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A/N: In every chapter I write I give myself a challenge. Now is a 200 minute challenge! I conceived, wrote and edited this first chapter in a span of 200 minutes (2 hours and 20 minutes)! I'm telling you, it's a feverish and nerve-wracking ordeal but it's ultimately rewarding. You should try it and PM me the link of your work!

Japanese words to be encountered and their approximate translations:
Dobe - deadlast; idiot
Usuratonkachi - idiot; useless
Gomen - Sorry
Demo - But then
Masaka - It can't be
Teme - damn
Tadaima - I'm home

This particular fic will be short: between 7 chapters minimum and 11 chapters maximum. Also my first time writing in the mystery/suspense genre. Tell me what you think!

Chapter One: The Runaway Bride

Quiet.

Naruto could be described in several words: loud-mouthed, rambunctious, dobe, usuratonkatchi-never just quiet. But that was unmistakably him as he arrived in Hinata's room, unfolded and read the letter on his hands.

Naruto-kun,

Gomen. I didn't have the courage to tell you this but I've been in love with Neji nii-san for the longest time. I know that he's my cousin and technically my brother but none of that matters now. We're in love with each other. He asked me to elope last night because he couldn't bear the thought of giving me away to you, even if you are the village hero.

I loved you Naruto-kun. I've been your fangirl for the longest time and when you proposed to me I was literally over the moon from joy because the most impossible of my dreams seem to have come true. Demo, I realized that dreams and reality were never going to align after all. I idealized you too much and I fell for the image of you in my head. I idolized you and fawned over you and worshipped you-not even trying to know who you really were apart from what you showed us or what we chose to see. It's different with Neji. He was strict and humble but he truly cared for me. He trained me and made me strong while you left the village for Sasuke-kun.
'cause let's face it he is more important. He saved me from the Juubi. Despite being ANBU, he never bragged of his accomplishments to my face. Moreover, he never let me dwell on his sacrifices. But I've seen it all and felt it and I fell in love. He was willing to offer his life for me. He didn't need protecting, unlike you. Then and there I knew that he, too, had loved me very much. So when he offered his hand to run away with me, I took it and never looked back.

My only regret was that I let things drag on for too long because I was afraid to be left unloved and alone. I loved you, Naruto but I've never felt myself complete with you. Negi is the one who completes me, believe it!

By the time you've read this we're already out of the village. Please don't come looking for us. If you care about me and the love that we shared, please don't waste your time looking for us. Let us not make each other's lives difficult.

Heartfelt thanks and apologies,

Hinata-chan

The blond lingered at each letter of her handwriting. He savored each word and read as if it were really her speaking to him face-to-face, cupping his cheek and comforting him while saying the cruelest, heartrending words he heard in his 19 years of existence. He had a lot of things to say, a lot more to question but alas, she had long been gone. More accurately, she had chosen to permanently walk out of his life with Neji.

It was not a stretch of imagination. Neji obviously loved her: training her, protecting her, following her around like a dog calling her Hinata-sama. During the war, he put his life on the line without a tinge of hesitation just to shield her from the man-sized spikes hurtling towards her as she stood between them and Naruto himself. Thankfully, Sasuke came on time to protect the all of them with his Susanoo. "Only a fool would pass up that devotion," he thought in resignation. "Only a fool...like me."

Exiting from the haze of memories he released a weak chuckle. His face absently stared at the floor while his hands fell to his sides and the letter dropped. Shikamaru scrutinized his expression and had deduced that whatever was in that letter was more devastating than the Fourth Shinobi War. He had never seen his close friend so...emptied. Even in the War, despite the surrounding deaths, threats and misery he was hopeful because he had his friends and his lover at his side.

The Nara walked towards him and bent over to pick up the fallen piece of paper. He began skimming it. "Oy Shikamaru, what's it say?" Kiba asked impatiently. Akamaru barked right after. "Where the heck is Hinata?! It's her wedding day!" The gust of wind outside shook the cherry blossom branches. Hinata and Naruto had selected their wedding date in tandem with the peak of the short yet exquisite blooming of sakura.

