When Kakashi and Sakura arrived at the hospital, Jiraya and Iruka were already sitting in the waiting room. Neither of the men looked up when they entered. Iruka was sitting with elbows on his knees, his head in his hands and his fingers laced through his hair. Jiraya was sitting up with several pages of parchment in his lap, writing feverishly on something that they could only guess to be the next volume to his odd works, a series that Kakashi loved very much.

Sakura and Kakashi had no sooner taken a seat themselves when the door burst open again. There, still wearing everything from the mission and looking very tired and dirty, was Yamato.

"What the news on Naruto?" he asked, turning to Kakashi.

Kakashi took a deep breath and explained everything up to their present circumstances.

"I see," said Yamato.

"So what happened with Sai?" Kakashi asked.

At this, Sakura leaned in closer and both Jiraya and Iruka looked up. Jiraya's pen stopped and he listened intently to the present conversation.

"I followed him to a kind of marsh area. I had no idea that there were vegetation areas anywhere in the desert, but there's one about ten minutes off where we were when Naruto got injured," said Yamato.

"Weird," Sakura said.

"Yes. That isn't the only weird thing though," said Yamato. "I came to their hideout and it was on the other side of a kind of lake. I sent one of my rats to go in and see what he could hear, and apparently they're planning something big…something with Naruto. They said something about Sasuke making his brother unhappy, and then something about planning to do something and how the plan was still on regardless of us having found them."

Kakashi frowned, mulling the new information over in his mind.

"Have you told Lady Tsunade?" Kakashi asked.

"I left a full, sealed report on her desk," said Yamato. "She was already here when I got to her office."

Kakashi nodded, "Good enough."

"So, now…I guess we just wait," said Yamato.

Kakashi nodded, gesturing to an empty seat next to him. Yamato took it gratefully. As the seconds ticked by, it became very apparent that each person dealt with their anxiety differently. Iruka's head was buried in his hands again, Jiraya was back to writing, and Yamato took to staring at the medal-protectors on his gloves, turning them every once in a while so they would catch the sun at odd angles. Kakashi sat back in his chair, pretending to sleep, while he listened to every sound in the room, pondering what could be going on in Naruto's room at that exact second. Sakura had taken to drumming her fingers on her lap and smoothing out the wrinkles in her kimono. No one said anything, but they all thought the same thing. How much longer would this apprehension last?

It was then, a good hour after everyone had finally arrived at the hospital that Lady Tsunade walked out again. Her face looked uncomfortably grave. Kakashi, Sakura, and Yamato rose to their feet in anticipation. Iruka merely straightened up, and Jiraya shoved his writing material onto the next chair over, both looking up at Tsunade. Jiraya's face looked calm, contrasting the utter fear that was written all over Iruka's.

"I had some difficulty with getting around his seal to treat him this time," said Lady Tsunade.

The whole room seemed to hold its breath. The tension in the air was so thick that it seemed to petrify everyone there.

"Therefore," she continued, "it took me a lot longer to treat him than I hoped it would. It also took us some time to heal his vital organs, as they have taken on much damage. I also took more time to examine him and make sure I didn't miss any other poisons. He's very weak now, but he is stable. You may see him now if you wish."

There was a lot of indistinctive murmuring among the small group of people.

"Sakura, you go first," said Iruka standing up at last.

Sakura looked around at the other men and they nodded.

"Go ahead, Sakura," said Kakashi. "You've been waiting to see him for a long time now."

Nodding, she nervously walked down the hall to the door of his room. Reaching the handle, she swallowed hard. Closing her eyes, she turned the knob and walk inside, closing it behind her. Hearing the soft click of the lock, she opened her eyes again. The room was a boring white and it held just one window. As she walked towards Naruto, she began to see his features more clearly. His face was very pale and his skin, clammy. As she stood there, tears silently streamed down her face. Wiping them away, she took a deep breath and stared at his white expressionless face for a moment. He looked like he had been beaten, as if all his willpower had faded and he had nothing left to give. Somehow, the lack of fight in his unconscious frame, bothered her very much.

Knowing that no one was watching just this once, she walked up to his bedside and slowly bent down. She gently put a hand to his cheek so that her soft fingers caressed his skin. The soft silk of the sleeves on her kimono gently brushed his face. And for a moment, time seemed suspended. Lowering herself to him, her lips touched his and she could feel a kind of tingling surge down her back, making its way to every part of her body. After a moment, she broke the kiss, staying bent over him, calmly staring into his face. She moved her hand just enough to stroke his hair.

"I love you," said Sakura softly.

After a long moment, her hand left his face and she straightened up, still looking at him.

Naruto's eyes blinked open and he looked over at her, "I love you too."

Sakura stared at him, speechless for a moment.

"I didn't know that you were awake," she said.

"I woke up when I heard you close the door," he said.

"Oh," said she.

"I've never seen you in blue before," Naruto said. "It suits you."

"I hate to tell you," Sakura replied impishly, "but a hospital gown does not suit you."

Naruto chuckled weakly, ending in a low moan.

"I dreamt about you a lot while I was unconscious," Naruto said, "and all those times, in all those dreams, you were not half as beautiful as you are now. But the kimono could be part of it."

Sakura laughed lightly, "Don't try and butter me up. You're still in big trouble for almost dying on me."

"I am sorry about that," replied Naruto, jokingly. "I'll try to do better next time."

"You better," Sakura replied, smiling playfully.

"Believe it," he replied calmly, winking at her.

It was then that a knock came on the door.

"Come in," Naruto called.

It opened, revealing Kakashi, Yamato, Iruka, and Jiraya.

"We would've waited until Sakura was done in here, but she was taking far too long," said Kakashi.

"We were beginning to wonder if she got attacked by something," Yamato jested.

Filtering in, they all crowded around Naruto. Conversations intertwined with each other and real laughter echoed in the room for the first time. It was then that they all started to feel that everything would be okay after all.

Nearly a week later, Naruto gingerly walked back to his house with Sakura at his side.

"So, you never told me what you wanted to do about us…" Naruto said.

"There's nothing we can do. It can't happen," said Sakura firmly.

Naruto stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her. She turned to him and stopped as well.

"You can't be serious. Don't tell me that you actually believe in this forbidden shinobi love crap?" said Naruto.

"It's the rules, Naruto. There's nothing we can do about that," said Sakura.

"Yes there is. Jiraya-sensei even told me himself once that the code is just a guideline for us to live by to make us more reliable and stable. Every shinobi, even Old Lady Tsunade has crossed the line of falling in love before. Even your father if he really is an ANBU shinobi. Do you think he would have been married to your mother is he had followed the code on that rule. Of course not," said Naruto.

Sakura stared at him for a moment, "I never thought about that before. I guess you're right."

"I'm glad you agree," said Naruto, "because I'm not about to let you go now."

So, there in the middle of a crowded street, Naruto Uzumaki took Sakura Haruno into his arms, easing her into a kiss, and she kissed him back.

"See," said Jiraya to Kakashi as he looked down at the two from a nearby rooftop. "I told you it would happen."

"They make a cute couple, don't they," said Kakashi.

"That they do, my friend, that they do."

The mountain of the great hokages beamed down at them. It was almost as if the sun caught behind Yondaime's huge face carved in the mountain, symbolized his approval. And as the wind whistled by that afternoon, some say that they heard his voice in it…

"Be happy, my son…"

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Okay, so that's it. Its finally over! As for what happened to Sai and all that, that's probably a whole different story all together. I dunno if I'll get around to writing it or not. But anyway, hope you liked it. I had fun writing it. Hopefully now I can go back to writing a few other things that I haven't finished yet. So yeah, later guys! ;-)