A/N: Hi again everyone! Yukio is about to deliver his news, and you'll learn the identity of the people he reports to. It's also time for a little time jump, so we can get the wedding started. Enjoy!
Yukio again came to the genjutsu protected door on the forest floor. He opened it and stepped down into. After closing it behind him, he walked the dank pathway to the chamber in where the boss awaited him. He walked by himself, until he came to the doorway. Once inside, he noticed that the ghostly man was standing next to the boss. Yukio said, "Didn't come to greet me when I got here eh, Kimimaro? I was so disappointed."
Kimimaro said, "I didn't feel like wasting my time."
"Is that so?" Yukio's anger started to build, making the air in the room feel heavier.
The man who was seated said, "Enough. Do you have some information for me?"
"I do." He reached into his pack and passed the list over to the seated man.
The man took it and read the contents of the list. He said, "When will they ever learn? Some of these places have been breached before. No matter, it will make it easier for us to do as much damage as possible if these places aren't being defended or even watched for that matter. Very good job. Now, the other matter. Did you find anything out?"
"I did. Anko is alive and well. I saw her with my own eyes."
The man laughed low. "Anko is alive. Did you hear that Kimimaro? An explosion can't kill Kakashi or Anko. But I would expect that of our dear Anko. Now, when is the wedding to take place?"
Yukio said, "In four days' time at the Shinto shrine. 3:00PM."
The seated man laughed sinisterly and said, "Did you happen to get invited?" He laughed again, Yukio looked at him without expression. Kimimaro laughed slightly. "No matter. Have your best outfit ready. We're going to that wedding. We all are." The he laughed again.
Yukio asked, "Is there anything else you need from me?"
"No. Just return to the Hidden Leaf Village and keep a low profile. Leave the village the morning of the wedding and come meet us in the clearing north of here. We will make final preparations then. For now, you are free to go."
Without so much as a word, Yukio turned and left.
Kimimaro waited to say anything until he heard the overhead door shut down at the far end of the corridor. When he was sure Yukio was gone, he said, "How will we begin the attack?"
The seated man said, "I've been planning more than twenty years for an opportunity like this. It's perfect. For Kakashi and Anko to get married, most of the village will likely want to witness it. Most of the shinobi will be there, that's a given. The village will be largely unguarded. With mostly everyone wanting to see the ceremony at the shrine, all I have to do is present them with a small distraction that will cause utter confusion. And I have just the thing."
Kimimaro said, "You don't mean,"
"Yes. Yes I do. I mean to use her, finally after all this time. And when I do use her, the chaos it will cause, in the brief time she is there, will cause Konoha to fall on its knees before me." Kimimaro smiled, as Orochimaru laughed maniacally.
"Brief time she is there?"
Orochimaru said, "She's perfect for what we need, and then she's utterly expendable." He hummed slightly to himself as his eyes dilated with joy in the dim room.
The four days before the wedding blew by like a strong wind. The man in the temporary housing facility kept a very low profile, just as he was instructed to do. He plotted and planned while he waited. He plotted how to make it look like an accident when he killed Kimimaro during the "plans" that Orochimaru had for the Village. He recalled all the people he'd seen in his travels to and from the village while serving his master. Master. He's not my master. He could never master me. He saw many faces he'd seen before, that he knew he would see again. But not for some time. At least not until later in the day.
The morning of the wedding, he packed his meager things and left the village and the temporary housing knowing he'd be back soon, bringing with him, utter chaos.
As he walked through the village an air of excitement was all around. It was the big day. Kakashi and Anko were to be married that afternoon. It seemed as if the entire town had decided to decorate itself. Business owners hung signs saying that they would not be open that day, or that if they were open, they would close by noon to attend the ceremony and reception afterward. The academy itself was not in session, as all the students and shinobi were at their respective homes getting ready to attend something that hadn't happened in a very long time in the Hidden Leaf Village. The marriage of two shinobi was something that wasn't commonly done. It was actually quite frowned upon, but seeing as two of Konoha's greatest loners had found each other and actually made it work, Tsunade herself had finally given her blessing.
As Yukio walked through the streets he thought how easy this will be. This village has grown soft. These people have no idea what is coming in just a few hours. The next great ninja war may begin with Konoha burned to the ground and turned into nothing but rubble. He didn't care for the village or its people at all. Not anymore. Although there was only one person that he might be quite amused to see again.
Anko woke up suddenly. She had been lying on her back, and suddenly as the sun hit her face her eyes snapped open and in seconds focused on the crack in "their" ceiling. She thought it's today. Holy fuck it's today. I'm getting married today. Oh my God. She was nervous for a few moments, then she heard the early morning inhale of the silver haired ninja sleeping next to her. Right at that moment, she wasn't nervous anymore. She more or less just wanted to get the whole day's festivities over with.
Kakashi opened his eyes and looked at her. He said, "Happy wedding day."
Anko smiled back and said, "Happy wedding day."
"Come here." Kakashi held his arms open to her, and she snuggled up against him. He kissed the top of her head as he was fond of doing. He was very quiet, just holding her close to him.
Anko asked, "You're so quiet. Why are you so quiet?"
Kakashi said, "Just thinking."
"About what?"
"The beginning."
"Of us?"
"Yeah."
Then Anko let her mind wander back to that time so long ago when she and Kakashi were just friends who worked together. Then that one fateful night, something brought them together. They'd been through hell and back again since then, and they'd managed to stick together. And now they were going to finally make it official. They would be joined heart to heart, soul to soul, two people becoming one for as long as they both shall live.