True enough, just a few minutes ago, Naruto had been having trouble fastening his own black kimono with the Uzumaki crests. He even summoned his bestfriend-slash-best-man Sasuke, who was already dashing in a black suit with a silver vest and a blood-red tie, just to help him fasten his own wedding pants. The Uchiha obliged to do so, but not without a hundred twitches of annoyance and groans of exasperation. That was when one of the Hyuuga handmaidens burst in his room in order to tell the most depressing news...

"It seems that Hinata has eloped with Neji this morning." Shikamaru had said with seeming nonchalance. However, he scanned the room with suspicious eyes. Kiba was shocked "What?! Hinata would never do that! She loves Naruto!" He lunged for the letter in Shikamaru's hands and the door burst open again, with another unlikely wedding guest. "Tenten," Shikamaru called. Her hair was a myriad of beautiful braids and her elegant creamy-white satin gown hugged her curves and reached to her ankles. Her nails and lips were scarlet and over her neck hung a special bird necklace, a metal from a meteor crafted to mimic Neji's Caged Bird Seal. Her eyes were blurry with tears "I heard the maids! Is it true?!" She staggered towards the letter. Kiba reluctantly handed it to her. "Tenten-san!" Lee had caught up. Too late,however, as her eyes had already graced the words inscribed. Shikamaru placed a hand on her shoulder out of sympathy but she removed it and sank to her knees. Sobs wracked her body until they were so rapid in succession that she was hyperventilating. Lee rushed to tend to her side. "My eternal rival...how could he do this? He did not only make Naruto-kun sad. He made Tenten-san cry and lose consciousness!" From the entrance, Sakura sprinted towards her and Lee. Kakashi, Shino, Gaara and his siblings were behind her. The Kazekage raised his arm to stop them from doing so. They glanced at him in protest, but he merely shook his head. Let them be.

The pink-haired medic, now the Kazekage's wife, turned to Naruto for answers but he had been temporarily catatonic. Sasuke avoided her gaze by closing his eyes, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall nearest him. She finally glared at Shikamaru, who was also shaking his head. "Hinata...left...with Neji." He almost whispered. "What?! It doesn't make sense!" Sakura exclaimed. "I know!" Kiba vehemently agreed. He went and shook the supposed-groom by the shoulders "Oy Naruto! Snap out of it! Are you really blind?! Hinata loves you! Why would she run away?" He turned to Shino "Shino! We're Team 8. You, I and Kurena-sensei all know how much Hinata couldn't stop blushing and talking about your wedding! She's been talking our ear off ever since you decided to date her...right?" He shook the boy harder "She's kidnapped and this is a set up!"

"If that is true," Sasuke stopped leaning against the wall as he intejected "Then why is her cousin, Hyuuga Neji, kidnapped as well?"

Kiba's mouth hung open. He fumbled for answers but Shino backed him right away "Someone had to be framed." Kiba smirked at him from the doorway as a sign of thanks. Lee brushed the hairs away from his unconscious teammate's forehead "It's true. Neji-kun will not run away with Hinata-san."

"And how sure are you about that?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow as he asked. Lee flashed a look at Sakura, who's eyes widened as she gasped "Masaka!" Her hand immediately glowed with green chakra and hovered above Tenten's abdomen. She gasped again and turned to Shikamaru "She's pregnant."

Silence filled the room. Even Sasuke was in a state of disbelief. Kakashi clicked his tongue "Tsk, tsk. The Hyuuga clan will hunt me down with pitchforks now." As Rokudaime, he would be the one to settle a dispute such as these: an abandoned wedding and an abandoned important child with a commoner.

