Hello loves! I just posted two new fanfictions, so check 'em out if you have time! One is called Seven Deaths: Tales of the Jinchuuriki (Guess what that one's about) and the other is called Karma (It's about Kotetsu and Izumo, who wake up one day to find that Kotetsu's little sister has abandoned her children on their doorstep) which I am co-writing with my sister. I haven't told anyone wise about it until now. (). Sorry, Kyiri. Anyways, read! Tis Ashura's intro.
Chapter 11

"…Urk… what all did I drink last night? Hopefully not all that peach stuff, I just got some from Xi Wang Mu…"

"OI! MORIO! I NEED SOME WATER!" …Oh, right… He'd gone down the mountain to visit his sick mother…

"Renjiro?" …Oh… yes, he was the traitor… damn him… how dare he run off with one of Xi Wang Mu's fairies…

"Kintaro? Manzo?" …Ran off together on a month long vacation…

"Rinji? Saburo? Takashi? Anyone? Anybody?" …Rinji, the klutz, had broken arm… Saburo was on an errand for two weeks… and Takashi had the flu, and it was catching.

"Shut UP, Ashura…" Jiraiya said groggily, in a voice that confirmed that he was hung over.

Ashura sat up, blinking… well, it could be worse… his eyes didn't quite feel like they had been nailed into their sockets, and the light didn't leave him for dead, just a bit stunned. He felt around until he found the jug of water he kept in the main room. Then he drained it.

"Aw, gods… what happened last night, Jiraiya? I can't remember anything…" He asked.

"Shut up… It's too loud." Jiraiya rolled over to face the wall. Ashura scowled.

"YOU'RE IN MY HOUSE! BE POLITE! WHAT HAPPENED?" Ashura yelled, leaving Jiraiya cringing.

"You have the sensitivity of… well…me…" Jiraiya muttered. "Mm… we got really drunk… and you told the story about that time you were drinking with Zabuza and messed with his student and got your arms broken for about the millionth time, and then we did our routine, and then I complained about the utter lack of breast-age on this god-forsaken place, because those girls you had over last night were cute, but absolutely tiny… and then I came onto one of them… and then I blacked out" He sat up to reveal a bruise that covered half his face.

Ashura stood up, a bit wobbly, and found his way to the first aid kit. There he took out two bottles of hangover medicine. He gulped one down himself and threw the other one at Jiraiya. Ashura made a face at the bitter aftertaste and sat down at the low table in front of him. Then, noticing a letter sealed with a wax stamp that read "Gamble", he picked it up and opened it.

"Ashura,

Learn to address a letter properly. My name had never been, and will never be 'Tonadi'. That aside, I'm happy to report that I've found a suitable shrine maiden for you. The one who I have in mind is quite capable and a good match for you- you'll see when the two of you meet.
I'll expect this shrine maiden to be treated as your student. You're to be a teacher to this one. And if you pull any of your perverted stunts, I'll make good my promise about pummeling for your little 'revelation'. You know the one I'm talking about.

Tsunade

P.S. Send the lazy perverted bastard home"

Ashura squealed. "Oh, Tsunade! You do care! I've got a new shrine maiden! Tra la la… Life is worth living again… and it's been awhile since I've had a student… 'oh, Ashura-sensei! No! We can't! It wouldn't be right! Oh…!' Eh heh… eh heh… Tsunade can't actually expect me to keep a promise like that… and it isn't even really a promise… I never agreed to it… I'll have to drag out those school uniforms… And she even said we'd be a good match! Kya! I'm soo excited!" Then he looked at Jiraiya. "She says that you have to get back home. And she called you a lazy, perverted bastard"

Jiraiya put a hand to his forehead dramatically and clasped his chest "My heart, though wounded, continues to beat. I'll survive" He sat up. "My hangover's mostly gone. Let's get back to drinking"

"Hot damn. I'm with you there. Can't let you go without a proper sendoff." Ashura said, producing sake from a cabinet in the wall.

"Kampai!"

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"I got the firewood. I'll take care of the fire now!" Maya said cheerfully. Kakashi ruffled her hair and smiled beneath the mask. She beamed in return and started to arrange the sticks in a cone shape.

"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!" Maya fanned on the new formed flame. Sakura smiled at her expression. She looked most like Sasuke when she concentrated on something.

