My Big Fat Ninja Wedding
Chapter 11
Eiji was chewing nervously on all thirty of his fingernails as everyone looked over Zaku's letter.
"If he gets himself killed," Kin said, "I'll kill him!"
Akira turned to Mizuki, "Is there anyone in Konoha with a fast summon? One that can fly?"
Mizuki nodded, "Kotaro has a giant wasp summon, I'll go get him." Mizuki rushed out to find Kotaro of the Wasps, while the Naraku clan started trying to figure out what was happening.
"You said he wanted to get Orochimaru's body . . ."
Kin nodded, "It's Genyuumaru's body. Orochimaru stole it, he possessed him like a demon . . . Zaku felt guilty about what he did when we thought it was Orochimaru . . . I told that moron we'd fix things, but no . . . He has to go off alone . . ."
...
"Are you sure this is wise?" Kurokaze asked cautiously.
"No, but I have to do it. It's too late to go back now, anyway." Zaku didn't bother to leave his summon, he merely had Kurokaze sweep down and lift up the cage containing the remains of Genyuumaru/Orochimaru, then flew off into the forest as the few people walking the dark streets of what was once Otogakure stared in disbelief.
...
"Don't worry about my blindness," Kotaro said softly, helping Akira onto the summon, "My wasps see for me, and they will keep their eyes out for the boy." Akira nodded at the gaunt Jonin and turned back toward his family, "Don't worry, we'll find him. It's not like he can't defend himself out there."
There was only room for two on the spindly summon, and Akira had opted to go, as Eiji was already a nervous wreck and his acrophobia would only make things worse, and he didn't want to send Kin out. With a flurry of buzzing wings the over-sized wasp lifted into the air, and shot off like a rocket toward Otogakure.
Kotaro smiled, "You are aware that wasps are natural predators of spiders . . ."
...
Shikamaru couldn't sleep. His heart was pounding like a drum, and he felt like a cornered rabbit.
Tomorrow . . . I'm getting married. I'm gonna' be just like dad. He lay out on his hill, looking up at the stars, Goodbye, care-free life . . . He sighed, Maybe it won't be too bad. Tayuya is troublesome, but we are in love, aren't we? Maybe you had it right, Asuma-Sensei, you never bothered to marry Kurenai-Sensei. He shook his head, No, marriage gives legal protections, poor Kurenai can't even claim she's your widow, even having your kid. I can't let that happen to my family. He sat up and stretched, I gotta' do this. It's what a man has to do. Besides, if I leave her at the alter, she'll hunt me down like a dog, rip my balls off and do all sorts of other unmentionable things . . .
He stood up, shook the grass from his clothes, and headed home.
...
Zaku raised his palms to the ground and blasted a deep hole into the ground beside a tall tre.,
"I'm sorry," He said, as he began removing the desiccated remains from the small cage, placing them in the deep grave, "I can't risk going to a cemetery, not even in Konoha, everyone would forget about you and remember the Snake." He wiped his hands on his pants and began to softly blowing loose soil into the grave. Once the grave was covered he walked over to the tree, pulled out a small dagger and began to carve Genyuumaru's name on it. "I hope you rest in peace, man. That Snake screwed you even worse than he screwed me . . ." The sound of a loud, angry buzzing filled the air, and Zaku looked up to see a gigantic wasp buzzing overhead, "Oh #!"
...
Nomura looked curiously at the stick-thin young man resting beside a small fire in a clearing, he looked deceptively weak, but his Chakra aura was monstrously powerful.
"Are you heading toward Konohagakure, priest?"
Nomura nodded, of course he would recognize a Jashinist priest, "Yes. I had heard you were living in Namigakure, Uchiha Itachi."
Itachi looked at him impassively, "Yes, I am. But I'm traveling at the moment." His eyes narrowed, "And I believe I know why you're on this particular path."
Nomura shrugged, "No doubt you do, but it is none of your concern."
"Have you ever considered that this path is the wrong path?" Itachi motioned him to sit by the fire, and he accepted.
"That is amusing, coming from you."
Itachi looked away quickly, but not before Nomura saw a flicker of pain in his eyes, "Yes, my path has been even darker than yours." He admitted softly, "And I'll have to live with that for the rest of my life." He sighed, "What is your name, priest?"
"Nomura."
Itachi nodded and began stoking the fire, "Well, Nomura, we are both headed to Konoha. It's a very nice place to visit, but they tend to look unfavorably upon murder," He smiled grimly, "I know that by personal experience."
Nomura stretched, "Thank you for the warning, but, I fear your reception will be far less pleasant than mine."
Itachi managed a laugh, "Than I suppose we go to our deaths together . . ."
"You're not so bad, for a heathen, Uchiha. I will be meditating for a while, seeking guidance from Jashin-Sama. I will not be helpless, however, remember that."
"I would not imagine a Jashinist helpless at any time."
Nomura assumed the Lotus position as Itachi leaned back against a fallen log. It would no doubt be an interesting night.
...
Akira, Zaku and Kotaro stood respectfully over the new grave as the sun began to rise over the horizon.
"You should have told us, we could have went together."
"I was afraid you'd say no."
Akira sighed and rubbed his forehead, "Eiji's going nuts, and your mother is worried sick. We'd better get home."
"Not to mention that the wedding is this afternoon." Kotaro said, and smiled.
Akira put an arm across Zaku's shoulders, "Maybe later we can see about giving this guy something more traditional, a proper funeral . . ."
...
To be continued...