The fifth story enjoy

Disclaimer: written by Kamikashi


Father – Interlude

Hanami – Sakura's bloom


Prologue: Wedding of the Cloudy Field

March 12th, Tuesday. 7th Year of the rule of Godaime Hokage.
Clatter. "Sakura, fetch the post!"
"Sometimes, I really wish she would disappear… Yes, ha-ha (mother)!" Enervated, Sakura left her room and picked up the letters which came through the letterbox slot in the door. Most of them were advertisement and bills for her parents, but one of them was different, for there was no address written on it, just "To Haruno Sakura-sama" in a very refined handwriting on it. "That handwriting… Kakashi-sensei?"
"Sakura, where are my letters?"
Annoyed, the young kunoichi tossed the other letters onto the dining table and rushed back to her room. "HEY!"
The outcry of indignation by her mother didn't bother her; instead, she slammed the door behind her and tossed herself on her bed, the letter still in hand. She opened the envelope and began to read. But the first word of the letter caused her to scream already. "Damn it, damn it, damn it!!"

To Haruno Sakura-sama 春野・桜 - 様.
Invitation
Dear Sakura-san,
As you know, Kirikumo Kamikashi is my fiancée.
And finally, after two weeks of preparations, we are proudly able to announce the date and place of our wedding, to which you are invited, of course.
Our wedding is held this Saturday, March 16th at noon at the Yakushi shrine (We cannot use my family's shrine because it burned down to ashes in the last ninja world war, and I used Yakushi wedding arrangements).
We hope that you will find the time.
Best regards,
畑・案山子
Hatake Kakashi

"Damn it." Sakura tossed the letter aside. Under other circumstances – she was still suffering from depressions, although Sasuke had returned to the village – she would have smiled at the invitation, which was not a pre-printed invitation as everyone else would get, but a personal letter – written as calligraphy with a brush by her teacher. "So much effort just for me… but why is everyone getting happier? Everyone but me…" Suddenly, a small note fell out of the envelope. "What the…" It was another calligraphic letter, this time written with a feather.

PS: I am going to attend the party as well. It would be nice if you accompany me.
団扇・佐助
Uchiha Sasuke.

That was the trigger to get her; of all of her team-mates and friends, the only one closer than her teachers and senpai was the young leader of the Uchiha clan. "Even Sasuke is going to attend the wedding ceremony? Well, if he's asking like this, I guess I cannot say no…" Sakura got up and placed the letters on her dresser. "But Sasuke had been acting strange lately…"

(Flashback)
March 4th, Tuesday, late morning.
"Damn it, with who should I train?" Sakura was walking towards shuriken range No 4, which was on the borders to the Uchiha territory. "Kakashi is still in hospital…" But as she reached the training grounds, she realised that she was not alone: Sasuke was training there shuriken Sharingan combo techniques under the eyes of Keisuke.
"You are getting better in this special one, Uchiha-dono. But I never imagined that you could use Double Wire Shuriken Manipulation so quickly. It is not even a technique which you can copy with your eyes."
Sasuke turned to his instructor. "Once you get the idea when to throw the seventh blade, it is quite easy. But how about the Mahiru Sharingan? Can you teach me this?"
Keisuke closed his eyes. "Unfortunately not. That eye technique is exclusive to our sister, Kamikashi. If you want to learn it, ask her. Even I didn't master that level of Sharingan techniques… I only can use Kaleidoscope Sharingan, and I do not like using them. I can only tell you the theory behind it. But why don't you join us, Sakura-san?"
A little shocked, Sakura entered the shuriken range. Hilt less double-edged swords and countless kunai were covering the targets. "I didn't want to…"
"Why don't you train with me, Sakura-san?" Now Sasuke spoke, putting on a little smile.
Sakura blushed. "O-Okay…"

