A/N: Don't own it, never will, etc.

Chap. 29

Tenchi's kunai rang out with the clash of metal on metal, and her opponent fell back in surprise. The slender girl's arm was pushed backward so far that her own kunai caught her in the forehead. The Aburame hissed, "Wuss! You'd better give it all you've got!"

Her enemy jumped about ten feet back, landing with a graceful pose and snarled toward the bug-user, "You can't beat me with a weak attack like that. I'll just have to show you the strength of the Akimichi!" The long, red hair streamed out behind her as Soren charged forward, her attack barely blocked by Tenchi's kunai. Even so, the black-haired teen's knees buckled under the force and her feet, already enhanced with chakra to help keep her stable, crumbled the earth in a two foot line as she was pushed back.

To the sparring pair's south, Kamisori and Doken were going at it wildly, the silver-haired boy's longer reach, and technique helping to even the odds against the fierce but unrefined style of the Inazuka and his dog, a doberman named Kujyo. The pair's weapons clashed every second or two, and both had minor nicks and cuts all over, but neither showed signs of giving up. The eyelashes Tenchi had batted at the dog-lover- in full view of her now ex-boyfriend- had insured that both had something to prove.

Further still, Inoko was fighting- purely with Taijutsu- against the even smaller, though impressively muscled, Li. Their punches and quicks were almost blindingly fast to those watching, the harsh, cruel even, training that Gai and Lee put their young clone through being matched- barely- by the advantage that Inoko's Sharingan gave her in reading her opponent's moves. Like the two male teens fighting nearby, both were getting very close to making it personal.

Li had, at the beginning, apologized to Inoko for hurting her, but swore that it was not intended to offend- it was only part of serious training. But that he, as a man, couldn't hold back in training.

In turn, she had given him a withering glare and growled, "You'd better not hold back, little boy, or I'll squash you like a bug."

To the side of the field, Naruto and Sakura watched their teams avidly, eyes flickering back and forth to catch as much of the three matches as they could. "Wow, Sakura. Your team's gotten really good," Naruto said when he noticed that the Tenchi/Soren fight was starting to wear down, both breathing heavily.

"Yours too. But that's to be expected," she said, standing up a little straighter and pecking him on the cheek, "After all, you are going to be the next Hokage. Your team should be strong."

He blushed a little and scuffed his foot, then blurted out, "I think you'll win overall, though. I just have this feeling about Kamisori... like he's going to lose his cool, and it'll be over. And Soren over there- she doesn't really have Tenchi outmatched, because without her bugs it's not a fair fight, but still- Tenchi doesn't have a lot of stamina, and if there's anything the Akimichi are known for..."

"Yeah. I think Inoko's experience is going to carry her through against Li, though. Much as I hate to admit it."

That drew the blond's attention over to the youngest of both teams' match, where the two had stepped back to give each other a short breather. Over the kiai and clash of weapons, they could hear Inoko panting out, "You aren't bad, kid, I'll give you that. But you aren't going to beat me without some real jutsu."

Li smiled and looked over at his sensei, who nodded, grinning. His own smile brightened the clearing, just before Inoko charged. She hesitated, and the boy put up a hand, gesturing to 'wait'.

Without another word, he pulled two cords and the weights suddenly dropped out his leg warmers.

"Aww crap. Poor Inoko... she's gonna hate that," Sakura teased, but Naruto only smirked, "I still think you were right before. Face it- if there's anything that can make a Sharingan wake up, it's a strong opponent. And your kid's good- no doubt about that- but he doesn't have the years that Lee had with the weights, either, so it won't make as much of a difference."

Sakura rolled her eyes, grumbling, "When did you get so smart?"

Indeed, the boy was faster, noticeably so, but he still couldn't quite match the speed-up of Inoko, who at last looked like she was really concentrating on the match, instead of smiling through it as she had been.

"Go Inoko!" Naruto suddenly cheered, and Kamisori made a 'fatal' mistake- he looked over at his teammate.

