Here's a long one for you all. I couldn't find a good way to keep it short while fitting everything I wanted in it and it didn't seem right to split it into two chapters. So here is my thank you to y'all for being such supportive readers, in the form of a 5000+ word chapter!

Life is busy, so chapters will be a bit longer coming out. My sincerest apologies, though I'm glad so many of you have been along for the ride this long and will continue to support this story. I love all of you!!

Alas, enjoy.

* * *

We keep the ceremony small on purpose. Still, I can't help but notice the people who are missing.

Sasuke. The pupil I let go. The hurting boy I couldn't get through to. Naruto and Sakura sit in the front row, smiling softly. But I know they feel it too—Sasuke's absence. We all do.

Asuma notices me looking longingly at the empty seat beside my two pupils and squeezes my shoulder. "Don't blame yourself, sis. This is your day, you should be allowed to enjoy it."

I look up at my brother, tears starting to form on my inner eyes beside my nose, but he wipes them away before they can fall.

"Our father wouldn't have wanted you to cry on your wedding day, Ayame. Do him that honor and smile."

A bittersweet smile is all I can manage as Asuma walks me down the aisle.

And then I see him, all dressed up in his best clothes and voluminous, white hair falling softly over his forehead. He keeps the scarred eye closed, and his single grey eye doesn't leave my brown ones. And even though there are countless sets of eyes starting at us intently, it feels like we are the only two people in the world.

I can't help but smile. Genuinely and wholly. True happiness fills me from head to toe as I take slow steps toward the man I get to spend the rest of my life with.

It's a strange feeling because it already feels like we've spent a lifetime together, with all that we've gone through. But now I am able to see that our lives are only just beginning. And though there's heartache in our pasts, there's plenty of hope in our future.

I reach the front and step up onto a small platform, and our fingers find each other's, intertwining tenderly. He wears a black mask, of course. But I can see it so clearly in his eyes that he is smiling. I've learned to pick up on that stuff—to read his lone eye. That eye is the window to this man's soul. One that has been broken and repaired countless times. One in which he keeps the curtain closed more often than not. But today, for me, it is wide open.

Hope. That's what I feel when I look into the silver-haired man's eye. Never in a million years did I ever think I would marry the cold-captain, but here I am. It's bittersweet because of everything we've been through, but comforting to know that I don't have to carry that pain alone.

And when I look out once more to the missing seat beside our genin, I feel hope instead of sadness. Hope that one day, it will be once again be three.

But now is not the time to mourn or bask in regrets. This is my wedding day, after all.

"You are beautiful," he mutters. I feel myself flush a soft pink as a tiny smile tugs the corners of my lips. Even with a little bit of fat left over from the stillbirth—in which I tried desperately to hide under this ever so tight dress—he still calls me beautiful. Even with the little black circles under my eyes—remnants of my lack of sleep over these last few weeks—that Yugao and I tried and tried to cover up but failed to completely hide, he still wants me, just as I am.

"And you're crazy for wanting to marry me. I'll never stop believing that," I mutter, so nobody but he can hear. He snickers softly, closing his eyes and smirking pleasantly under the black mask.

He whispers, so quiet it's barely audible, "No, I'm the luckiest man on earth to get to call you mine. Now shut up, this is our wedding. We shouldn't be talking."

I try to hold it in but fail miserably, and burst out laughing, contorting strangely in the process. I can feel people looking on me strangely, but I don't care. In this moment, I'm so filled with complete, blinding love for this man that nobody else matters. When I finally get a hold of myself, the ceremony begins.

We keep it mostly traditional, except for the kiss. When Kakashi is told to kiss his bride, we run down the aisle and past the curtain into the bride's change room where no eyes can see.

He didn't want to kiss me in front of the small audience, even through the mask. It's sweet actually, how self-conscious he is. He told me the reason he doesn't take the mask off is because he looks too much like his father. I never knew his father, but I know the enemy mistakes him as the White Fang even with the mask, so I can only imagine how similar they must have looked.

I know there's more to the mask than just his father, though, because he's worn it since he was a child, when his father was still alive. And if it were really just fear of being mistaken as his father, he would feel comfortable removing the mask in front of his close friends, who know he is not his father.

