It had been four months since Hinata and Kiba made up. It turned that Hinata hadn't even been engaged to Naruto and that had all been in his head. The day that he had witnessed them speaking, she had been there to tell Naruto that her heart belonged to Kiba. They were currently together. It wasn't odd to see them together just walking side by side holding hands and sneaking kisses in dark corners. Naruto and Ayame hooked up sometime after the two of them did. The blonde was happy and in love. A few months in their relationship they were summoned to Tsunade's office. Kiba yawned tiredly as he leaned against the wall waiting for the Hokage. Hinata was leaning her head against his shoulder. Akamaru was laying down a short distance away. The huge dog yawned baring his fangs before laying his head on his outstretched paws. The sound of the door opening made them look up. Sakura walked out. Her face was sad and she tiredly ran her fingers through her hair.
"Sakura?"
The girl gave them a sad smile as she walked away. Kiba and Hinata looked at each other in confusion. Shizune came forward summoning the pair into the Hokage's room. Tsunade had her hands folded in front of her. She didn't even notice their entrance. The Hokage looked worn out.
"Hokage?" Hinata started.
She looked up at them in confusion but then smiled tiredly.
"I'm glad the two of you are here. I have a mission for the two of you."
"Tsunade-sama what's wrong with Sakura?"
"She will be joining you in this mission."
Tsunade handed each of them a scroll. "Study the scroll and then be ready to leave in two days time."
They looked at each other in confusion. Normally they were supposed to read then the Hokage would explain about any questions they had about it.
"Hokage what if we…" Hinata started.
"If you have any further questions ask Sakura."
They both were confused, but they nodded and rose. If Sakura was that sad about this then they knew it wasn't going to be an easy mission, and probably a stressful one. There was a bad feeling hanging in the air about the entire thing.
"Well we should head home to see what this mission is about."
Hinata agreed with her boyfriend. The pair had moved into Kiba's apartment despite the protests of the entire Hyuuga Clan. Only Neji saw fit to give them a chance even though he didn't think much of Kiba to begin with. The anxious male Hyuuga got over it and let them be. The two of them got home and sat down on their couch side by side. Kiba unrolled his scroll carefully. The name on the scroll made him wince. He knew now why Sakura was so sad when she came out of the room. Going through the details carefully he accessed that they were going to either capture him and bring him back, or the option that they kill him which Kiba doubted very much. Even if Sasuke was an emo ninja he was still powerful. With the Sharingan and the curse mark at his disposal Sasuke was an aggressive fighter. He wondered absently why Naruto wasn't coming on this trip.
"Do you think there is a reason that Naruto-san or Sai-san aren't going with us?" Hinata asked softly.
"Naruto's on a mission right now. I don't know where Sai is."
She nodded hesitantly. There was so much that was being left unsaid about the actual mission. There must be something that was going on that they were missing. It was as if Tsunade knew exactly were Sasuke was going to be.
"I have a bad feeling about this," she stated calmly.
"So do I."
The two of them weren't so sure it was best that they go on this mission with Sakura, but they had to obey their Hokage's wishes. Sakura was going to be put the test on this mission. There was something going on and neither of them liked it one bit. Most missions to bring back the missing Uchiha went down horribly and more often than not someone on the team died in the foolish hopes and pursuit of the Uchiha. Kiba remembered all too well what happened the last time they'd been sent on a mission to get back the Uchiha. He and Akamaru still bore the scars from that battle with the snake nins double headed lackey. The memories sent shivers running down his spine. Even thinking about wasting his time even trying to bring that ungrateful brat back made Kiba sighed in annoyance wondering when they'd let that traitor be. When the time was right Kiba figured Sasuke would come back on his own, or never come back which ever the Uchiha wanted.
"We're leaving tomorrow so we should get some sleep."
Hinata nodded knowing the next day was going to be a long one and the mission in general a tough one. She didn't sleep much that night. The two of them curled up on their bed and drifted to sleep. The next three days found the three of them running through the forest. The trees flashed past them like green and brown blurs. There was nothing but silence between the three of them even three days later. The silence was weighing down on them but no one knew how to breech the silence without making the silence more uncomfortable. Sakura was running ahead of the pair.
