Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Pairings: InoxShikamaru TentenxNeji SakuraxSasuke HiantaxNaruto

One more chapter to go!

"Sakura, Sakura-chan." Sasuke shook his girlfriend and lifted her up off the bed unto his lap. Sakura's emerald eyes fluttered open and she smiled. "I see you're up." Sasuke kissed her forehead and inhaled the scent of jasmine. Sakura just snuggled into his chest. 'I really don't want to leave her, but I have to go for an important meeting with the others.' "Sakura, I have to go now."

The pink haired kunoichi's eyes widened. "Why?" She straddled her boyfriend's lap and leaned her head on his shoulder. Sasuke was only in his boxers so she traced her fingers up his bear back. His hair was wet from the shower he had obviously just taken. She felt so safe knowing that he was always there.

"I have to meet with the others. Namely Neji and Naruto. I'll be back by noon." Sasuke hugged Sakura back and sighed. "You know I wouldn't want to leave you. Not after all the fun we had last night. I'm tired you know."

Sakura knew she was supposed to be embarrassed, but she knew he was right. "Come home as soon as possible." She looked into the Uchiha's dark, mysterious windows to the soul. Sakura climbed off and stood up to get to her dresser. Sasuke hugged her from behind.

"I will." He kissed to top of her head and left to get dressed. He went to his own dresser on the other side of the room and opened the bottom drawer and pulled out a pair of black jeans. He slid them on and proceeded to grab a black shirt. The shinobi ran a comb though his hair and deemed that sufficient. Wind blew gently as he opened the door and stepped outside with a blue jacket on. A pile of snow from the roof immediately fell on him.

"Sasuke –kun! Are you alright?" Sakura who was dressing at the moment ran to get a silk robe. She then saw her boyfriend dusting himself off. Sakura giggled and kissed his lips. "See you later." The girl closed the door after seeing Sasuke off.

The kunoichi walked back to her room and took off the robe. It was one of her most prized possessions. After all, it was an Uchiha family heirloom. Not every girl could touch let alone keep it. Sakura wore a pink skirt with a large red bow at the back which extended far beyond the end of the skirt. It made her feel like she was a little child again. Children were so innocent, so naive, yet they were sources of great joy. To receive such a source of innocence, you have to pay your own. Sakura wanted children; she wanted to raise one of her own. The kunoichi already had a love that she would give anything for. Her top was a long sleeved red shirt which exposed her stomach. The girl spun herself once around, looking at her reflection.

As she was fixing her hair, the phone rang. Caller Identification revealed that it was Hinata.

Sakura: Hinata-chan?

Hinata: Good morning. I'm meeting with Ino-chan, can you ask her if it would be alright for you to go to her house with me? I'll get Tenten too. Apparently, all our boyfriends need to meet.

Sakura: Wow that was a lot to say.

Hinata: That's what Ino said this morning also.

Sakura: I'll call Ino, then I'll call you back.

Hinata: Great. Bye!

Sakura hung up the phone and decided to fix her hair before she called Ino. She clipped it up so that it still looked a bit messy. Sakura liked it that way and Sasuke didn't seem to complain. He actually rather liked it, so she often put her hair up in that style. Sakura double checked her hair. Once she was satisfied, the girl sat on her bed and dialed Ino's home phone number.

The kunoichi put it on speaker and began to make the bed. The pillows were black and the blankets were red reminding the girl of how important being a ninja was to the Uchiha. Sasuke told her that red stood for blood, power, and honor. Black stood for duty, mystery, and death. It sent chills down her spine, but she had slowly gotten used to it. The giant manor still gave her creeps at nighttime thought. The phone rang once, then twice. Still nobody picked up as it rang two more times. 'Strange. Ino's not home.'

Sakura dialed the number of Ino's cell phone and waited as it rang. A voice was heard from the other side of the phone.

Ino: Hello?

Sakura: Ino! Why aren't you at home? Hinata said she was going over to your place.

Ino: Yea she is. I wanted to take a walk, and then she called. The boys need to have a meeting or something like that. Hina-chan was lonely so she wanted us to meet if the boys were all meeting.

Sakura: Alright then. Can Tenten and I come over too?

