A/N: Okay, dear readers and lurkers, here's the final chapter. This was never meant to be a long, drawn-out storyline, so I erred on the side of completion rather than length. Enjoy!

Chapter Six: Epilogue

It was mid-afternoon before two other search teams hailed them. Karin and Suigetsu had been compliant prisoners- -Ino had made sure of it. Kiba had remained at the forefront of their group. Karin rode on Akamaru's back, Suigetsu dashed beside her with a protective arm out to steady her, and Ino had brought up the rear. They took few rest breaks, since she and Kiba both were anxious to get the prisoners to Konoha before anything else could happen.

"Up ahead," Kiba called out over his shoulder, mid-leap between trees.

As one unit, they hopped from the sturdy tree branches and landed on the forest floor. A couple seconds later, four humans and two canines joined them, also landing from above. Two of Kiba's cousins (she didn't know their names) and her cousins Inohime and Takahino completed the squad.

"Yo, Kiba! Ino!" said one of the Inuzukas. "Looks like you win this time!"

Before Ino could report the situation, the second of the Inuzukas pointed at Suigetsu. "Hey, wait a second! This one's not wearing manacles! What the hell?"

Everyone except Ino and Kiba flew into defensive stances. Kiba shared an anxious look with her that she understood even without her mind-link.

"Guys, he's neutralized," Ino spoke out over the general chaos. "Calm down!"

Too late. Suigetsu had picked up on the sharp changes in auras, and she felt a shift in his own attitude from that friendly neutral she'd worked to foster into dangerous self-preservation. She planted a hand on his shoulder to push away or delay or dismiss his instinct to kill. He responded, but her fix was temporary at best as he edged closer to destabilizing the hypnosis.

Then, with deliberate effort, she reached out with Mind Transmission and slipped into the four other distressed minds. Suigetsu cannot be placed in manacles. She transferred the knowledge she had accumulated regarding Suigetsu's abilities to the responsive brains. I've placed Suigetsu in a hypnotic trance instead. It is imperative you do nothing to provoke him and do everything in your power to get these prisoners to Konoha. Please calm yourselves. The hypnosis only works if you do not treat him as a threat. Suppress any ill intentions you have toward him.

Takahino and Inohime harnessed and subdued their negative attitudes without further argument or delay, but Kiba's cousins needed some convincing, so she connected their minds to Kiba's. She couldn't help the headache that crept up as she maintained the jutsu and, through sheer will, prevented it from leaking into the other minds. Despite her efforts, or perhaps because of the strain, Kiba's own mind fluttered around hers, protective, questioning, soothing.

His worry over her softened her toward him, but they had their priorities. Suigetsu wouldn't be stalled for long- -his bloodlust was invasive and powerful. As such, she redirected Kiba to his cousins' minds and concerns. Kiba underscored her explanation and told them to get a grip on themselves. With some reluctance, they did and with the alleviation of any danger to himself, Suigetsu's aura returned to submissive neutrality.

Ino released the Mind Transmission and removed her hand from Suigetsu's shoulder. The headache remained as a throb in her temples. Inohime, three years older with strawberry blonde hair and a figure and face befitting of a Yamanaka, had a concerned tilt to her head. "You need a breather? We can wait a few minutes."

Ino knew she spoke aloud out of courtesy to the others. Ino's current focus was concentrated on remaining upright and standing and not falling over in a heap on the ground. Though she had eaten a military pill, and she had spare chakra and physical strength, her emotional and mental composure had slackened. If there was a surprise attack, she would be a detriment to the others, particularly to her kin.

Stuck on this thought, she glanced at Kiba. He had pressed his hand to his side and panted, his hitai-ate soaked with sweat. Moisture had spread dark patches across the chest panels of his torn flak jacket. She hadn't noticed earlier, but purplish bruises hung under his eyes. He didn't speak to her, but she realized he would defer to her judgment.

"Don't wait for us," Ino said at last. "Take the prisoners ahead without us."

Kiba understood. "Yeah. You guys can take point. We'll recuperate here and follow after a bit."

"One of us can remain with you," Inohime suggested. "You'll need someone to keep watch while you rest."

Ino shook her head. "No. We were lucky to get this far without any outside interference, but we have to assume that Karin and Suigetsu are important to Orochimaru's cause. He will want them back or Sasuke may want them dead. They merit a larger squad's protection, so all of you are needed to escort and secure them. Once you leave with them in custody, whatever attention that is on us will be on you instead. You can't be slowed down, and you can't afford to wait around. As soon as I catch my breath, I can perform some healing techniques on Kiba and myself."

"And Akamaru," Kiba interjected.

Ino smiled at him and repeated his statement. "And Akamaru."

"Besides," Kiba continued, "we worked our asses off to capture them alive and unharmed. Don't screw it up because you're overly concerned about us. We'll take care of ourselves."

Inohime frowned in a rare show of disapproval. "I see your point. However, I would feel better if someone else from home knew your whereabouts. Allow me to send the information."

Ino nodded. "That's fine."

While Inohime performed the technique, the rest of them stood guard in a tight formation around the prisoners. As with most of the Yamanaka clan's mind jutsu, Inohime completed the transfer in mere moments. Afterwards, Inohime and Takahino hugged Ino; Kiba's cousins pounded his back to wish him good luck, the dogs sniffed and licked each other, and then they departed, disappearing in a blur amongst the green, rustling foliage.

