This is it, guys. The epic conclusion to this fanfic…it's a bit shorter than the last chapter, but oh well. This is just how it works.

Oh, and before I get, Happy New Year! (Hopefully the chapter's posted by then…)

I really don't have much to say, other than that my Christmas was awesome. I got Skyward Sword, Rune Factory Frontier, Golden Sun: Dark Dawn, Just Dance 3, about a million books, and my dad got a PS3 for technically the whole family…

Oh. And Rock Band. My new true love…

Well, the chapter might as well start now…please enjoy.

Third Person POV

It had been about two months since the Akatsuki had left. Things hadn't been the best around the city of Los Angeles, California. At least, not for the four teenage girls.

Shizuka had pretty much gone back into herself. Like her name implied, she had always been quiet, but now it was a challenged to make her say more than five words per day, not including "Yes" and "No", which had become her primary communication. She didn't draw much anymore.

Masaru and Rachel had been doing everything to comfort her when she explained why she was acting like this, but to no avail. She just didn't want to be happy, and refused all attempts for people to make her act like it.

Kagami was like a completely different person. She didn't smile or laugh or threaten people or really do anything anymore. She'd stumbled around like a zombie for weeks, and even now she still was in shock.

She started crying during school a few times, and when the teacher had asked her if she was alright, she just sobbed even harder and started cursing Pain again, which caused the poor man to feel very confused and scared before letting her go home for the rest of the day.

Haruka had changed almost the most dramatically. For starters, she was having a bit of a growth spurt, getting a bit taller and curvier. She was also acting a bit more mature, a bit less clueless and innocent. Her parents had been surprised at first, but upon seeing her crying in her room so frequently, it had changed to panic.

They call her friends, who were no help, they called a therapist,who Haruka refused to speak to, they called everyone. There was no luck. Haruka was refusing to talk about the man she had fallen madly in love with. The man that she missed.

Yume had just…broken. She'd lock herself into her bedroom and not come out for ages, at seemingly random times. If you put your ear to the door, you could hear her sobbing with her voice muffled by the pillow.

The only time she'd actually laugh in months was because her fourteen-year-old sister Naomi asked if she was being so moody because she was pregnant. Of course, her mom had heard that, and gone into a complete panic, even taking her to the hospital to have tests done before realizing it had just been a joke.

Aside from that, they were only able to really talk with each other about the whole thing. Everyone else would just shrug and say, "So? Go get a new boyfriend."

Another interesting development was Courtney.

She had gotten out of the hospital only recently, and her personality had changed a lot. She didn't cheat on her boyfriend, she didn't wear ridiculously suggestive clothes, she didn't look down on everyone else, and she was almost nice.

Sometimes…once in a while…

Okay, fine, she was still a bitch. Just not as much of one.

Whether it was the scar on her side, her cousin going insane, or something else, she was actually a bit nicer now. She got along pretty good with the girls, and they talked sometimes.

Not often, but sometimes.

She'd learned that the boys left, but not to where. Unlike Wyatt-who was now rotting in the ground-she'd only heard of their anime roots once, and though he was just being a jerk. So she ignored it, and they didn't correct her.

Sure, she'd try to cheer them up once in a while, but never very easily. And never successfully. Finally, she just gave up on it and let them sulk when she came by occasionally.

None of the girls really watched Naruto anymore. It was just torture to watch the episodes, and-in some cases-see the criminals they'd grown so close to die on screen for other people's entertainment.

It wasn't like they'd turned into total angst-fests, they still had their moments…just not often. It wasn't like freaking Twilight where they started screaming in their sleep and staring out a window blankly for six months. It was just…sorrow. (J/N Because really…that's just ridiculous.)

Pure and simple. Maybe they'd get over it, maybe they wouldn't.

But today was something entirely different.

Rachel, being the efficient twenty one year old that she was, had gotten the wedding between her and Masaru planned out quickly and easily. She'd done in less than four months what took many women almost a year.

Of course, it was a small ceremony. She wanted it to be simple, and short, and sweet. So it was.

The girls couldn't even care less as she got them to wear dresses, which were a pale cream color with a dark gold flower pattern as her bridesmaids. Not even Kagami complained.

They just kind of stumbled through the reception, not really there nor anywhere else.

Shizuka couldn't help but remember how when they'd learned of the wedding, she had been holding Sasori's hand.

All four of them were thankful that crying during weddings was perfectly normal, so nobody thought it strange that about halfway through, all four of them burst into hysterical tears, thinking of their lovers.

They went outside of the church later on their own, just to talk for a while.

"So…Rachel is your sister-in-law now, right, Shizuka?" Yume asked, looking at her.

She nodded mutely. "Yeah…I guess so…."

"That's, um, kind of cool I guess," she said, awkwardly. They'd never really talked much, trying to keep their minds off of things like this. But this was a wedding; so they should be happy for Rachel, right?

Too bad they just couldn't figure out how to feel like that now.

They sat quietly for a few moments, Haruka absently plucking a white rose from one of the bushes, tracing her hand over the petals while they were lost in thought.

After a few moments, Kagami said, "I wonder…what would they say if they could see us all dressed up and pretty like this?"

"What would who say?"

"The boys. Duh." The first time in two months that she acted sarcastic.

"Yeah…" Yume murmured, closing her eyes part of the way, struggling to keep her emotions in control. She didn't want to be this miserable at Rachel's huge day.

Inside, she could hear the friends of the newlywed couple talking and laughing with the groom and his bride. But the words were just white noise.