"So Sakura were are we going to start looking?"
"Tsunade told me to start looking in the Sound Nation, obviously," she said with a huff.
"Then Sound it is I guess," Kiba stated dryly.
Their pace picked up quickly. Kiba looked over his shoulder at Hinata wondering why they were pacing themselves like this. She only looked back worriedly at him before keeping her eyes forward. It was almost as if Sakura knew where she was going. Hinata didn't even want to contemplate that Sakura had been fraternizing with the enemy because is all honesty that's what Sasuke was an enemy. He made himself such when he left the Leaf Village behind, and the day that he nearly killed Naruto and Sakura. Sakura suddenly stopped and tensed then shook it off and continued on their trek.
"Sakura what was that?" Hinata inquired.
"I thought I felt something but it wasn't anything to worry about."
Kiba looked at her suspiciously knowing something was up.
"Sakura are you working with Sasuke?"
She laughed humorlessly as she ran.
"Sasuke only sees me as an annoyance and burden. So no I don't work with Sasuke on anything. I haven't seen him since that day Naruto and I fought him."
"Then what was that stopping for?"
"We're being followed, but who I can't figure out."
"Why didn't you say something sooner?" Kiba barked in annoyance.
"Because I wasn't sure," she snapped at the inu ninja.
Akamaru whimpered softly. Kiba looked at his dog and they silently communicated. Kiba looked towards the sky and nodded his head.
"We need to find somewhere to stop or we're going to get our rear ends wet."
Before anyone could move a big fat drop plopped down on his nose. "We better hurry."
Kiba was about to move forward but was stopped by the point of a sword in his face. His eyes traveled up the glinting katana and met with familiar dark eyes. They were emotionless as ever before. Kiba didn't move an inch knowing that if the Uchiha wanted to then he could and would kill him in an instant if he gave him a reason to.
"You should tell that foolish Hokage that she needs to stop wasting lives to try and bring me back."
Akamaru lunged for the Uchiha. Sasuke easily dodged and knocked the dog away. The white dog rose and shook himself. He started growling dangerously. Sasuke moved forward in a blur knocked Kiba on his rear with his katana piercing his shoulder. The Uchiha's foot was stationed on his chest to keep him pinned to the forest floor. "Call off your mutt Inuzuka before I kill him."
"Akamaru back off," Kiba hissed.
The white dog moved closer to Hinata and stopped growling. A soft whimper escaped him. Sasuke yanked the sword from his shoulder and took a step back. The rain started to really come down in torrents of fat drops soaking the Leaf nins friend and foe alike. Kiba rose to his knees. Hinata rushed to his side along with Akamaru.
"Sasuke?" Sakura called.
The raven haired man turned towards her. Their eyes met.
Sakura felt the rain pounding down around her. Her eyes were hard emerald stone glaring heatedly at the last remaining Uchiha standing before her. His eyes were a dark onyx and glaring just as heatedly. She assumed a fighting stance. Kiba and Hinata were behind her kneeling. Kiba was holding his wounded arm. His Akatsuki cloak was sticking to his body. Sakura knew that this was going to end badly for her small team. If she could convince Sasuke to let Kiba and Hinata go then she'd stay and distract Sasuke. Sakura was so distracted that she wasn't able to react in time to dodge the swipe of his katana. She stumbled backwards but caught her self in time to catch his blade between the palms of gloved hands. A shock ran up and down her arms making her wince in pain. Blood began to trickle down her arms as the blade dug into the soft pads of her hands. Even with her death pending on the pressure that he was pushing down with, she still stared defiantly at him.
"Get out of here the both of you," she snapped. "This is between him and me."
Kiba rose unsteadily to his feet bringing Hinata with him. He kept his body between his fiancé and this rogue Uchiha as he backed up. Sakura was going to die here, and she knew it. Inwardly the inu nin was cursing Tsunade for even thinking of sending them on this mission. There was nothing to be gained by wasting nins lives in foolish pursuit of this self centered Uchiha. Even if the Uchiha did come back the Elders would surely condemn the Uchiha to death for the deaths of so many Leaf nins.
"Didn't bring Naruto this time for protection Sakura?" he taunted.
"Naruto has more important things to do then to protect me."
