Title: Road to A Happy Ending
Posted: 11/27/12
Main Pairings: Uchiha Sasuke & Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto (Female Version)
Rating: K+
Summary: Naruto and Sasuke have been together since they were sixteen-years-old, and now, at the age of twenty-two, they finally want to tie the knot and be known as Mr. and Mrs. Uchiha Sasuke. Sadly, before any of this happen, the approval of the family is needed. Now, with meddling relatives and a very protective fox this will obviously end up...interesting.
Notes: To those who don't approve of Fem!Naru, to be honest I don't want you to read this story. I mean, I understand your desires, but come on…I imagined this ten times better if Naruto was a girl. So, don't flame me for it cause obviously I don't understand why you would read something you don't approve of anyway.
Disclaimer: I own what I own, nothing more, nothing less.
© 2012, Reignstein, The plot of this story and the original characters belong to me. Any similarities that might occur are purely coincidental and I apologize in advance if such an occurrence ever does happen.
"…I won't let another minute go to waste.
I want you and your beautiful soul…"
~Jesse McCartney (Beautiful Soul)
"Okay, bastard, you've kept me in the dark long enough," A loud voice stated, the owner crossing her arms in irritation. "Where the hell are you taking me?" Now, normally, surprises would be something welcomed by the blonde bombshell known as Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto—especially if one had a stoic boyfriend like hers—but this particular one did nothing but keep her on the tips of her toes. It didn't particularly help that her supposed other had told her that there was a dress code, thus explaining the sleeveless orange dress that Naruto had on right now. Of course she drew the line at heels, a pair of blue high-cut converse gracing her feet.
"Just be patient, idiot." Was the answer of the blue-black haired man, sighing as he continued to guide Naruto. Did she mention how annoyed she was of the blindfold? If Uchiha Sasuke were asked this question, then he would merely groan at the memory of the car ride towards the destination.
"You've been with me long enough to know that patience is not one of my virtues, yah know!" The blonde merely answered, her long hair (that was held into pigtails) hitting Sasuke in the face. It was not deliberate, but the spitting sound that her boyfriend began to make was a good consolation. "And what's with this dress code anyway? Is this another one of your favourite fancy restaurants?!" Sasuke knew how much the girl hated those places. To be honest, the only thing that made those dates bearable was seeing Sasuke in a suit. It was a sight that would turn any lady's knees to jelly, and, though she would not admit it, Naruto was no exemption.
"If you can't be patient, then be quiet at least!" A growl escaped the girl's mouth, but she made no retort. Naruto had been trying to ignore the wave of nervousness that was settling in her stomach, while also trying ignore the waves of uncertainty that were coming from Sasuke. Being together for six years, they both practically knew what each twitch and sigh meant to one another.
Where they were going, Naruto couldn't help but feel nostalgic somehow. She had absolutely no clue to where or what their destination was to be, but every turn they made, the feel of the brick walkway beneath her feet, and even the soft breeze that attacked her face just brought her back to her childhood. This just added to girl's curiosity, ergo, making her all the more impatient. "Will you at least give me a hint already?! How far away is this stupid place anyway?" Another sigh escaped Sasuke. So much for quiet.
"Hey! Bastard—"
"We're here already, so you can shut that blowhole of a mouth of yours." Though his words, obviously, released an insult, Naruto really could not understand that uncertainty in Sasuke's every move. It was in the way he touched her, he spoke, he blinked even. This just managed to make the blonde all the more nervous as her significant other began to untie the blindfold behind her. "You'd think that six years would make a person mature, but no, you're still as loud and childish as ever." The insults just didn't seem to carry that certain 'Uchiha Smug' that was always laced with affection.
The moment the blindfold was down and away from the girl's eyes, Naruto was ashamed at the gasp that escaped her. She was rather proud that she was not like any other girl out there, but still, this sight was too much for her to take in. Naruto expected something along the terms of what the Uchiha Family would think romantic, not something out of a romance novel. The candles that surrounded the area, the rose petals scattered on the table along with the plates that and silverware, her other best friend, Haruno Sakura, standing there in a traditional waitress uniform with a knowing smile on her face. "Surprise…" Sasuke whispered into Naruto's ears.