The Kazekage shared his own thoughts "Hyuuga Neji is a member of the elite shinobi force of Konoha - the ANBU. And Hinata is also a jounin. We are certain that whomever tried to kidnap them are no ordinary group of shinobi. They are strong as they are clever. Temari, Kankuro, dispatch our guard to assist Rokudaime Kakashi to interrogate and account for all the jounin present in the village from the night before until today." The two obliged and nodded to Kakashi. The three exited. "I will personally convene with the other Kage and request their help as well," Gaara continued as he glanced at his wife "Sakura." Sakura nodded and replied "Lee and I will escort Tenten to the hospital. We'll see each other soon. Take care of yourself." He acknowledged it and left.

Sai and Ino were the last and late to arrive. Ino was panting "Sakura! I came as soon as I heard. It can't be! Hi-hinata!" Shikamaru was still contemplative as he inquired "Any reports, Sai?" Sai immediately responded "I've sent a message [via flying ink eagle] to the nearest village gate. The village guards scoped the area and found two incapacitated by the Gentle Fist technique." Shikamaru frowned, placed a hand on his hips and uttered "Cche. Sai, report this to the Hokage right away."

Before Shikamaru could clear them all out, Naruto got out of his stupor, raised his head and said "Everyone...thanks. Thanks for being here. I'm sorry I made you come here for nothing, dattebayo."

"Naruto," Sakura whispered, looking the saddest for her teammate. "Naruto-kun," Lee followed. Kiba clenched his fists and punched the blond. "Baka! How could you..." The other just threw him a defeated glance which caused his blood to boil in anger "Impostor! You are not the Naruto we know. What did you do to the Naruto we know?!"Shino stepped in with his bugs trying to restrain him and his incessantly barking dog."The Naruto I know would not just accept this! He's fucking stupid, but not this stupid! HOW COULD YOU JUST ACCEPT THIS?! Do you not know your wife at all? Do you not care about her feelings?"

"I care about her feelings, dammit!" Naruto barked "She made her feelings pretty clear in that damned letter! I love her enough to know that it's her damned handwriting! I love her enough to respect her damned decision EVEN IF IT'S TEARING ME TO PIECES!"

Shikamaru paralyzed Kiba and Akamaru's writhing with his shadows while the bugs that had stopped them receded towards Shino. He dragged them with his shadow as he, hands on his suit pockets, headed to the door "You forget how strong Naruto is. I'm taking you out before you hurt yourself and destroy Hyuuga property."

Sakura wiped the tears forming on her face, willing herself to be strong. She turned to the raven-haired Uchiha "Sasuke-kun. Take care of Naruto for me." In a flash, she and Rock Lee had disappeared from the room as well.

Silence dragged on for a few more minutes. Sasuke just watched Naruto, who had been looking at the open door for far too long. He wasn't really the type to comfort people and he never learned how. "You should go," The jinchuuriki had finally spoken. "Don't waste this day. Only a few weeks more and you're free."

Despite being a crucial help to Naruto in defeating Obito, the Juubi jinchuuriki in the war, Sasuke was still guilty of being an international criminal Akatsuki member, trespassing and attempted murder of the five Kage, infiltration of Konoha and successful murder of Danzou. Naruto's influence and pleas were heard. Instead of his execution, or lifetime imprisonment in the worst sector of Blood Prison, he is tasked to 10,000 hours worth of community service instead. Despite being genin, his strength was still unmatched by any other than Naruto and Kakashi and the council saw his benefit. He tasked Shikamaru to device a way to ensure that the Uchiha would neither run away nor use his powers astray, thus resulting to complex chakra-regulating bracelets, an unremovable tracker implanted on his heart and a forehead seal for his Sharingan.

"Dobe," Sasuke sighed "You shouldn't worry about that. You were the one left in the altar here." Feeling his discomfort, Sasuke shifted topics "That Nara will have my ass handed to me if I leave you moping here. He'll call me a deserter or...whatnot." Naruto allowed himself the smallest of smiles. Still, his eyes are forlorn with disappointment. He got up and shed his black kimono "I'll just get changed and be at Ichiraku's all day. Do your community work. I'll be fine, I promise." Sasuke sighed again and uncrossed his arms "Fine. If I don't see you at the swing after my shift I'm going to assume you either left the village without permission or killed yourself." He walked over to his sword sheath, picked it up and tied it onto himself "Just make sure of this. Like Hinata, if you're gonna do something stupid, like leave or kill yourself, at least leave a note so the whole village won't be thrown to chaos." Naruto smirked. Sasuke seemed harsh and indifferent but he had known him longly and deeply enough to know that he cares about him more than he lets anyone in. Before he stepped out of the door he said "One last thing. If I find your corpse in the river or up the trees while I'm assigned to clean them...I'm going to dismember you." And with that, Naruto had burst in a fit of laughter.