The Inazuka's fist crashed into his jaw with such force that the silver-haired boy's face was turning red before he hit the ground at Sakura and Naruto's feet.
"Sorry, Sakura-sensei," Doken called, grinning wickedly, "He just... made such a good target standing there like that."

Naruto grinned back, his brow furrowed at the boy who'd just punched his teammate, "Don't worry, Doken- I'm sure he'll remember the favor in your next match tomorrow!"

The dog-lover paled.

"So, Naruto," Sakura asked, looking up at him coyly, "Kind of makes your blood rush, doesn't it? Watching them like this?"

He looked down into her emerald eyes and grinned, "You wanna have a match?"

She grinned herself, and reached for her bag to pull out the familiar metal-lined gloves.

"Hey, guys!" Kamisori yelled, wincing with a hand on his jaw, "Stop! They're gonna have a-"

"Don't you dare!" Sakura yelled, giving the boy a little kick, "Don't stop your matches, no matter what! Fight until it's over!"

The adults slowly walked to take the place of Doken and Kamisori, the dog-lover chivalrously bowing to Kamisori and apologizing under his breath as he helped him up.

On either side, the matches continued as Naruto and Sakura stretched and flexed, getting ready for what- to their kids- may as well have been a legendary, epic match. "So- Taijutsu only?" Sakura asked, and Naruto paused to think for a moment.

"No... let's have a Taijutsu and chakra match. Only fair if you can punch me across the field, right? Since you're so slow, and all."

Her eyebrow twitched until she saw his goofy grin, but she still growled, "Slow, am I? We'll see... you know, it's not only Li that's been training with Gai and Lee lately."

Naruto's face went bone-white.

They both took their stances, Naruto very nervously, but neither moved until their younger teammates' matches had drawn to a close, with Inoko's kunai at the other boy's throat. The girl panted breathlessly, "I'll... okay, I was wrong, kid. You can spar with me any time."

She dropped her kunai to the ground, and just as it hit, both adults moved.

Naruto's hand knifed toward the kunoichi's neck, while her leg flew toward his hip.

Damn, she really did get fast! I'm in biiig trouble at this rate!

The pink-haired woman grinned as the separated, both nursing bruises on the arms they'd used to block.

Heh, teach him to take it easy on me.

They closed again, this time Naruto tried to jump over the woman and get behind her, but she caught his foot in mid-jump and threw him to the ground.
He recovered at the last moment, using both hands as powerful springboards to flip him back over Sakura, using her as a fulcrum, then continued the motion on the other side, flipping her up over him. She let go mid-flight, and sailed ten feet away to land, a little shaken, but smiling widely, on her feet. "Not bad, Naruto- didn't think you'd be able to counter that."

"You too. Think you can counter this?"

He was suddenly behind her with an arm around her neck in a half-sleeper, and their students looked on in amazement at his speed. They hadn't even seen him move.

"You're so slow, Naruto," Sakura laughed, "I can't believe I let you get that close. Your mistake, though- you should know better than to let me get a hold of you."

He suddenly cried out in pain.

Sakura's hands were wrapped around his forearm, one squeezing tightly and the other forcing it- despite the fact that his muscles were shaking to hold his arm in place- back with no apparent effort. "No... fair..." he grunted, sweat breaking out on his face.

"You said we could use chakra and Taijutsu. If you don't want to have a handicap, don't give me one," Sakura smirked, releasing him and jumping forward out of his reach.

When she turned, her fiancee was nursing his arm, tears in his eyes, "I think you... broke it, Sakura-chan!"

She was suddenly before him again, her face horrified. "Let me see it, Naruto! I can't believe I- I'm so sorry!"
She looked up at his face only to see him grinning widely, and felt his finger flick her in the forehead. "Gotcha. First contact, I win."

She screamed, and all six teenagers began to laugh.
"Naruto! I can't believe I fell for that! You faker!"