It'd been a shock, of course. It wasn't every day that you got called into the Hokage's office and had a little girl shoved at you, while your ex-Jonin instructor explained that she was the niece of your traitor ex-teammate/crush (whatever Sasuke was to her) and she and her Inugami had been staying with your best friend, and had been found in a base belonging to the person who caused your traitor ex-teammate/crush to run off and become a traitor in the first place, and had been found by the cousin of the girl who was dating your other, not-traitor ex-teammate. Weirdness.

Not that Sakura had breathed a word of her feelings for Sasuke. None of which had changed. Maya-chan had enough to deal with for the time being. Still, it was nice to have a convenient source of flashbacks.

"C'mon, Maya. Let them handle the rest. We have to train, right?" Kakashi motioned. Maya nodded seriously. Akeko scampered after them, yipping.

He'd been having serious misgivings about teaching Maya the Chidori. Understandable ones. He'd only taught one other person- Sasuke. And he wasn't real eager to relive that experience. But Tsunade-sama had suggested it to him.

"Just teach her the basics. She'll pick up on it quickly"

Kakashi sighed. Maya looked at him curiously. He tried to grin at her, but her disapproving look told him she didn't buy it. He sighed and plopped down on a log, inviting her to sit with him. Akeko jumped up next to him.

"Are we going to meditate? To increase our mental capacity?" Maya asked, scuffing her shoes in the dirt, not sitting down. Kakashi shook his head.

"Not right now. We're just going to talk." Kakashi said.

"Okay" Maya's mismatched eyes held his gaze seriously.

"Maya, you know about your uncle, right?"

"Hai." She looked down. "I miss him. I wish…" she stopped.

"I understand. He's your only family" Kakashi looked away.

"Oh, that's not true! I do have a family still. I have Ino-onee-chan and Neji-nii-chan and Iruka-oji-chan and Tsunade-baa-chan and Sakura-nee-chan. And I guess if Neji is my nii-chan then Hinata is my nee-chan, even if we've never met face to face. And Naruto is my nii-chan too. He was on Sasuke-oji-chan's team. So he's my nii-chan. And so are you. Since you won't let me call you my oji-chan, you have to be my nii-chan. Even though I didn't live in Konoha very long, it's still my home. And I have more siblings than I know what to do with now." Maya said. "And when I come back, I can meet Ino-nee-chan's team, and Neji-nii-chan's team, and their teachers, and I'll have an even bigger family." Kakashi smiled.

"That's true, I guess." He said. "But is that all you want to do after you get back from Ashura's? Meet Ino-chan and Neji-kun's teams?"

Maya shook her head. "Nope. I have dreams for the future."

"Like what?"

Maya shook her head.

"C'mon. I won't make fun of you or anything" Kakashi coaxed.

"…Konoha is my home… I love it, and I love the people in it. But… I lived in Oto for eight years… two thirds of my life. I had a best friend… and someone who I maybe loved… and people who treated me like family there. They're all gone… they sacrificed themselves for Orochimaru. All any of them wished for was to be wanted. I don't have any loyalty to Orochimaru anymore. But I want… it's my wish…" Maya stopped. "Are you sure you won't laugh?"

"Positive" Kakashi said.

"I want there to be peace… between my home and the place where I spent eight years of my life. I want to be able to do that." She smiled wistfully.

If a clanless brat could marry the Hyuuga heir and become Hokage… if a frail girl who had never believed in her own worth could find the courage to stand by her precious person… if a Kunoichi who had nothing more than boys on her mind could grow up to become a better medic than the Godaime… if a boy from the branch family could mend the rift between the main house and the branch house… if a clueless blonde could melt the Hyuuga genius's heart…

Then why the hell not?

"That's a great dream, kiddo" Kakashi smiled. Maya looked down, blushing.

"And, of course, I want to protect my loved ones… and I want to bring back Sasuke-oji-chan." Maya added in a muffled voice.

"Of course." Kakashi agreed. Then he hesitantly added "…But…"

"Yes?"

"You don't want revenge?"

Maya looked down. "I've seen my life destroyed… once by ambition… once by curiosity… once by greed. I don't have any desire to ruin it again for revenge." She replied "I want to protect the people that matter to me… all of you. And look how Sasuke-oji-chan hurt all of you. Revenge takes you and destroys something inside you. You keep hurting yourself and everyone else around you, until you become what you thought you were destroying. You're all alone. You haven't won. Everything is meaningless. And that's how you live the rest of your life. Revenge may be sanctified, but it's selfish"

"Where'd you learn that?" Kakashi asked.

