Helping her back into the dock she smiled and thanked him, "Brother look!"
Three kids swarmed around the boy all holding something in their hands, "Look at all the shells we found!"
"Nice, why don't we use them to decorate a sand castle?" The kid cheered and ran to a vacant spot close to their house and start digging in the sand.
"Are those the only siblings you have?" She asked walking along side him.
"Yes, Midoriko is 4 she's just big for her age, the twins are 6, Koji is the one with pony tail and Taki is the one with the shorter blond hair." She watched as the kids took turns bringing wet sand to their castle.
"We're going to need more shells!" Midoriko demanded, and with a smile she went to collect more.
"I'll help you." She smiled softly following the energetic girl to the water line, looking around something she might like.
"All the best shells are out there." She pointed out to the water, "but I'm too little to get any."
She smiled bending down getting eye to eye with the little girl, "Lucky for you I'm not too little, I just need a pair of goggles and I'll go look."
She smiled running to get a paid of goggles for her, she turned around to see Naruto walking over with the little girl dancing happily around his feet, hand her the simple pair "Be careful, the undertow is bad over there so stay away from that spot."
He pointed out a few places not to go, "Thank you, I'll be alright." She smiled walking out into the water, but stopped when the little girl handed her a small drawstring bag to the shells in.
Diving under She was finding a lot of junks shells, grabbing a few she moved along the bottom of the ocean trying to find something a little different, finding a few sand dollars as well she pushed off the bottom letting momentum carry her to the surface.
Helping his siblings build their castle he kept one eye out on the ocean watching for a spot of pink to pop up every few minutes, he was already devolving a soft spot for the girl even though she's only been here for a few hours but already showing she's much different than the girls that roamed the beaches here. He saw her come up a third time, going back under he started to mentally count the time just by watching her he figured she could hold her breath for a maximum of five minutes.
Finding what she wanted she made her way to say the shore loosing her footing a little a waves crashed behind her, she felt a strong arm circle around her waist keeping her upright. She smiled up at Naruto as he helped get back to dry land, "Thanks."
"It's rough if you're not use to it, find anything good?"
"I did find this." She said smiling pulling out a Conch she'll.
"Nice, she's going to love this." He smiled calling her over.
"Oh wow, thank you!" She dances around as Sakura handed her the little bag full of different shells.
The went by and soon the sun was setting, she was starting to feel tired after the long day. He gave her his towel wrapping it around her shoulders as the walked up the wooden path to the house, she shivered slightly as the temperature started to drop due to the sun going down.
"I hope everyone had fun!" Kushina smiled at the tired girl when she walked through the door, "Clare will take you to your Sakura so you can wash up before dinner."
Following the dark haired maid to her room, after saying thank you she shut the door pulling out her scrolls she unpacked her clothes putting them up in the dark oak dresser, her room was decorated with pinks and purples with flowers all around. The bed had a canopy with pink and purple clothes tied back, walking into the bathroom there was a stand up shower and also a garden tub, with another door for the toilet. Choosing the shower she quickly washed the salt, sand and grime away, drying her hair and slipping into a pair of black yoga pants and a simple red v-neck she looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. Her face was a little red from all the sun she got today, her long hair flowed down just below he shoulder blades.
There was a soft knock on her door pulling her away from the mirror, "oh hey."
"Figured I could walk you to the dining room if you'd like." She smiled at the blonde nodding her head.
"I'd like that." She walked along side him, he was now clothed in a simple orange shirt and black cargo shorts.
"My room is literally right next to yours so if you need anything don't hesitate to come get me."
"Well aren't you just a gentleman, nice to know chivalry hasn't died yet." He flashed a toothy grin opening the door for her to the dining room.
"After you."
Dinner went smoothly, there a lot of laughs and Kushina telling stories of a younger and wilder Naruto. After dinner was over he walked her back to her room, once she shit the door he head to his fathers office.
"So how are you liking her so far?" Sitting down in a chair in front of his desk.
"She's a sweetheart, Midoriko seems really taken with her." He didn't know what else to say, she hasn't been there but a full day.
"That's surprising, your sister doesn't like anyone." He laughed lightly.
"I don't know how she smiles, she gave up her whole life to move to another village to marry someone she doesn't know. I thought she'd be more upset or more afraid than she is or at least what she's showing."
"From what I've heard Sakura is a very strong girl both physically and mentally, that's one of the reasons Tsunade chose her. She knew that Sakura could handle it better than anyone, all we can do now is make her feel welcome and pray the elders will approve."
"You know they won't, they want someone of noble blood and she came from a simple trade family, it doesn't matter to me where she came from but they do." He leaned back in the chair looking over at his dad.
"I've looked over her file and she's something else, she on track to surpass Tsunade herself and she's only 17. Super human strength, amazing charka control, and enough medical knowledge to be a walking hospital. If we back her the elders will have a harder time saying no, but that's only if you think she's going to make a good fit. This might be an arranged married but you still have a say."
He left his dads office walking back to his room, opening the door he flopped on his bed looking up at the ceiling, finally drifting off to sleep.
Over the last few weeks she poked, she was insulted and she was slowly falling into a depression. Naruto did his best to offset the uncomfortable positions she was put in, he always smiled at her and held her hand giving it a light squeeze to try and comfort her but sometimes it wasn't enough. Like now, she was staring at two red doors that lead to the elders, today was the day and she felt sick to her stomach.
Her hair was lightly curled, she was in a subtle baby blue dress with a fitted top the rest flowing down around her feet with a white shawl covering her shoulders. Naruto stood next to her in her in a black suit, his was still a spiky mess and looked over at her smiling, "You've got this."
