The Alliance

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy the grand finale of The Alliance and feel free to check out my other stories if you're interested. Happy reading.

Chapter Notation: This takes place twenty years after the previous chapter.

Happy Halloween: I will be releasing two holiday themed stories sometime on or close to Halloween. One will be called The Wrong Holiday and it's pairings will be as follows: female Sasuke x Neji, female Gaara x Naruto, and a splash of Itachi x Hinata. The other one will be a yaoi collaboration effort that hasn't been named yet, but definitely isn't for the faint of heart. So, whether you're looking for a comical straight/genderbend stories, seductive/dark yaoi tales, or both…hopefully, there will be something for everyone this holiday season.

Chapter 16

Hideki smiles as he walks into the Ramen Shop with his family. The Hyuga patriarch had grown to love the food more over the years thanks to Naruto's insistence and Suki claimed that she still 'tolerated' it.

Of course, Hideki was now intimately familiar with the complex language known as Sukiese and understood what that really meant. She liked ramen, but she didn't want Naruto to find out her fondness for it.

"Oh look. There's a sale today." Hizashi grins as he looks at the sign.

A soft giggle occurs at that observation. "Big brother, do you ever think of anything else other than your stomach?"

The giggler in question was Emiko. The fifteen year old was already a Jonin and their youngest daughter.

"Sometimes, but you know the saying…an army marches on its stomach." Hizashi beams at his little sister in response. "Besides, it's true."

"Aren't you at least a little curious about whatever it is that big sister has come all the way from the Sand Village to tell us?" Emiko shakes her head, but merriment was dancing in her eyes.

She might be slightly exasperated, but it was all in good fun, Hideki muses. Emiko definitely worshipped the ground her older siblings walked on. It must her Uchiha blood's influence or something because Suki was the same way with Itachi.

"He is, but he doesn't want to admit it." Suki smiles as she interlaces her fingers with Hideki. "Anyway, they should be here by now. She did say Noon and thanks to bumping into your Uncle Itachi, we're late."

Pearls of laughter are heard from behind them as Hitomi Hyuga Flickers behind them. "It's alright. We were late too. Ryo insisted on exploring the village a bit more."

Hideki shakes his head in amusement. Ryo Sabaku could try all he liked to pretend otherwise, but Hideki knew that it was unlikely it had been the village his Son-In-Law had been 'exploring.' The ruffled hair and flushed faces of the newlyweds spoke volumes.

"Of course. I can understand that. The Leaf is a fair bit bigger than the Sand from my understanding. How are your parents doing, Ryo?" Hideki smiles at him.

Just because he knew what happy newlyweds got up to in their spare time, didn't mean that the Hyuga patriarch was going to call them on it. Mostly, he was just happy that his daughter had found her match so early.

Naturally, he would have preferred her match live in the Leaf Village and for his daughter not to have moved away, but one couldn't have anything. Hitmoi's happiness came first.

"Dad's great and so is Mom. They're both in the Mist now. You know how they like to alternate back and forth." Ryo smiles at him. "It can be tough for two Kages to work out living arrangements, but I guess it's never really bothered them. I mean, I'm here."

"And I'm very happy you are." Hitomi smiles as she holds her husband's hand. "Before you ask, things are going great at the Sand's Academy. Don't get me wrong, I love the Leaf but…sexy red heads are kinda in short supply here."

It seemed that all their children were finding their place in the world. Hitomi taught at the Academy, Hizashi was being groomed to take over the Hyuga Clan, and little Emiko was already a Jonin who was studying to be a medic.

"Good. I'm glad." Hideki smiles. "Now, what was it that you wanted to tell us?"

For them to have come all the way to the Leaf Village on such short notice meant it had to be important. They both looked so happy, though. Surely, it couldn't be bad news.

Suki shakes her head and nudges Hideki until he was seated. "You might want to sit down for this one."

He shoots his wife a perplexed look. That didn't sound good, but Hideki's confusion was soon answered in a startling way.

"Mother is right about that." Hitomi laughs softly. "I'm pregnant."

"Y-You're pregnant?" Hideki's eyes widen. "My baby is having a baby?" Why was the room suddenly spinning?

A short while later, Suki shakes her head as her husband finally regains consciousness. She loved him with all her heart, but in some ways he was still that shy boy she had met at the Academy all those years ago.