I won't grill him about it. At least I get to appreciate and take in his beautifully crafted face, that strong jawline and those perfect lips. It's almost like I get him all to myself. It's sort of thrilling, actually, the idea that I get to see this part of him that nobody else does.

He doesn't hesitate to pull his mask down, but doesn't rush either.

We both want this moment to be special. To be ours. One we can remember. One we can look back on in hard times and recall this moment we tied our lives together.

He strokes my cheek tenderly, his soft grey eye trailing my skin alongside his thumb. His thumb finds my lips and scrapes them softly before pulling me into him. His lips are warm, tender. Slowly, delicately, he kisses me. I wrap both arms around his neck and he holds me at the waist.

When we pull back, he presses his forehead to mine. Little white locks fall between our eyes. He really should get a haircut.

"I love you, Ayame Sarutobi Hatake."

When he says this, I flush a deep red. We hadn't talked about me taking his name but hearing it from his lips like this fills me with a certain kind of joy unlike any other. And he left my surname in there, as if acknowledging my lineage and how much it means to me. Oh, how I love this man with my entire being. I love him so much it almost hurts, and I wouldn't change it for the world.

"Mrs. and Mr. Hatake, huh?" I say, poking him softly on the nose with the tip of my finger. I pull his mask up for him before taking his hand in mine. "I like it."

Another soft smile and his hand finds mine without breaking the eye contact. "Good," he whispers, kissing my temple before leading us out of the room.

When we re-emerge from behind the curtain, everyone cheers. I see my ANBU friends all standing straight, clapping and smiling kindly. When I pass Yugao on the way to the door, I pull away from Kakashi to hug her tightly.

She hugs back, shaking a little. I know how much she's hurting. She lost the love of her life as recently as I lost my Uncle and father-figure. We're both hurting, but at least I have someone to fall back on. I wish more than anything I could bring Hayate back to her, but I don't have those kinds of powers.

Nobody does.

"Congratulations," she says. The sadness I expected in her voice is minimal. I pull back from our hug and look her in the eyes, and I can see the teenager-ish look in her eyes. Suddenly, she's like a teenager in the body of an adult. "Mrs. and Mr. Cold-Captain," she mutters deviously.

All those years we spent complaining about the 'cold-captain' and now here I am, marrying him. I read her thoughts: Who would've ever thought? Yugao smirks and I smirk back, giving her a slight shake of my head in both approval and friendly annoyance at her comment.

"Now go, don't keep the man waiting."

I turn back to my husband, and our fingers intertwine again. As we leave, I wave back at everyone as they continue to cheer us on.

"I'm glad we didn't push the wedding back any more," I say, swinging his arm like a child as we walk by the river and bridge he proposed to me on many, many months ago.

"Is that so?" he asks, looking at me sidelong. I was hesitant to go forward with a wedding, with everything that was going on, but he insisted. He claimed we'd been putting it off long enough and we both needed a refresh. A new start. And a honeymoon, of course.

I smile up at him and huff as our linked arms continue to swing. It's so unlike him to allow me to hold his hand like this in public. I guess today is the exception. We're both feeling truly happy for the first time in a long time.

That's exactly why I ended up agreeing to go on with the wedding despite everything that's happened. At first, we were supposed to have it right after the Chunin Exams, but then there was my Uncle's death, and Sasuke leaving, and Kakashi got so busy with missions... and then the miscarriage.

It took a toll on us both, but we ultimately decided to just go on with it, because everyone needed a little bit of happiness right now.

There was no point in waiting until the time was right. As we both know, the time is never really right. Nothing in this broken world is completely perfect, and we're learning that that's okay.

We get through it. I get through it with Kakashi's help and he with mine.

Now and for forever, life goes on.

* * *

As we head towards the village gates, our bags on our backs, we both say goodbye to this hurting, healing village. So much has happened here these last many months, and I'm happy to let it go for just a few weeks.

Sakura and Naruto see us off. Sakura tells me all about her plans to train under the new Hokage, Lady Tsunade herself. Naruto has mentioned future plans to go on a journey with the legendary Jiraiya and train with him.

