A/N, 3/25/2013: There are many things I am grateful for; all the reviews and feedback, suggestions and of course all my followers and the people who faved this story. I can't thank you enough.
So, this chapter required some research because I wanted to do everything right. I'm sorry you had to wait long but I do hope the wait was worth it. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: For the umpteenth time: I do not own Naruto
From the moment Xiao arrived at the Uchiha palace, Tenten was holding in her breath. After the servant came to deliver the message, she quickly redressed into her hanfu. Her father detested her wearing such inappropriate clothing; he always said that it was meant for low life people and not for those of their status. Tenten never liked the way her father thinks but she couldn't do anything about it. Some part of her was happy that she was leaving her home. This way she didn't have to deal with her father's ridiculous way of living royalty.
Her father arrived with a little 'cavalry' of his own (he could never let go of his royal guard ways). There were men in armor, holding flags with the family emblem, galloping through the streets of Konoha like they were going to invade it. Tenten and the Uchiha family were all waiting by the doorstep, just like they were when they awaited Tenten's arrival.
The cavalry was pretty loud. First four riders arrived through the gate, two by two. Behind them was Xiao, Tenten's father. And to her surprise, he was followed by two other young men. Their armor was different than the first four guards, but less extravagant than her dad's; they were her brothers. Tenten was overjoyed when she saw them. She thought they weren't able to make it! The cavalry ended with four other guards, following behind her brothers.
The Uchiha's were not impressed by Xiao's little show. Dressed in armor, coming in with big horses, family flags and weapons; it wasn't really something the Uchiha's liked and for a moment Fugaku wondered why he even took a liking to the man to accept a betrothal between Xiao's daughter and his son. But that didn't matter now; the decision has been made and he wasn't willing to go back on his word.
Unlike Tenten, who gave a little introduction of herself, her father made no such attempt. Instead, he waltzed towards Fugaku and bowed. When he retained his position, he only glanced at Tenten, but returned his gaze towards the Uchiha clan leader.
"Shall we go inside?" he asked. "Then we can discuss business."
Fugaku smiled and lead Xiao the way into the meeting room.
Mikoto and her sons were a little baffled by Xiao's behavior. He may be of high status, but that doesn't give him the right to be rude!
"Gomenasai, Uchiha-sama," Tenten apologized, bowing before Mikoto. "My father can be very… unreasonable at times."
Mikoto smiled at her daughter-in-law and stroked her hair.
"It's okay, dear. I'm sure your father has his reasons."
"Konichiwa, Uchiha-sama," they all heard someone say. When Mikoto and her sons turned to the voice, they saw Tenten's two brothers bowing before them. Tenten was smiling brightly, she was really happy her brothers were here.
"We apologize for our father's behavior. We know that he can sometimes be a little rude."
"We are Xiao's sons. I am Shen and this is Han. We are here for our sister's wedding. We couldn't let her go without doing it the right way."
Both brothers smiled heartily at their sister. They wanted to give her a hug but doing that now wouldn't be considered appropriate.
Itachi and Sasuke nodded; they liked Tenten's brothers. They were polite and well mannered. Mikoto also approved of them.
"Come on in," she said. "Let's continue this conversation inside."
Inside the palace
In the living room, the Uchiha's and Tenten's family had a lively talk. Even Sasuke and Itachi were enjoying themselves; they found the brothers very amusing. Tenten was having the most fun; this was the best way to spend the last moments with her family. The only bad news her brothers brought her was the fact that their mother was very ill. Because of that she wasn't able to travel or else she would've certainly been here. Tenten was worried of course. Her mother has been struggling with her health for the last few years, but she knew her mom was strong. The thought of her death never crossed her mind.
"So, little panda," Han addressed his little sister. 'Panda' has always been their nickname for her.
"I hear you managed to snatch Phillip away from dad. May we see him? Such a magnificent horse is a very rare creature."
Tenten excused herself and her brothers and lead them to the stable behind the house. Itachi, Sasuke and Mikoto didn't bother joining them: they knew the brothers wanted some time alone with their sister.
"Phillip," Shen softly whispered as he stroked the horse's snout when they arrived at the stable, "I never thought father would give you away. And yet here you are."