Anko said, "Who knew that just a couple of simple drinks and foot massages,"
"and back rubs,"
"between two friends would take us where we are now."
Kakashi said, "If I had known that's all it took, I could have spent years married to you already."
Anko said, "Could you imagine? We'd probably have a few kids by now if that were the case."
Then both ninjas fell silent as they thought about what their children might look like, or act like. Both of them silently hoped that any children they might have did NOT end up with Anko's temper. A child? With Anko's temper? That would be absolutely terrifying.
Kakashi said, "Do you remember that time I surprised you in the alley?"
Anko laughed. "Do I! That was one hot night! But I swear my arms were sore for DAYS after I hung from that fire escape."
"That was hot."
Anko said, "I personally liked the whole quickie over the copy machine."
"Oh really?" Kakashi said.
Anko said, "Oh yeah! The whole explosive passion thing and the danger of possibly being caught. Very HOT indeed."
"I tried to get you to do it again recently."
"I'll make sure to put it on my 'to do' list."
Kakashi said, "The theater was nice too."
"Yeah, sneaking into the little dark hallway and doing the nasty right there in public. What is it with your obsession with having sex in public places?"
Kakashi looked at her and said, "You know I really have no idea. I guess when the mood hits me, I'm sometimes outside. I'm just glad you go along with it."
Anko asked, "I remember other things too. Like the time you showed up on my doorway almost dead. That was one of the hardest things I ever had to deal with."
Kakashi got quiet. He said, "I know how you feel. I saw you that way more than once. It tore my heart in two each time."
"Either one of us could still die at any time."
"True. It's all part of the job."
Both ninjas got very quiet as a solemn silence hung thickly in the room. Finally, after about a minute, Anko pushed herself away from Kakashi, and propped herself up on her elbow. She said, "We could lose each other tomorrow, that's why I can't wait to marry you today."
Kakashi said, "My sentiments exactly. So when are we supposed to meet Kurenai and Asshola at the shrine?"
"Well, we had the kimonos delivered to the shrine this morning. Kurenai has two make up ladies coming in too. She thought we should get to the shrine about an hour and a half before the ceremony. It's going to take me a long time to get dressed. Those wedding kimonos are beautiful, but my GOD are they hard to get in and out of."
Kakashi said, "Do me one favor?"
"Sure."
"Wear the Fridays under your wedding kimono."
Anko smiled wickedly and said, "Hatake Kakashi, I like the way you think. What do you plan on wearing under your hakama?"
Kakashi raised his eyebrows at Anko. She said, "No. NO WAY! You're going, commando?"
"Sure am. Never know when the mood may hit me at the reception. And if you have the Fridays on, it'll make it very easy for me to have my way with you."
Anko said, "You are the biggest perv in the world, but you're MY big perv." She kissed him lightly on the mouth.
They were quiet for a minute. Then Kakashi asked, "So exactly how many people are coming to the actual wedding?"
"Well, since traditionally only family and friends attend the actual wedding ceremony, and since we both have no family, BUT all our friends call themselves our family, everyone's going to be there."
Kakashi looked at her and said, "Define 'everyone.'"
"From what Kurenai says, she's received RSVP's from just about every family in the entire village. Everyone wants to attend." Anko lay next to her fiancé and continued, "It seems nobody believed either one of us would ever get married, so they all want to see it with their own eyes."
Kakashi said, "Holy fuck, that's a lot of people."
"Everyone at the academy's invited too, right down to the brand new ninjas in training."
"Even that fuck Genma's coming too?"
Anko laughed, "Yes, even that fuck."
Kakashi said, "One question, who's going to be on guard duty then? If everyone's going to be at the wedding and reception, who's at the outposts and lookout towers?"
Anko said with a smile, "Naruto."
Kakashi said, "Naruto?" He paused and then he got it, "Ah, Naruto and his many shadow clones."
"Yep. Exactly. If any one of them sees anything, the info goes back to the original loud mouth who will be right up front standing next to Tsunade inside the shrine."
"How do you know all this?"
"Kurenai is entirely too organized. She has a seating chart for both the wedding and the reception. I saw both."
"Why don't I know any of this?"
Anko turned and looked at him, "Do you really wanna know all the details?"
"Just one."
"Ok."
He said, "Did she get the flowers I wanted?"
Anko smiled widely and said, "Yes, the shrine and garden behind it will be full of purple irises as per your request. What are you going to do? Retire and become a florist?"
Kakashi scratched his head and said, "Not a bad idea really. Kind of hard to get killed if you're a florist."
"Unless you're allergic to bees."
"Which I am not."
Anko sat up and said, "We'd better get up and start making ourselves pretty for later."
Kakashi sat up and said, "It won't take you any time at all."
Anko smiled at him and said, "NO sucking up on wedding day. Get your ass out of bed, or I'll drag you out of it."
Kakashi stood up quickly and chased Anko into the kitchen hoping for a little Icha Icha Countertop Coitus re-enactment, before they had to get ready.
A/N: It's happening! It's wedding day! Are you ready for it? I know Orochimaru and his band of mayhem makers are.
Next up: Yukio arrives at the clearing, and Anko and Kakashi become VERY self-conscious as they get ready to go to the shrine. While they get ready, Anko shows Kakashi something new she'd been saving for a special occasion. See you soon!
