Once the clock struck eleven at night there was a knock on Ino's door.

"Who could that be?" asked Hinata. "I didn't forget to invite anyone did I?"

"I think that it's about that time," answered Ino.

"What time?" asked Temari, who was not familiar with the Leaf's unusual tradition.

"Oh right, you don't know how these things work," acknowledged Sakura. "Allow me to explain, for your and Karui's benefit. Just before the day of the wedding, the bride is taken to the altar, which is hidden in an undisclosed area. The entire wedding party must find the bride and the altar before the wedding is scheduled to start. It is a test of love on the groom's behalf, and a test of support for the rest of the party. If any member of the party fails to make it to the altar, then the wedding is cancelled."

"Isn't that a little intense?" asked Karui.

"Maybe, but don't you think that it's a wonderful testament of love," asked Ino, who absolutely loved the thought of her future husband fighting his way to the altar to marry her.

"The only person in the wedding party who knows where the altar is, is supposed to be the bride's mother, so she can provide the wedding gown and do the bride's hair. In Hinata's case though, Kurenai sensei will be filling in," added Sakura.

Hinata stood up and walked over to the door, she grabbed her coat and looked back at her friends.

"You shouldn't look so nervous," instructed Ino. "There's no way that Naruto will fail. He loves you more than anything."

"I know that," stated Hinata.

"Then why are you nervous?" asked Tenten.

"I've been waiting for years for this day. I hope that it's everything that I dreamed it would be," confessed Hinata.

"It will be," Sakura reassured. "Now get going before you're late."

With that Hinata opened the door to find Kurenai sensei standing on the other side.

"Are you ready?" The older lady asked with both concern and excitement clear in her voice.

"I think so," said Hinata.

"Then let's get going."

The door closed behind the nervous bride and the room went silent. The remaining girls looked at each other and started to get nervous themselves.

"So what do we do now?" asked Temari.

"We get ready to go and meet her, one of us though has to go and warn the boys," Sakura explained further.

"You mean that I have to go looking for some hidden alter, all dressed up?" demanded Temari.

"Why would you be all dressed up?" Tenten asked, genuinely confused. "I know that Lady Tsunade does it, but it's not easy to fight in a dress and high heels."

"Fight? Who the hell are we fighting?" Temari asked, getting more and more confused the more that the crazy Leaf tradition got explained.

"In order for a shinobi to prove their love, the groom must fight through as many high level shinobi as he can. Most of whom will be his old sensei. You know that you are on the right path to the altar by whether you're running into attackers or not," informed Ino. "It really is a romantic tradition."

"You know, in Suna, a wedding is just a nice day where the bride and groom gather in the Kazekage's house with their friends and families," mumbled Temari. "I think that I'd rather get married in the Sand than in the Leaf."

"In Kumo, it is customary for the groom to go on a two week journey with his best man before the wedding. They day that he returns is the day that they get married. It is to allow the couple to be sure that they are ready to be married. Because if one in the party does not miss the other, then they are not meant to be," explained Karui.

"I honestly don't know which is worse," complained Temari. "Why can't you people just trust that the couple will be happy together by their own choosing?"

"Okay, who wants to go inform the boys while the rest of us get ready?" asked Ino. "We'll meet at the main gates by midnight and begin the search for the altar as a group. It is our job as the wedding party to ensure that Naruto gets to Hianta in one piece."

"I'll go," Tenten volunteered.

"Okay, then we'll gather supplies for the journey," concluded Sakura.

The girls from the Leaf all nodded before going their separate ways. Temari was left sitting on the couch feeling exasperated.

"Do you know what a bachelorette party is in the Sand?" Temari mumbled to herself. "We get drunk, tell stories, and then once we feel left out enough, we go home and fuck our significant other. We do not go on journeys and fight our friends for proof of love. Getting married is proof of love enough for us."

…..

"Is it alright if we skip me?" Chogi asked.

"All with significant others must tell a story," responded Shino.

"What if I don't have a story?"

"Come on, Karui is totally a babe, how do you not have a story?" demanded Kiba.

"Because she's absolutely beautiful and I'm scared that she's going to realize that I'm not good enough for her," confessed Chogi.

"Why are you so self-conscious?" Sai asked. "Is it because you're fa..."

"How many times do we have to warn you about the f-word?" Shikamaru hissed.

"So fa... what?" demanded Chogi, daring anyone to finish the word.

"Fantastic," Shikamaru stated. "He was just wondering how someone as fantastic as you could be so self-conscious."

"Oh, that's so nice of you," Chogi said to Sai as he took another bite of his tapas.

"You should not feel so down," exclaimed Rock Lee. "You should not waste the energy of youth. You should take risks and dive right..."

Rock Lee was interrupted by Tenten barging into the bar. She regained her composure and started to frantically look around the room for the groom.

"Oh, hey, Tenten. We are over here," called Rock Lee. "It is so good to see you."

"It has happened," Tenten exclaimed as she approached the table. "Kurenai Sensei collected Hinata. We have to meet the rest of the wedding party at the front gates by midnight. Are you guys ready?"

"Yes!" Naruto exclaimed as he stood up. "Nothing will stand in my way. I will make it to Hinata. Believe it!"

Naruto moved from the table and ran out the door. The entire bar cheered the groom on as he passed, knowing full well what was waiting for him.

"I can't believe that he's so eager," mumbled Shikamaru. "Doesn't he know that this isn't going to be easy? I mean, he's going to have to go up against the leader of the Hyuga clan all by himself. I don't know if he has realized that yet."