Shikamaru looked at the scroll with glee.

"everyone!" he said as he came back to the campfire. Their search had gone dead again but receiving this scroll would push them in the right direction. They had been looking for sasuke for three weeks in total.

"what's up shikamaru?" asuma asked

"we have a lead. Temari, lee and Karin met sasuke in the land of snow or spring or whatever it's called nowadays. Anyway, that's where he was last seen. Apparently, he had some kind of meeting with the daimyo."

"the daimyo? What in the world would he be meeting with her for?" Kakashi asked

"…you don't think he threatened her on anything do you?" sakura asked quietly.

"It says that he completed a mission for her and that he wasn't alone…. he was with a woman from the land of stone. tomorrow we will split up. A group of us head to the land of snow and the other head to the land of stone."

"a…women!?…he was with a women?" sakura asked angerly

"ahhh...yeah it says she was from the land of stone. That's it. so, everyone get a good night sleep. We have a long journey ahead of us."

Neji leaned against a tree quietly. While they were still searching for sasuke…hinata was still missing. She could be anywhere, and anyone could have her. she could be hurt...or worse, she could be dead...or someone could take her eyes and leave her alone. He should have been on the damn team that was looking for her but no, he had to be out here looking for the Uchiha traitor. He hated it. he hated this and he hated sasuke. When he saw him, he would make sure to tear him apart.

"neji? You ok?" guy sensei asked as he sat down next to him

"...i don't understand sensei. Why would she leave? And why am I hear looking for the Uchiha bastard. He left the village willingly and I could care less about this scum of the earth and here I am. We should be looking for hinata…not him."

"you don't know a thing neji! So shut up!" Naruto yelled in anger

He had heard the comments neji was making and wouldn't take it.

"what's the problem Naruto… mad that sasuke didn't stay in the village? Mad that you weren't strong enough to bring him back! Did you ever think he didn't want to come back! Have any of you thought he doesn't want to come back!"

Neji calmed himself and said "look, I understand he's your friend, your teammate…that's fine but he doesn't want to return home...so why are we going on this rat race looking for him. and instead my cousin probably somewhere dead or dying…looking for someone who doesn't want to be found is pointless."

With that said neji turned his back on the group and walked into the forest. guy followed him.

Sakura sighed and laid back down, ino laid next to her.

"you ok?" she asked

"Why would sasuke be traveling with someone and a woman at most? He specifically told me he had to leave and didn't want me to come with him….so ..why? it has to be a mistake." sakura told her

"..yeah...your right...it has to be. Don't worry. we will get sasuke…change his mind and bring him home." Ino said encouragingly

Sakura believed her.

Hinata approached her village in caution. It was quiet…too quiet and even with her kekei genkai...she couldn't see a thing.

"its quiet…" nagisa said

"SURPRISE! CONGRATULATIONS!"

Hinata jumped two feet in the air. To her surprise, her whole village popped out of nowhere, with banners, food and huge smiles.

Her grandmother and uncle were the first to approach her.

"my niece is married!" her uncle shouted

"and she found two more of the tigers!" her grandmother shouted

The whole village cheered .

This was going to be a long party.

Hinata blushed as she saw what they had built for her and her… husband.

Deeper into their village was a forest and inside that forest was a beautiful lake with a water fall. Her people built her and sasuke a special hut…specifically…for their wedding night.

In a way she was glad…she was home and in the words of sasuke…

"we are NOT consuming our marriage in a village we are not living in. it doesn't feel right. We will become one under the roof we raise our children in."

Hinata smiled at his antics. She was glad he was with her uncle at the moment. It gave her a chance to wash up and think.

It had been a long day and a long celebration…and here she was married and about...to lose her virginity.

She had to laugh. If she had been back in the leaf…this night might not have been so special, but it was. And to her relief and a little of her concern, nagisa, tomoya and akira asked to find the last tiger on their own. By themselves they were strong but togather they were unstoppable. besides nagisa had to get them prepared to be around humans again.

Hinata sighed. It was going to take a while for akira to trust her. tomoya warmed up easily but akira had been angry…and she didn't blame him.

Another thing that bothered her was sasuke…he was going to stay for a few more weeks…maybe a month but then he told her he needed to help with the rebel forces…behind the scenes of course and hinata wanted to go…but she had a village to run. how could she be a leader if she was never here.

But it still …hurt. And not so much that he was leaving…but for the fact that people wanted to hurt him.

They didn't get to know him like she did.

Hinata took off her kimono. She wore a white, lacey night gown. It was see through and hugged all her curves.

Amiko had handed it to her before she got here, giggling and blushing all the way.

Hinata closed her eyes and walked unto the patio. It almost felt like she was somewhere else. There were fireflies, and so many beautiful flowers and the rush of the water fall sounded wonderful.

She let her hair fall past her shoulders, the braid unraveling. She took a calm breathe as she felt sasuke's chakra and then his warm, calloused hand on her waist.

"Mrs. Uchiha…" he breathed

She shivered as he spoke into her ear.

"I never knew how lonely I was until met you…the only person I was ever truly close to was itachi…and Naruto was close to my heart… but then…I met you. You...hinata hyuga…now, Mrs. Sasuke Uchiha…"

His hands began to roam her body…

"I- I've never...done this before..." she said nervously

"sshh…I've never done this either…but that's ok. We have all the time in the world."

Hinata moaned in pleasure…they were going to be here for a while.

Sakura shivered as she entered the land of snow…now spring. It wasn't cold. So why did she feel like some kind of heart shattering thing was happening?

"sakura? You ok?" Naruto asked

Sakura grinned at him. he always cared…even when she didn't.

"yeah I'm ok Naruto. Come on…lets go find sasuke…were going to bring him home whether he wants it or not."

Koyuki chewed on her pen as she awaited her guest. Naruto was coming here. The Naruto. She remembered when she first met him. he was annoying and rude but then again so was she.

There was a knock on her door.

"enter."

At that moment, the boy she once knew, now a man…entered her office and along side him was sakura and Kakashi.

"my my my. Look how you have all grown…"

"koyuki! I'm baaack!" Naruto shouted in glee

Some things never change.