"I can't believe you fainted. Hideki, she's a grown woman and she's married. What on earth did you think they were doing on their honeymoon? Baking pancakes?" Alright. Perhaps that wasn't the most tactful way Suki could have addressed this situation, but she was honestly she was endearingly exasperated at this point.

Hideki did have the decency to look rather sheepish at her scolding. "Well, I know you're right. It's just so hard to believe. Our baby is having a baby, you know?"

Suki's expression softens as she brushes a kiss against her husband's lips. He was ridiculously cute sometimes.

"I know, but she's happy and we're going to be grandparents. This is wonderful news." Suki had never expected to be such a young grandmother, but now that it was about to happen…she was overjoyed.

"This child is going to be ridiculously spoiled between us and the rest of our families." Hideki barks out a laugh. "You're right, though. This is fantastic news and it's yet another sign that the alliance worked."

Right. The alliance. The reason that they had gotten married in the first place.

There were days when the incident that sparked all this felt like nothing more than a whisper of a forgotten dream. Still, this was their reality and Suki couldn't be more grateful.

"Yes, it is. It also looks like the worst of the ruffled feathers have been soothed over the former caste system as well." Suki nods.

There were still the occasional insults and bickering. Once in a blue moon another trial had to be scheduled, but it had been over twenty years since that horrid caste system was dissolved. Suki was inclined to believe that the worst of the transition period had long since passed.

Hideki sighs in relief at that. "True enough and thankfully, your family's timing has improved tremendously over the years."

Suki nods in agreement. She could still remember well the days when almost every time he kissed Suki, one of her family members would pop out of nowhere.

That didn't mean that she had take the gentle ribbing lying down though. If nothing else, she could toss his loving insult right back at him.

"Your family is just better at avoiding those incidents than mine because they can see through walls." Suki shrugs.

It was a fair point and they both knew it. Still, speaking of families, it wasn't only the humans of the Leaf Village who had successfully sired a new generation.

"True, but I'm still glad that Aoda's children bonded with our own. Being a parent is far less terrifying when you know your child can Summon a giant guard snake at a moment's notice." Her husband chuckles as if sensing her thoughts.

Indeed, Aoda and his family had taken to their Hatchlings as well as any canines could have. The Inuzukas had their dogs and their family had giant talking snakes. Such was natural order of things when your family were a bunch of ninjas, Suki muses.

"Aoda is still an overgrown golden retriever and so is the rest of his family." Suki giggles as she offers Hideki her hand. "Come on. The children are waiting downstairs. I think they're all a little worried since you fainted."

Hideki had actually fainted. That definitely hadn't been his finest moment.

"I'm coming. They can't possibly hold that against me, though. Becoming a grandparent is wonderful news, but it's also shocking. It's a good thing that you had enough foresight to have me sit down before she told me." Hideki sighs as he tries to stop blushing. There were times when her adorable husband still acted like a Genin.

"They're going to hold it against you for the rest of your life, but that's alright. They know their papa is a proud and powerful ninja, even like an Academy student when it comes to certain things." She winks at him.

Suki's words were taunting, but her tone was teasing. It was an unofficial challenge that she knew Hideki wouldn't be able to resist.

"True enough, but their mother is going to be blushing like an innocent again once they're gone. I still have those chakra cuffs." He smirks.

"You don't fight fair." Suki eeps as she darts out of the room and down the stairs.

"I never said I did." He chuckles while chasing after her. "Though, there are certainly some benefits to not doing so. Not the least of which is the wonderful view it provides me with."

There was something extremely satisfying about making her polite husband sound like a deviant. Suki wasn't sure why, but it just was. That and the fact he was still staring at her in the exact same way he had done on their wedding night did wonders for her ego.

"Dad, we really didn't need to hear that." A collective chorus of groans is heard as they make their way downstairs. "Like ever." Their children apparently had a differing opinion the matter, but that was just as well.

"Perhaps not, but one day if you're extremely lucky, you might one day be happily married and embarrassing your own children. And on that day, you'll understand why no parent can resist doing so. It's too much fun not to." Hideki laughs as Suki nods in agreement.

Parents were supposed to embarrass their children at least occasionally. It was in their job description. Right above the section that said it was required for grandparents to spoil their grandchildren rotten.