"Tobi would probably start gushing about how beautiful Haruka looks," Shizuka started. "Deidara would just be blushing, like he always does when he thinks Yume looks good. Itachi would just tell Kagami she's pretty and kiss her. Sasori…" She broke off, unable to even say her boyfriend's name.

Kagami put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "He would get incredibly protective of you, almost to the point of possessive, and glare at anyone who so much as LOOKED at you with interest."

Shizuka smiled awkwardly. "Yeah…I guess you're right."

It was the first time any of them had been able to really talk about the boys without crying…

Maybe it was because of the wedding tonight changing the atmosphere. Maybe they were getting a little bit better, even if they never got over it entirely. Or maybe it's Maybelline. (J/N I had to. XD Forgive me for ruining the moment)

THE AKATSUKI BASE

What had been two months for the girls was only one month for the shinobi that they were missing so deeply. Time moved half as fast in their world, it seemed, but it was still enough.

Actually, if anything, they were taking it worse.

Sasori had seemingly gone back to normal. He was cold, emotionless, and only seemed to take any focus at all on his puppets. But even then, he never really seemed interested anymore. There was one other major difference: He hadn't said a single word since they'd gotten back.

The only way he really communicated was by nodding, shaking his head, or shrugging his shoulders. He was even more difficult to understand that Itachi. Speaking of Itachi…

The Uchiha was similar to Sasori. He'd occasionally say "yes" or "no" or something like that, but he usually spoke in his little "hn's".

His goals of fighting his brother and dying in doing so had been utterly destroyed. He'd promised Kagami that he would stay alive, and he would. Even more interestingly was that he'd finally sucked up his pride and asked Kakuzu and Konan to use medical ninjutsu on him, to heal his failing eyes and the illness killing him.

His sickness was almost entirely gone-though his eyes were still damaged-and he would live. All for the girl who'd stolen his cold, black, criminal heart.

The base was much quieter too because of Tobi. He still managed to irritate the members on occasion, but not as often. He didn't shriek or act like a spazz as much. Deidara was still his Senpai, and he was still Tobi. But more often than not, he'd suddenly get sad, murmur something about "Haruka-chan" and slip back to his room.

The man behind the mask was also upset. Madara Uchiha would go into his room as Tobi, then sit down and place his head in his hands, taking off his mask. Sometimes he'd just be quiet and depressed like that. Other times he'd just be possessed by anger and run out of the base so that he didn't break his cover in destroying anything.

Deidara had also been hit very hard. He still talked, unlike his Danna, but it was his personality that changed drastically. He was a little more subdued, and didn't get angry as easily. He didn't argue with Sasori, he didn't chase Tobi, he didn't glare at Itachi…he didn't even take an interest in his own art.

Out of all the Akatsuki, he was both the youngest and the most emotional. There were times when he would lock himself in his room to hide the burning tears in his eyes that he refused to let anyone see, because of his pride.

He was very thankful that the walls in most of the rooms were soundproof.

In fact, all of the members had been affected, not just those four. They all kinda missed the girls.

Hidan and Kakuzu still fought, but it was usually half-hearted and over with quickly. They just weren't as "into it." And in all honesty, the sadistic-masochistic Jashinist sort of missed getting beaten with a skillet. (J/N He likes getting hurt. Regardless of getting knocked out, he probably enjoys Kagami beating on him.)

He and Kisame seemed to be the only ones who could really talk about the girls without getting awkward of depressed. They'd been pretty close to them-in a nonromantic way-and most of their thoughts of them involved the more humorous moments.

Zetsu and Kakuzu had never been particularly closed, but they still missed the antics of the four excitable otakus, even if just from watching them torment the others.

Konan, however, had been acting very strange. She wasn't depressed or angry or anything, but she would just go into her room for hours, reading, and come back out later to go discuss things with Pain.

Today, she'd finally figured out enough. And she had some choice words for her partner.

"Nagato." She walked into his office, and he glanced up at her, frowning.

"Yes, Konan?"

"I think I know enough now for my idea to work," she said, her eyes showing a hint of excitement.

The pierced man sighed. "Konan, for the last time, this isn't your style of jutsu. This just isn't something you can do."

Konan narrowed her eyes. "Nagato, I'm not a weakling. I know enough to focus my chakra into that style of jutsu, and I've figured out the basics of how it works. It's just a matter of having the time to work out all the details and get it perfect."

"And how long will that take?"

"Two months, at the maximum." (J/N Four months for the girls.)

"…and you're positive that this will work."

Konan rolled her eyes. "For the millionth time, yes. I know that this jutsu will succeed if you just give me a chance at using it. So then…do I have your permission?"

"Yes…I supposed you do," Pain said with a pause, nodding.

Konan grinned and turned, walking out of the room.

"Where are you going, Konan?"

"My room. I want this to be secret." She smirked at him, turning to glance over at him with a glint in her eyes.

"And besides…I have a lot of work to do if I want to bring the girls here as soon as possible."

…yes. You read that last part involving the jutsu right. Your wishes are true: THERE'S GONNA BE A SEQUEL. OH YEAH.

Final question: What do you think would be a good title for the sequel? Currently, my only idea is "Kitty Karma", but I'm not sure of it...so please, any ideas will be welcome! I seriously need them!

In all honesty, I think you guys deserve this sequel. A lot. :) Because really, this was just a spur-of-the-moment thing I decided would be fun to try, and here I am with over 300 reviews-almost 400-and many more people reading my fics than I ever could have hoped for.

I'm planning for the sequel to come out in February or March. Give myself time to work more on my other fanfic-which sorely needs it, before I just get tired of it-and get some ideas. I also want to have 400 reviews before I start it.

Take that as a hint. :)

Until next time, my lovelies~

~Have a good 2012 :)~