Here it is.

Hope you like it.

Sakura dodged through the thick crowd of people that flooded the streets of Konoha market with their sweat drenched skin and loud voices. She shifted the heavy basket of vegetables in her arms and shook her damp, sun filled hair.

It was too hot.

She ducked off the main street and down a smaller one, leading up to the Palace. The air was cooler the further she walked. The path was long and winding, sheltered by great tall trees that made the light flicker and dance. One of the guards let her through the huge wooden doors at the Palace entrance and she paused for a moment as an impulsive thought yawned in her mind and flexed like a cat, lazy and slow. She decided, as she was running a little earlier than usual, to take a stroll through the quiet, tranquil forest at the edge of the grounds.

It seemed too hot for the birds to be singing and so the forest was filled with a comfortable lazy silence. She closed her eyes and relished in the moment, breathing in the clean musky forest air and feeling completely safe and protected within the stretching branches of the massive surrounding trees. She felt a bead of sweat slip down her neck and could hear soft splashes of the small silvery green lake hidden behind the trees. She could taste the hot earth on her tongue and could feel the weight of her vegetable basket digging into her fingers. Every sense seemed as sharp as a pin. Everything seemed perfect.

There was another splash in the distance and the sound of low laughter. Sakura's eyes snapped open and she peered between the trees. Heart racing, she tentatively crept closer.

--

Suna had changed, Mikoto decided, for as she'd squeezed through the busy streets she could no longer feel the thick threat of criminals smother the city. It was much more pleasant, though she did miss the green trees of Konoha. She squinted down at the small piece of paper with Naruto's scrawled writing on it and sighed for the umpteenth time. The boy has charm, charisma, looks and the whole of Konoha wrapped round his little finger but he can't write to save his life. Hoping that she'd read the address that the new King had given her correctly she now stood at the very edge of Suna. The horizon stretched before her, bleak and lonely. Her dark eyes traveled across it and trained themselves on the tiny house in the distance that broke the dull sandy monotone. She lifted her curtain of dark hair off her sweating neck and pulled it into a high ponytail and then began to walk again, dragging her small bag of clothes and precious belongings. The tip of her hair tickled the back of her neck as she bobbed closer to the house.

The whole house seemed alight with greenery. Thick grass lay around it like a moat and a small tree was beginning to grow. Flowers were littered along every bush and across the grass. They spread up the walls of the house and curled up to the roof. A figure stood in the garden, bent over tending to a tiny rosebud. Her large sunhat sheltered her delicate face from the glare of the sun and red hair cascaded down her freckled shoulders. She wore a thin blue sundress that slipped like water across her pale legs and looked up when Mikoto arrived at the edge of the grass.

Kushina's red eyes glittered and widened in shock as she stared at Mikoto, who smiled her perfect smile and shook off her heavy bag. She straightened up and continued to stare for a few moments. Then with a blinding grin so like her son's, she ran at her friend and flung her arms round her.

"I've missed you," she whispered softly.

Mikoto breathed a sigh of relief and hugged back, "Me too."

They pulled apart and Mikoto took out another note written by Naruto.

"This is for you Kushina," she said holding it out.

Kushina took it and her smile widened across her freckled face, then she grabbed Mikoto's pale hand and dragged her into the garden blinking the tiny tears of happiness away.

"Come on my friend; let me show you your new home."

All the while that seemingly insignificant, almost unreadable note was clutched between her delicate fingers.

Thank you mum

She'd keep it forever.

--

Hiding behind the trunk of a tree, Sakura reached forward and pushed away a branch. Peering through the small gap she'd made, she gasped.

Sasuke was standing by the lake.

Pulling off his shirt.

And his trousers.

In fact he took everything off until he was clad in only his boxers.

Sakura's heart never pumped so fast.

Then golden hair surfaced from the silvery water. Followed by a handsome face. And tanned shoulders. Naruto laughed again and flicked water up at the man at the lake edge.

"Hurry up princess. Get in already."

Sasuke responded with a half-hearted glare and soft "Hn" before diving into the water, over Naruto's head.

Sakura's skin suddenly felt a thousand times hotter and her stomach squirmed and fluttered. Her heartbeat was too loud and she was afraid they'd see her. Her grip around the basket handle felt sticky and loose. She let it settle upon the floor at her feet, worried that if she'd drop it they'd see her.

They were both fighting each other now, in the water. Dunking each other and splashing about. She'd never seen Sasuke laugh so much. Scratch that. She'd never seen Sasuke laugh.

Ino will be jealous.

Should she go get her?

Sakura glanced up to the Palace. She could just make it out through the trees. If she runs she could get Ino and be back here to see what else they do. It wasn't everyday you see Sasuke and Naruto begin so intimate. They tend to keep that sort of behaviour private. Sure they fight in public and a lot of the time their fights are brimming with sexual innuendo but, aside from the day Naruto became King, no-one has ever seen them kiss or anything. She should know, her and Ino have been trying to catch them at it for months. So far all they've done is walk in on them spooning each other in their sleep.

But this is something different. This time they were awake.

Sakura nervously glanced back to the two men; they were still fighting in the water. Then with a deep breath she silently rose to her feet and bravely sprinted towards that Palace.

She'd never run so fast in her life.

--

Neji stood at the wooden fence and ran a hand through his soft hair nervously. Beyond the fence sat a gentle hill and at the top stood a small wooden house. After that, Neji assumed lay fields and farmland. At the bottom of the hill, near the fence, was a barn. A woman was slowly struggling up the hill, swaying unsteadily under the weight of two large buckets of milk and her round pregnant belly. A huge dog ran about her feet and up to the house before leaping back to make sure she was still coming.

