Author's Note: I'M REALLY SORRY! has some kind of issue, or maybe I do, and I cannot receive updates and reviews. I also cannot find a way to reply to reviews that are not sent to my e-mail. Hopefully, that will be resolved soon, but until then you can either PM me or apply this genral reply to you.

Thank you for your review! I really, really appreciate it!

Like, seriously, a LOT.

Now just because it's taken me so long to post again, do not assume it is because I have been working hard. I had a general idea of where this story was going at the beginning, but after Hinata runs has always been kind of hazy. But no longer! Plot has been achieved once again, and I can only say two things: 1. It's been there all along (of course). 2. I really hope it doesn't suck as much as I think it might.

Alright, I've rambled long enough. Updates should be a little faster, and for your patience this is TWICE the length of the last chapter.

(Pretty neat, huh?)

oOo

"It's hard to be nostalgic when you can't remember anything." - Unknown

oOo

"Report," Kabuto snapped.

"Sir! Uzumaki's perimeter now only controls half of the city, and though our desertion rate remains the same, we have taken many of his strongholds. He still does little to resist otherwise than continue to assert he is King and offer asylum. No counterattacks yet, and no heavy fighting."

"The desertion rate," Kabuto muttered. "Still ninety-five percent?"

"Yes, Sir."

Loyalists, Kabuto thought in disgust. You let a dog off its leash so that it can crap in the neighbor's yard, and then the dog is upset when you try to put it back in its place. How dare they assume that Uzumaki is a better King. He is nothing! That fool killed Orochimaru-sama. He must pay. He must pay.

"…the food supply is plentiful, with the storerooms at 90% capacity," Minion #62 reported. "Would you like us to bring it up to 100?"

"What's the harm?" Kabuto murmured, steepling his fingers. How to punish Naruto? How? "What are men compared to rocks and mountains?"

"…Sir?"

A man burst into the room, panting, and Kabuto stood from his chair. He dismissed the other with a flick of his fingers. Minion #62 could not be allowed to hear the report of his most trusted spy. He was probably a traitor. He was surrounded by weak-willed traitors!

"What is it, #2?" he snapped.

"She's back, Sir," #2 gasped. "Uzumaki's girl. She just touched down."

Kabuto hissed in annoyance, and with a deft flick of his hand carved a smiley face into the thin tissue of the flunky's neck. He toed him in annoyance as the man fell to the ground, choking on blood and vomit, feet kicking his new desk. He really needed to kill his minions in the hall. He despised the smell the cleaning lads used on his carpet.

Dying. What a simple thing it was, that final act. He imagined it a terrific release from the dark points of the day, the monotony of a defiant life. Orochimaru-sama—may he rest in peace—hadn't seen it that way, of course. How could he, when that little brat calling himself a king killed him without a thought?

How dare they take Orochimaru-sama away from him!

"Sir?" another minion asked, entering the room slowly. "Sir? What should I do?"

Kabuto realized he had been kicking the other minion's corpse, and deceased. How unseemly of him.

"You're #2's apprentice. So you were there… The girl and Naruto have found each other again, then?" Kabuto asked. "You allowed them to meet?"

"Y-yes, Sir."

"And have they finalized their bond?"

"The moment she stepped off the plane, Sir."

"So he has a Queen," Kabuto whispered, running a bloody thumb across his lips. "Problematic. Together their rule is ironclad, no one overthrows two regents. And everything was going so well. But… he's not the only one who can form a bond, now is he? No. No he's not."

Kabuto smiled and licked his lips in rapture. They tasted faintly of copper.

Oh, he thought as he gave the minion his orders. This is going to be good.

oOo

Naruto honestly had no idea how he and Hinata had gotten home.

It had been something of a shock to be standing in an airport with Hinata one moment, and then home on his couch with Hinata the next. He assumed someone had driven them or something, but had absolutely no memory of it if such a thing had occurred. Really, he couldn't seem to focus on much of anything besides Hinata.

Her hair was shorter, he had noticed that right off, and he was amazed by exactly how faulty his memory was. She hadn't been so beautiful in his memory, didn't smell so good, didn't feel the same way or talk with just the right inflection. He had heard of a memory not being able to do someone justice, but seeing it fall so short was pretty incredible.

…He was a sap.

"Penny for your thoughts," Hinata offered quietly, twining their fingers together. Naruto's smile stretched that much wider watching even the small show of affection, and he rubbed his cheek against her hair.