Her nostalgia had suddenly clicked. The familiar brick walkways were the walkways of the school that she and Sasuke had attended when they were in preschool, and this place where he had lead her to…this was the place where that had first met. Swings, slides, teeter-totters, and a sandbox. The playground of Konoha Pre-School had not changed at all over the years.
"Ho—how…?" Words could not make their way out, managing to get stuck in her throat. Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto was speechless, this was a day indeed worth remembering. Had Sasuke been comfortable with the situation, he probably would have teased her about it. Seeing as this was a rather important event, however, he merely nodded to Sakura and took hold of Naruto's hand as he lead the blond towards one of the seats. The temporary waitress had vanished into the building by then.
When the couple were both comfortable in their seats, Naruto was still looking around with awe. "You outdid yourself, bastard." She said, a small smile appearing on her face. It managed to actually settle the Uchiha's thumping heart. On the outside, he was the poster boy for calm and composed. The inside was a very different matter entirely. "How'd you get Iruka-sensei to approve, huh? It is a school night, yah know." Answering that question would mean giving away his plan, and so Sasuke merely plastered on that famous Uchiha smirk and shook his head.
I have my ways, it would obviously say.
"How about Sakura-chan, then?" The blonde was very persistent, that fox grin of hers evidently replacing her small, serene, smile. "What did you bribe her with?" Sasuke just smirked once again, not wanting to admit that this entire set up was her entire idea to begin with. Sasuke, well Uchihas in general, did not admit such facts.
"Fine, fine, keep your secrets." Naruto stated, raising her hand to her chin as she leaned forward and stared Sasuke in the eye. The Uchiha would not admit that he found this seductive. The Uchiha would never admit his desire to cross the table and kiss that grin off of his girlfriend's face. Most definitely, the Uchiha would never show that he was at least thinking about doing such things and merely resisting. "I'm telling you now, though, Sasuke," She continued. "The moment I become part of the Uchiha Family, I'll find out all of your little secrets." Now, that sentence made Sasuke's heart stop for a moment.
Had he been found out? Had Sakura or Ino blabbed about his plan? Why was it that Naruto seemed way to comfortable saying that out loud while the mere thought made Sasuke's heart thump wildly? Suddenly, the blonde released a laugh. "Gosh, Uchiha, you take things way to seriously!" She suddenly stated. "Loosen up!" Naruto would never admit the blush that had raised to her face when she stated her previous words. She also would not admit that slight hurt that seeped into her system when Sasuke seemed to have a panicked reaction to her words.
On the other hand, Sasuke managed to let in a breath. It was just a joke, the surprise was not to be spoiled just yet. "Do you remember how we met here?" Sasuke suddenly found himself asking, wanting a change of discussion. "You were so loud back then, and that's saying something since you're still loud now."
"Are you insulting me, Uchiha?" Naruto asked, raising her brow. "Cause at least I spoke when I was a kid."
"Hn" Was the only response she got, making the blue eyed female snort.
"My point exactly." Naruto retorted, turning her gaze to the swing with a fond glint in her azure orbs. Yes, how they both met. It was both a fond and hilarious memory that the girl found herself recalling quite often.
It was recess, and in the world of pre-schoolers, that basically translated to 'playground time'. Inside, during the times that are not recess, all they could do was listen to the teacher, take a nap, and play with the toys inside. During this amazing half-an-hour, though, they were free to play tag, to swing, to slide, and to build castles in the sandbox. They were able to breathe fresh air and be away from the cold air-conditioner too. This was what Naruto considered her favourite part of the school day. She was, for a fact, so happy about such times that she always bolted out the door first and was the last to return inside.