The siblings simultaneously joined in a group hug. Tenten was giggling and a few tears ran from her eyes.
"Don't cry, little one," Shen tried to comfort her. "Everything's all right."
"At least we made it here," Han said. "Thank god that the general was understanding. It's very rare for him to give a few days off to soldiers like us."
"Tell me, little panda. Are you happy? With the choice that father made?"
"Is he a good man for you?"
The brothers were genuinely concerned for their sister. To them Tenten would always be the little girl with a balloon in one hand and a lollipop in the other; innocent and fragile. They would do anything they can to protect her. And if it needed to be done, they were willing to fight their father if Tenten wasn't happy with this arrangement.
"He can be a snob," Tenten admitted. "But I believe that he would never hurt me. I can sense a good soul inside that hard shell. I don't want to run away from this, I feel that it's better if I just leave our home. Dad doesn't want me there. So… yes, I do believe I am happy with his choice."
"Very well then," Han said assured. "We hope everything turns out well. And we surely hope you know what you're talking about."
"You are going to live in Japan now," Shen reminded her. "If things go wrong between you and that Sasuke, we won't be able to come and rescue you, like we did before. We need to know for sure that he is the man we can trust our baby sister with."
"I'm sure about this Shen," Tenten assured them. "He is a good man."
"Alright, so be it," Han said definitely. "I wish you both all the happiness in the world."
They joined in a group hug once more and returned to the palace.
Apparently Fugaku and Xiao were discussing as to when the wedding should take place. Fugaku wanted more time for Sasuke to get to know Tenten but Xiao wanted the wedding to be done and over with. Eventually it was decided that the wedding would be held two days after Xiao's arrival, so the moment the two fathers left the meeting room, the house was in total chaos. Servants were hurrying around, trying to get the palace ready for the wedding, making arrangements and inviting people.
At first Sasuke's and Tenten's background were of question. How would the ceremony be held? Would it be a Japanese or Chinese ceremony? Xiao didn't mind how it was done, as long as it's done. Tenten didn't mind either but she did want to wear a wedding hanfu. The decision was made quickly: it would be a Japanese ceremony, with Tenten wearing a wedding hanfu. This was an unusual way to wed and soon the word of the wedding spread like fire on dry grassland. Not everybody was invited to the wedding, though. Due to the status of the Uchiha family, they wanted a certain amount of discretion and privacy. Only close family were invited and influential people from the village that the Uchiha's were well acquainted with like the hokage, the Hyuuga family, the Nara family and so on.
The day of the wedding
Tenten stood in front of the mirror, admiring herself in the hanfu she was wearing. It was a silken red hanfu with golden trimmings. Her top had golden flowers embroidered on it and the gown was about two meters long. Tenten had her hair down; for this occasion she didn't want to wear buns. Sasuke may be a man she didn't know that well but she wanted to look at her best for him, nonetheless.
As a finishing touch to her look, she painted her lips red, the same color as her hanfu, and wore a pair of golden earrings. They were simple rose shaped earrings. Not too fancy things, but she wore it because they were a present from her mother. Her mother knew Tenten didn't like too fancy stuff, so she sent her simple earrings instead. Except for earrings, her mother also sent her a comb. It was a wooden comb, dark brown from color. It had porcelain cherry blossom flowers on it and was decorated with small river pearls.
Tenten looked at the beautiful comb and after looking at herself in the mirror, she changed her mind: she was going to pull her hair up instead of letting it loose. Her mother gave her a wonderful comb and she wanted to honor her by wearing it. Just as she finished adding the comb to her hair, she heard knocking on the door.
"Tenten-sama, the ceremony will start soon."
"Okay, I'll be there in a second."
She quickly pouted her lips to make sure her lipstick was distributed evenly and then walked out the door. Servants guided her to the meeting room where Sasuke and other members of the family, including her own, were waiting. Also in the room were present the hokage and his wife; Naruto and Hinata Uzumaki. Hinata gasped when she saw Tenten: she was so pretty! But she wasn't the only one surprised: nearly everyone was staring at the radiant beauty who just stepped inside. Sasuke couldn't keep his eyes off of her; he knew she was beautiful when he first saw her, but now it was like she spent a weekend in heaven's spa and had a makeover done by angels. For the first time ever Xiao was amazed by his daughter. Tenten was proud of herself; she may have had no help at all but she did well enough to attract her father's attention.
