Another flashback chapter, this one is Sakura and Naruto's wedding day. This flashback arc will cover several chapters as it sets in motion a number of events that have repercussions for a number of characters.
This chapter is set about two and half years after the successful rescue of Sasuke. Sakura is just a couple of weeks away from her 19th birthday (it's mid March)
Rain or Shine
Chapter 3
Sakura waited for the ceremony to start. It was considered bad luck to see one's spouse-to-be on the morning of the wedding day. The bride was to wait with the groom's attendant and the groom with the bride's attendant. Some thought this tradition was also a test of how faithful the wedding couple would be to each other. There were tales of brides or grooms running off with their respective attendants before the ceremony started. No one knew if these were true or not, but the village elders swore they were.
"Ino is in love with Choji?" Sakura blurted incredulously.
Sasuke smiled slightly, amused at Sakura's astonishment. "You think she didn't react the same way when she found out you had fallen in love with Naruto?"
Sakura laughed self-consciously. Sasuke's barbs were gentle nowadays, but they still cut right to the heart of the matter.
Sasuke shrugged, looking for a moment like the boy she had once had a crush on. "She found out the hard way that Sai is gay too, which kind of cured her of wanting either of us for her boyfriend."
Sakura's mouth dropped open in surprise, "Do you mean she walked in on you two..."
Sasuke smirked, "That would have really done it, wouldn't it? Not quite that hard a way. It wasn't too long after I came back to Konoha. Sai told her the details of what and who he likes and finds appealing."
"Ouch. Yeah, that would do it all right . I'm still kind of surprised she fell for Choji though, she usually tends to go for the cute guys."
"Choji isn't exactly ugly."
"No, I guess he isn't. He looks less round and weird looking than he did when 12. He looks more like he's composed of muscle and fat now, and his face isn't bad looking."
"Most of us looked weird at 12."
"Not you, though."
"Yeah and all the girls, including you, were chasing me."
"Sorry about that. What can I say? I was a silly 12 year girl with a crush on the cutest boy in the class."
"It's okay, you stopped being annoying about it after a while, and I actually kind of liked you."
"Really?" The shade of that fangirl in the form of her other inner persona
did a victory cheer. Ino wasn't the only kunoichi of their class that could
charm a boy after all!
"Yeah, not that way, but as a friend. You and Naruto were the only people I considered friends. I trusted Kakashi more than I had any other adult, but he was our sensei. You and Naruto were my team mates and my only real friends."
Sakura gave Sasuke a quick but tight hug. He was a dear friend she cared a lot about, like family. He was a dear friend she cared a lot about, like family. Her inner persona was a tad disappointed that it hadn't been the feminine charms but Sakura shushed her; friendship was far more important than any kunoichi trick.
"Sasuke?"
"Hmm?"
"I'm sure Naruto feels the same way, but as you've renounced the Uchiha name, would you like to be part of ours?"
"You mean officially adopting me into your family, becoming a Haruno or an Uzumaki? No, it's better I'm not officially attached to any family, not with what I did and almost did. I'd be a mark of shame on your families."
"You don't have a mark of shame to us."
"I do to Konoha, though."
"You think we care about that?" Sakura looked disgusted, there were some
people in Konoha she'd like to punch through a wall. The ones that still
looked at Naruto as the "Kyubi container", the ones that hated Tsunade for
becoming Hokage, and the ones that looked at Sasuke now as if he was still a
missing nin or a traitor; hell, even the girls that tormented her as a child
for her broad forehead.
"You don't but the council will. I won't be the cause of problems for either of you, ever again. I left Konoha and joined up with one of the worst missing nins ever from Konoha, one who killed the Third Hokage, tried to destroy Konoha and did vile experimentations on people for years both in Konoha and after he left. Then there's my brother and what he did. Between the two of us we turned the Uchiha name into a curse in Konoha."
Sakura nodded. She knew what some of the council still said about Sasuke. "Okay, so not an official adoption, but just between the three of us?" This was so important; she felt both Naruto and Sasuke's loneliness at having no family keenly.
Sasuke looked thoughtful. He nodded slightly.
"Thank you, Sasuke."
"Thank you too, Sakura."
Ino opened the door. "Time for us to switch places Sasuke, thank the gods! Naruto just paced the room the whole time and barely spoke to me. It was so boring and irritating. When he did speak, all he talked about was wanting to see you, Sakura."