"From Sasuke-oji-chan… and… from this" she tapped her right eyelid, and when she opened her eye again, he saw the Mangekyo. Then her eye reverted to it's original form. She smiled shyly.

Kakashi made his decision. "Alright, Maya-chan. I'm going to teach you a new move. It's super secret, a last resort, and only Uchiha can learn it. And it can't be used against friends, or for revenge. It's to protect those who are precious to you. Are you up for it?"

"Hai, Kakashi-sensei!" Maya saluted. He winked.

"From now on, you can call me Kakashi-oji-chan." He said.

Maya looked ecstatic. "Really?"

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"What have you two been doing? Maya, you're filthy! And your poor hands" Ino exclaimed. Maya hid her hands behind her back. Ino rolled her eyes. "Sakura, could you take a look at this?"

Sakura smiled and took Maya's hands. Her eyes turned serious. "Maya, these are chakra burns." She enveloped both their hands in a healing green light, and then turned to her teacher. "What were you two learning?". She already knew the answer. There wasn't any other type of technique that could inflict that type of damage on the hand, plus the chakra burns were fairly even and extended far beyond the range of damage for anything like the Rasengan.
"I was teaching her the Chidori" Kakashi admitted. Suddenly everything was quiet. No one said anything for a minute. Then Neji, painfully aware of the scar left on his shoulder, asked "Well, is she a good student?".

"Yes. She's a very diligent learner." Kakashi said.

"Of course she is." Ino grinned at Maya. "I wouldn't expect anything less than that from someone who calls me Onee-chan." Maya blushed happily. "And now our little diligent learner needs a bath. We do too, Sakura-chan. Come on, let's get our towels, there's a hot spring pretty close by."

"Right" Sakura nodded.

As the three girls walked off together, Kakashi pulled out his perverted book and pretended to read it, while secretly studying Neji's face.

"Your Byakugan… have you ever…" Kakashi could tell Neji was listening, even though his white eyes were averted. "Have you ever been tempted to… you know…?"

"No" Neji said firmly.

How boring. Kakashi picked up his book again and started to read.

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It took two weeks all in all to reach Feng Huang no Yama, the mountain Ashura lived on. On the very last day of their travels, Maya figured out the limits of her Chidori.

"So you can only do it once?" Ino asked. Maya nodded, peeling off the band aid on her chin. Sakura rolled her eyes and slapped her hand softly.

"Don't pick at it" Sakura scolded. Maya pretended to look ashamed and then rolled her eyes.

"Yes. I can only do it once. It's weird. It's like I could do it one and a half times, but the Chidori isn't really something you can do a half a time. But that means I still have some chakra left after I use it. So I don't get tired like Kakashi-oji-chan." Maya explained.

"Well, girls' chakra levels usually peak when they're thirteen or fourteen. So you'll probably be able to do it two or three times if you keep working. Even I can't use it more than four times a day." Kakashi said. Maya nodded.

Ino and Neji stayed a bit behind the other three, side by side. They didn't talk, and didn't show any overt sign of the newfound affection between them, but their hands caught each other loosely, barely touching.

They watched Maya chat happily and thought about how much things had changed. If Neji hadn't brought her back to Konoha…

If he had listened to the soldier side of him and killed her…

They would still, in all likelihood, hate each other.

Ino would still be depressed after breaking up with Shikamaru.

Neji would never have that memory of his "Bushin"

They would have never gone on that date (which was followed by another two days later. Neji had asked to "repay" her for the baked potato)

Ino's apartment would still be whole.

They wouldn't be here, in the bright, cold mountain air. Neji would be training or on a mission or alone in his room or possibly stalking Hinata and Naruto on another date. Ino would be trying to forget her failed marriage plans, in her undamaged apartment.

Ino wouldn't be looking ahead, a slight blush creeping over her cheeks as she watched Maya make a face at Kakashi.

Neji wouldn't be beside her, trying to match his step to hers, guiding her slightly over roots and rocks.

The slight mist dissipated as suddenly as it had appeared, and even Kakashi seemed to be having trouble moving quickly in the thin oxygen.