* * *

"Your sensei's so much cooler than ours," Kamisori was saying loudly for the benefit of anyone that would listen, "I mean... she's so pretty and nice! But our sensei is such a crybaby, he had to bawl like a girl just 'cause he got a little bruise on his arm!"

Expecting laughter, he was shocked to see almost every face in the room staring at him- half in anger, half in fear.
"Bit too far, kiddo," Naruto said under his breath.

Akimichi Soren stood slowly, her palms on the long picnic table in their back yard and said in a threatening voice, "And just how does a 'girl' cry, Hatake?"

Tsunade and Shizune started to snicker together from their end of the table as the boy stammered for a response. "I- uh- I didn't- didn't mean-"

Inoko sniffed softly, and said, "Don't worry about it, Soren. We all know Kamisori's just a crybaby himself. At least girls only cry about things that matter- right, Sensei?"
Naruto thought about it for just a second, then answered, "I donno about that. I've seen you cry over little stuff before. I mean, with the bandits- that was nothing, right?"
She looked hurt that he'd brought it up, but half a moment later, she grinned and nodded, "Right. Nothing at all."

The tension fled from her at once and she started to laugh again at her silver-haired teammate.

It's been a long time since they've all been here like this, Hinata thought, smiling, I wish I had a team of my own, too. But it's not going to happen, now. The best I'll be able to do is make Special Jonin, and they don't have teams. But that's the price I pay for being Heir, I guess.

"Besides," Naruto said after a while, "Sakura's not that nice. She's really scary when she's mad. Just ask her!"

The woman's eye twitched again, but when Naruto pointed at her and said in a loud whisper, "See?" she couldn't help but laugh along with him.

Kami, I love them both. All of them. My family... part of it, any way.

"Tsunade-sama," the indigo-haired woman said quietly, speaking to the older woman at her side, "Are the umm... plans... ready?"

Across the table, Shizune went still at once, her attention totally on her master as the old woman replied in a very soft whisper, "They will be tomorrow. The date is set for a week before Christmas. Is that all right with the three of you?"

Hinata giggled softly, and said in an even lower voice, directly into Tsunade's ear, "They don't know I moved it up yet. And I'm not going to tell them until... well, not long before."

Shizune looked quizzically at the other two, but Tsunade gave her the tiniest shake of her head and mouthed, "I'll tell you later," with a barely-concealed grin.

"Come on, you guys," Sakura said firmly, "I know it's been a while since we've all gotten together, but you need to go home. We have a lot of work to do tomorrow."

Everyone groaned, even Tsunade, but the kunoichi was serious. "We have a lot of work to do. I was pretty disappointed in all of your performances today. Remember, I said I wanted to trounce Naruto's team- and we only won two out of three. So that means extra practice for each of you. Yes," she continued over the youngest boy's additional groan, "Even you, Li. Your father would be ashamed to hear you not wanting to train more."

"Ouch, Sakura, low blow," Naruto said, cringing at the thought of what the poor kid probably already went through daily.

"My team, Naruto," she sniffed, then clapped her hands. That was the jolt her students needed- the act that told them she really meant it. "Go, now. Field nine, tomorrow- we're running laps to start. Li- leave your weights at home."

The grin that flashed onto the boy's face was identical to his 'uncle's' at that age, "You really mean it, sensei? I don't have to wear them?"

"I mean it. I'm going to train you all in something to help even the odds next time, and your weights will just get in the way. In fact, don't wear them all week- no matter what your uncle and father say."

The boy was practically skipping when he drug his teammates out the door.

"Wow," Naruto said, awe-struck, "I can't believe your team just does what they tell you to if you clap your hands. I have to beg and plead- or bribe- my team to do anything."

Sakura grinned evilly and replied, "Our first training session Doken asked why he had to have a girl sensei. Thought I wasn't strong enough. So I told him to give me five. When I did, I may have added a teeeensy bit of chakra. After that..."

Hinata giggled and Naruto shuddered.