It really, truly feels like a new beginning unlike any other. As we leave, waving goodbye to our pupils, I hold Kakashi's hand tighter. It's only three weeks, and we really do need the break, but I still can't help but miss this place already.

"Progress," Kakashi mutters. I turn and look at him strangely.

"Huh?" I mutter. "Whaddo you mean?"

"You're missing the village already," he says, staring at me sidelong, a knowing look looming in his eye.

"Yeah, so?"

"Two months ago you couldn't even look out the window at the village."

I take a deep breath and let it go. "Oh," I whisper. He squeezes my hand and stops in his tracks, turning to look at me.

"And now you're missing it when we've barely even left. It's progress."

My brows furrow in as I look up at my husband with loving eyes.

"You're right," I whisper. "A new beginning, Anata." His ears perk a bit when I refer to him like that, and a soft smile crawls onto his features. (Anata, meaning 'You'. A word used between spouses. Like 'darling' or 'dear'.)

Here's to new beginnings. Here's to moving from the past and hoping for the future. Here's to the man who stands by my side through it all.

* * *

The moon rises, shining brightly through the window and casting a blue shadow over the thin sheets conforming to our mangled bodies.

The inn feels so unfamiliar. And despite our soak in the private hot springs earlier, I still can't help but feel a little cold, even as our bodies radiate and share their heat.

"Kakashi," I whisper. He doesn't crack his eyes open but I know he hears me because he snorts a little, shifting tiredly. It must be the middle of the night. I just can't sleep. This bed feels to different than our bed in the Leaf Village. It's been so long since I've slept in a bed other than our own. "Kaka-"

Suddenly, he rolls over me, eyes springing open. I stare up at him wide eyed and he chuckles softly under his breath.

"What? It's the middle of the night, you know."

I giggle, "I know, but I'm cold and I can't sleep."

His eyes grow warm and fill with a certain longing. One I know and recognize. One all-too familiar to me. One I got so used to seeing last night.

"Maybe I can help you with that..." he breaths, planting soft kisses all over my neck and jaw. His hand finds my waist and I shiver under his familiar, warm touch.

"I- just wanted to-" his lips cut me off, planting warmly against my own. I take him in. Every part of him. Every breath. Every touch. Every feeling. When he pulls away, I finish my sentence sheepishly, "-take a hot shower."

At this, his eyes light up. I snicker at this perverted man's remark, "A hot shower, you say?" he rumbles. "Have you been reading my books?"

At this, the pervert earns himself a light slap on the cheek. Then he just nuzzles his face in my neck, groaning tiredly. "No, baka. But..."

His head whips up and he looks at me wide-eyed, his ears perking back and white hair falling crazily over his face. In this moment, he looks almost child-like and I can't help but laugh. He tries to finish my sentence for me, "...but you're not against it? I can lend them to you and-"

I cut him off, placing a finger over his lips and giving him a look that takes him by surprise.

I surprise even myself with the words that escape my lips next, so unlike anything I would ordinarily ever say. But what can I say? This man changes me. He compels me in ways I never would've imagined.

"Maybe you should just show me instead."

His expression changes so suddenly before he lifts me right off the bed and carries me to the shower, "Your wish is my command, Mrs. Hatake."

And he shows me things that I won't ever forget.

* * *

"Oh, please! Can we get dango, just this once?" I tug at his shirt like a child would. He looks mildly irritated but holds it together well.

"Aya, all we've eaten are sweets this trip. And you know I don't like sweets."

I slump, putting on my best pouty-face. "I know, but even the Leaf Village doesn't have dango like this. The dango's always better in hot-spring towns, you know!"

"Hm?" he rumbles, amusement creeping into his voice. "Is that so?" I'm a bit relieved that he isn't genuinely mad at me. How could he be? We're on our honeymoon. I know he's over the moon by the way he walks easily and lets his guard down, which is something he's never quite able to do in the Leaf Village. He's seen too much, experienced too much there. The place is practically a moving, evolving museum of his past. Every alley, every graveyard and memorial, every building has some connection to his past. I know by the way his eyes wander and catch on things whenever we are walking through the village. He's never quite relaxed and always on edge, mind wandering.