Then a huge red gate, like the ones in front of temples, rose up before them, flanked by two enormous trees that were probably older than Konoha by a good century or two. The trees had wards on shimenawa around their trunks.

"Ah. We're here." Kakashi said happily. "This way!"

They walked through the gates and up a path to what looked like a combination of a temple and a noble's house. It had a large, eight story pagoda with red tiles, and there was an east and a west wing jutting off from the sides. There were also what looked like hot springs nearby, as well as a beautiful old pine tree.

"WOW! This place is beautiful!" Ino said.

Maya nodded her head in agreement.

They started up towards the main house after a few more admiring glances. Even Kakashi, who had been there before, seemed slightly awed. They were almost at the porch before they saw the ornate doors swing open.

"Who goes there? I am Ashura of the Suzaku clan, monk of Feng Huang no Yama!"

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Gaara sighed as he put on his official Kazekage robes on. He smoothed them down for the forth time, and then he put on his hat.

To borrow his soon-to-be brother-in-law's catchphrase, this whole thing was troublesome. He adjusted his hat again.

Not that he was fidgeting.

Godaime Kazekage Sabaku no Gaara did not fidget.

It was an honor for the Kazekage to sit in at a wedding. And his older sister deserved it, even though she'd lost her head with Shikamaru. And Shikamaru had seemed so respectable before. Gaara sighed.

He looked himself over again and left the dressing room. There was just this wedding before the mission to Iwa, which he was leaving for tonight, while the newlyweds would be going to Konoha for a second reception, after the first one in Suna. Gaara went to go sit on the chair reserved for the Kazekage before everyone filed in.

Shikamaru's parents were there, of course, and Kankuro, who was sitting by Baki. Kurenai and Asuma were also there, Kurenai holding their second child, Zoki. His sister, Miho, was looking around in awe, red eyes wide. Choji was there too, along with Tenten. The priest performing the marriage was already standing on the stage, in front of the shrine that had been constructed for the wedding. Gaara's chair was on a platform that was a few crucial inches higher, behind the stage.

It was completely silent as the doors swung open noiselessly. Shikamaru and Temari walked in together. Shikamaru wore a plain black kimono over hakama, with the Nara family crest on the back. Other than that, he looked the same as usual.

Temari looked beautiful. She was wearing a Shiromuku kimono with a train. Her hair was down, beautiful and smooth and golden against the pale white of her kimono. She'd tied her Hitai-ate around her obi, as if saying that she was still a ninja, even on the most important day of her life. The light blue obi didn't disguise the bump that was just beginning to show.

The kimono itself had been contributed by none other than Nara Yoshino herself. Tenten had later called it predictable, but every male who had witnessed the first dinner between the Sand siblings and the Nara family had been stunned when it turned out that Yoshino and Temari HATED each other. That night had ended with a whole lot of plates broken, Yoshino's cries that her first grandchild would grow up to be a freak with a mother like that, and Temari cursing creatively for half an hour afterwards. Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had hated each other pretty much since first sight. But, with time, their mutual hostility had faded to something like a truce. And it had only been two days before that Yoshino had given her daughter-in-law the wedding kimono that had been worn by the Nara clan's brides since the founding of Konoha. And in a crazed hormone-fest, the two ended up sobbing and hugging each other.

Shikamaru helped Temari up the steps, and she smiled. Then they turned to face the priest. As the priest purified Shikamaru in preparation for marriage, Temari winked and grinned at her younger brother, who hesitantly returned the smile. Then the priest turned to her and began to pray over her, sprinkling her with water.

After the priest declared them both pure in body and spirit, he began to recite the duties of a wife to a husband, and the duties of a husband to a wife. Temari listened serenely as the priest blathered on. Then she turned to Shikamaru in order to say her vow of commitment.

"I vow always to love and cherish my husband, to show tender respect to him, to protect him" she smiled briefly where she had changed "obey" to "protect" and then continued after sufficient emphasis "and to care for him. I will not stray from him in difficult times or in plentiful times. I will honor his family and his country, as is fitting. I enter this marriage for the sake of love, and as such am bound to my husband, body and soul. I will not forsake this sacred bond, despite the hardships, the tears, the pain, that may come our way. I enter into this marriage freely and of my own will and will keep it, in hard times and in good times, in times of sickness and in times of health, in times of peace and in times of war, in times of poverty and times of wealth. This do I vow, as formerly Temari, Yondaime Kazekage's daughter, and now as Nara Temari, of Konoha's Nara clan."

