted his voice was deeper now as well as I held in a squeak.

I slowly made my way out of the bushes, both careful not to get caught on any branches, and careful not to lose any sight of him. His shirt was open in the front and I could feel my face getting hotter as I went to his face, taking in the slightly shocked expression.

"Hinata," Though I don't think he meant for it to happen, my name left his lips.

With my red cheeks and wide eyes I fully took in the-Sasuke-that-left and realized how different he was now. He practically radiated 'danger'.

"S-sasuke-kun," I bit my lip again, unable to feel the fear I should have felt as I stuttered his name.

Though now his face was hard again, composed in that stone like manner I remember his father had that first time I saw him, there was something in the expression he'd had when he saw me that told me, he was my Sasuke.

I wondered what I should say now, 'hi' didn't seem to quite fit right.

"What are you doing here?" he asked in a tone that resembled his expression. I imagined-- if this were anyone else-- there would be a slightly awkward edge to it…

"I…" I wondered if telling him I was on a mission was a bad thing, after all, he was now technically 'the enemy', wasn't he? "I-I'm on an a-assignment," I tried to sound stronger than I felt, because even though I'd gotten a lot stronger since he left, he'd done about three times what I had, maybe more.

"With who?" he asked, taking a step towards me.

"It doesn't matter." I said firmly and delighted to see a bit of shock play across his eyes.

He took another step; instinctively, I took one back. "It does," he stated in a tone that sparked a little fear.

Again he started toward me, and before I could take even one step more back, he was in front of me, so close, I didn't want to breath. "You've changed." He said softly, taking me in at close range.

"S-so have you," I stuttered quietly, looking at the ground.

I didn't realize my body was shaking until he put his hands on my shoulders to stop me. "Hinata, I won't hurt you."

"Won't you?" I snapped harshly, remembering just how many times he had hurt me.

Instantly, I regretted saying anything at all; his jaw locked and a pained expression left as soon as it'd come. But before I could say or do anything, Sasuke's attention darted away. "You have to go."

End Chapter One:

Yoko here finally^^; i'm a bit lazy at posting, so Lucy's done it for me a lot. But now i'm back, and should be around more to tell you all how wonderful you are for reading and reviewing our stories and that i love writing. Anyway~ This is Final Love, the last chapter in the Young Love set Lucy and I have created, Enjoy!