Things were looking up. He could afford the hot spring reservation, in fact, he already paid the deposit. Early payments had some additional food bundled in. Yes, admittedly, he would never be able to feed an Akimichi with just that, but it wouldn't be too bad to ask the guests to contribute. Now for the hard part. Almost every single close friend of Naruto is at least a chuunin at this point, and most are top-ranked jounin. If he was going to get a chance at getting them all to attend, he'd have to go to the top.
Nearing the Hokage's office, his sprint gradually slowed down to a brisk walk. He was hoping it wouldn't be too hard to ask. After all, Kakashi, the rokudaime was Naruto's captain as a genin. As he was about to turn to go in, he heard a loud voice, unmistakably, the voice of Shizune.
"Hokage-sama! You can't be serious! Sending almost all of the jounin on this mission? That's going to leave the village underprotected!"
"maa, maa, it's not like there's any immediate threat. Besides, we do still have the ANBU, and if need be, we have a lot of capable chuunin as well."
"It's not that I doubt their skills, but for something like that..."
"I've already decided, and it's only this weekend. I'm not going back on this." That last statement, Konohamaru could feel the intent from outside. It wasn't killing intent, that's for sure, but it was one that definitely felt the discussion is over. He slumped away, this weekend was the last chance to get everyone together for the bachelor party.
"ugh, what am I gonna do now?"
~earlier at the Hokage's office~
"Hai, hokage-sama, just for this weekend, I'll be inviting all of Hinata-neesama's friends, so if it's possible to have them all free for that time?"
"Well, to be honest, the only things coming up are the routine guard duties, but I can have them start before and after that to shake things up a bit."
"Really? Thanks Kakashi-sensei... er... rokudaime-sama!"
"Please, Kakashi-sensei is fine. I'm really not used to the formalities."
"Oh by the way, has Konohamaru visited you yet?"
"No, not since I handed out the wedding gift mission. Why did you ask?"
"Well, the little perv would most likely do something for Naruto too, seeing as it's the last week before the wedding. Please consider if the guys could be off this weekend too?"
"Alright, I was actually planning to start something but, if the little brother wants to, then I'll just go along with it."
"Arigatou gozaimasu Kakashi-sensei! I'll excuse myself now, I have to get things ready!" and with a poof, she was gone.
A few minutes later, Shizune came in and Kakashi told her about his plans to get almost all of the jounin and chuunin freed up for the weekend.
~back to the present~
Disheartened that he wouldn't be able to go through with his plans for a bachelor party, Konohamaru instead went off to find Naruto. He already had the hot spring reserved, he might as well at least get the groom some relaxation time. He had been looking for him for a half hour already when it hit him. "I'm such an idiot!" then shunshin-ed off to Ichiraku.
"Mmmm hmmm! Ramen is really the best for lunch!" Naruto exclaimed, this was his second helping, and was contemplating whether to get a third one or not.
"Naruto-niichan!"
"Konohamaru! What brings you here?"
"Would you be free this weekend?"
"I just got back from a mission so I may be able to ask Kakashi-sensei for the weekend off. Which reminds me, I have to go see him after this to hand in my mission report."
"Would you? I got a reservation at the hot spring. I thought you might want to join me to relax a bit."
"Really Konohamaru? That's great! I've been thinking about going myself."
They chatted a bit more while Konohamaru ordered and ate. After that, Naruto went off to see Kakashi.
~a few minutes later, at the Hokage's office~
"Really Kakashi-sensei? Thanks a lot! I can go to the onsen with Konohamaru this weekend!" Naruto exclaimed. He didn't even get a chance to ask. As soon as he handed Kakashi the report, he told Naruto that his next mission would be given when he got back from his honeymoon. Soon after Naruto left, Kakashi got himself thinking aloud."
"Hmm. If Naruto and Konohamaru are going to the onsen, that must be what Hanabi was talking about. But why hadn't Konohamaru come by yet?"
"Uh, I may have an answer for that Kakashi-sama."
"Er... drop the -sama please Shizune..."
"Konohamaru-kun might have overheard part of our discussion earlier about mobilizing most of the senior ninja."
"He did?"
"I'm not sure what he heard, but I definitely felt his chakra signature out the door then he suddenly left."
"Are you sure about this? I just thought it was a chuunin going to hand in a mission report."
"You weren't focusing as much after the discussion with Hanabi-chan. Besides, I'm sure, I'm familiar with the chakra signatures of all my patients. And considering Konohamaru is one of my frequent patients, not to mention my second most frequent escapee from the hospital, I've got no problems identifying his signature."
"If he did overhear, then it might be a probem. He may be thinking all of Naruto's friends won't be able to attend because of a mission."
"That may be so, but don't you think this is a good opportunity to teach him a lesson?"
"How so?"
"I mean, he just assumed that Naruto's friends will be on a mission this weekend. I know Ebisu is preparing him to take the jounin exam soon. He has to avoid acting based on assumptions if there's something he can do about it."
"Well, yes, I agree. But I don't want to jeopardize Naruto's bachelor party either."
"You are the Hokage, you could get information about Konohamaru's plans from the onsen I bet."
"Just leave it to me. By the way, you said that Konohamaru was the second most frequent escapee from the hospital, who'd be the first?"
"Do you really need to guess?"
"I might have known... Naruto."