Shikamaru squeezed her hand. At this point Kankuro was sobbing, and Tenten was trying to simultaneously pat him on the back and shut him up.

The priest turned to Shikamaru "And in entering the sacred bond of marriage, what do you vow?"

"I vow always to love and cherish my wife, to show tender respect to her, to protect and obey her, and to care for her. I will not stray from her in difficult times or in plentiful times. I will honor her family and her country, as is fitting. I enter this marriage for the sake of love, and as such am bound to my wife, body and soul. I will not forsake this sacred bond despite the hardships, the tears, the pain, that may come our way. I enter into this marriage freely and of my own will and will keep it, in hard times and in good times, in times of sickness and times of health, in times of peace and in times of war, in times of poverty and in times of wealth. This do I vow, upon my own honor as Nara Shikamaru, of Konoha's Nara clan, now Nara Shikamaru, husband of Nara Temari." He finished.

By that time Yoshino was crying, Tenten's eyes were sparkling, and Kankuro's makeup, which he'd worn despite the occasion and with his fancy kimono, was running down his face.

Then there was the ritual drinking of sake, which was basically the reason that the wedding was being held in Suna. It had a lower drinking age than Konoha.

"And in the presence of those now gathered here, I do pronounce you husband and wife, lawfully bound and married." The priest said. "May your marriage be fruitful and blessed."

As they turned around, Gaara heard Temari whisper "No need to worry about that, ne?" in her husband's ear, and Shikamaru's low chuckle, right before the newlywed couple was pounced upon by the watchers.

Gaara had promised to be there for the first reception, "Temari's reception" which was to be held in Suna. This one was the bigger one, and the more formal, as everyone of any importance wanted to be there to congratulate the daughter of the old Kazekage and sister of the new one. The one in Konoha would mainly be for Shikamaru's family and friends who hadn't been at the wedding.

Temari had to change at breakneck speed into another kimono, this one red with fireflies on it. Then they were rushed outside, to the lobby of the hotel the ceremony had been preformed in, to receive their well wishers.

Among the first in line was the Daimyo of Kaze no Kuni, followed by the Heir apparent of the Daimyo of Hi no Kuni and his Fiancée. There were also many notable ninja and courtiers, Gaara's advisors, ambassadors (one of whom was dressed like a schoolgirl, despite the formal wear required by the occasion. This ambassador hugged Temari fiercely and then sped off to find Kankuro), and others.

After all the presents and congratulations were accepted, some of the guests preformed for the couple, and then the meal was served. Gaara had to sneak off in the middle of the third course to be able to leave for Iwa, but his cast a last look at his sister. Who was giggling madly as Shikamaru planted a kiss on her lips.

Ugh. Newlyweds.

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It was fun to write Gaara for once. Kyaa! He's so cute… sigh. Anyways, I put him in here because he plays a pretty big part in the sequel. Plus this opens up room for a side story! Yay! Finally, a way for me to express my inner Gaara-fan girl! It's supposed to be based around the Jinchuuriki, but it's gonna be mainly about Gaara. Check it out if you have the time. It's going to be called "Seven Deaths". It should be up by now.

I was really unsure about how to write the wedding. I'm not an expert on these things, sadly enough. But Google and Wikipedia are magical gods that make life worth living and get my fanfictions written. But magical gods though they are, they are bound to make some mistakes, as am I, and I apologize for any mistakes in the whole wedding scene.

Another thing! (Time to drag out my love of mythology) Ashura mentions Xi Wang Mu not once but TWICE. Who is she? Not an OC, but a Chinese Goddess. She tends her peaches, which grow for 3,000 years, and have to ripen for another 3,000 and is attended by her Jade Fairies. In this story, it's pretty much the same deal. She and Ashura are buddies (because of his clan's mythical connections), and they drink together. She also loves hot boy on boy action, which Ashura, playboy that he is, provides with pleasure for her special sake. This sake is made from the nectar of her peach trees and flavored with a couple of drops of oil from her peaches' skin. Yummy, but gives you a killer hangover.

Anyways, thanks to all my lovely readers, but review! I'm not posting the last chapter until I have 25 reviews. You could make the difference! Go review! NOW!