A/N-Thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter-Loku, Kyiri Makrono,Yargy the Pirate Queen and Kagime and the Owl. And, As I sit here and watch Howl's Moving Castle again...for the third time in two days...and considering how angsty this chapter is...the only thing I can say is...READ AND REVIEW!

Disclaimer-I don't own Naruto

Chapter 35

With the blessing from Hinata, the two were now set up to date. Which they did for several months. Until….

They were in the middle of the glade that they had met at while their relationship was still a secret. Michelle had her head leaned back in Neji's lap, her black hair pooled around her face. A lazy smile was on her face as Neji traced patterns in her face while she said what or whom the clouds looked like. "That looks like Naruto…Sasuke….a kunai…. One of my Sharingan commas…A ring…" Wait…

A ring?

What she had seen was no cloud…and it sparkled. She shot up swiftly and turned around to look at him. He sat there, a ring in his hand-white gold with a solitaire diamond set-and a small smirk on his face. "N-neji?" she said, uncertainly. He shifted his position on the ground to one of…a single knee, ring extended and an uncertain look on his face. "Michelle Uchiha…Will you marry me?"

She sat up abruptly, never taking her eyes off of his face. "Are…you serious?" Neji lost the uncertain look and regained something of his former confident nature. "Would I joke about something like this 'Chelle?" he asked her, smirking. Her eyes widened as she lunged forward, clamping her arms around his neck and tackling him to the ground. "Yes!" she burst out happily. "Of course I'll marry you Neji!" she buried her face into his neck as he multi-tasked, sliding the ring on her finger while trying to pull her back and kiss her at the same time.

"I'm sorry. This cannot happen." Said the Hokage firmly, looking at the couple standing, hands entwined in front of him. He slid his eye back down to the paper work on his desk to avoid Michelle's devastated expression. "Why not…Hokage-Sama…" Asked Neji, barely making the title sound respectable.

"You two are my best ANBU ninja. And as such, I have the right to refuse to allow this marriage. This discussion is over, please leave my office. ."

Michelle and Neji left, hands still entwined, Michelle fingering the ring on her left hand ring finger. As soon as they were out of the office, Michelle broke down and started to sob. "Shhhh…. We'll find away around this 'Chelle." "How?" she sniffed. "He's the Hokage…he doesn't have to listen to anyone…"

And then it struck her. She immediately stopped crying and straightened up, a steely look in her eyes. So much so, that Neji was surprised that the Sharingan didn't turn on. "What are you doing honey?"

"I'm going to the one person that Kakashi will listen too…"

With that Michelle took off and went to Seyann's house. Five minutes later, an explosion was heard. The streets of Konoha cleared as Seyann stalked out of her house and down the street to Hokage Tower, her eyes flaming.

It took 10 minutes until Seyann came back out to confront Michelle and Neji, a self satisfied smirk on her face. "Ask again."

They never knew what Seyann had done to her husband to persuade him to let the two wed…but they got permission nonetheless.

After several more months of careful planning, it was today. The day that the last Kunoichi from the other world was to be married. Michelle stood in the room set aside for brides in Hokage tower, staring at her dress, oblivious to the other ladies behind her. She looked beautiful. Her long black hair was done up in a complex knot on her head, held up by chakra, and her makeup was done just right to contrast her slightly tanned skin. Her dress was a vision. Made of material so white that it was almost silvery, it was a long flowing off the shoulder thing that clung to her torso before falling into a train almost 5 feet long. The best part? The train was removable for the reception.

Mika walked up to her, hand on her swollen belly. "You feeling all well and good Chelle?" asked the woman with a smile on her face. Michelle nodded as she turned to look at Mika. In her eighth month, her bridesmaid dress had required several alterations as her stomach swelled. The constant alterations had given Hinata (who had volunteered her skills as a seamstress) nightmares and when Seyann had announced her own second pregnancy the night before at the reception, Hinata had given an audible sigh of relief that it hadn't happened sooner. One was enough.

The bridesmaid dresses had been difficult to pick out. Michelle had wanted pink originally until she remembered Seyann's hatred of the color. This caused them to settle on the color of pale green. The next problem that arose was Mika. It wasn't until after the dresses had started to be made that Mika remembered how much she liked having movement when she was pregnant. So, instead of making the dresses floor length they were adjusted to just above the knee to allow for mobility. That, on top of various other problems made the bridesmaid gowns quite a little adventure.