A few hours later, Keisuke stopped the training. "Enough!"
"Sensei!" Sasuke protested, for he still wanted to train.
"Why do we stop now, Keisuke-sama?" Sakura asked confused, slightly out of breath.
Keisuke put on his hat and got up. "I have to look after my elder sister, and besides, look at the time. It is noon already, how about lunch, you two? Sayonara." As usual, Keisuke vanished in a misty cloud.
Suddenly, the two young shinobi's stomach growled. "Whoops." Now Sasuke turned slightly pink as he asked: "Sakura-san, would you like to eat with me? It's my treat. What's wrong with me? We are old friends, this should be normal, shouldn't it?"
Sakura blushed again. "I'd like nothing else, Sasuke-kun."

(End flashback)

"Anyway, let's write an answer…" Quickly, Sakura scribbled down some lines:
It would be an honour and a pleasure to me to come to your wedding, Kakashi-sensei.
春野・桜
Haruno Sakura.

After she finished this, her father knocked on the door. "Sakura-chan, that Uchiha boy is at the door; he says he wants to train with you."
"All right, coming. Well, let's train…" The young kunoichi picked up her ningu set (weapon set), the letter, tied her forehead protector and sprinted down to the doorstep.
"Ôhayo gozaimasu, Sasuke-kun. How do you do?"
"I am fine, thank you, Sakura-san. I just wondered…," Sasuke was blushing again, "do you want to train with me? Kakashi is busy with his wedding preparations, and when he's not doing that, he is trying to activate the Mahiru Sharingan. And that's not the kind of training you might need."
"There it is again; Sasuke is acting like a complete idiot. What's wrong with him?" She blushed and smiled. "Why not?"
On their way to the seventh training ground, Sakura just stopped by Kakashi's house in order to put her answer into Kakashi's letterbox.

March 16th, Saturday. Sunrise.
"Yo, Kakashi, get up! If you don't get up by now, you will be late for your own wedding!"
Kakashi rose quite heavy-headed from his bed as Keisuke was shaking him awake. "Ungh… Ow, my head… I shouldn't have tried to drink myself to death together with Gai yesterday." His old friend, Maito Gai, had organised a stag party for him at a strip poker club, "The Saucy Sue"; and in the end, Kakashi had found out about himself a lot, particularly, that he didn't like watching other naked women than his fiancée (as well as Gai didn't like it at all). But the evening had one good result… Kakashi got up and tapped into the bathroom. "I swear by my life that I will never read a book of the Icha Icha series again as long as I live," he swore aloud while taking a long, hot shower and shaving his face.
"But that gives you a problem, Kakashi." Keisuke stood in front of the bathroom sink, brushing his teeth.
"Which is?"
"What are you going to read while training more students?"
Kakashi began to wash his hair. "Don't know… how about newspapers? I will think of something."
"Aha. Get ready, the dresser is going to be at the shrine soon." The younger Kami gakure shinobi left after brushing his hair.
"Keisuke." Inariko's telepathic voice reached his mind.
"What is it, Inariko?" He answered as he concentrated on the ethereal voice of his sister.
The mental equivalent of a huge grin appeared in Keisuke's mind. "Hurry up, the dresser is at the shrine already."
"Got it." Keisuke turned back to the bathroom, where a simple dressed (shorts and T-shirt) Kakashi came out off, the hairbrush still in his hand. "Kage bunshin-no-jutsu!" and in the next moment, Kakashi found himself forced into his ninja shoes by the bunshin while his soon-to-be brother-in-law dragged him flying through the village.
"Keisuke-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e, I can walk by myself!" The copy Ninja exclaimed.
"Fine." Suddenly, they were standing in front of the Torii alley of the Yakushi shrine as Keisuke let him go. "Now go."
His soon-to-be brother-in-law by his side, Kakashi marched up the stairs to the shrine were Kaito was waiting for them. "Ôhayo gozaimasu, Hatake-dono. Are you ready?"
"And why shouldn't I, Kaito-sama?" Kakashi smiled tiredly.
"Indeed. Please follow me." Kaito led Kakashi into a side room of the shrine, where the dresser was waiting together with Gai.
His old friend and rival grinned at the sight of Mr Scarecrow. "Good morning, old friend. I am sorry, Kakashi, but I fear that this time you cannot wear your mask." He said, offering him an anti-hangover tea, which the silver-haired ninja drank in one go.
"Thanks for the tea, Gai-kun. I think we should get this over with." He put off his shirt and shorts as well as his ninja shoes, putting on a pair of tabi (toe socks) and a black, high-cut hakama (formal pleated trousers) while his old friend began to tape his body and upper arms. "The only thing which horrifies me is the idea of wearing geta (wooden sandals) all day today." He got back to his feet and the dresser started his work.
"So what about your mask?" Gai asked, starting to change into his kimono as well.
"Well…"
"Please turn around, Hatake-sama… thank you." The dresser was swirling between the two shinobi, dressing them simultaneously.
"Well?"
"I will have a private life again, so why should I wear a mask when am not on duty?" With this, he took off his mask, putting it on top of the pile of his clothes.
"Indeed. Oh, and before I forget, your fiancée is already here. I think we should be ready on time. I can barely believe what is happening… Kakashi's wedding is going on, I am the best man and the date of marriage is the top of the Hanami no Ki (花見の季, Hanami season), the Matsuri no Sakura (祭の桜, Sakura festival)."
"I am surprised as well, my friend. How does Kamikashi look like?"
"Well…"

