Title: Trust in Faith, Believe in Hope

Author: Ashley and Kacie

Summary: "Tell me she's going to be alright, Kashi."

Kakashi grimaced, torn between honesty and hope. "Trust in faith, believe in hope," he said evasively.

Genre: Romance/tragedy/angst

Disclaimer: I don't own the sandbox, I'm just playing in it.

Warning: Yaoi, Angst, ect. Will change later

Pairing: KakaIru KibaHenna EmiNeji

Rating: T (Rating will change later.)

Broken (Ashley): We hope everyone liked the prologue, and welcome to the real start of our story!

Trans (Kacie): Wedding planning has started but everyone is still missing Emiko. ENJOY


November 20

Henna walked over and sat at the table. "Iruka what do you have planned so far?" Henna asked as Neji and Kiba sat down next to her.

Iruka gave Henna a small smile, chasing away his worry. "Well I was going through and making the arrangements for the flowers," he said handing Henna the papers. Henna looked over them and smiled.

"They look good, for Emiko's bouquet I was thinking having a light purple ribbon around it and did we want flowers for the bridesmaids as well?" Henna asked, looking from the paper to Iruka.

Neji sighed and stood quickly. "I'm going to go," he said quietly. He turned and left before anyone could stop him. Kiba stood up, and made to follow after him but Kakashi put a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll go talk to him," he muttered softly. Kiba nodded and turned to go into the living room instead.

Iruka frowned and tried to direct Henna's attention back to happier things. "I was thinking maybe a couple of flowers for each of you girls," he said with a small chuckle. Henna smiled, forgetting for a moment that Emiko had just left.


Kakashi quickly caught up to the younger Jounin, and he grabbed Neji's wrist. "Running away isn't going to solve anything," he said conversationally. Neji glared and yanked his wrist from Kakashi's grasp.

"How would you know?" Neji hissed venomously, tear tracks on his cheeks. "You were in ANBU, you were always the one leaving, not the one left behind." Neji huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I'm the one left behind this time too," Kakashi admitted softly. "She's going to be your wife, Neji, but she'll always be my daughter." Neji had the sense to look ashamed and stare down at the ground.

"Did you know that Emi's mother wanted to be an ANBU?" Kakashi asked, smiling softly when Neji shook his head. "There's never been a female Nara or a female Hatake in ANBU, and Keiko was determined to be the first for both," he laughed lightly at the memory.

Neji couldn't stop the small chuckle that escaped him. "Emiko loves you, Neji. She will come home to you the same way I always come home to my family," he promised. "You are the light behind her shadow now, Neji. The strength behind a shield of Konoha, the flower for a hidden thorn of the leaf. You will speak the same vow that Iruka did when we married, and promise to be there when she stumbles home at some ungodly hour, bleeding all over the living room floor, and take care of her when she's so out of it in a post mission haze that you'll wonder how she even made it home. That's what every ANBU needs, and that's what brings them home. If you can do all that for her, that's all she'll need to keep her safe."

Neji choked back his tears and nodded. "I can do all that for her, senpai." Kakashi curved his eye in a smile.

"She's following her mother's dream in the way Keiko never got the chance." The older Jounin put his arm around Neji's shoulders and led him back to the house.


After a few hours of exchanging ideas, Henna stood up and excused herself from the room.

As she walked into the living room, she saw Kakashi asleep in the chair, Neji sprawled on the couch and Kiba laying on the floor reading while using Akamaru as a pillow. Henna chuckled and walked back into the kitchen.

"Iruka, come take a look at this," Henna said softly. Iruka smiled and stood up. They walked into the other room, both of them smiling broadly and fighting back laughter. Iruka chuckled and shook his head, before he looked at Henna.

"I will make some dinner if you can clear the table, then we will wake them up." He said softly before turning and walking into the kitchen.

Henna nodded and followed after him, picking up the papers on the table and sorting them into several stacks. "I am going to put these in Emiko's room, okay?" Henna asked. Iruka nodded to her, and Henna walked towards Emiko's room. As she walked down the hallways she realized something was missing, and finally remembered her friend was on a mission. Opening the door she let out a small sigh, be safe Emiko, Henna thought as she placed the papers on Emiko's side table and then left the room.

Kiba was sitting on the ground reading when the smell of food being cooked caught his attention. He lifted his head and sniffed, smiling widely. He got up and sauntered into the kitchen and sat down at the table to watch Iruka cook.

He smiled when Henna walked back into the kitchen, and he snagged her wrist, pulling her into his lap and wrapping his arms around her. Kiba growled softly and nuzzled his nose into her neck. "How you feeling, babe?"

Henna sighed sadly and folded her arms over top of his. "Better," she said softly, turning slightly so she could smile at him. "Two months seems like such a long time," she sighed again.

"I know babe, but if you keep busy it will fly by before you know it." Henna nodded, and snuggled into his arms.

"I know you're right, it's just hard." Kiba sighed and tightened his arms around her, resting his cheek on her back.


Kakashi smiled at Henna and Iruka, who were both asleep with their heads down on the kitchen table. Kiba had left over an hour ago when the wedding planning had gotten to be too much for him. Neji was asleep in Emiko's room, after asking if he could stay with them while Emiko was gone. Iruka had agreed immediately, as they had set up a house for the couple on the Hatake compound, and Neji had left the Hyƫga compound already.

The silver haired man chuckled, and walked over to the table, picking Henna up without waking her and walked her into the dark living room. He laid her down on the couch and pulled a blanket over her before going and scooping Iruka up as well. As he walked to their bedroom, Iruka stirred.

"Tonight would have been just like any other night, if she was home," he whispered. He turned his face into Kakashi's chest and sniffled. "Tell me she's going to be alright, Kashi."

Kakashi grimaced, torn between honesty and hope. "Trust in faith, believe in hope," he said evasively.

Iruka sighed and nodded. "I know."