All the bridesmaids (Hinata, Sakura, Seyann and Mika) gathered around Michelle, smiling. "It's almost time…" said her cousin-in-law quietly, remembering how jittery she was when she married Sasuke.

The chattering girls were interrupted by a knock at the door. Kakashi cracked the door and said "It's time…" Michelle froze and pivoted on the spot like a robot. "Ok." she squeaked. "'Chelle…relax…" said Mika softly as Gaara came into the room and took her hand. Sasuke and Naruto followed, each respectively taking their wives hands to escort them in.

Michelle would walk alone.

This thought made her almost start to cry. Normally…the father would escort her down the aisle. Her father was dead. Her parents were missing her wedding day.

Quickly, before anyone could see, she wiped her eyes. Her parents would've wanted her to be happy.

Keiko and Sienna went first as the flower girls, followed by Itachi and Kame who were each carrying one of the rings.

The bridesmaids came down the aisle with their husbands. Neji stood at the front of the outdoor chapel, anticipating the moment when he would see Michelle. Then, with a crescendo, she appeared.

And she took his breath away.

He could tell that his bride was shaking like a leaf as she walked cautiously up the row between the chairs. Holding out his hand, he saw her steady as she took it and joined him before the Alter. Turning towards the officiator -Kakashi- the ceremony began.

And in about a half an hour, Michelle and Neji were married.

There was the matter of the last name-it was a special circumstance. Because so few Uchiha's remained, instead of taking Neji's name, she would keep her own last name and Neji would remain a Hyuuga. As for the children…they decided to wait and see what traits they had before giving a last name to them.

Later on during the reception in which the group celebrated that the last two singles among them were married-to each other. The boys were watching their wives act …the only word really…was immature. They laughed and fooled around like they were 18 again…like they had in the old world. (At least for Sey, Mika and Michelle.)

The kids were in an area roped off by chakra ropes for their own protection.

But about an hour into the reception…it happened. The husbands and wives were dancing-Neji and Michelle pretty much making out on the floor. The guys seemed to have sensed it first, however, and as such Gaara covered everyone-including the children-with his sand for protection as an explosion rocked the area. When the sand went down and the smoke had cleared, everyone saw who was standing on the outside of the barrier.

Sasuke's heart stopped. Michelle's eyes widened as she saw her cousin for the first time.

"I…Itachi…" breathed Sasuke, buried hatred boiling up in his gut. "How. I saw you commit suicide…you killed yourself right in front of me…"

"That, my dear little brother, was a prisoner of the Akatsuki that I had turned into a replica of myself and brainwashed so that he was under my control. Did you think, for even one second I would regret killing out family?" Sliding a glance to Michelle, Neji's arm wrapped protectively around her, he smirked. "Clearly I didn't do my job that well."

Now his blood red eyes slid towards the children. "Consider what I am about to do revenge for you three foiling my plans in the other world when the Akatsuki tried to get Celina." The mothers all gasped and made to move forward to protect the children. Needing some security, Itachi reached into the children's pen in order to grab a child as a shield.

Mika got to her kunai holder first.

Lunging forward with as much strength that she could muster as a pregnant woman, she threw the kunai followed by several more. Screaming like a madwoman, she threw all she could at Itachi, missing every time. "IF YOU TOUCH MY BABY…" She shrieked at the top of her lungs…

Until she lost her momentum. Stumbling, she tensed again to leap at him, in defense of the children…

Not seeing him whip out his own kunai and throw three in her direction.

She jumped right into them.

One kunai pierced her shoulder with so much force it caused her to gasp as her body was propelled back slightly. The second one pierced her swollen belly so deep that it was past the hilt. The third one went into her torso, just above where the bump began.

Gaara was shaking like a leaf, from fury and grief as he watched his wife fall. Keiko screamed from her place in the child's pen as she saw the blood come out of her mother's body. Slowly, almost as if the moment had frozen in time, Mika's body slumped to the ground, motionless, blood spreading from where she had landed. Seyann and Michelle both looked on in horror. Their friend…was…as far as they could tell….

Dead.

A/N- (blinks) not much for me to say after this chapter. Sorry guys but there's no one-shot right now…I need to think up some more ideas for them. (you may submit ideas at your leisure)

Review!