A few hours later, bride's room/Shiori's office.
Said priestess, who was dressed in a traditional Miko outfit, white kimono jacket and dark blue hakama, was running around the full-dressed, ready-made bride together with the bride's sister and mother. "Well, there is only one word to describe you, Kirikumo-sama…"
"Which is, Shiori-sama?"
"Gorgeous. Simply magnificent. And the kimono is also simply stunning. Not even the wedding kimono of the Hyuga clan is such a great work of art."
Said Shiromuku kimono (white wedding kimono) was a traditional white wedding kimono with the symbols of the Kirikumo clan woven into the material: Misty clouds, peonies and phoenixes, a blue Torii on the back of her collar. It had seven layers, a wedding kimono fitting for a Princess. And technically, she was some kind of Princess, the eldest daughter of the Kirikumo clan after all; although she was considered a rebel with her Kami bunshin ability. Her long, silver hair was done into a complicated pinned-up hairstyle with three (she normally wore two) platinum hairpins, pearls and moon bells hanging on silk strings from their tips. A comb with a phoenix design and some flowery clips pinned the loose parts of her hair to the sides. Her fingernails had been lacquered light blue, the colour of the clear sky and her make up was delicately and chosen with caution.
"You look like a princess, Kirikumo-sama!" Sakura agreed. The young kunoichi wore a Furisode kimono, with their long sweeping sleeves, signifying that she also was close friends with Kamikashi and Kakashi, as only close family of the bride would wear such a kimono to a wedding, but she was unmarried. Its design was absolutely fitting for the day: light aqua blue with cherry blossoms all over it, as it was Hanami season's No 1 day, the Sakura festival. Inariko wore a similar kimono but with a singing birds design on an emerald green background. As tradition of Kami gakure called for, her sword Susanoo-no-Arashi (Susanoo of the Tempest) was trusted through her obi sash.
"May I see it?" Kamikashi asked with curiosity in her voice.
"Of course." Shiori and Sakura placed six tall mirrors around the bride. "And?"
Shiori was curious. "What do you think?"
Kamikashi was speechless as she got one step closer to the reflection which showed her face. "Is this really me?" she mentioned, forgetting the fact that only her family and Kakashi could hear her like this while placing her left hand on the mirror.
Her younger sister placed her palm on her shoulder. "You'll have to say it aloud, o-nee-sama."
Kamikashi took a BIG breath in. "I can barely believe my eyes! Is this really me?"
Amaya, her mother, and Shiori removed the mirrors. "To tell you the truth, musume-chan (daughter), you are reacting exactly as I on MY wedding. Believe it, you were always beautiful." Amaya laughed and carefully grabbed Kamikashi's uchikake kimono for later, as she would change after the public left. The leader of Kami gakure no Sato wore a beautiful, black Kurotomesode kimono, patterned only below the waist-line, as tradition called for, with five kamon sewed on the sleeves, back, and chest of the kimono. She also wore a haori jacket, fastened with a moon-bell chain-clip, with the Kami gakure forest pattern and the Kanji for "Kami" on the back, indicating her rank in the ninja world.
After saying so, she put Kamikashi's two great swords Amaterasu-no-Hikage (Amaterasu of the sunshine) and Mugen-no-Zanmatou-no-Tsurugi (Eternal Beheading Sword) in her daughter's obi on the right side, for Kamikashi was left-handed. Sakura then took the fan and tucked it into her obi. The fan implied by its gradual opening happiness, and should bring a happy future. Inariko put the hakoseko in her obi as well and carefully placed the Shiromuku bonnet on her ane's (elder sister) head.
One of Shiori's younger assistants came in. "I am sorry to interrupt the conversation, but the guests have arrived and the groom is ready. We should proceed, Miko-sama." About a hundred guests were already roaming the temple gardens, waiting for the ceremony to begin. ANBU patrolled the entire thing, unseen to the untrained eye.
Shiori nodded. "All right. We will be right there. Send the groom in."
"Hai!" The assistant opened the side door, allowing Kakashi, Keisuke, Sasuke (who had arrived late and had to be picked up by the former) and Gai to enter.