"Naru-chan!" A pink haired little girl shouted, a platinum blonde one seated beside her on the school porch. The tanned girl stopped from her game of tag and called a time out to turn to her friend. "You should really eat your snacks first. Your Mommy is going to scold you again if you don't." A rather bad habit of Naruto's was that she tended to want to use all of her recess time for playing. She would forget to take her snacks, and the moment her mom checked her lunchbox and found the untouched sandwich was troublesome. A scolding about nutrition later, and Naruto would promise that it would never happen again for it to repeat itself the next day.
"But I'm gonna have a race with Kiba-kun later!" Naruto protested, walking up to Sakura and her other friend Yamanaka Ino. "If I eat now, I might puke afterwards!" Sakura merely gave Naruto a stern look, making the other girl pout as she took a seat. Ino handed her, her lunchbox as Naruto opened it with a grumble.
"Iruka-sensei said that food gives energy." Ino managed to say, taking a bite of her apple. "Maybe if you finish your sandwich and digest it fast enough, you could beat Kiba-kun's record too." Sakura and Ino shared a smile as Naruto seemed to mull the words over in her head, smirking as she began eating her sandwich. She was eating it so fast that Sakura was afraid that her friend would suddenly end up choking.
"Just wait and see!" Naruto explained, finishing her peanut butter and jelly. "I'll beat Kiba's record and be the fastest kid in school, yah know!" Of course Ino merely rolled her eyes as Sakura laughed. Their friend's father was known as one of the fastest human beings in the planets. He won marathons and even participated in the Olympics three times for track and field. Naruto, being the Daddy's little girl that she was, wanted to be exactly just like him. Seeing as Kiba was currently the record holder for speed, the blue eyed girl basically made it her mission to beat him.
"Sure you will, Naru-chan." Ino answered back, continuing on with her apple. "You've only said it, like, a hundred times. I'm sure saying it a hundred and one times will do the trick." Naruto glared at the girl while Sakura giggled.
"If anyone can beat Kiba, I'm sure that it would be Sasuke-kun!" Sakura and Ino both released sighs of absolute adoration. "He's perfect." Sakura added, Ino nodding as Naruto raised her brow. She was pretty sure that she had all of the kids in their class memorized. There was "Lazy Kid" Nara Shikamaru, "Potato Chips Boy" Akamichi Chouji, "Bug Lover" Aburame Shino, "Dog Breath" Inuzuka Kiba, "Shy Girl" Hyuuga Hinata, "Pink Hair" Haruno Sakura, "Annoying Queen" Yamanaka Ino, and her "Blonde Bombshell" Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto. Who was this Sasuke that they were talking about?
"I wonder if Sasuke-kun would let me be his friend and then his girlfriend." Ino voiced out, causing Sakura to snap out of her stupor and turn to her best friend with a glare. It was obvious that the pinkette was not pleased, at all, by Ino's words. Naruto just continued to watch them with confusion.
"Sasuke-kun is mine Ino-Pig!"
"No chance Forehead Girl!"
"Oh yeah?! Why would he want you?!"
"Because I'm the prettiest girl in class, duh!"
"You—you don't…ergh…know Sa—Sasuke-kun, do—do you?" Naruto found his attention taken away from the catfight and towards a girl he had not even realized was standing beside him. She jumped a bit, but found herself staring into the lavender eyes of the "Shy Girl" herself. "You—you were…uhm…out of…ugh…school ye—yesterday." Naruto was all the more confused, but listened to the bluenette in front of her.
"Who is he, Hinata-chan?" Hinata jumped at the sound of her name, but shook her head as she continued to explain. Slowly, Naruto managed to find out that there was a transfer student that arrived the day before named Uchiha Sasuke. He was this bored looking kid who didn't talk to anyone at all, and when Hinata had pointed him out to Naruto on the swing, the blond wondered slightly how she could have missed him that morning. Then again, Hinata did say he didn't talk.