But here, he seems free. Here, there's nothing to connect him to his past. All he has here are the hot-springs and his brand new wife. The two things he loves most in the world, he says. Though I know he loves those books of his too, he'd just never admit that aloud. I'm sure the books are top three.

As we roam the small hot-spring town, I point out little gift shops and restaurants. He nods at each one, but isn't really paying much attention. His eyes are focused solely on me, and filled with admiration, which fills my gut with the quaintest butterflies.

"Hey, let's get out of here," I mutter suddenly. The looming look leaves his eyes as he furrows those silver brows of his.

"What?"

"Let's leave. Let's go somewhere else. I know you don't really care about the town itself. So let's go."

Now his loom is completely replaced by pure confusion. "Aya, what do you mean? I thought you wanted to come here. A small hot-spring town on the outskirts of Konoha. That was your wish, remember?"

I smirk, shrugging in the process. "Yeah, well, I've seen it and we've done the hot-springs every night since we got here. It's getting repetitive. Let's go explore."

His brow perks at this, and he looks at me like I have two heads or an extra eye or something.

"Ex...plore?"

I snort softly, taking his hand and guiding him to the edge of the small town, "You know, the thing where people go to unknown places to discover new things..." I remark sarcastically.

"But what about our-"

"We can come back for our bags. We still have the room for another couple nights. Relax, Anata. It's not very often we get to just do whatever we want, no responsibilities, no missions..." At this, he relaxes a little, his interwoven fingers lessening their grip on mine. He watches me curiously as we leave the town and emerge into the surrounding forests.

A bird chirps in a nearby tree and another one answers it in the distance.

"This is where we met, you know."

"What-" he pauses for a moment, looking around at the surrounding forest. "No, we met on the outskirts of the Land of Stone. This is closer to Wind country."

"That's not what I mean, silly. I meant we met in a forest like this. You saved me, remember?"

"Hm," he nods, as if just recalling it, but I can see in his eyes that he remembers every detail like it was yesterday.

"You always act like you didn't totally stalk me for like ten years."

His ears go pink and he goes still as a scarecrow, eyes wide as he just stares down at me, unsure of what to say. Suddenly, I giggle and wrap my arms around his neck, getting on my tiptoes as I lose myself in his soft, grey eye.

"I'm glad for it," I mutter.

"Really?" he counters, furrowing his brows in embarrassment. "Because a lot of people thought it was creepy. Me being your captain and having a crush on you and all. Tenzo was really the only one who supported it."

"And Yugao," I mention. "And you didn't start liking me as your captain."

Again, his ears go a light shade of pink before he softens.

"So he told you," Kakashi mutters.

I huff from my nose, a smile creeping on my face. "We both know Tenzo isn't one to keep his mouth shut. Especially when it comes to other people's love-lives."

Kakashi mirrors my huff, resembling a horse a bit with his own nostril snuff. "When will he ever find his own love life to meddle with?"

I laugh a little reaching up to kiss him on the nose before continuing to walk. He follows behind me before catching up and walking beside.

"So where are we going?" he mutters, looking lazily into the forested distance.

"You'll see."

I lead him to a small lake, one I remember from one of my oldest missions as a genin. There's a tiny farming town nearby but the lake is usually mostly vacant, with the exception of the ducks and birds. The waterfall, if I recall correctly, is small but beautiful, falling so perfectly over slick rocks and creating uneven mini-waterfall currents which sprout from a single water source, the river that leads from the small farm town.

The farmers and villagers don't come to the waterfall lake often, since they have the river to draw their water from. It was a perfect place for three genin and a jonin sensei to set up camp while completing D-ranked missions in the nearby farm town.

"So you came here when you were a kid?"

I nod, though I will admit I don't remember it all that well, other than the waterfall and lake. The town itself was small and insignificant to my little genin brain—the one that cared only about completing those dumb missions to one day get into ANBU.

I lost good years of my life because of my stringent focus on ANBU. Like I didn't really allow myself a proper childhood.

I know when I have a child some day, I'm going to ensure they get to live like a child as long as they want to, no stringent expectations other than to be a good person and follow their heart.