She walked in after Naruto both standing in front of a table with five elderly men and women sitting and staring daggers through her very soul. He stood next to her resting his right hand in the small of her back, she looked over and smiled at him.
"She's so pale.
"She's too skinny!"
"She doesn't even have noble blood!"
"Did Tsunade send us this girl as a joke?!"
Well this is a tough crowd, they do realize that we can hear everything they're saying right?
Something tells me that they don't really care.
"Minato, are you really considering this?" One elder asked.
"I am, she may not have noble blood but she's come from a family that had no ninja background, and with that being said she's been able to rise in the ranks of her village. She's a Jounin, she's a field medic trained to be a mobile hospital as well as trained to defend herself in close combat. She's inherited Lady Tsunade's monstrous strength, for a girl who came from a ordinary family we feel like the strides she's made prove that she is the right choice for our family." He spoke with such confidence in her abilities, he was sure she would make a good fit and she was starting to believe it too.
"Come here my dear." An elderly woman waved her closer and she obeyed stepping closer to the table the lady stood up and walked around using her cane, she pushed Sakura's bangs aside revealing her purple diamond, "Oh my, I never that I would see this again up close."
She turned to face her peers as she spoke, "This ordinary girl has the ByakugÅ seal, something that not even I could achieve in my prime, I believe this girl would and can hold her own and be a strong addition to this family."
She stepped back as the elderly lady sat back down, he wrapped his arm around waist giving her a small squeeze and a big smile, "Naruto, how do you feel about this girl."
He looked over at her and smiled, "She's different, she's strong, she's outspoken, and she's everything I would look for in a wife." Her heart fluttered as he spoke, "I'm the short time I've gotten to know he she's shown me things I didn't know were possible, she's tough on the outside but she's got a big heart and a kind souls and I think it would be a mistake if she was turned away."
They were sent outside so the elders and Minato could talk, they stood in the hallway for what felt like a life time. She couldn't help but start pacing the sound of heels clicking against the floor as she moved, "Come here."
Naruto pulled her into a hug holding her in place, she wrapped her arms around afraid to let go. Over the weeks they had gotten closer, he couldn't imagine life here without her. She was a little ray of sunshine in home, everything was always the same until she came into his life. From laying out on a board together to going to the movies and watching a horrible comedy, there's nothing about her or this situation that he would change.
Kushina and his siblings joined them, "Anything yet?"
Naruto shook his head still holding onto the nervous girl, part of him was doing it to comfort her while the other was doing it to keep himself calm. He's never been this nervous about something before so it was a knee feeling to him.
Minato opened the door and stepped out, he kept a straight face as all eyes were on him, "Sakura, do you like living here?"
Taken aback by question his question, "Of course."
"Then I guess it's a good thing you'll be staying with us for a very long time."
"Wait you mean-" Naruto looked from his father to her back to his father.
"They approve." She smiled as everyone in the room erupted in cheers of joy.
"Oh Sakura, welcome to the family honey." Kushina wrapped her in a tight hug, tears flowing down their cheeks.
"Since Naruto is 18 and she is only 17 they can't get married just yet but we can announce the engagement."
They walked outside along the beach, she left his jacket at the house unbuttoning revealing his white under shirt, the breeze moved the soft flowing fabric of her dress around as the stood next each other watching the waves crash on the shore.
"In a year we're going to be husband and wife." She said it slowly letting it sink in.
"I think I could live with that." She smiled pulling her closer.
"I think I could too." Looking up standing on her tippy toes as he leaned down cupping her face they finally kissed.
"Glad to see you two are getting along." Breaking the kiss she turned to see someone she thought she wouldn't see again for a long time.
"Lady Tsunade." She breathed, grinning from ear to ear she ran hugging her former teacher.
"You look amazing Sakura, happy looks good on you." Naruto walked over hugging her as well, "You're just as handsome as ever, you better take good care of this one."
He smiled placing his arm around her shoulder kissing her forehead, "That's definitely a promise I can keep."
"Oh I brought another little surprise." She smiled, looking around Tsunade she saw her best friend.
"Ino!"'she yelled grabbing her dress she ran up the wooden pathway hugging her best friend.
"I've missed you forehead." Tear of joy streamed down their faces as they hugged.
"Go change, and meet me back out here okay?" Naruto asked as he walked by them into the house.
"Oh my, he's hot." Covering her mouth as he walked by them, "You seriously hit the jackpot."
Rolling her eyes and laughing, "Come on." She pushed her friend inside so they could change.
Ino came back out in a tiny purple bikini, Sakura rolled her eyes when she saw her best friend. She was in a simple mint green bikini her top covering her chest and a pair of pink mini shorts covering her lower half.
I know you've missed her but does she really have to act like a hoe in front of your future husband and in-laws?
It's Ino, it wouldn't be her if she didn't.
"Well what do we have here." She froze when she heard his voice as Ino places her hand on her hip and twirled her blond hair around her finger.
"What do you want?" She asked coldly, she couldn't stand the Uchiha brat.
"Certainly not you." He by looking Ino up and down as he passed.
"Is everyone on this island hot?" She laid her towel down next to Sakura's using her arms to prop herself she started soaking up the sun.
"He's an asshole." She mumbled
"But a hot one, if I can I get him in bed before I leave I would be just fine with that." Sakura blushed at her statement, "Oh I forgot sweet little Sakura is virgin."
"That I like the sound of." Naruto walked by grinning ear to ear after hearing Ino's statement.
"Oh my stars, Ino!" She hissed watching him make his way to the dock.
Ino laughed, "You act like it isn't obvious."
"How is it obvious, it's not obvious." Suddenly feeling a little attacked.
It's so obvious.
No one asked you!