Neji jumped over the fence and strolled closer to the woman. He heard her gentle laugh as he neared her and he smiled sweetly. She had stopped for a moment, still holding the buckets, panting through her perfect lips. Neji stood close enough now to see the flecks of purple in her dark hair and the cracks in the skin of her dry knuckles. He lowered his hands and placed them over hers.

"Let me help you," he said gently.

She let go of the buckets in shock and spun round, colourless eyes wide and dove white skin flushed with exhaustion. Neji looked back at her with a deadpan expression, thankful he'd taken the full buckets away from her before he'd spoke.

"N-n-neji?" Hinata stammered.

Neji smirked, "I would have thought you'd have stopped stuttering by now Hinata."

Unsurprisingly, she blushed. The large dog came running back to her and sat by her side. It stared at him patiently, waiting. It's chocolate eyes soft and calm.

Go on, the dog seemed to say to him, explain yourself.

"I've been looking for you," Neji said slowly.

There was an awkward pause and Hinata stared at her feet, ashamed. Her toes curled in her shoes and she felt sick. She didn't want to go back to the complex. She wanted to stay here with Kiba and Akamaru on their farm forever.

"I don't mind if you don't want to come back to the Hyuuga complex," Neji continued quickly, "I just wanted to know you were safe, and happy."

Hinata looked up and gave a short little laugh, "I'm really happy Neji."

He nodded briskly before glancing up to the house at the top of the hill.

"Well then, I think I should meet the man that stole your heart."

Hinata's beamed, "He's going to be so scared when you walk in."

Neji smirked again, "He better be."

They laughed together and then settled into a comfortable silence.

He looked over to his cousin as they climbed up the hill. Her hair was messy and her hands dirty and dry. She wore scruffy jeans with holes at the knees and a worn t-shirt. She looked out of breath and tired and her huge stomach seemed heavy and exhausting. But all in all, she was glowing. Her eyes were lit with a happiness he had never seen back in the Hyuuga complex and she'd never seemed so beautiful.

"You know," Neji said suddenly.

Hinata gave a soft 'hmm' and looked up at Neji as he walked beside her, buckets in each hand.

"That child of yours is going to inherit the entire Hyuuga complex."

Hinata eyes sparkled with delight, "And the Inuzuka farm."

Neji nodded slowly and said quietly, "It can be whoever it wants to be."

Hinata smiled at the ground and pretended she hadn't heard. It felt good to see Neji again.

--

Ino had almost crushed Sakura with a bone-crunching hug when she'd sped into the kitchens, panting and yelling about Naruto and Sasuke, shirtless and wet. Then they'd both ran back to the forest as fast as their obsessive little feet could carry them.

The lake was quiet when they got back and they held their breath as they drew closer.

But when they peered through the trees,

The lake was empty.

Empty.

Sakura felt sick and angry. She was just about to spin round and punch Ino in her pretty face for causing her to miss her chance of seeing Sasuke and Naruto topless together, but then small bubbles appeared on the surface followed by two men.

Naruto and Sasuke were kissing, lips crushing together with desperate, lasting love.

Ino's hand reached down and clenched Sakura's, digging her nails into her to stop herself from squealing with excitement.

They swam together, kiss never breaking. Naruto pressed Sasuke against the bank and pulled a hand out of the water to trail through his dark wet hair. Sasuke let out a low groan, making Naruto, Sakura and Ino all shiver happily. The water around the two swished and swirled and they both gasped quietly as Sasuke pulled them closer together, hardened members pressing together.

Sakura and Ino cursed the water that obscured full view of what was really happening.

Sasuke ran his fingers down Naruto's muscled back whilst Naruto dug his hands into the back of Sasuke's boxers. The strange sensation of underwater touches sent butterflies thundering inside their stomachs.

Then Naruto pulled away with a happy smile and wrapped his strong arms round Sasuke in a loving embrace and pulled him under the water. They stayed under there for quite some time and Sakura and Ino began to grow uneasy. Then they surfaced spluttering and coughing.

Underwater kissing, though exciting and strange, is not the easiest thing in the world. One does tend to run out of breath.

Naruto grinned brilliantly as Sasuke swam closer to him and then he whispered something in his ear. Sakura and Ino leaned forward to hear, ears perked and alert to every noise. But alas, Sasuke's whispered words were for Naruto's ears alone.

Naruto's blinding grin grew to an impossible size as Sasuke pulled back with his loose smirk and the blond grabbed Sasuke's muscled shoulders and pulled him into another mind-blowing kiss.

"Me too, you lovely lovely bastard," he muttered, voice muffled by Sasuke's pink lips.

Though we shall never know for sure what Sasuke said to Naruto, I can imagine it went something like this,

I love you moron. Always will.

--

The End

Well? I really hope the ending satisfies everyone. I tried to tie up all loose ends and leave you feeling all warm inside. :)

If you liked it please please review. I love reading what you guys think. And if you want another story by me go to my profile, where I have a number of summaries for different stories that I've thought of, and you can vote for the one you feel like reading. I'm also thinking of writing another, not mentioned there. An epic fanfic that spans high school to after college all about Sasuke and Naruto. heh heh.

Thank you to all of you who read this fanfic. To everyone who reviewed and faved and added me to their alerts and all that. It's been great.

--

Please note that Sasuke never officially told Naruto that he loves him in this fanfic. I think that's just how Sasuke is. Though it's left to us to believe whether he does at the end or not.

Personally I like to believe that he did. Cause I'm sappy like that.