"Maybe I should introduce myself!" Naruto suddenly exclaimed, cutting Hinata's explanation off. Sakura and Ino had stopped their bickering and turned towards Naruto as well, wondering what their friend was shouting about now. "Since he got to know everyone but me, maybe I should say 'Hi'!" Now everyone was watching her, even Shikamaru who usually never paid attention to such trivial matters. Yes, her voice was that loud.
Sakura and Ino gaped as Naruto walked over to the swing set, the boys murmuring amongst themselves. Hinata's lower lip was trembling, slightly worried for the girl that she looked up to so much. "What is she doing?" Sakura whispered to Ino, both seeming like the best of friends all over again. "Sasuke-kun doesn't talk to anyone, let alone Naru-chan." Hinata wanted, badly, to defend Naruto, but she also knew that Sakura meant no harm with the statement. It was quite known how…eccentric, their classmate was to everyone within the school grounds.
"Hello!" Everyone watched the scene unfold, Naruto raising her hand in a small wave. Sasuke had looked up from the ground, staring stoically at the girl who suddenly appeared in front of him. Who was she? He had wondered. "My name is Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto! I'm gonna be the fastest person in this playground, yah know!" Naruto's smile was wide, and Sasuke did not show any indication that he cared about what Naruto had stated.
"Hn" Was the only…well…syllable that Sasuke let escape, turning back to the ground and making Naruto deflate. Her mother had always taught her that saying hello with a smile would earn you a smile in return. Normally, it worked, but with this Uchiha Sasuke character, he didn't even seem like the type of person to smile! Not wanting to prove her Mother wrong, Naruto decided that the boy was just bored and decided to help him out of it.
The blonde walked behind the guy and smiled as she suddenly placed all her strength into a push. To Sasuke's shock, the swing was suddenly swinging. "My brother pushes me on the swing all the time!" Naruto exclaimed happily, pushing Sasuke a bit harder. "I thought maybe you just wanted someone to push you too!" Sasuke watched as the boys in the class began to stifle laughter, and he growled as his foot came contact with the ground. He had jumped off from a good height, and Sakura and Ino seemed to be awestruck from where they sat. Sasuke did not mind them though, for his attention was all on the blonde named Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto. The glare made that obvious.
"Are you an idiot?" All the kids quieted down, rather shocked to hear more than one syllable from Sasuke. They were shocked to hear his voice in general. Naruto was not the same, though, for she returned the glare directed at her almost immediately. The words idiot did not fit well with her, whatever the word meant. She would have to ask her father later. "What would make you think that I would want to be pushed? Do you even think?" No, the Uchiha was not shouting. His voice was low and menacing, and it was ten times scarier.
"I'm not an id—id—idiot!" Naruto answered, Sasuke merely smirking as he obviously knew that Naruto had no idea what the word meant. "And you don't have to be so mean!" The Uchiha rolled his eyes as he turned away and began walking towards the building. This girl was just a waste of his time. This girl was beneath him. This girl—thump—had just thrown a shoe at his head. "It's rude to walk away from a conversation!" She shouted. "My mommy told me that one!"
The Uchiha, now grinding his teeth as to not get angry, just continued walking. Naruto, on the other hand, just came up with a nickname for the new boy as well. She thought it would just be 'Shy Boy', the opposite of Hinata's 'Shy Girl', but it was obvious that his silence was not because he was shy. No. His nickname from now on would be from a word that her grandfather called her father when he was being mean to him. "Rude Bastard" Uchiha Sasuke.
"Do you know that because of you, all the guys called me a girl?" Sasuke asked, Sakura and Naruto both chuckling at the memory of Kiba teasing Sasuke after the swing incident. Sakura had just come out to take away their plates and replace it with dessert, but she, as well, could not help but laugh. "Even Shino teased me about it once." That made Naruto laugh more, but Sakura just walked back into the building. She tried her hardest to not comment, knowing full well that she should not be talking unless necessary. This night was for Naruto and Sasuke after all.