"I was thinking that I really, really missed you," Naruto said, and Hinata giggled. She had the cutest giggle. "I missed this."

"Me too. I missed you a lot."

She had missed him! That was so sweet.

Naruto blinked. Something had sounded off about that sentence, but he wasn't sure what it was exactly. After a moment, it clicked. "But…?" he added slowly.

"But," Hinata agreed, and Naruto could feel hesitation through their bond. "I think we should at least talk a little?"

"Yeah, sure, okay," Naruto said. "You first."

Hinata's fingers twisted in his grasp, and he realized with a start that he had nearly forgotten her nervous habit of tapping her fingers together. After a moment she steadied, thumb moving quickly back and forth across his knuckles. That was nice. "I'm sorry I freaked out and… hit you with a club. I'm sorry I ran away. You were—you were a total jerk about that entire secret."

Well, at least it was out in the open.

"Yeah," he chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I mean…" he blew a raspberry in frustration, reveling in her startled laugh. "The hitting thing was no big deal really, though I would appreciate it if you wouldn't do it again."

"Well, you just killed a guy and bit me," Hinata reminded him tightly.

"Totally evil dude," he insisted. "Serious evil I'm talking here. And, at the time, it seemed like the biting was totally necessary. I figured I could set up the bond with you and it would help you understand and not freak out. Though I didn't think you would, uh, hurt me over it."

He could still remember that night so vividly, the terror in her eyes, and then sharp and hard through the bond, until the world exploded into pain and everything had whited out completely. It was a temporary death, but it had caused him more pain than she probably ever needed to know.

"What is the bond exactly?" Hinata asked. "I'm still not one-hundred percent clear on that. And what do you mean died? How many times can you die? And how exactly does this whole hierarchy thing you've got going on work? And what's been happening? How's my family? My friends?"

Naruto tried to put all those questions in order, but gave up quickly. She would just have to remind him. "Uh… Bond, okay. It's a… bond… between people and there are different types and, uh, the one you and I have is… special. Um. We can share feelings, and sometimes thoughts, and I can know if you're in trouble and you know when I'm in trouble and you get some awesome powers and if it breaks or one of us dies we kind of suck forever. And it's technically like marriage, but stronger, and not really if you don't want it to be—because I would understand that completely!—and… I died. I come back to life because I'm me, but I can only die so many times, and I'm probably going to run out of my quota sometime, though I think Sasuke is the one who keeps track of that. You know how I am with numbers."

He paused in his awkward rambling, waiting for her to absorb that much, and only continued when she nodded. "What was your next question? Hierarchy thing. Well, I'm the king and stuff, so everybody has to do what I say but I don't make them do what I say 'cause I don't want to be that guy. Unlike the spiky-haired, crazy-eyed, take-over-the-world nut in the other room."

Hinata blinked. "Sasuke tried to take over the world?"

"Another story, another time," he said, shrugging. "Does that cover it?"

Hinata was quiet for a very long moment, and Naruto tried not to fidget too much. Was she even quieter than she had been before? It seemed almost impossible, but she was taking an awfully long time.

"…I want to say that it doesn't make sense," Hinata said finally. "I want to say that this is crazy and frustrating and that I need time to process." She looked up at him, eyes wary. "But I don't. Whether it's this bond or if it's just because it's you, I… love you." She hung her head. "And that is apparently enough for me to take all of this in stride and tell you to buy me a ring."

Naruto whooped out loud, completely okay with this plan.

"I am completely okay with this plan," he cheered.

"But I shouldn't be, Naruto," Hinata insisted, dragging him back down. "This shouldn't be okay."

"But it is," Naruto said, confused. "You just said it was okay."

"I know. I… if we're going to do this no more lies. No more half-truths. Okay?"

"Absolutely," Naruto agreed. "Ask me anything."

"Tell me anything," Hinata argued. "What's happened to you in the last however long it's been?"

Naruto leaned back on the couch, folding his arms grumpily. Of course that would be what she asked.

To be honest, he had no idea what had happened to him since Hinata had been gone. Time seemed to pass in a blur, when he worked to take control back from Kabuto, fought Kabuto, did paperwork on Kabuto, gave orders that Sasuke pushed into his hand and signed things the same way. If someone had asked him what Kabuto was doing, what his plans were—anything—Naruto wouldn't have been able to say.