Sakura faked a sympathetic look for Ino, but inside, both her adult self and
Inner Sakura, were thrilled. Naruto was as eager to be with her as she was
to be with him. Inner Sakura would shut herself away once things got beyond
kisses though, to that self anything beyond kisses was grown up "perverted
stuff". Goodness knows she and Naruto had done a few things that were a bit
perverted, and even before that, thanks to Konohamaru, Naruto had found out just how perverted she'd become in the two and half years they had been apart. Over two years later Sakura still blushed in shame. It would have been bad enough if it had just been Naruto and Konohamaru, but Sai and worst of all Kakashi sensei witnessed it too... She would never tell Tsunade about that incident. Sakura did talk to Tsunade about her fears about having a perverted side with things she liked to do with Naruto. Tsunade had told her to not to worry. Most people in love experimented with a few kinky things. Sakura decided not to pursue that conversation further with her teacher, she'd rather not know just what "kinky" things Tsunade had done with Dan, in her youth.
Once Sasuke left, Ino did a few last minute adjustments to Sakura's hair. "Good thing you finally decided to grow it back out again, or I wouldn't have been able to give you this cute hairstyle. You really look beautiful, Sakura. I told you that you'd end up prettier than me. You are that blossom in full bloom now."
"Ino, you're going to make me cry." Sakura's tears were indeed welling up. It was so good to be best friends with Ino again.
"Remember, Ninjas don't cry." They both chuckled at that childhood axiom. Ino helped Sakura reapply the light makeup, which had smeared slightly.
"I heard you and Choji-"
"Shh, we haven't made the official announcement yet. Do you mind if we do at your reception?"
"Not at all. Wow, soon we'll both be married ladies."
"Yeah, back when we were kids that seem so far away. Now we are women and it's happening so fast. Look at how many of us are married or engaged now: You and Naruto, Choji and me, Shikamaru and Temari, and Hinata and Kiba – wow and wasn't that one ever a fast courtship? Once Hinata found Kiba was in love with her-"
"I had a talk with her."
"You didn't get too scary did you?"
"No! I was very nice actually. We did some shopping and I told her that Naruto and I were engaged."
"What happened?"
"She stuttered out some congratulations. I felt bad for ending her crush fantasies, considering how soft hearted she is. I had to give her hope; she was clueless about Kiba's feelings, because of how she'd just focused all her romantic feelings on Naruto."
"So you told Hinata that Kiba was in love with her?"
"Not quite that bluntly. I said that I thought Kiba cared for her a lot. Then two weeks later I was passing by her house-"
"You saw that too?" Both of them giggled
"Yeah, it was kind of cute and romantic though"
"Who would have thought Kiba had any clue about romance?"
"I know!"
"So, how long before Tsunade's official retirement and Naruto becomes Hokage?"
Sakura laughed. "Your engagement isn't the only announcement that will be made at the reception. Tsunade wants to do the handing over at the ceremony. His first official day will start in the morning."
Ino hugged Sakura. "I'm so happy for both of you!"
"That's not all either, I'll become head Medic Nin at the same ceremony."
"Wow, Tsunade's going to fully retire then?"
"Yeah, she's been telling me I'm more competent and talented than she ever was for over a year. I didn't want to take on the role until Naruto became Hokage, because I wanted us both to take on our adult roles at the same time."
"You two really are in love. I hope you have many happy years together."
"You should have saved that for the reception toast."
Ino shrugged, "I'll just say it again, for everyone to hear."
There was a sharp rap on the door and Tsunade's voiced bellowed, "Time to get moving, chatterboxes!" Tsunade sounded like she was already slightly drunk. Sakura hoped Shizune could keep the sake away from Tsunade until after their reception ceremonies, because she didn't want to have that kind of memorable day.
Author Note
This story was inspired by Kishimoto's picture of Team 7 as adults:
looks like it could be a picture of Naruto and Sakura on their wedding day. They look like they might be slightly older than they do in the current manga stories- perhaps 18. It's most noticeable with Sakura.
Note both Naruto and Sakura have sakura blossoms designs on their outfits, Naruto's giant pipe also has sakura blossoms and is perhaps symbolic of him being Hokage? His brown jacket closely resembles the old Shogun Jinbaori, which might be another "teaser" hinting at him becoming Hokage as an adult. Sasuke's outfit has his old colors but strongly hints of his time jump experiences and costume (and interesting doesn't have his family crest. Nor does Sakura's but with the repeat of the design on Naruto's outfit, and done in what looks like mon- family crest- style on his, I'd call that a crest on both of theirs) Sakura is clearly connected with Naruto in the picture. Sasuke's back is turned but his old arrogant/superior expression is absent. He looks sort of penitent (with even a symbolic tear on his cheek) yet watchful.