As Kakashi saw his bride, he opened his mouth but was rendered speechless, his now silver eyes (Sharingan + Spirit Reader combo Kekkei Genkai) widened. The men stared several minutes jaw-dropping at the figure in the wedding kimono until Shiori made her rounds, nonchalantly closing the men's mouths. "Mouths shut, gentlemen, there is a draught. We shouldn't take root here but proceed with the wedding."
Both Sakura and Sasuke however stared at their Sensei in disbelief, for he was showing his lower face.
"Sensei…"
"Later, Sakura-san, Sasuke-kun, I want to get married by now." He turned to his fiancée with a smile as bright as the sun. (Insert the Beatles' song "Here comes the sun" here) "You truly are a Goddess."
"And you are as irresistible as always, handsome," she answered, her eyes closed.
He got closer and unfastened the long and heavy train of the Shiromuku kimono. "Shall we go, then?" he whispered into her left ear, kissing her on the cheek.
As a response, the "puppet of the gods" simply opened her eyes, gracefully taking the hand he offered. Yes, we should
Meanwhile, Shiori had left the room and headed for the main hall, where she began to play music on a Shakuhachi style traverse flute (Shakuhachi is normally played like a recorder), with Kaito playing the drum, summoning the couple and the reception guests to the inner temple courtyard with the altar. Shiori's Miko-apprentices hushed through the room, lighting the candle-dishes and ensuring the sacred fire to burn. They set up the altar table for San-San Ku Do-ceremony, Sake and drinking dishes included.
As everything was ready and almost everyone had found their seating spaces, the bride and the bridegroom were led by their family and friends to the waiting priests. Gai, Sakura and Sasuke, who were filling in the place of Kakashi's practically extinct family, sat down to his right, while the Kirikumo clan members and guests from Kami gakure sat on the left, right behind Kamikashi.
Kaito put down the drum as his niece and superior, the guardian of the shrine, passed him the flute to play on, who in turn began a complicated dance around the couple in order to purify them. Out of the dance itself, Shiori poured three glasses of Sake, one into a small saucer, one into a medium sized saucer, and another into a large saucer, marking the beginning of the main part of the ceremony with a graceful pirouette which brought her behind the altar.
Lifting her head and opening her eyes, she began to recite old incantations. "Watched over by the Almighty ones and by those who live in this village, these two have come before us in order to speak an oath of truth and love. If there is any doubt by one of you who are going to witness this ceremony, speak now or remain silent forever, for the gods are listening now." Nobody spoke, as it was tradition and custom (they had been occasions when somebody had spoken, but this was considered treacherous and a sacrilege). Satisfied, the 15-year-old Miko priestess nodded and consecrated the sake.
Afterwards, Kakashi, being on the inside right, took a small sip of the smallest saucer, and moved to the medium sized saucer, and then the large saucer. Kamikashi followed in suit, taking the last of the sake in each saucer.
At the end of that ceremony, Amaya and her two younger children drank a large saucer of sake with Kakashi and Kamikashi, signifying the combining of their families. If Kakashi's parents had been there, they would have done so as well.
Technically, the wedding ceremony was done there. Shiori and Kaito got up and then announced: "By the power bestowed unto us by the Almighty ones and the Godaime Hokage and the law of the Fire Country and the Land of Sacred Beasts, I give you Hatake Kakashi, and Kirikumo-Hatake Kamikashi." Everyone clapped and stood up. Kakashi then recalled the scene earlier this morning. He would prove it, that he could have a private life. At that moment, Kakashi grabbed Kamikashi, swept her off her feet, and gave her a fiery kiss in front of all his guests.
Wolf whistles and catcalls were heard as everyone clapped and smiled. Kakashi was extremely flushed and his wife slightly turned her head away. As he turned around, however, the smile of his old friend and rival, Gai, which said: well done; was proving that he was absolutely right. So he simply nodded and returned the smile, saying thanks with it.