That was going to change, but it was still unnerving to think that he had been so out of it.

Hinata's thumb smoothed away the indent in his eyebrow, and with a gentle smile she snuggled into his shoulder. "Me too," she whispered.

"You're perfect," Naruto sighed happily. "I have an idea. How about we not talk about what happened anymore? Let's just… let it go."

"Letigo," Hinata agreed. "Okay. That's crazy and might come back to haunt us, but okay!"

"So perfect," Naruto said happily, and held her hand in both of his. "So… what kind of ring do you want?"

"That depends." She said with a cheeky grin. "How much money do you have on you right now?"

oOo

Ino sat down tiredly on the couch and cast a dejected eye over her apartment. An open pizza box battled for space on the coffee table with cups, books, flowers, and order forms. Holly's half-done homework was on top of the television, littered with movie boxes, and the floor was covered with the odd-and-ends of too many days. Clothes, shoes, magazines, all in a pile-up that almost managed to obscure the carpet that hadn't been vacuumed in much too long.

Then there was the stack of newspapers yellowing in the corner, all with the same nothing-at-all to report about Hinata.

(In another corner, in the back of her closet, sat a growing pile of death threats from Kabuto and his thugs.)

The store had been a nightmare today too, and even though Holly was out of school on Spring Break, Ino had barely even laid eyes on her as she had been working and Holly had been spending most of her time at her Dad's.

And that Shika! She thought angrily. I never should have let him back in. How dare he offer to loan me money? I don't need his &%$^&%$* charity!

"You hear that, Universe?" she demanded. "I don't need him!"

The Universe did not deign to answer.

That made Ino angry. Being angry made her stupid, and being stupid had her jumping to her feet, running to her car, and breaking every traffic law she knew driving over to Shikamaru's apartment.

He had a parking garage. With two spaces.

She seriously considered keying his car.

It was past eleven by the time she knocked on his (solid oak. The gall) door. He opened it after several tense minutes of pounding, rubbing his eyes and wearing some really old cotton pajamas that she was pretty sure she had given as a gag wedding present. They had pineapples on them.

"Ino?" He said blearily. "Hey. Um, Holly's asleep."

"Uh, yeah, I figured," Ino snapped. She was seething inside, a thousand worries and concerns and fears mixing together in a great bubbling cauldron of anger. Hinata was gone, the stack of Past Dues were building up in her drawer, and—and—and Shika had no right to be back in her life like this! "I need to talk to you."

"Come on in," Shika said slowly, opening the door wider and showing her to the couch. "You know it's late—"

"I don't need your charity!" Ino interrupted angrily. "I don't need your help, I don't want your help, and the fact that you let anything slip to Holly was…" She made a frustrated noise, cheeks burning at the mere memory of Holly questioning her about her finances. "I cannot even say how stupid that was! Me, Shika, you have finally found something for which even I do not have words! I thought you wanted to be in my daughter's life. I thought you wanted to try to make things good again, but oh no! You have to go and meddle because you just can't leave good enough alone! Well, my daughter's life is not my life, and I don't want you to think you can just barge in and—and—and—and ruin everything!"

Shikamaru blinked stupidly.

"Stop looking at me like that!"

"I'm sorry," Shika said slowly. "Ino, I didn't say anything to Holly…"

"Yes you did!" Ino hissed. "You got her started on the whole thing by asking your stupid questions!"

"I didn't know," Shika said simply. "And I do want to be in Holly's life. And that means yours too."

"It does not."

"It does," Shikamaru said, quite firmly. "Now I want to know what right you have to come over and yell at me in the middle of the night. What's wrong with you?"

"Ugh!" Ino grunted in offense. "Nothing! Fine. Okay, I'm leaving."

"Ino."

"I'm keying your car on my way out!" Ino snapped, and slammed the door in his face.

She managed to break even more laws on the way home than she had on the way there—with the added bonus of a smiley face scratched into the new black paint of Shikamaru's car—and ripped open the door to her closet the second she was safe at home.

There the pile of papers sat, each one more descriptive than the last, each one warning her not to step out of line.

She picked them up and sat on the bed, leafing through them idly.

I hope you enjoy the flowers.

–K.

You should really change your locks.

-K.

Finally, the most terrifying, and the most recent, the one she had at the very bottom. Ino felt her eyes film with tears at the crystal clear shot of Holly at school, smiling at one of her friends. No words, no threats, just the picture taped to her door this morning. One letter on the back: K.