"Right then," the blond said, "You guys, get out of here. We're going to use Field One tomorrow- make it at nine. It's a short day, I need to work with Obaa-chan here- assuming she's awake by one."

The old woman's swift smack to the back of his head made his team laugh, but they left one after another, each thanking Hinata for her cooking skill and the company.

"Yare, your kids are so loud," Tsunade said after the door had shut for the last time, "reminds me of Naruto when he was younger."

Hinata and Sakura giggled, and Naruto pouted.

"Seriously, though," she said again after a moment's quiet, "I'm really proud of both of you- all of you, really."

Hinata gave a little, polite smile, "I am, too. It almost makes me wish... I had my own team."

Naruto sat up completely suddenly, staring at Hinata in surprise, "But- you can't!"

She looked almost hurt, and the three other women gasped in surprise that he'd say something like that. "Naruto!" Sakura said, preparing to whack him in the back of the head herself, but he didn't seem to hear her.

"I mean... if all three of us have teams, who's going to teach our own kids?"

Hinata blushed at once from the implication, but didn't pass out this time. "I... I... never thought of that," she stammered.

"See," Naruto said flopping back down to take up the whole couch, "told you guys I was a genius. For yeeaaaaars you didn't believe it- now you have proof."

* * *

"You what?!"

They were- neither of them- taking it as well as the Hyuga woman had hoped. In fact, both were furious.

"I... I moved up the weddings?"

"But Hinata-" Naruto cut himself off and spun away.

"I'm... I'm sorry," she cried out in anguish, "I didn't think you'd be mad! I thought... I thought you both wanted to be married! That you wanted it sooner! Like... like I..."

As her voice dissolved into tears, Sakura cried out as well in anger, "You thought! Hinata, what are other people going to think if we suddenly push both weddings forward?! They're going to think one of us is pregnant- or worse, both of us!"

Naruto paled even further. Damn- I hadn't even thought of that!

"I... I... I'm sorrry!" the woman wailed, her head in her hands, sitting on the kitchen chair she'd collapsed onto when she realized both of her fiancees were terribly angry.

"No. Don't say that," Sakura said, still yelling, "I don't want you to be sorry! I want it to- I want it to be fixed!"

Naruto was silent for a long time as the pink-haired woman continued to rail at the quieter one, but his expression was thoughtful.

"Sakura, stop," he said at last, standing up to move over to crouch in front of Hinata, "Hinata, it doesn't matter," he said at last, causing Sakura to turn on him, instead.

"It doesn't matter, Naruto?! Of course it matters!"

He looked over his shoulder at her, his cerulean eyes almost shimmering with tears even though they looked hard, "No, Sakura, it doesn't. Listen to me," he continued, turning back to Hinata, "both of you. It doesn't matter at all. In a few months, people will realize that we moved it up because we wanted to, not because either of you are pregnant. I mean, how could you be? We'd have known by now if... because we..."

He trailed off, his train of thought being derailed by the images he was inflicting on himself. It's been so long since I had... well...

Sakura stood tall, arms across her chest, glaring at the other woman still for a long time, but then she suddenly flopped onto Naruto's vacated chair with a huff and said with a groan, "I guess it doesn't matter. Naruto's right. So... I'm sorry, Hinata."

Naruto relaxed at last, worried that he'd have to fend one of them off the other, and that it would drive a rift between them- something he never wanted to happen.

"I'm so sorry," Hinata said again, her voice still thick with tears, "I didn't think..."

"Hinata," Naruto said, pulling her face up to meet his, "We love you. Both of us. We aren't mad... it's just... it was a big surprise. That's all. Okay?"

He leaned forward a few inches to kiss her, but she was too worried still to respond much. When he pulled away, he saw the woman's almost-invisible eyes on Sakura, who was doing her best not to watch- and failing.
"Fine," she grumbled at last, "I'm not mad. And I'm not just saying it to make Naruto happy, either," she grouched before the other woman could say anything, "I... yeah, I'm a little worried about what people will say, but Naruto's right. It'll pass."