"We're looking forward to seeing your new world. Please enjoy your life together, you're only young once, right?" said an old woman. Kakashi and Kamikashi bowed to her. "Thank you, Satake-san." She was the last. They had nearly greeted the entire shinobi population of the village. It was exhausting. There was a huge pile of gifts at Shiori's office that they would need to open later.
Thanks to Yakushi wedding arrangements, the guests for the reception gathered in the second festival hall of the temple. After the villagers had left, Kamikashi went to Shiori's office to put on the uchikake kimono of hers. The sun began to set, the bamboo lanterns were lit; it was time for the Kaiseki Ryori.
Kamikashi returned in her cloudy blue uchikake kimono, and they toasted with…champagne, a regional speciality from Kami gakure. All of the remains of Kamikashi's clan were there (which was not THAT much), representatives of all of Kami gakure's ninja clans, the elite of Konoha's Jo-nin, the Konoha Eleven, members of all of Konoha gakure's major ninja clans (the Yakushi clan lacked just one member today, Yohei, who was watching the hospital) and the elders of Konoha: Tsunade, Jiraiya and the village councillors.
Kamikashi had summoned the Suzaku twins in their miniature form to the reception, as Kakashi stated (after summoning the Hachi Ninken) that the bird-gods would be quite pissed if she didn't. The gifts of the fushichou-emperors were perhaps the most precious of this evening: an "Eternal flame of infinite good fortune" on an eternal dish and an "Imperial Suzaku Feathers"-fan, a charm of happiness. Kakashi's eight ninja dogs had a painting of a crane pair for them, a symbol of everlasting, undying love.

Dinner went very well, and Nekomata managed to keep Lee out of the Sake. Everyone gradually became increasingly inebriated, and it was time for Amaya's and Keisuke's speech.