Tenten was guided to Sasuke, who sat by a table. She sat across him. A priest handed them a few papers: the marriage vows and the couple had to sign them. After signing the priest explained the whole ceremony. Tenten was all ears; being Chinese the ceremony was new to her and she wanted to do it right. This will be the first and only time she'd get married, so screwing up was not an option! In the end the priest washed the couple's hands and mouth with purified, blessed water; so they would be pure when they start the ceremony.
Sasuke offered his hand to Tenten after the purification and Tenten took it, albeit shyly. She was blushing for some reason. But then again, she's about to get married! Who wouldn't be blushing?! Together they walked out of the house, the whole family following behind them. The only person in front of them was the priest, guiding them all to the Shinto shrine where the ceremony will be held.
When they arrived at the shrine, the priest turned around and looked at the bridal couple and their guests. In response everybody bowed. Then, one by one, everybody was purified by the priest. The bridal couple, of course, was the first in turn.
When everybody was present inside the shrine, the priest guided the couple towards the altar where he announced the marriage of Tenten and Sasuke. There were no seats, so everybody was standing. After the announcement, everyone bowed again.
Then Sasuke and Tenten turned to and looked up at each other. A servant brought them a tray with six cups filled with sake. The cups were of different sizes: two were small, two medium and the last two were large. First they took the small cup in their hands and took turns sipping three times from each size of cup. Luckily the sake was only drunk at the third sipping, so Tenten wasn't worried about getting drunk before the end of the ceremony.
When the servant left with the cups of sake, another one came to the altar. But he was carrying a small cushion with the wedding rings. Sasuke took the bride's ring and offered it to Tenten. Blushing, Tenten extended her hand and with a small smile, Sasuke slipped the ring on her finger. After Tenten did the same to Sasuke, the couple said the wedding oath out loud as the priest was handing them the sakaki branch. They took the branch from the priest and put it at another altar.
To end the ceremony, Sasuke and Tenten had to do one more thing: they bowed twice and then clapped their hands twice.
Afterwards everybody cheered. Now it was time to celebrate the newlyweds at the Uchiha palace.
The Uchiha Garden
For the occasion the Uchiha garden was beautifully decorated: there were lanterns on each corner and the tables were set with beautiful bouquets of fresh flowers. The atmosphere was very pleasant and relaxed. Tenten felt her previous tension melt away as the guests approached the couple and congratulate them. Especially Naruto and Hinata were excited.
"Finally hooked, huh?" Naruto said, as he jokingly smacked Sasuke on his shoulder. "And I thought the tough faced Uchiha was never going to settle down. I thought you were too greedy for power, status and all those kind of things." Naruto grinned as he sipped his champagne.
"Shut up, dobe," was Sasuke's reply. He meant to sound grumpy and annoyed but he didn't look it. He was going along with the joke, which was a first: Sasuke doesn't 'go' along with jokes. But deep down, a part of him was happy.
'Maybe it's just lust,' he tried to tell himself. 'After all: Tenten's a beautiful woman. Who wouldn't be happy to wed someone like that?'
"Just go easy on her tonight, sour face," Naruto continued. "She doesn't look like she had any experience whatsoever. You might just break her and have her running back to China. And knowing you, you'd be too proud to beg her to come back."
"Mind your own business, loser," Sasuke scoffed. "Her pureness is none of your concerns. Why don't you go bury your face in paperwork and jug some ramen while you're at it?"
Naruto and Sasuke threw each other evil looks, but all of a sudden both men started laughing. They have been rivals during childhood but that actually made them very good friends. They couldn't hang out now as much as before but whenever they had the chance, they enjoyed each other's company.
