A/N: The end of a journey for me. A completed story. A last chapter for something other than a oneshot.
I hope you enjoyed it all! :)
Part 8: The End of the Road
Limp white streamers dangle from the festive lights strung across Kohona as rain falls down on wooden rooftops. Translucent flower petals layer the puddles on the ground. Discarded bubble wands float alongside the petals and taint the water with a slightly reflective liquid. A soggy red carpet runs through the street. On its end is a tiered stage, its white posts the support for white banners and flowers. On it are violets and lilacs, woven amongst snowy roses and hibiscuses.
On the stage's smooth maple boards lies Hinata in her ornate purple dress. Naruto is sprawled out next to her, a simple black suit with a purple tie adorning his body. Hinata thinks it is cute on him; the Nara matriarch agreed as well.
"We're married," Naruto whispers as he turns his head. His blonde hair is bogged down by a small puddle that has accumulated in a small pile of discarded undergarments. They've had the decency to put their main clothing back on though; it wouldn't do for the Hokage to be seen as naked as the day he was born.
"And yet the best day of our lives is yet to come," Hinata replies, reciting part of their vows to one another.
"For one day we will find children dancing across the yard," Naruto says in turn.
The rain falls directly in her face and Hinata briefly notes that looking up to the sky when it is pouring is not the best idea she's ever had. "I'm still in disbelief," Hinata says as she meets Naruto's eyes. "I still need to ask- how did you even manage the throw together such a big wedding in a week? You still had your duties to attend to, and to rent out an entire street for a day must have taken forever!"
"One, I am the Hokage. It does get you someplace. Two, I'm a war hero. People owe me debts," Naruto rolls over top of Hinata, shielding her from the rain's somewhat evil assault. "Three, you're my only duty."
Hinata blushes. She's never been able to kick the habit and why not blush when your husband- kami, she loved that word- romanced you?
"And how do you take care of that duty?" Hinata squeaks as Naruto smiles devilishly. His hands slip to her sides and she prepares to grab the obscure zipper of her dress.
"Like this!" Naruto shouts as he starts to tickle her. She giggles and thrashes about, attempting to seek refuge from his hands. Perfection, she thinks through a laughter-clouded mind.
"So no children then?" Hinata asks as Naruto removes his hands from her sides.
"Nope," Naruto grins yet again. "We need to first make sure their mother can cook ramen well enough and we also need to make them, now don't we?"
Hinata's hands find the zipper amongst the forest of piping one more. "I guess we'll just have to," she sighs. "It's a shame that it's hard work."
Both of Naruto's eyebrows raise and Hinata finds herself rather preoccupied for the next six hours. The only sad part that she finds is that her dress and Naruto's suit are as wet as you could imagine a garment could be after they are finished.
Afterwards, they lay in the rain, their limbs entwined. They keep each other warm, and Hinata just curls closer to Naruto whenever she finds chills creeping up her spine. A warm glow fills her core as she curls around Naruto.
"I love you," he mutters into her ear.
"I love you too," Hinata grabs his mouth and enraptures it.
The wind blows over the two of them, caressing them as they nuzzle one another, warming their bodies. It skirts over the edges of their shoulders, giving them one last goodbye.
The mountains invite the wind to sneak around in their tunnels and monuments, and the wind happily complies. It rushes over ships and heads and ratty buildings and empty streets and abandoned rooms and vacant apartments, blowing the first leaves of fall in every direction.
Then it swirls around a single sakura tree on the top of the stone bust of the Yondaime, where so many couples have mourned for their love and somehow, just somehow, it smiles.