Ino: I guess you guys could.

Sakura: I can't believe Sasuke didn't tell me yesterday. Did Shika tell you?

There was a moment of silence before Ino spoke.

Ino: He didn't come home.

Sakura: What! Are you serious?

Ino: Yea. Never mind that. You can come over soon, k?

Sakura: Alright. Bye.

Sakura was surprised at the fact that Ino's boyfriend didn't come home. Ino always knew where Shikamaru went, no matter if it was a little thing like going to the bookstore or something important like a mission. There was never a day that her best friend wasn't sure about her lover's whereabouts. Sakura decided to call Hinata back.

Hinata: Hello?

Sakura: Tenten and I can go.

Hinata: I'll pick you up soon. Also bring the bridesmaid dress. Bye.

Sakura: Bye.

Sakura grabbed her purse and made her way through the maze of halls she learned to call home. 'I hope Ino isn't too upset. She's always been the strong one. If this was me I would've called someone yesterday.' Sakura grabbed her pink jacket and put it one. She slipped on a pair of red stilettos. The girl sat outside on a swing that was in front of her house. The snow was so pure, the eccence of innocence.

Sunlight splashed across the white sheets creating shadows where ripples appeared. Long chestnut hair was strewn across a pillow mingling with jet black hair. Bodies entangled with each other and the eyes of the first to wake opened. The orbs were only white, they were the eyes of the Hyuuga. His fiancé was still asleep. Neji brushed the stray hair away from her face.

Tenten began to stir at the feel of weight on the bed shifting. "Neji-kun." The soon to be Hyuuga smiled and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She kissed him on the lips and laid her head on his chest.

"Morning. I have to go somewhere, remember I told you yesterday." Neji lifted his fiancé off his chest and went into the bathroom with clothing and closed the door behind him.

Tenten yawned and stretched. She had remembered that Neji told her that, she knew it was something important. Tenten began to make the bed and smoothed out the cloth. The kunoichi fluffed the pillows and closed the curtain that went around the bed. "Neji! Can you hear me?" Tenten yelled.

"Yes! What is it?" Neji shouted back. He turned off the water and wrapped himself with a towel.

"I'm dressing out here. Don't even think about coming out until I say so." Even though the two were engaged, they never 'did' anything in bed together. They just slept together in the same bed. The two hadn't shown any parts of their body to each other that they considered inappropriate. They could wait until they were married.

The hazel eyed girl took off her nightgown and dressed in a dark green kimono. It was shortened so that it only went up to her knees. The obi was a stunning gold and the end of the bow ended where the kimono did. Tenten was used to leaving her hair down since she became 16 and it went up to her mid back. "Alright, I'm done." Tenten looked at her reflection. Designs of doves were seen on the sleeves and on the back of the kimono. In the front was a large eagle that represented freedom.

"Tenten-chan, I'll be back around noon alright?" Neji kissed her and left down the vast halls of the Hyuuga mansion. His walk was full of pride and power. After all, Hyuuga Neji would be head after he married. Hinata and Hanabi had resigned the position leaving the talented Neji to take the place as heir.

Tenten grinned and sat on the windowsill looking at the snow. 'It's just like Neji-kun's eyes. So easy to get lost in, so beautiful.' The phone rang and Tenten jumped for a moment, startled. Then she picked it up and sat back on the windowsill.

Tenten: This is Tenten. Who is speaking?

Hinata: It's Hinata. Tenten, good morning. Aren't the maids supposed to pick the phone up?

Tenten: Yes, but I have the phone ring only when one of my friends call.

Hinata: I see. Can you go to Ino's house? I can pick you up if you want. By the way, I loved the outfit I have to wear for your wedding .

Tenten: Glad you like it. Can you pick me up?

Hinata: Sure, I'll be right over. Bye.

Tenten hung up the phone and walked over to her closet. She took her green purse that had an eagle on it. She stepped through the hallways slowly taking her time to say hello to everyone she passed. The current head, Hyuuga Hiashi passed by, Tenten could get the feeling he didn't want her around. 'His eyes, they're different. They're different from Hanabi, Hinata, and Neji's.' Tenten quickly bowed and headed to the main entrance. 'They're the eyes of slavery. The eyes of one who cages birds.'