As it was custom in Kami gakure, Amaya rang the moon bells before she picked up the microphone. "Now, or I better should say: finally, Kamikashi, my beautiful tempest cloud, is married. I will always remember the time she was at the academy, where everyone first feared her and later on thinking of her as a weirdo due to the fact she developed a NEW bloodline limit. I know how hard it must have been back then, being all alone, spending all the time with activating bloodline limits… and now you are one of the greatest kunoichi in this ninja world, so great that our village cannot hold you anymore. Now you are surrounded by people who admire and love you, so I have to admit that you are the pride of my life and of our village, despite your wish to be free. This wish is granted by now. And as I said before, you have been beautiful, always, but now, the light of your beauty isn't hiding anymore. There are many beautiful flowers, stars and clouds in this world, but tonight no one is as beautiful as you are, my wonderful daughter. And as I know that Kakashi managed to survive the assault of a raijuu for half an hour all by himself, and that he truly loves her," "stop reading my thoughts, that's bad manners!" Kakashi interrupted and the guests laughed. Without any irritation, Amaya continued: "and to protect her heart and soul, to take care of her, as anyone my daughter deems worthy of her love, must be worthy of her." Afterwards, she smiled with tears in her eyes, her silver hair done into 108 long, thin braids.
Keisuke said: "We love you, Kamikashi-o-nee-sama, and we're sure you'll be happy, and we couldn't be any prouder of you. Now, ladies and gentlemen, the best man." Applause. He put the microphone back to its rack, then took his place beside his mother again.

Gai got up, not his carefree but more his serious side showing as he took the microphone. "There's not much to say, Kakashi, my old friend… I know how hard it must have been to grow up like you, to lose everything which was important in life. And then, out of the blue, after so many hard years, you're asking me to be your best man – on your wedding! And out of all women in world, you take the number one strongest, most dangerous and most beautiful–" "Gai!" suddenly a dark-haired, rather pretty woman shouted from the table; she was sitting right beside the »Pride Green beast of Konoha«'s seat. "Sorry, Ayane-chan… and one of the most beautiful kunoichi in the world, Kamikashi the head cutter kunoichi, as your bride. I have to admit that if I wouldn't be occupied by Ayane (yes, even Gai can have a girlfriend, you know…), I would be jealous. Luckily, I am occupied, so I am just really glad that you found yourself some happiness. And may the gods smile on you two forever." The guests clapped their hands again as Gai passed the word and the microphone to Kakashi.

Suddenly, the Copy Ninja stood all alone on the stage. He sighed before he began. "Thank you, Gai. And thank you all for coming. There is one thing that I am really, really bad at doing…And that has to be making speeches. But I'll…try my best." He took neatly folded piece of paper out of his obi. "Since I left academy, everyone but Gai called me 'elite'. Then my father tripped and fell, fell deep and only a few didn't despise me as being his son. And as he died, maybe me myself died a bit on that day. But then the 'elite' calling became even worse, and the one of the best gifts in my life I got as I turned thirteen." He covered his left eye shortly before he continued. "But this one, I think, had let me even die more, for he gave me my heart back at the price of his life. Thanks Obito; that was really a tough legacy you gave me. And then the path of mine became even more unfavourable… Sasuke, Sakura, be thankful that you didn't grow up in these times when the children used to grow up on the battlefield, turning into ANBU if they managed to survive 15 up to 16 years; it's really bad for your mental health. Anyway… Kamikashi, I have to thank you that you were able to wait for such a complete idiot like me all the time. I have to admit: The day I met you, I actually thought I would die, being toasted by an oversized raijuu. I will never forget this teenage female voice, yelling in tenor register: 'Calm down, your oversized electrocuting jerk!'" Kamikashi grinned and the guests, especially Gai and Jiraiya, burst out into laughter. "And in the next moment, a tempest of black and white with silver hair stopped the raijuu with an oversized bamboo harisen (fan), hitting it like a tee-off in golf, causing it is to run away by a simple stare of her eyes. The next thing you asked was: 'Are you all right?' And I can recall that I couldn't answer because I fainted of blood loss. The next thing I remember was your sword pointing at my throat while I was lying in a hospital bed, and you were saying that I shouldn't move if I cared about my health and that you were chosen to be my guardian while I stayed in Suigen. But these times were war, something even your village with its neutrality knew, and before I could admit the truth, I left, the excuse of my duty on my lips." He paused. "One of my students said that there is no fate because you choose your own path. Personally, I believe, just like you, Kashi-chan, that there are also things which are supposed to happen. And the fact that we are now here, celebrating OUR wedding proves that this believe is not completely wrong…But you in particular, as well as all my other friends and comrades, made me feel myself again. You gave me the feeling that it was no shame to enjoy your life in this world of ninja…that it is alright to love while being a ninja. On nights when I was alone, when I couldn't sleep, and things were absolutely terrible, I'd think of you, and without knowing it, I'd feel better about myself in general, and less lost in my life…Kamikashi-hime…Thank you."
Kamikashi was close to breaking out into tears at hearing him say those last words. Instead, she showed her "crying face", a sad but understanding expression, and everyone was simply shocked by the out of character expression of emotion.
While he held his speech, Sasuke and Sakura were staring continuously at his face. "And before I forget: Three promises. Number One: Kamikashi, I swear by my life that I will never read a book of the Icha Icha series again as long as I live. Number Two: Amaya-o-ka-sama, rest assured that I will never let her down; I promise you to protect and love her with all my heart. Number Three: Gai, Sasuke, Sakura, I will have a private life again, so why should I wear a mask when am not on duty?" With this, while everyone was still stunned about his three promises (and his good looks), he put the microphone back into the rack and helped his wife getting to her feet for her speech.