What am I going to do?

Knock, knock, knock!

Ino gasped, jumping almost a foot in the air, and she quickly grabbed the small hand-gun she kept sitting in her bedside table. She approached the door slowly, carefully, trying to make sure her shadow didn't show from beneath. Her heart pounded madly in her chest, and she could feel herself start to sweat.

It could only be one person.

K.

She took a deep breath to steel herself, and looked through the peephole.

Shikamaru grimaced at her.

Gasping in relief, Ino unlocked and opened the door with trembling hands, trying to keep her composure. Shikamaru was still wearing his pineapple pajamas, a coat and boots thrown on, hair a scraggly mess on top of his head. His angry expression melted into concern so quickly that she nearly managed to summon the anger up again to hit him.

Mostly, though, she was just relieved.

"What's really going on Ino?" Shika asked, letting himself in and locking the door behind him. Warily, he took the gun from her hand. She let him.

"Who's with Holly?" she asked.

"I asked a good friend to watch her for a minute. Ino…" Shika sighed in that same annoyed way that he had done since they were kids, and without asking walked into her bedroom and picked up the stack of papers on the bed. Ino lingered in the doorway, unsure of what she was supposed to do now. She was just so… tired.

Shikamaru leafed through each page slowly, lingering on the image of Holly. "When was this taken?" he whispered.

"It was taped to my door this morning," Ino said. "It was taken last Friday. I remember that outfit—I made it for her."

"Good sewing skills," he said.

Ino couldn't help laughing. "Thanks."

"So what will you be needing?" Shikamaru asked, dropping down to grope under her bed. "Are you still paranoid enough about a zombie invasion to stock an overnight bag? Ah, yep, there it is. We can get the rest of your stuff tomorrow, I'm sure."

"The rest of my stuff?" Ino asked slowly. "Shika, what are you doing? Hey, that's mine!"

"Of course it's yours," Shikamaru said calmly, snagging her pillow off the bed. How in the world did the man manage to remember she could only sleep on her own pillow? "You're going to stay over tonight."

"Wow. It's sweet that you came over and all, but all this still does not constitute you getting anywhere near lucky."

Shikamaru just snorted, and made sure to grab her floss.

"Seriously, Shika, no."

"Ino," Shikamaru said, setting down his bags to rest his hands on her shoulders. "I have lost more lately than you can probably comprehend right now. You are in danger, and I am not going to leave Holly without her mom. …and I'm not going to lose you a second time. You can come back as soon as its safe, but right now the safest place you can possibly be is with me. Please, Ino."

It's always the eyes, she thought, shaking her head. I can never resist a word he says when he looks at me like that. …don't let on now, girl. "Oh, so you have shotguns at your place or something?"

"Something much better. Besides, Holly is there."

"Hit me below the belt why don't ya?"

"If you really think it'll help…"

"Fine," Ino sighed. "Just let me grab my book, okay? I'm nearly done."

"Sure. I'll go start the car."

Ino snatched the book of the living room chair, and felt a sharp pain in the back of her skull. She stumbled, blinked, and then crumpled right into scaly arms.

oOo

"Oh," Sakura said with a chuckle, examining Hinata's hand. "Is this from a Cracker Jack box?"

"Vending machine," Hinata admitted, tugging at the star-shaped ring. "He only had two dollars on him at the time, and the gas station was next door. It was all surprisingly romantic actually. He got down on one knee, everything…"

"That's… fast," Sakura said slowly, leaning back into the couch. "Um, sweetie, I don't know all the details of what has been happening with you, but this seems kind of rash."

"It's really rash," Hinata admitted, twisting the ring on her left hand. Fiddling with the little piece of sparkly blue plastic was quickly becoming her new nervous habit, and her newest cause of nerves. How long had she run from the man she was diving head first into a marriage with? Two years. Two years she had run in the opposite direction whenever his shadow darkened the door. Now…

"I really want to be happy again," Hinata finally admitted. "I loved him then, and I loved him when I was running, and I love him even more now. I don't want to be apart from him anymore—or ever. It's just… I sound crazy don't I?"

Sakura squealed, and continued for over a minute. "No! You sound adorable. Oh my gosh! Okay. If you're happy, then I'm ecstatic. …As long as you fully expect me to help plan your wedding."