Sasuke glared lightly at his girlfriend, but they weren't hard or anything of the sort. No, most of Sasuke's glares when Naruto laughed at him were too soft and filled with love to be considered menacing. Just watching the love of his life laugh made his heart melt, but he was an Uchiha, and saying that out loud meant certain disownment. He was sure of it.
"Aww…" Naruto finally stated, her baby voice adorable. "Was poor wittle Sasuke's Uchiha pride tainted? Boo hoo hoo." Sasuke's glare hardened slightly, but the girl in front of him was so accustomed to it that it did not have the same pant-pissing effect it had on others. This just, actually, caused her to laugh all the more. She was practically having trouble breathing. Naruto did not even notice that Sakura had placed a beautiful Vanilla Parfait in front of her.
"You know, idiot," Sasuke suddenly found himself saying. "If you're going to be an Uchiha, then you should have 'Uchiha Pride' too." This time, it wasn't just Sasuke who froze. Naruto's laughter ceased almost immediately, her eyes locking with Sasuke. The joke from before would have been normal for her, but never, in the history of their entire relationship, had Sasuke ever even hinted that he wanted to marry her. Deep down, Naruto did not want this to be some joke. The fact that Sasuke did not even joke in general would make this all the more crueler.
The tension from earlier was back. The nervousness in the girl's stomach, the waves of uncertainty from the second Uchiha son. It was not the happy-go-luck atmosphere from dinner, that was for sure. "Uhm…what—what did you mean by—by that?" Sasuke had one word in his head. Screwed. He was suppose to propose after he had offered to push her on the swing, not now. He couldn't lie either, for, unlike himself, Naruto had been making quite a lot of Uchiha jokes lately. Saying it was a joke much like she did would not deem well for both of them.
"Sasuke?" Screwed. The word echoed in his head again.
"Sasuke?" Screwed. Uchiha Sasuke you are Screwed!
"Sasuke!" That snapped him out of his trance. The Uchiha looked back at Naruto and found his girlfriend biting her bottom lip. He knew what he had to do, but his perfect night would be cut short. Somehow, he found that a fair sacrifice. As long as the smile returned to her face, all we be well.
Naruto had her head bowed, and Sasuke took this as the perfect opportunity. He got off of his seat and got down on one knee. He pulled out the blue velvet box from his pocket as well. With a deep breath, he opened his eyes and called out to Naruto. "Look up." To the blonde's surprise, there knelt her boyfriend, open velvet box in his hand. Within it was a beautiful silver band, a barion cut orange tanzanite was placed in the center, surrounded by two blue sapphires. "I'm no good at this," The Uchiha began, gulping slightly as Naruto's eyes finally met his. "So I guess I'm just gonna come out with in." He continued on. "Marry me."
It was not a question, and Naruto did not mind it at all. It was the Uchiha way of proposing, she assumed, but she didn't care if it was the worst proposal in the world. Why? Cause she was just so happy at the moment. Tears were building in her eyes, and she noticed that though Sasuke's eye was twitching, he was just as nervous. "Idiot," He began. "Marry me." Who was Naruto to defy orders?
She jumped out of her seat and tackled the Uchiha to the ground. "Yes, bastard! Yes!" The tears fell, happiness and relief both flooding the Uchiha as he wrapped his arms around Naruto's waist. "Damnit, bastard! It took you long enough!" Sasuke could only smile, yes, not smirk, but smile, at the words. Happiness was always felt when he was around Naruto, but this was one of those that made it to the top of the list. He could only imagine how he would feel at the wedding itself!
"No! No! No!" Someone suddenly shouted, emerging from the school building and glaring. "Uchiha Sasuke you did it all wrong!" Sakura looked angered as the couple suddenly stood and stared at her, Sasuke's smile suddenly widening as his arm stayed around Naruto's waist. In return, Naruto's was wrapped loosely around his chest as her head was placed on his shoulder. "You were supposed to propose to her after you payed her for pushing you on the swing that day!" She continued.