Tenten flashed back to when the Hyuuga clan eliminated the separation of main and branch house. That was the day she got her kimono.

It was a warm sunny day in which Tenten loved to train. She had become a Chunnin recently and caught up to Hyuuga Neji. She wanted to stay with him because for some reason she was comfortable for her to be around him. The girl supposed it was because they used to be on the same team. The girl knew that today was going to be special. There was just a feeling in her heart that told her so.

Tenten was practicing hitting targets while quietly jumping from tree to tree with a time limit of 10 seconds to hit all 50 of them. Every time she ran through the drill she got closer and closer to her goal. 'Just a little more.' Tenten had been aiming for the last targets when the timer rang. The needles were in the air and they had hit the targets, but a second too late. 'I'll just have to try again.' The girl reset her timer and ran through the drill again.

In the center of town, heartthrob Hyuuga Neji was looking for someone to celebrate with. The Hyuuga clan had eliminated the difference between the two branches of the house. The teen's seal had already been removed and his heart had been lightened from his dark past. He was being chased by girls but it didn't matter. The one person he loved the most had probably moved on from the childlike crush to become a talented ninja. After all, ninja were not supposed to feel.

Neji walked pass a shop that had an outfit which caught his eye. It was a dark green kimono with doves and an eagle on it. He was no longer a caged bird and neither were those depicted on the article of clothing. They were free to soar, to do what they pleased. There was a matching purse and the golden designs made his heart picture her face. 'Tenten, I know that you have moved on, but I need to give you something for all the memories you have given me. I guess this'll be good for you.'

The boy entered the store and purchased the outfit and left the store. He knew exactly where to find the girl he would give it to. The training grounds she's been using ever since her father passed away. He sympathized with the girl; Neji knew how hard it was to lose a parent. Before the Hyuuga was going to give the box to Tenten, he wrote a card.

'This'll take precise timing' he thought. When Tenten had turned her back to throw a needle at the target, Neji ran through the grounds and dropped the box. Then he got kicked in the face.

"This is my training ground." Tenten stated. Then the girl glanced down to see who it was. "N-neji!" Tenten helped him up. She took a bunch of bandages from her pocket and ran to a stream nearby. She wet the cloth and brought it back to her friend. The girl washed the dirt off his face and the cool water soothed his bruise. "What are you doing here?" She then spotted the box.

Tenten took the box and read the card. It said…

Dear Tenten,

Sorry for being a jerk all these years. I wanted to give you a gift. Thank you for helping me all these years. I know that you will be a very successful kunoichi who will find someone that will love you.

Hyuuga Neji

Tenten opened the box and smiled. She walked over to the place where Neji was supposed to be. "Thank you." Tenten called hoping Neji would hear her. He was long gone from that spot. 'If only you knew that I had already found love.'

Later on that day Tenten sat on the roof of her house. The stars twinkled, and she was wearing what Neji had given earlier on in the day. A shadow loomed over her. "Hello Neji" She knew who it was, somehow she knew that from now on she always would. "I've already found someone. That someone is you."

"Is that so now?" Neji replied sitting next to her. He kissed her on the lips and pulled her into an embrace. For the first time, he felt free.

She was glad that her fiancé would be head; he would truly free the clan forever. Hyuuga Hiashi would be the caged bird then

Hinata's white skirt flapped as the wind blew it. Her hair was being ruffled and she quickly slammed the door to her blue Lexus. When she got in the girl smoothed out her blue blouse. The Hyuuga checked to see if her white high-heels were dirty. When she confirmed they weren't, Hinata placed her midnight blue purse on the seat next to her and drove off to pick up the first person, Ino.

As the girl drove through the streets she marveled at the beauty of it all. 'It's so pure, and gentle.' Hinata thought back to this morning. It made her giggle at the thought of what she had found out.

Blue eyes shot open at the feeling that something was missing. 'Ramen?' He asked himself. 'No, I just bought some last week.' Naruto then looked at the spot next to him on the bed. Nobody was there. 'Oh my god!' Naruto sat up and looked around the room. "Hina-chan!" The boy called out her name and heard the bathroom door open slowly. His girlfriend of two years stepped out from behind the door blushing furiously.