Hinata giggled, relief bursting in her chest. "Of course! Sometime next year, I'm thinking. A long engagement will give us time to get used to each other again and give everyone some time to adjust. Did I tell you I'm meeting with my family this afternoon? Neji has been so great helping explain to them! I can't wait to see them."

"And Ino! Ino is going to die."

"I know! I've missed her so much. And Holly! How's Holly?"

"So good, oh…" Sakura leaned over and hugged her. "I really missed you."

Hinata breathed in the familiar scent of Sakura's shampoo and smiled. "I missed you too."

Many more hugs and pleasantries followed as Sakura engaged in one of her favorite activities (gossip) and Hinata for once listened intently for news, instead of engaging in her usual response (censorship). It was a balm for Hinata's battered nerves to sit in her friend's cozy apartment, on that horrible garage-sale couch, and giggle over boys like they were twelve all over again. Out of everything, she had missed the feeling of security the most.

"You will have to meet Tenten," Hinata was saying. "She's great, and I bet you two would find a lot to talk about! She knows her way around anatomy pretty well too—"

"Hello!" Naruto cried, bursting in the door. He snuggled in next to Hinata and nuzzled her cheek until she pushed him away with a laugh. "Hinata! I missed you! I haven't seen you in hours. That's like a quarter of a quarter or… a time of my life span without you! Oh, hi Sakura. Are those cookies? Can I have six? Where's Sasuke?"

"Hi, yes, one, not sure," Sakura replied just as rapidly. "We're having girl time, Naruto."

"Oh," Naruto said in disappointment, simultaneously trying to stuff an entire cookie in his mouth.

"Small bites," Hinata ordered, breaking off half. "You're going to choke."

"Thank you, Honey!" He planted a kiss on her cheek and made every appearance of settling in. "I'll only stay until Sasuke gets here."

"What makes you so sure Sasuke is coming here?"

"Because he spends every waking moment here he possibly can," Naruto said. "Do you have any milk? I'll get it!"

"No milk for you! I'm on my last gallon!"

"I'll make Sasuke get more. Sasuke loves buying milk!"

"Lies."

"Yeah. Do you want milk, Hinata?"

"Hmm?" Hinata asked. "Oh, I'm fine. But will you grab the door please? You were right. Sasuke is coming now."

"Wow! That's cool! You have superpower eyes! Yeah, yeah, I'm going to totally freak him out. I'm going to open the door and be all: 'I see dead people'."

"You have fun with that."

Hinata rolled her eyes at Sakura as they waited until the predictable smack as Sasuke found Naruto's joke less than hilarious.

"I have some news," Sasuke said, lingering in the doorway even as Naruto cuddled up next to Hinata on the couch. "It's delicate."

"Shoot," Naruto ordered calmly, sneaking another cookie off the plate.

Sasuke glanced at Sakura before continuing, looking distinctly upset. "Nara, Yamanaka, and their child are missing. It happened sometime last night. We think it was Kabuto."

To her surprise, Hinata felt a torrent of anger at the words, and only realized after a dizzying moment that it wasn't hers at all. It was Naruto, though he looked calm but for a distinctly feline cast to his face, and Hinata found that she was also angry. Furious, even.

"He has Ino?" she asked quietly, locking her hand in Naruto's. "He kidnapped her?"

"Yes," Sasuke said, looking like he wanted to run away.

"Hinata? Honey?"

It was supposed to be over. They were supposed to be safe! She thought, and Naruto flinched. I tried! We'll find her. "Darn right we'll find her!" Hinata snapped, springing to her feet. "That's enough! No more running. Naruto, we are together now, and that means nothing can stand in our way! Right? Now we are going to find Ino, and end the freak that took her. Sasuke! Who's on the search now? What clues do we have? Naruto, I want a citywide alert. I'm going to call Tenten."

She felt a sudden thrum of pleasure and pride, and smiled at Naruto. "You're really cool," he said happily. "Okay! Phone, phone…"

"In your pocket."

"Great. Let's go!"

They stormed out the door together, already talking a mile a minute, and Sasuke and Sakura were left quiet and awed in their wake.

"I had no idea Hinata could be so frightening," Sasuke said.

"Oh, just wait," Sakura murmured, wrapping an arm through his. "You haven't seen anything yet. Have I told you about the Great Blow-Up of '02?"

oOo

Author's Note: Fun, right? As usual, I beg/demand/grovel for reviews! I will try to find some way to reply. Thanks!