Tenten
Tenten enjoyed the reception. She got to meet so many friendly people. First there was this Kakashi guy who used to be Sasuke's former sensei. He seemed like a pervert to her; he was constantly reading from this Icha-Icha Paradise book. Then there was this blond woman with a huge bust who listened to the name Tsunade. She was the hokage before Naruto took over and was enjoying a long retirement, travelling around Japan. What made Tsunade noticeable was when she gave Naruto a smack on the head, the moment she arrived. Tenten was shocked a little. I mean, who does that to the hokage, the leader of the village?! Tsunade was accusing Naruto, rather loudly, of not informing her of the wedding in time. But even after all the ruckus, she had that calming glow and Tenten just knew that she was someone who could be trusted.
Then there were Sasuke's friends and colleagues. There was Nara Shikamaru who looked like he didn't want to be there but was dragged there by someone. There was Akamichi Choji, who looked like he was about to eat everything at the reception. Naruto seemed to take this as a challenge because he was either joining him or competing against him.
The one person who caught her eye was a young lady, about her age with beautiful pink hair. It was the most unusual hair color Tenten has ever seen, but it suited the lady real nice. Her name was Haruno Sakura. She used to be part of Sasuke's team back when they were younger. She had a confident look and was very social. Tenten also noticed that she was very comfortable with Sasuke's brother Itachi. Were they dating? Tenten shook her head. Whatever was happening between them, it wasn't any of her business.
When the reception was finally over and the guests all left for home, Tenten was ready to call it a night. She had been standing for so long that evening, she couldn't feel her legs anymore. She was about to walk up the stairs to the house when Sasuke stopped her.
"Where are you going?" he asked. He sounded very stern, almost like he was angry. Tenten started to wonder if she did something wrong. She hesitated a bit before she answered.
"I'm going upstairs?"
"And why would you do that?"
"Because I'm tired?" Tenten was very insecure. What was Sasuke talking about? Why is he acting so weird all of a sudden?
"That's not your house," Sasuke said matter-of-factly.
Tenten sighed. She was tired; her legs were starting to cramp so she didn't want to put up with this right now. If Sasuke wanted to say something, he should just say it before she lost her cool.
Sasuke walked up to her until he was so close, she could almost hear his heart beat.
"We don't live here anymore, you know," he said softly. Then he bowed down and whispered in her ear: "Let me show you where we will stay."
And just like that Sasuke picked Tenten up in his arms and started to leap away in the dark night. Tenten was shocked. She held on to Sasuke as if her life depended on it! She didn't dare look down because she was so afraid of falling. She never knew people could jump like grasshoppers. Back in China no one did such a thing! But obviously, the unthinkable can happen in Japan. She hid her head into Sasuke's neck and closed her eyes shut. All she could hear was the whooshing of the wind and the eventual branch or ground that Sasuke landed on.
When they finally came to a stop, Tenten still didn't want to open her eyes. She didn't know what she'd find if she did. Maybe they would be standing on top of a mountain. Or maybe they would be on the edge of a cliff. Maybe he was planning on pushing her off the cliff. Was he planning on having her killed? Was he regretting the fact that he married her?!
"You can open your eyes now," Sasuke said. He was smiling at the fear of his wife. It looked funny on her, since there was nothing to be afraid of.
When Tenten did open her eyes, she was baffled. In front of her was a beautiful house. It wasn't as big as the Uchiha palace but it certainly felt like home. She could see the light that was shining from inside the house and some servants were already down the stairs, ready to guide the lady inside.
"Is this our home?" she asked, still astonished.
"Yep. This is where we'll stay for the rest of our lives." Sasuke headed towards the house but stopped when he noticed that Tenten wasn't following him.
"Are you coming? Or would you rather freeze outside?"
Tenten felt very stupid and almost wanted to smack herself. But she couldn't help it! The house was a beautiful surprise. She didn't know they'd be moving out this quickly. She was happy but then it dawned on her: she would be all alone with him in this house. She started to get a little nervous and scared. She prayed to god that Sasuke would really never hurt her.
The house was beautifully decorated. It was cozy and warm, spacious and comfortable. It almost looked like the Uchiha palace but with a few modern touches. The brown/white interior went well with the luscious green plants inside. Especially the small curling bamboo in vases are what she found elegant. When they arrived in the bedroom, Tenten noticed that her stuff were already inside, tucked away in the drawers.