"G-good morn-ning Naru-kun." Hinata mentally smacked herself. She didn't stutter anymore unless she was very nervous. Naruto knew that and Hinata sat down on the bed. His stong arms embraced her in a hug.

"Don't scare me like that. I thought someone took you away from me." Naruto turned her around to face him and kissed her deeply. When they broke off for breath he asked, "Is something the matter? You stuttered before."

Hinata gulped and leaned her head against the blonde's chest. "Naru-kun, you're going to b-be a…" Hinata trailed off. Naruto looked into her eyes reassuring her that whatever she had to say was alright. She started again, "Y-you're going t-to be a f-father." 'There I got it over with.'

Naruto's eyes widened and Hinata's orbs began to fill with tears. Naruto was surprised and embraced her. "What's wrong honey?

"I knew you wouldn't be happy. I suppose now you're going to throw me out." Hinata cried into Naruto's chest.

"What makes you think I'm not happy? I'm thrilled. Now we'll have little versions of us running around the house. Don't you think that'll be nice, to raise our own children."

"M-my father always t-told me that i-it was bad to have k-kids before you were m-married."

"That's not true." Naruto lifted his girlfriend up bridal style. "I love you; I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I don't care if we're married or not. Never in ever would I throw you out." He placed her gently on a couch by the bed. "I have to go now; I need to meet with Neji and Sasuke."

"I'll be lonely while you're gone." Hinata sighed as she began to walk towards her closet so that she could change.

"You could meet with Tenten, Ino, and Sakura." Her boyfriend called out from the bathroom.

"Alright." Hinata answered and slipped on her clothes quickly to go downstairs and make breakfast for Naruto to see that he had already left. 'He's fast.' Hinata thought to herself.

Hinata snapped out of her daydream as she stopped in the front of the park and saw Ino sitting on a bench. The Hyuuga honked the car horn and the blonde turned her head. Ino ran to the car door and opened to sit next to Hinata. "Hi Hina-chan."

"Morning Ino-chan. We have to go and pick up Tenten next." Hinata told her friend as they drove down the road. "So, how did Valentine's Day go?" Hinata asked to start up conversation.

"Well, Shika wasn't there at all. He left for some place and I don't know where." Ino felt saddened by that fact. Hinata turned over to her friend and apologized. "No need to say sorry, it's not your fault." Ino answered while smiling. "How did your day go?"

"It went very well. Also,I found something out that I have to tell you all when I get to your house." Hinata replied as she stopped in front of the Hyuuga manor that she used to live at.

"Is it good news or bad news?" Ino asked, she always knew the latest gossip. Hinata had never had anything that she considered important to say. Even if it was something that could damage her position as a Jounin.

"I can't tell you that, now shush, Tenten-chan is here." Hinata told her blonde companion.

Tenten sat in the back behind Hinata. "Good morning you two!" Tenten seemed excited today. "Did you guys bring your dresses?"

"Well I'm going to my house and Hinata-chan has hers right over here." Ino pointed to the box on her lap. "I found it on the set and since there was no place to put it, I just placed it on my lap." Ino explained. Tenten nodded and sat back as they drove to the Uchiha mansion which was located fairly close to the Hyuuga manor.

When the three arrived at Sakura's home a pink flash was seen and then she was inside the car. "What's wrong? Why the rush?" Tenten asked.

"Nothing. I was going to say boo, but then I decided not to." Sakura stated. Her box was in hand as the four of them headed in the direction of Ino's house. The snow had stopped falling, but there seemed to be more and more as you progressed. "Ino, I think you're house gets the most snow. That's unfair."

"That's good for me then, forehead girl." Ino replied sticking her toungue out.

Sakura was about to reply when Hinata started to rub her temples with her hand at the stop light. "Are you alright?" Sakura asked her friend.

"I think so, my head just hurts and I feel sick." Hinata replied.

"We're almost at my house, just five more minutes and then you can rest." Ino told her friend. 'What's wrong with Hinata? If she was sick she would be at home. Naruto would lock her inside the house.'