"You've grown a back bone have you?"
Sakura just smirk as she pushed chakra into her arms and forced him to take a step backwards. Their feet squished in the mud. He pulled back his katana. In a swift instant the ground began to shake underneath Sasuke's feet as it up heaved. He dodged backwards. Looking around with his Sharingan blazing he was trying to find the pink haired nin. Her chakra seemed displaced as if she were trying to hide it and show it as being somewhere else at the same time. His mind at first though of shadow clone jutsu, but he knew better this was something else all together. Sasuke wondered if she'd learned a new jutsu since the last time they'd met.
"Interesting jutsu you have there Sakura."
There was no reply. He just smirked knowing that she had to be around here somewhere.
Sakura was crouching down beside Kiba and Hinata. She was motioning for the two of them to go back to the Leaf and declare this mission as a failure. Both nins were even reluctant to even think about that option. They weren't going to loose another friend to this rouge Uchiha.
"We can't leave you behind Sakura," Hinata persisted.
"It's best you do Hinata," she replied with a sigh. "He's not going to stop because I have something that intrigues him."
"Sakura you can't use that jutsu," Hinata pleaded.
"I don't intend to."
Sakura rose gracefully intending to finish this as quickly as possible. The two backed up slowly knowing that Sasuke should keep his attention on Sakura. Kiba cursed softly as he picked Hinata up and placed her astride Akamaru's back.
"Get her out of here boy," he growled under his breath.
His familiar whined softly and nudged Kiba's chest. He pushed the dog's nose away and sent the command to run. When he was sure they were a good distance away and still running he turned to look at Sakura.
"Don't sacrifice yourself Kiba," she whispered. "Not for me anyway. Follow her and stay safe."
"Sakura…"
"You have a future with her Kiba keep it that way."
"Sakura you can't take him out by yourself."
"I don't intend to. I'm just going to give him a run for his money is all."
"You're planning on dying anyway aren't you?"
"If it happens it happens. We're ninja and that's the way of life."
"Sakura it doesn't have to be like that!"
"It's all right Kiba don't keep her waiting."
Sakura turned her back to the inu nin signaling the end of this conversation. Kiba cursed softly as he rose and followed his familiar back towards the Leaf village. He didn't get far when the entire forest erupted in an explosion of fire. The inu nin knew that Sakura had more than likely lost her last battle against the Uchiha. Closing his eyes he paused only for a second before leaping to catch up with his fiancé and inu partner. They made the slow trek back to the Leaf with heavy hearts. The entire village was silence once word reached them of the medic nins sudden demise on the mission. The Hokage kept quiet except for a select few that were allowed to know, knew who had caused their pink haired medics death. The memorial for her had been short and sweet. Her name was placed upon a stone of the fallen nins with the highest honors. The entire village had been in attendance to lay her to rest. For some time Naruto had to be subdued from going after Sasuke, but not much was said about such matters.
Months laters
Hinata sat in a small room staring at herself in a full length mirror. Her white dress shimmered and shined under the dull light of the room. She allowed her thoughts to wander as she brushed out imaginary wrinkles in the white fabric. She was a bit nervous and yet again sad. Sakura had sacrificed herself so that she and Kiba would have a chance to have this day. Everyone assumed that Sakura and Sasuke died together in their final confrontation but she knew better. Kiba suspected the two of them were very much alive as well. Had Sasuke really wanted to kill Sakura and them he would have done so when he'd had a chance. He must have just been after Sakura. She'd been hiding something from them all. Secretly she was happy for Sakura wherever she was at this point in time. Despite everything the two of their names was put up on the wall dedicated to all the fallen nins. Even though on missions there were whispers of seeing the pair walking through other villages.
"Hinata it's time," her father called.
She sighed softly and headed for the alter to marry the man she loved.The wedding was a beautiful affair. During the entire thing she'd felt as if she were being watched by powerful eyes outside of those invited. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew that those powerful eyes were green and red respectively. When she reached for her bag to take with her on their honeymoon her suspicions were confirmed. A gift lay on the bed with a small music note in symbol of the sound on the tag. Inside was a scroll that gave them unlimited access for the two alone to move through Sound during missions. And a note that simply read;
One day Sound and Leaf will be allies.