"You make yourself at home. I have to check on a few things," Sasuke said and walked out of the room. Tenten grabbed that opportunity to take a shower. She wanted to be done by the time Sasuke arrived. She felt too shy for him to see her wrapped in a towel, or worse: wearing nothing at all. When she closed the glass door after showering, Tenten gasped when she saw Sasuke sitting on a chair facing the bathroom. He was sitting at the far end of the room, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and his folded hands under his chin. He looked very pensive, as if he was scheming an evil plan. And he was watching her so intensely that it was starting to creep her out. They were married now. Sasuke wasn't violating any laws but she still didn't feel at ease. After hesitating a moment, she slowly walked into the bedroom and passed Sasuke, heading straight for the wardrobe.
Sasuke
Sasuke was looking at her, his gazed locked like a missile on target. He already had a hard on from watching her take a shower. The glass wasn't clear but matted, so he couldn't see any details when she was busy. But he did see her figure and boy was she hot! Coming out of the shower, her hair was hanging down like heavy strands. A few forgotten drops slowly sliding down her skin. It aroused him. He hadn't slept with anyone for awhile, so he had some urges inside him that needed to be vented. But he also saw that she felt awkward and decided to do her a favor. With a smirk he took a towel, some pants and walked to the shower. This'll give her enough time to get dressed and more time to calm himself down. He wasn't planning on raping her on their first night together.
When he got back from the shower, he was only wearing a pair of sweatpants. He turned off the light and looked around the room. Tenten was sitting on the edge of the bed. The night lamp was the only source of light in the room. It shaded the room nice and warm and it gave Tenten a delicate glow. She was staring at her feet when Sasuke arrived and it didn't seem like she was going to look at him anytime soon. Sasuke smirked and sat beside her. At this point he was already very horny and he was almost at full length. Luckily his baggy pants managed to cover that.
By looking at her sideways, he took in every detail he could see. She had on a silken dressing gown; it had abstract motives on it with warm colors. She probably had a matching little dress underneath it. The though made his mouth water. Her hair was still hanging down heavily with water. Her skin was fair colored and the light of the lamp made her look really delicious. He wanted to take her that instant but he wanted to be sure she wanted it too. So he tried to kiss her, slowly closing the distance between their faces but just as he was about to brush his lips on her cheeks, she looked away.
That was a bad sign. Then he put a hand on top of her hands, which were neatly folded on her lap. And very quickly, she flinched. It only lasted a few seconds but that was evidence enough for Sasuke: Tenten wasn't ready.
He sighed. Not only was he disappointed that he wouldn't get laid tonight but he realized it might be awhile for her to trust him enough for them to actually sleep together.
"Tenten," he said softly, not looking at her. "Are you afraid of me?"
She didn't answer. In fact, she didn't know what to say! Yes, she was scared because she has never done this before and he's technically a stranger. No, she's not scared because he was her husband now. She shouldn't be afraid, should she?
"I'm not going to hurt you," he continued after he realized that an answer won't come any time soon. "I'm not going to force you into anything you don't like doing. If I were to do anything at all, it will only be with your consent. Let's just go to sleep now. I know you're tired."
Sasuke stood up and walked around to his side of the bed. He wanted to go to sleep quickly before his boner would become a nuisance. He felt Tenten slipping under the cover next to him and closed his eyes. While Sasuke drifted to sleep that night, Tenten was still up, feeling stupid about what just happened.
A/N: okay, I'm officially pooped. It took me longer than expected to write this. I'm so sorry I made you guys wait. I was at a loss of words while writing this chapter. I knew very well how to say it in Dutch but translating it was harder than expected. And trust me; a dictionary does not always do the trick. I also felt very constricted: my mind wanted Sasuke to jump Tenten but my heart knew it wasn't time yet. I'm sorry I ended the chapter this way. I find it stupid and had a different ending in mind but if I wrote it till that scene, the chapter wouldn't have been done by now! And I really wanted to post something for you, my readers. I hope you enjoyed it. Like always, R&R, please…
Ever wondered why this fic is called "The Tale of the Kusanagi"? Find out next in the following chapter. Stay tuned! ;D