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This is the last chapter...tears up...well, let's get this puppy going!

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This odd routine of her performing missions and such during the day and spending her nights with her husband continued before she started feeling weird: sleeping a lot, food tasting wrong, having odd bouts of hysterical crying. Sasuke was concerned and voiced it often. But she didn't think anything of it until she was in the middle of a mission and just collapsed.

Her comrades jumped after her and one of them, the healer of their group, caught her. "Kirei-san! Are you all right?"

She shook her head and pulled her mask off, panting. "I just feel so weak right now, and I've been having such strange things happening to me these days."

"Your heartbeat is a little faster than normal and you're sweating profusely. We should get you back to Konohagakure so we can find out what's wrong with you."

Deciding the mission had to be canceled, her squad headed back to Konohagakure with all speed. When they arrived, they went to report to Tsunade about Kirei's health. The instant Tsunade saw her, she came to her and checked her over.

"Hmmm…considering your lifestyle, this is odd for you. You seem to be pregnant, Kirei-san."

While her comrades froze in shock and disbelief, Kirei smiled, knowing this was the happiest thing that had happened to her ever since she'd married Sasuke.

Tsunade noticed her joyful look and asked, "Would you please explain how you've become like this when you're unmarried?"

Kirei cradled her cheek and sighed in contentment. "I've been secretly married for three months now to the most wonderful man in the world. He'll be pleased about this, I'm sure."

The Hokage sighed and shook her head at her ecstatic ANBU ninja. "Because of this, I'll have to have you temporarily retire until you're able to perform your duties without any problems. May I ask who you're married to?"

Kirei turned away, the smile still on her face. "I'm afraid that revealing his identity isn't within my power. It's a secret."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes and demanded, "As your Hokage, I order you to tell me, or I'll find out by having you watched every minute."

"Tsunade-sama…I'm sorry, but I can't."

She walked out, only to hear one of her fellow ANBU comment, "You'd think she was married to an S-class criminal or something."

"If she was, then she would've reported them. We won't have any S-class criminals living in Konohagakure," Tsunade stated.

At that, Kirei used all her speed to get to her house by nightfall. If she didn't warn Sasuke to stay away, she would never be able to see him ever again. She knew she was being followed, but knew she would have at least a couple of minutes before she was caught. She jumped through an open window to her room, where she sensed her beloved husband was awaiting her return. She felt his arms enclose around her, but she started pushing him towards the door.

"Kirei? What's wrong?"

"No time! I can't have them kill you or finding out who you are!"

"Other ANBU?"

"Please, just go!"

He sighed and murmured, "I love you," before disappearing.

She heaved a sigh and held her chest, then stomach. She was loyal to Konohagakure, but her child was half Sound, half Konoha. As Naruto said, it was wrong, but she couldn't help it. Her love for her husband would thrive, even if she was watched for the rest of her life and he couldn't return because of it. Not unless he took her away with him.

A couple months later the village's ninja were buzzing that she was pregnant with a criminal's child and that she was watched round the clock. Sasuke had kept his distance, not even knowing she was pregnant. It was often that she was visited by Tsunade, just to try to worm the information out of her.

"Kirei-san, I've tested your baby's DNA and I know its father is Uchiha. Do I have to ask who it is? Sasuke or Itachi?"

Her eyes drifted about the room. "Why should I tell you? Both of them are S-class criminals, so what does it matter? Even if you knew who it was, then what? Hunt them down and get some good ninjas killed? Both of them are too formidable to take on, even in groups. And whoever it is wasn't killing anybody or causing trouble, so what was the harm of him being here?"

Tsunade suddenly remembered something. "It's Sasuke, isn't it?"

Kirei winced, knowing she was found out. She'd thought that no one but Naruto knew about her and Sasuke before he'd betrayed Konohagakure. He was a rogue Sound ninja, willing to turn his back on Orochimaru for her. Probably he was being searched out by many Sound ninja and the Akatsuki, since he'd joined forces with Orochimaru for near three years.

"Kirei-san, you know that he won't be here much longer, that Orochimaru is going to take him as a container! It doesn't matter how much you love him, he has to be killed so that Orochimaru doesn't get what he wants!"

"Sasuke isn't in league with Orochimaru anymore. In fact, he's on the run from his men and the Akatsuki."

"If that's so, then why didn't he try to get back in our good graces?"

"Because, in the worst case scenario, he wouldn't have time or you would condemn him to spend the rest of his life in prison or have him executed. And what protection does Konohagakure have to give him from more dangerous forces? We would be at war if he did that, and we would lose. Konohagakure would be leveled in a manner of days. Every ninja would either be killed or captured. It doesn't matter if we have allies or anything, because Akatsuki and Sound would wipe us out."

"I would at least want to speak with him, see how he feels about this. He may want to become a Konoha ninja again. I suppose you have some way to contact him."

Kirei nodded and got up, her smile a bit strained as she picked up a wireless headset, pressing a button on it and whispering, "Sasuke?"

"Yes?"

"Um…Tsunade-sama wishes to speak with you."

There was a pause before he answered. "Are you sure it's not a trap to lure me out?"

"I don't know, but I don't think so. Can you come right now?"

"I'm on my way."

She pressed the button again and murmured, "What am I going to tell him? I'm happy that perhaps he might be able to live with me openly…but there will be so much trouble for Konohagakure if its found out he's here…"

Before she could count to ten, she felt his arms around her. His hands came to rest on her rounded stomach, and he whispered, "Please don't hide something like this from me again."

She nodded and tensed when Tsunade stood and approached them.

"Uchiha Sasuke. Why have you returned?"

He looked up at the female Hokage and smirked. "I'd promised Kirei that I would marry her and fulfill her dreams. I would turn my back on everything that I am just for her to be happy."

"Then, for her, would you become a Konoha ninja again?"

Sasuke didn't hesitate. "Of course. I've been thinking about it, but didn't know how it would be taken."

Tsunade nodded. "Well then, I'll make you an honorary ANBU member, under your wife. You are to watch her and yourself because if she's captured by the enemy, they'll probably do anything to her so you'll surrender."

Sasuke nodded, taking off his Sound forehead protector and tossing it at the Hokage's feet. "I accept all conditions and I will also let you execute me should I ever be tempted in becoming an enemy again."

Tsunade held out a Konoha forehead protector and he took it, tying it around his head. "Agreed. Please don't do anything that will force me to take action."

She left and ordered the ANBU watching Kirei to leave. Kirei took a deep breath, and then turned to her husband. "It's just starting, isn't it?"

He nodded. "But I won't let anything happen to you or the baby. Are you feeling all right?"

Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she hugged him. "I thought I would never see you again, that you would be killed! Don't leave me again, even if it's for the greater good!"

After a moment, he pressed his forehead against hers. "I promise never to leave you again. I can see it isn't good for you to suffer needlessly. I love you so much."

"I love you more than my own life," she whispered.

A huge war was fought over Sasuke, but because Konohagakure had two of the Legendary Sannin, Orochimaru was silenced forever, and the rest of the Hidden Village of Sound was scattered and hunted. The Akatsuki were outnumbered, the alliance of countries too strong for them to survive once their hideout was found. Sasuke killed Itachi himself, to protect his village and Naruto, who they had been after.

But most importantly, Sasuke never had to worry about his cursed mark again. It didn't vanish, but never hurt him anymore.

Does that seem rather open-ended to you? Of course! This story has a sequel! Get ready for the next one and final story of this series!

For the last time in this story...

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