"The villagers don't use the lake because they have the river to draw from. I figured we could set up camp tonight and sleep under the stars. Would you like that?"

He looks to me and nods, eyes narrowing in the slightest, signifying a slight smile which is hidden behind the mask.

"I would love that," he whispers, giving my hand a squeeze. As we get closer to the stream and waterfall, we start to hear it. Not only the flowing water, but also the birds. It's a perfect lake for ducks to live by because of the farms just up ahead to steal food from.

We get to the water's edge and look out on the small lake.

"Aya," Kakashi mutters.

"Isn't it beautiful?"

"Yes, but we don't have our bags."

I turn back to him, eyes going wide. How could I be so dumb? Of course we'd need our bags because our tent is in them. The sun is already beginning to set, and by the time we get back to the hot-springs town, morning would be soon approaching.

All I can do now is laugh because of how stupid I am and how utterly hilarious this situation is. I see Kakashi smirking too.

"We'll have to make a make-shift shelter from sticks and leaves, like we learned in ANBU," he says, "Though you won't be able to see the stars like you'd wished."

"It's okay," I mutter, wrapping my arm around his torso as we look out upon the glowing orange lake. Tonight, the sunset doesn't feel so dreadful. Kakashi's arm wraps around my shoulder too. "I'll already have the best view in this whole world, right in the shelter with me," I say with a hint of suggestion erring in my voice.

"Flattering," Kakashi mutters with a smirk, heading into the forest to gather sticks. I inhale deeply, taking in the fresh, night air before following shortly after him, gathering as many large branches and leaves as I can.

When the shelter is made, and we're finally cuddled up inside, I can't help but notice the smell.

"Anata, you should go wash off in the lake. You smell like ass."

He snorts a bit as he shifts, pushing up into a sitting position. "So do you. That's what sweaty shelter-making and a day of travelling does to you."

"Pfft," I mutter, climbing out into the moonlit night. The air is chilly but I couldn't care less. I start pulling my shirt off right as Kakashi is emerging from the shelter. He stops in his tracks, staring up at me like I'm some foreign creature. His eyes reflect the moonlight and he opens his scarred one too, which glows a faint red in this dull light. "Perv," I mutter with a grin, sliding my bottoms off too. Left in my undergarments, he fully emerges and gets to his feet.

"Am I not allowed to admire my hot wife?" he counters, quickly closing the distance between us.

"Of course, but the sharingan? Really? You're quite the-" I'm unable to finish my sentence as the breath catches in my lungs. He pulls his shirt off, tossing it into the grass beside us.

I've seen him shirtless many times. God knows I've seen him even more naked than shirtless. But tonight, with the way the moon shines and casts shadows across him, the way he looks lovingly at me with both eyes, mismatched as they may be, I find myself struggling to think straight.

My whole body feels warm, despite how chilly I know it is outside.

"Hm?" he hums, "I'm quite the what?"

I open my mouth to speak but no words find me. "I- uh..."

Like a beautifully choreographed dance, he closes the last tiny bit of distance between us and kisses me under the moonlight. Soft, at first, then more needy. His joggers come off until we're both in our undergarments and making our way into the lake. The water feels so warm... or maybe that's just me. Probably just me.

My hands are in his hair as our lips dance like two partners who've danced together their whole lives. Equally absentminded to the chill of the night, he pulls me closer to him, until there is no water left between us.

He doesn't break for breath as his hands travel up my spine to unclasp my bra.

He does break for breath to tell me something, though.

"I love you," he breathes, his forehead pressed against mine and lips just inches away. He unclasps the final clasp and my bra falls softly into the water.

"I love you," I echo ghost-like, brows furrowing as I breathe heavily, chest heaving in and out as I try and catch my breath from the prior kiss. A cold, wet hand from under the water emerges and finds my face, before running a few fingers through my brown locks while the other travels to parts of my body hidden by the water.

"I'm sorry we couldn't pitch a tent-"

I cut him off with a kiss, "Don't talk," I say as I pull back momentarily, fingers wrapped tightly around his neck. "I don't care about the damn tent. It's you I care about."