Long minutes passed in silence while Hinata continued to hiccup, but it seemed the worst of it was over. The trio had been ready to spend the day out and about in town, enjoying one of their few mutual days off, when Hinata had spilled the news to the other two while they were cleaning up breakfast.
Now, though, it seemed that plan was out- Hinata hated going outside with puffy eyes.

Even though she's still beautiful like that.

"So... when is the date now, exactly?"

"It's... uhm... a week before Christmas," Hinata answered the other woman, "So the eighteenth of December."

Sakura nodded resolutely. "I guess I'll have to get my shopping done early, then, and get my dresses final fittings done today."

Hinata sniffed again, on the verge of tears because Sakura still sounded a little cold.

But when the pink-haired woman looked at the other, there was regret in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Hinata, I didn't mean it to sound like that. I was just rearranging my schedule in my head, that's all. I really am... happy that you want to get married sooner. I really am."

The woman didn't answer, only gave the taller kunoichi a watery grin before she went up the stairs to their bedroom.

"Hinata-chan," Naruto said softly after she'd gone, "you know she really isn't mad, right?"

Hinata hiccuped again, so he continued, "She hits things when she's annoyed, but when she's really mad, no one's safe. And she only yelled a little bit- it really was just a shock."

The woman nodded weakly, still not looking up at her fiancee.

"Hinata, look at me," he said again, but she didn't move until he put his hands on her cheeks and lifted her face toward his. "I hate it when you cry- and so does she. In just a minute I'm going to go upstairs and see Sakura crying her eyes out, thinking that you hate her now. But you don't, right?"

"Of course not!" Hinata cried quietly, "How could she think that?!"

Naruto smiled, giving her a gentle peck on the lips, "Because we're human, and humans are silly. We are different people, we don't all think the same all the time. But she really does love you, and that's what matters. Right?"

This time, the woman nodded, so Naruto kissed her again before standing slowly and going upstairs.

He'd been right, of course. As soon as he'd reached the landing, he could hear Sakura's quiet sobs through their door. He didn't bother to knock, but shut the door gently behind him and looked at her.

She was wearing her usual outfit now, still mostly red, though the white circles of her family's crest had all-but vanished. The long tunic was still there, but now it's cut was more similar to that favored by Ino, though it lacked the fastenings in as many places and was a lot looser. It almost hung on her like a kimono. Instead of the tight, form-hugging black shorts she'd worn a few years ago, she now wore pants, usually pink or white, again loose in the leg, but form-fitting as they rose.

When Naruto's eyes reached her eyes, he was unsurprised to find them literally running with salty tears. She ran into him, pushing him back toward the door in a fierce kiss, sobbing all the while. "Naruto... does she... hate me?"

His arms slid around her slender back as he whispered into her hair, "Of course she doesn't. And she knows you don't hate her, either. You got mad, that's all- it was just a fight. People do that."

"But I-"

"Shush, Sakura- even people that love each other fight. Me and Hinata- hell, you and me- are proof of that. And look at us. We're getting married in two weeks."

She stiffened a little at first, but once he'd mentioned their new date, she collapsed into him, crying again, "She still... wants to? And you do, too, even after I said those awful things?"

He smiled into her neck and gave her a little nibble, "Of course. I love you, Sakura-chan. Why wouldn't I want to marry you?"

Neither heard the feet coming up the stairs, but they heard the doorknob turn and took their weight off of it just in time as Hinata came slowly into the room, her eyes puffy but dry. "Sakura-chan... I'm sorry. Please don't hate-"

Her words were stopped by Sakura's lips pressing against her own, much as she'd done with Naruto a minute before.

As their tongues began to wrestle for dominance, Naruto backed away until he ran into one of their dressers, the noise breaking them apart at once, both blushing.

"Sorry," Sakura said at last, "I'm so sorry, Hinata. I love you, and I-"

"No, Sakura, I'm the one that-"

But both women were interrupted by Naruto's profound statement, "Kami, that was so hot!"