...

"Nice one, Kiba." Shikamaru said when he hurled the Inuzuka and dog to the ground and detached his shdaow. "Teme, that hurts! What's the hell do you mean?" Shikamaru glanced at Shino who confirmed in subtlety that no one was watching them before he replied "I was counting on you to make a scene so I can drag you out here." Kiba was puzzled "Huh? Why?"

"Because our teammate, Hinata, had been kidnapped." Shino answered. Now the canine handler's mouth was ajar "Wh-what? I knew it! I knew it Hinata would never do this Naruto out of her own will!"

"From the moment I've seen the note, I knew something was wrong." The memory flashed back to Shikamaru's faint startle upon reading the letter "There were a lot of inconsistencies, most obviously with the use of names. For one, Neji nii-san became just Neji in the next paragraph then became Negi in the last."

"But if Hinata was really running away and in a hurry, some inconsistencies are bound to show up." Shino said. Shikamaru shook his head "I thought of that too but the key to my suspicion is the second paragraph. If you read it again, it sounded like she resented him or even regretted being with him. She resented him for chasing after Sasuke when she was the one adamant that we follow Naruto's nindo of never leaving our comrades in the darkness. You've got to admit, Shino, it's definitely unlike her."

Shino adjusted his glasses "Agreed. The logic does not correspond."

Kiba could almost jump with joy "I really knew it! It's not Hinata to be like this. Your explanation only made it have more sense now! 'Ne, Akamaru?" The mutt barked and wagged it's tail.

"There's only one problem," Shikamaru said "It was definitely Hinata's handwriting. I've seen her written reports to the Rokudaime and by cross-referencing it with the letter there's no doubt that the penmanship is definitely hers."

His celebration was aburptly cut "Impossible! Maybe she was forced to write it-"

Shikamaru nodded "Yes. There was some force involved. But again, after seeing the letter, there was no sign of agitation or anxiety. The writing is too clear and stable. Hinata was calm when she wrote it."

Kiba's head was starting to spin in confusion "H-how could that happen?! These things just don't add up!"

"She could be under the influence of a genjutsu." Shino told them.

"And a strong one at that," Shikamaru added. "Gaara was right. We're dealing with no ordinary shinobi. It's one thing to paralye your opponent and make him or her believe that what transpires in the illusion is real; it's another to outright influence the thoughts and will the opponent's body to move while at the same time seamlessly maintain the illusion in the opponent's head. To do those two things at once and execute them perfectly, this guy is not a mere genjutsu user. He is definitely a master of jounin-level genjutsu."

...

Sasuke arrived at the old swing by the Academy. He knew this was a memorable place to Naruto. This was the place of loneliness and sadness. He figured out that that was exactly how his closest friend would have been feeling. Witnessing his friend pummeling the tree trunk with his left hand, he was not disappointed "You know, Sakura will be mad when she sees what you're doing with your one good arm."

"Ah" Naruto acknowledged his presence but kept on punching the tree "That's if Tsunade baa-chan don't get to me first."

"You'd be a shitty weak Hokage if you're dumb enough to lose them both." He set down the plastic bag. It was takeout from Ichiraku's. Normally the guy there won't agree to such thing but since he mentioned Naruto, the guy scrambled for a makeshift container.

Naruto smelled the ramen and his stomach growled. He stopped assaulting the trunk and sighed. He sat beside the Uchiha, who handed him chopsticks."You're just jealous coz by doing this it means that Hinata is as important in my life as you."