This earns an amused huff as he hoists me up and I wrap my legs around his waist, clinging to him. Fingers tease the hem my panties until he's pulling them off, then he stops suddenly, pulling me away from him and looking over my shoulder into the distance. I throw my head into his chest and groan, begging him to keep going.

"No," he whispers, eyes still locked on the other side of the moonlit lake. "Take a look..."

I huff as I start to turn around, "Really, what could be so important-"

Then I see it. I would have stopped too. On the other bank, there's a figure perched on a small rock. It's hard to really see which way they're facing in this darkness. I turn back to Kakashi, eyes wide as he reads my thoughts and opens his sharingan eye, taking a better look at the figure.

"It's a woman, I think. She's not facing us. She's looking the other way, at the farm village in the distance."

When I pull away for good, sighing a little at this lost moment, I search for my bra. It must've floated away.

"Kakashi, can you help me find it?"

"Find what?" he mutters. His eyes are still locked on the strange woman.

"My bra. I think it may have floated or sank... god, I can't see anything."

I search the bottom of the lake with my feet and cringe at the slimy rocks under my toes.

"I can't find it anywhere-" just then, my foot slips on some algae and I fall backwards into the water. A screech escapes my lips just seconds before I plunge under the water. When I break through the surface again, I groan loudly. "Really, Kakashi, help me find it, please-"

"Shh," he mutters, getting low and pulling me down with him. We crouch in the water, only our heads showing above the water. Drips of cold lake water fall from my hair down my forehead and cheeks.

When I look back at the woman, I see her at the bank, taking slow steps into the water.

"What the fuck," I mutter. "This is creepy as hell. Let's get out of here-"

"Shh," Kakashi hushes me again, holding my shoulder to keep me down too. "I recognize her..."

"What?"

"No, no, not her. Her chakra. It's familiar... almost like..." He trails off as he watches the woman walk into the water with his bright sharingan eye.

I furrow my brows, squinting to try and see her better, but the dark of the night is no aid. To me, she's just a silhouette in shallow water.

"The hell are you talking about?"

"Her chakra flow..." Kakashi mutters inquisitively, partly to himself. "Where have I seen it before?"

I sigh again, looking once more for my bra. It must've sank to the bottom. For all I know, it's floated to the deeper part of the lake and is gone for good. Damn it, I really liked that bra.

The woman goes no further than her knees, pacing back and forth and kicking the water, splashing the air while doing so. I start to wonder if she'll ever leave, and how Kakashi and I are gonna get out of here unnoticed. The last thing I want is to be spotted by one of the villagers, nearly naked in a lake with my husband. Kakashi left his mask in the shelter. He probably wants to be spotted about as much as I do.

Not to mention I don't have a damned bra anymore.

"I don't think she's noticed us," I whisper. Kakashi nods, agreeing with my statement, but continues to stay still, just staring at the woman. "Hey, how are we gonna get out unnoticed?"

"Her chakra... It's..."

"I get it, Kakashi, it's familiar. People share chakra types all over the Land of Fire. It shouldn't be a surprise to you at this point. Now how do we get-"

"That's it."

"What's it?"

"She's got the same chakra as Lord Third."

This statement very effectively silences me. I whip my head and look at the crazy silver-haired man with a crunched nose and furrowed brows. "What?"

"It's exactly the same."

Now I'm silent. I don't have a sharingan to see this strange woman's chakra flow but Kakashi's voice is earnest and bewildered, so I don't doubt it to be true.

"But, what does this mean...?"

"Lord Third... Your Uncle, and this lady... " he mutters, choosing his words wisely. "They have to be related somehow."

* * *

How do you guys feel about fluff and stuff? I don't plan on writing an entire smut-based fic, but never feel satisfied cutting everything so short. Let me know in the comments. I'm not against a smut scene here or there but wanna know how y'all feel. If you don't answer, I'll just proceed my own way so speak now or forever hold your tongue! It's okay to be honest. You don't have to feel embarrassed for liking what you like (or not!)

Talk to me, yo! Or I have no way of knowing.

Love you all so so so much. Thanks for the continued support.

~R