When the four girls arrived at Ino's house, Hinata parked in the back parking lot. All of the kunoichi walked to the back entrance and into the elevator. "Do you feel alright?" Tenten asked. Hinata nodded and when all of them reached Ino's home, they went upstairs. Hinata sat on the soft carpeted floor and placed her box next to her.

"So what is it you were going to tell us?" asked Ino from her closet.

"I…I'm g-going to…" Hinata became quiet and took a breath. Tenten was leaning in to hear and Sakura was intently staring at the girl. "I'm going to h-have a baby." Hinata go it out and all the girls began screaming.

"Congratulations!" Tenten squealed hugging her friend.

Sakura jumped up and down yelling, "Oh my gosh!" Sakura ran into the closet and pulled Ino out. All the girls were yelling and screaming. When they all calmed down, Hinata went into the bathroom to dress. Ino went into the closet, while Sakura took the room. Tenten just closed her eyes and waited. When all the shuffling in the room stopped, Tenten took a look at Sakura. The girl looked stunning.

"You look gorgeous." Tenten told her friend. She spun the bubblegum haired girl around to get a full view of the outfit. Ino stepped out of the closet with her outfit on and Tenten repeated to procedure of spinning them around. The last one to come out was Hinata.

Hinata was wearing a kimono styled dress that cut mid-thigh. The obi was beautiful and it felt as soft as a cloud would be. The dress exposed her shoulders and the sleeves flowed perfectly as she moved. Her midnight blue ribbon was laced where the arms were. They exposed her flawlessskin. Silver bells were located at the end of the sleeves. "You look splendid." Tenten commented. The ribbon matched the girl's hair which was now up to her back. Ino and Sakura spun her around to look at the outfit. Hinata blushed and when she was done being spun around the girls all headed back to where their clothes were and began to redress.

After all the girls were done, they looked at the clock. It was about ten o' clock and they all sat down on Ino's bed. "Hinata, what will you name your child?" Ino questioned.

"I don't know yet." Hinata replied.

"Well, I'm sure you'll figure out soon." Tenten said. "How far into your pregnancy are you?"

"I'm guessing two weeks. I haven't gone to see the doctor yet. I found out his morning." Hinata replied. "It'll be born in the fall though."

"How was yesterday for all of you guys?" Tenten questioned. Everybody except for Ino answered. Then after a long silence, Ino looked at her friend.

"He never came back. Yesterday he was just gone." Ino told the group. Everyone immediately saddened. "Let's not dwell on this. I'm sure he'll come back soon enough." Ino may have looked alright on the outside, but on the inside she was breaking.

"Ino-chan," Hinata shook her friend a little, "You're message machine button is flashing." Ino looked at the machine and played back the message.

First message:

Shikamaru, it's Sasuke. Can you meet me out by the forests outside Konoha? I need your help with something. Please come soon.

Second message:

Nara, this is Neji. Can you meet me by the forests just outside Konoha; I need to tell you something. Naruto will call you later if you don't get this message. Bye.

Third message:

This is Naruto! Pick up god dammit! Shika I know you're there. Pick up or at least come over here! Wait a minute; you were behind me the whole time! I hate you! I don't care if I woke Ino up! Wait don't hit me! Ahhhhhhh!

New message:

It's Sakura. Ino, I thought you were supposed to be home if we were supposed to go over. Whatever, I'll just try your cell.

"Wait a minute, why would Sasuke, Neji, and Naruto need to meet with Shikamaru in the dead of night?" Ino asked.

"I don't know but when I woke up yesterday Sasuke wasn't there." Sakura replied. Hinata and Tenten murmured in agreement. Ino began to be very nervous. "Also, when he came home, he was covered in blood." Sakura added. Ino gasped when the other girls again murmured in agreement.

"Neji was yelling at someone on the phone yesterday saying 'I don't care, get rid of the evidence!'" Tenten told her friends. "I thought it was mission business." Ino began to get very suspicious.

"No, it can't be. It just can't be." Ino murmured.

"It all adds up, but I don't want to believe it." Hinata added.

"The blood, the meeting at night, Shika not coming back." Tenten named.

"It all adds up to…"Sakura trailed off.

"Murder." Ino finished.

Thank you for reading!