"As if, usuratonkachi!" Sasuke retorted. Naruto snickered and opened the container. He slurped on one of the noodles and swallowed them before he looked to him again and spoke."Sasuke...thank you for being a good friend to me...Honestly, I don't care what they say about you leaving the village to kill your brother and avenge your clan. Even if you killed Danzou too just to heart the truth from him. I know how painful it is to be alone, to lose your precious family-"

"Naruto," Sasuke cut him off after he sipped his own broth. "Don't go there anymore."

Naruto rubbed the back of his head with his bandaged hand "All I want to say is...thank you for not cutting that precious bond with me. Thank you for staying in Konoha. I know you. A simple chakra restraint and tracker won't stop a man as powerful and smart as you. If you didn't choose to stay, you would have been gone now."

Still not looking at him, he quipped "But apparently it did. I'm still here after all."

"It's because you want to, right?" The Uzumaki probed. Sasuke merely sighed, finally meeting his gaze and explaining "Even if I did, it'll be more trouble than it's worth. I killed Itachi. I've fulfilled my lifelong ambition..." He gazed at the luminous night sky. "I never dreamt of surviving this long. It was either he kills me or we manage to have killed each other. Either way, I should have died. Now I'm alive, I don't know what to do anymore. I only lived for him and my hatred of him."

Naruto flashed a mischievous grin "You have another goal," Sasuke swore his bestrfriend giggled "To restore your clan, 'ttebayo!"

"Yeah that..." The Uchiha thought of it as he stabbed the toppings "No one's going to fall for a prisoner like me."

"But you're not in-" In prison, Naruto was about to say but Sasuke didn't want him to point out the obvious. "A prison is not a place, but a state, where one's freedom is stripped, usuratonkachi. Anything that hinders you from being free-a bracelet, a seal or even an idea-it is also a prison." They ate in silence for a while before Sasuke spoke again "I suggest you let go of Hinata as soon as possible. What you had with her was good but now it's gone. She left you and that is that."

Naruto's cheery disposition vanished into thin air and he was forlorn again "You make it sound so easy. You never felt it Sasuke, love. The desire to be with someone forever. I wanted to be with her, to have a family with her, to give them something I never got. With her, I forgot what it was like to be alone." He dropped the piece of pork back into the bowl as he reminisced "I wanted to train our kids-"

"You would have been Hokage by then, dobe. You would have been busy." Sasuke told him off. He chuckled, though without the usual mirth "Ahaha you're right! Sorry about that." He turned to him again "What about you, Sasuke?"

"Like I said, I'm a prisoner."

"But all the girl were head over heels for you in the Academy." Naruto said while gazing with melancholy at the school in front of them.

"No sane and self-respecting woman will settle for a criminal." The Uchiha was done eating. He started cleaning up.

"Don't worry. You'll be able to find happiness someday. Possibly with a her-or a him?" At those mere words the trash was hurled at him. "Usuratonkachi! I'm straight!" The Uchiha barked, flushing. He raised his hands, a gesture of surrender and pacification"Maa, maa, Sasuke. Just kidding with you. Pipe down!"

He was calm again. His stomach was full but his heart was without a doubt empty. "It's getting late. I probably should go home now."

"Or cry to that Iruka maybe." Sasuke fibbed, recollecting the trash he threw.

"Maybe," Naruto bowed his head down as if considering it. He lifted it back up and flashed a smile at him "See you tomorrow!" He turned around and waved as he walked, one hand in his pockets. Sasuke smirked in acknowledgment "Yeah."

...

[Shikamaru, Kiba & Shino conversation continuation]

"What made you think that only one guy casted the genjutsu and not a group of jounin as the Kazekage said?" Shino asked.

The Inuzuka scratched his head "Yeah Shikamaru it doesn't make sense. I mean, how gutsy does that guy have to be to cast a genjutsu on Hinata? Hyuuga Hinata?"