"Well," Ino said, to fill the sudden silence, "we did it."

"You did it."

She cut a glance at him. He stared at her with an intensity that should have worried her except that her tiredness made her indifferent. "That's not true. All three of us captured them."

He huffed a short laugh. "I almost got us killed. You probably could have done this whole mission alone."

"Where is this coming from?" she asked him, prodded into annoyance. Her legs and knees wobbled, so she stepped over to a comfortable-looking hollow at the base of one of the larger trees. "We were a team. You tracked them the entire time. You even tracked them in the middle of the night. You subdued Karin. I couldn't have done that, period."

She turned and dropped to her butt, sliding her back against the rough bark. Ah, there we go. Much better. Kiba stood where she'd left him, and she couldn't interpret the look in his eyes. She could glean from him with her mind technique, but that seemed like too much trouble. Instead, she patted the grass next to her.

"C'mon. I won't bite," she said when he hesitated. He didn't laugh at her attempted joke.

"I think you're being too nice to me." He came over and hunkered down beside her, long legs stretching out. His heat rolled off him in waves- -she was used to it and it felt nice in the cool shade. "You should be furious with me. I acted like a dick."

"Yeah, you were a dick." Testing him, she scooted closer and draped his arm across her shoulders. Akamaru curled up at their feet. "But then you stopped being one, so you're forgiven."

"I guess I needed a good ass-kicking to get me set straight."

"Hm."

His arm hugged her closer. She accepted it as she turned her face into his side, her arm slung over his stomach, her fingers brushed the sliced fabric and the bared skin, and she sank into that warmth. Everything relaxed, let go, surrendered. Being so close to him allowed her mind to brush against his headspace, not an invasion of her inside him, but an invitation for him to step to her. She let him approach her, let him nose around inside her thoughts and her feelings, curious, in awe, and tender. And that was where she was when sleep released her.

When she rose to consciousness, she became aware of movement that she did not control. She opened her eyes to gain her bearings, and found herself, to her surprise, draped against Kiba's broad back. Oh. How lovely his muscles felt under the flak jacket. He moved with such speed, precision, and fluidity.

The sun that filtered through the dense leaves told her it was no longer afternoon, but early evening. Kiba had carried her piggy-back while she slept; she marveled at his stamina and the tiny pinprick of admiration she'd felt grew bigger. Was she…forming a crush on him? No way. Yes way, whispered a part of her mind. He is quite attractive, strong, loving…

"Welcome back," he said when she tightened her grip on his shoulders. "Feel better?"

"I…yes." Sleep still muddled her. "Why didn't you wake me up when you were ready to go?"

He slowed some and crouched to drop her to her feet. Then he straightened. "It had only been an hour. You needed more rest, and I was feeling impatient."

"Thank you," she told him. "How far do we have left to go?"

He fired another of those intense looks at her. "About ten more minutes."

"You must've been traveling for awhile."

"Yeah."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah."

So this was strange. It seemed he was about to do something that maybe she wouldn't like, but when his hand hooked the back of her neck to tilt back her head, she understood. The kiss was…out of this world. It was a sort of…slow immersion inside him, a deep dive to where his heart beat, where his fierce loyalty thrived. She ran her fingers along his jaw and his neck, felt how his pulse tripped under his skin. His teeth were sharp, but gentle on her mouth and a flash of sensuous heat raced across her belly.

If she wasn't careful and controlled, she might very well find herself flat on her back on the forest floor and liking it. That kind of thinking diminished her resistance against him, and she could tell his thoughts were along the same lines as hers were. She heard him inhale, a long, drawn out affair and he tapered off the kiss.

"Dammit, Ino-girl," he whispered to her lips. "I think I'm half in love with you already."

"You know what they say. You should never fall in love with a Yamanaka," she told him. "We're heartbreakers."

The scarlet clan marks which had once been a source of aggravation now seemed to fascinate her. He smirked. "Yeah, well, Inuzukas are heart eaters. So maybe yer the one who should watch out."

"I think it'd be worth the risk," she replied. She cooled the hot twist of tension she felt, tempering the urge for primal release, and moved a little away from him. Again, now was not an appropriate time to throw caution to the wind. "I also think we should get home before dark."

"Are you frightened of the dark, girlie?"

She laughed. "No, just of you and your wicked ways."

"My wicked ways," he repeated. Another smirk crawled across his face. "I kinda like that."

Of course he would, she thought. She bolted from the tree branch and tossed what she said next over her shoulder. "Last one home's a rotten egg!"

Behind her, she heard a growl and a good-natured bark from Akamaru as she sped ahead. She wondered how he would finagle her to bed, how she'd drive him crazy, and then drive him crazy. She wanted to get under his clothes, under his skin, and inside his head. They would pick fights with each other and argue and perhaps find ridiculous happiness. It could be that their attraction would cool off, that they would break up and cry and mourn and find other people. Their future was ahead of them, good or bad, or good and bad, and she liked how unpredictable it all was.

A/N: Thanks to my faithful readers and lurkers. I hope you don't mind the ending. I'm just happy to have this story complete. Finally.