As the sword mistress got on the stage, her genuine smile returned. "Arigato gozaimasu, Kashi-chan. I really appreciate your words. Dear friends, so many good speeches have been given now…what should I say? Ah…yes, about fate… Approximately 14 years ago, you, Kakashi, travelled through the land of sacred beasts, violating the limits of a raijuu territory. I do not know if it was just luck, fate, or my decision to meet you, but on that day I was on watch in that area. I don't know why, but I fell for you the moment I spotted you." Kakashi smiled, answering in Spirit reader: 'Me too'. "You had to stay three weeks in our hospital and I was ordered to keep an eye on you, for you were a foreign ninja after all. And before you left, you promised me something. You said it was too early for such things, for we were just 15 (Kamikashi) and 19 (Kakashi) back then, and the war made it impossible to even think about such things. But finally, war is over, and you kept your promise…finally. I'm willing to do anything for you to be happy and to protect your happiness, and I love you with every fibre of my life, which would be meaningless without you." she finished, face beaming.
"This counts for me as well, o-ku-chan (my wife)." Kakashi said as he helped her back to her seat. As she sat down, he turned to her, kissing her wholeheartedly. Everyone awed, and there were murmurs of "How sweet," and such.

With all the speeches done, Shiori went up to the stage. "Dear guests, after all of these wonderful words, enjoy now the service of the great Kaori, senior Geisha of the Kaede tea house!" A state-of-the-art Geisha got up to the stage and began to dance, her Maiko accompanying her on a flute. There was to be karaoke later in the night, and the increasing state of inebriation continued, until Kakashi had no inhibitions in grabbing Kamikashi for a kiss at any moment he desired so, and Gai had no problem snogging with Ayane very publicly, while she had no trouble doing so as well. Tsunade were lying in Jiraiya's arms, Neji was busy with Tenten. Overall, it turned into a night of fun, laughter, and romance for everyone all around… only Shiori was not having fun at all, which Kaito noted.
"What's wrong, o-jo-sama (daughter of another person)?" he asked her.
"Have you seen Sasuke or Sakura, uncle?"
"They left after you announced the Karaoke session. Why?"
The Miko didn't answer; instead, she activated her eyes, searching for them. "Ah! They are outside, in the cherry and flower gardens. Looks like he took my suggestions seriously… he-he-heh. Good luck, Uchiha-sama…"