"Kiba has a point, Shikamaru. From the sound of it, that genjutsu will require a huge amount of chakra. Hinata is a sensor. She can detect the faintest of chakra within a hundred-meter radius. She is also a Byakugan user. She is also trained to counter jounin-level genjutsu. The chances of catching her offguard are rather, supposedly, slim." Shino explained.

"I know. The kidnapping is supposed to be done in their compound in the midst of wedding no fewer than fifty Hyuuga within proximity. Someone should have been able to detect the foreign presence. It's beyond normal reason."

"Shikamaru...why did you say jounin-level genjutsu and not a jounin capable of genjutsu?" Shikamaru smirked at the sharpness of Shino's intellect. "Heh, you noticed that, huh?" He closed his eyes, opened them and spoke "This is probably one of the craziest things I've said. The most insane thing you'll hear from me." Kiba gulped and beckoned himself closer. "And once you hear this, there's no backing out. One false move on your part will be the difference of life and death." Kiba gulped even harder. Even Akamaru sensed his nervousness and whimpered. "You CANNOT ever...ever...let the suspect think you're onto him. You DO NOT mess with this guy and expect to still be alive right after."

"Stop scaring us! Just be straight and tell us who!" Kiba exclaimed and Shikamaru lunged at him to cover his mouth with his hand. The Inuzuka fell on his back with Shikamaru straddling him. Eyes wide, he glanced at Shino, who signalled him again that nobody had heard them. He slowly extricated himself from Kiba and helped him up before explaining himself "Because the suspect I have in mind is not a jounin...though he might as well be."

...

"...He might as well be."

Sasuke had long finished his community service duties and signed out the logbook. The masked ANBU guards fibbed at him, at the humiliation of him doing the most mundane of tasks around the village despite his overwhelming skill and aptitude for other things. As usual, he paid them no mind and carried on. After his conversation with Naruto he noticed a still-open convenience store and bought more food on the way home.

Uchiha District...or what was left of it not ravaged by Pain. He made his way to the dilapidated Naka Shrine, located the seventh tatami mat and crouched down beside it. He set his plastic bag in order to lift it up, revealing a secret passage known only to him and the Uchihas.

"You mean...Sasuke?!" Kiba's knees had almost knocked in fear. He felt nauseated. He could barely connect the ideas.

Sasuke descended the flight of stairs and the torches lit up in response to his presence.

Kiba fired more questions in succession, struggling to keep his stammer in check "B-but how?! W-why? What happened to Hi-Hinata and Neji? Where are they?!"

The Uchiha stopped before a stone tablet, in front of a wall with the painted Uchiha crest on it. The wall was apparently an illusion and it dissolved to reveal a large converted warehouse built around a cave-like structure. It was a weapons bunker and headquarters for the failed Uchiha coup. Juugo nudges Karin, who dozed off in her chair. "Wha-? Oh! Sasuke!" she coughed and changed her cooing tone "As usual, there was no foreign chakra wandering within a 2-kilometre radius." Sasuke didn't even acknowledge them with a nod as he walked on to the holding cell.

"That's why we have to investigate." Shikamaru answered as he huddled the two onto him "So, who's with me?"

The torch flickered in light and startled the blindfolded hostage in darkness. "Who's there?" She was held up with chakra-suppressing manacles, next to her bed. She could smell the waft of a familiar ramen. She held back her tears "N-Naruto-kun?!" Sasuke set the plastic bag on the table and sat himself on the seat where he could observe Hinata, as if watching a dog in a kennel. "Tadaima, Hinata."

.

A/N: Any theories about why Sasuke kidnapped Hinata or how? What happened to Neji-kun then? Write it in the review! We'll see how you (and they) fare next update!

Add'l Info: This fic is obviously a Naruto AU with some key events changing in order to allow the circumstances to happen. First key event is that Kabuto is dead trying to assimilate superpowers after Orochimaru died. Without him there would be no Edo-tensei. Thus no Madara. No Kaguya. No ressurected Itachi to clear up the Uchiha clan massacre story for Sasuke. No Six-Paths Power :((