"Then she would wonder why you had to pay her back, then you would answer that she never would have gotten your attention if she hadn't." Naruto hid her chuckling face in Sasuke's neck as Sakura continued on with her rant. "Then she would blush and you would get down one knee and ask her to marry you, not demand! ARGH! You men are useless!" Naruto was so glad that she was sharing this moment with Sakura, really, she was, but the moment being ruined has never had a better time of use!
"Wait till Ino hears about this! Oh, even Hinata is going to kick your ass! Tenten and Temari would too, I'm sure!" Ah, yes, the girl group that had given Sasuke advice and had taken him to tons of lunch outs just to plan the proposal that he had apparently ruined. He didn't mind though. Naruto had said yes! That was the main goal.
"Apologize to Naru-chan and—"
"Sakura-chan," Naruto called out.
"—then do it all over again—"
"Sakura-chan…"
"—properly this time, Uchiha!"
"Sakura-chan"
"Then, maybe Naru-chan will say yes and—"
"Sakura-chan!"
"WHAT?! Naru-chan! Don't you see I'm giving your boyfriend advice on how to propose here?!" Sasuke actually had to stop a laugh from emerging, while Naruto managed to regain her composure. She was smiling widely as she stared at Sakura, head still on the Uchiha's shoulder.
"As much as I think he needs it," Naruto stated, Sasuke pinching her side at her words. The girl merely pinched him back as she squirmed. "I would actually want some alone time with me fiancé right now." Sasuke's smile was never as bright as it was at that moment. He liked that word, very much so. He liked that it goes both ways too. Fiancé, yes, Naruto was no longer just his girlfriend. She was his fiancé now.
"Fian—OH!" Sakura seemed to have finally noticed the position she was in. She grew as pink as her hair. "Right, well, Congratulations!" Naruto and Sasuke both shared looks of utter amusement. "I'll…ugh…right…leave…yup!" Sakura ran back into the school building as finally the couple released their laughter.
"Smooth Uchiha…" Naruto commented.
"Not so bad yourself, future Mrs. Uchiha." Blushing madly at the name, Sasuke found his resistance futile. He'd been wanting to do it since he picked her up, he wanted to do it when she said yes, and now that (hopefully) no more interruptions were in order, he gave in and kissed his future wife.
~REIGN'S TALK SHOW CORNER~
REIGN: *Plays the beginning of the William Tell Overture* My guest for today shall be none other than the party pooper herself, Haruno Sakura-san! Hopefully we can explain a few things as you read through my mini talk show segment here! This will feature a new character each chapter!
SAKURA: That was embarrassing! I ruined the moment for them! All because that stupid Uchiha had to go and do something out of plan! Oh well, as long as their happy, I guess I can survive that. They'll never let me live that down though. Especially that sadistic Uchiha!
REIGN: I'm shocked! Shouldn't you be in love with Sasuke and hate Naruto for being his fiancé now? Also, you're actually blaming him! Sakura-chan! I feel like crying! You're all grown up now, so tell me, are you dating anyone right now? Hmm…or maybe anytime soon?
SAKURA: How the hell am I supposed to know?! Depends really, but no, I do not want to date bushy brows! He's a great guy and all, but even with Sasuke taken he's still a little too eccentric for my taste! I'd prefer someone who has more brains than instinct thanks. ALSO what the hell are you talking about maturity?! I am mature! And of course I'll give Sasuke to Naruto! They have great chemistry, and really, Naruto was the only one to look past looks. Ino and I are pretty happy for them.
REIGN: Noted, Sakura-chan, noted. Your tears are proof of your sadness, but willingness to let go.
SAKURA: I am not crying!
REIGN: Right! Now with all that explained and done (Thank you for guesting Miss Haruno!) Please leave a review to tell me if you want me to continue this story! Also, as mentioned above, any flames about the gender change will be hereby ignored! Well…not really…I'm immature and will make fun of you in an a talk show…anonymously though, so don't worry!