DISCLAIMER: I own nothing from the Naruto universe but I do have an imagination of my own. I got some inspiration from the story ARVUM, but have expanded on it. I desperately tried to get permission to continue that story, etc., but received no response, sadly.

Thinking

Emphasis

Biju, etc. speaking

(-)

Suddenly she couldn't hear the Hokage's words because the blood running through her ears seemed to take on a high pitched tone. Kakashi? She was marrying Kakashi-sensei?

"Forgive me, Naru-chan, there's been so much to explain and I haven't done a very good job of this, have I? Naruto Uzumaki-san, I'd like you to meet Kakashi Hatake-san. I promise you, Naruto-chan, that you can trust Kakashi-kun with your life. After all, Kakashi-kun is your father's only remaining student," the Sandaime explained.

(-)

"Will you accept the terms to this agreement, Naruto-chan?" Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Sandaime Hokage asked.

Terms? An agreement? Oh yeah. Aside from the marriage - and the thought of that alone made her stomach roll - there was something about a minimum number of kids to repopulate his clan… Breathe, Naruto, breathe! She felt Shikaku's hand on her shoulder and tried to offer a polite smile. "Forgive me for asking for clarification," she began, gulping loudly, "but the ch-, er offs-... Gomen." She searched to find the words that would actually come out of her mouth, unable to look up at any of the men. "Repopulating Hatake-san's clan?" Naruto could feel the misery rolling off of her former sensei. Buck up, you! We're both screwed here!

The Sandaime couldn't have looked any more uncomfortable, but that was probably only because Naruto knew him so well. "Ah. Yes, Naruto-chan." He cleared his throat awkwardly. "This is a normal provision of such arrangements, however, we have limited it and extended the time for the two of you to begin, uh…"

Naruto nodded her head. Arrangements. Kami! Had she thought about marriage before? In the abstract, yes. But she knew who she was, and what she held. She always wondered who the hell would even be interested in her, really, when she thought about it at all. Well, I guess I don't have to worry about that now. The one good thing about it, though, was that she'd get a family out of it. No more being the lonely orphan that she was for so long. After all, hope-beyond-hopefully Shikamaru would get together with his beloved again… and then would she be alone once more? Not now, I guess. At least she could have kids to love her, if not a willing partner.

"What's with all this whining, brat? You woke me up with all this negativity and stupidity!"

So you're unaware? I'm marrying Kaka…

"No shit, runt! I thought you'd be ready to skip through the forests, twirl through the tulips, dance through Uchiha graves. What's the problem? Isn't this the meat bag you've been pining for since the very beginning?"

But it's being forced upon him, Kurama! I'm being forced on him. He'll never...

"Stop or I'll make you eat deer raw!" Naruto gasped: the bastard wouldn't! "You're making me sick! Since when do you give up? Since when do you see someone who doesn't like you and let them get away with that heresy? And you don't know that the pervert doesn't like you yet. The ninken has his head so far up his ass and is so emotionally stunted, no one would know!"

Great, Kurama. I feel much better now, she drawled sarcastically.

Except she did feel a little better. While her former sensei certainly did have his silver-haired head up his ass much of the time - and was a pervert, based on his constant reading materials - she didn't really know what he thought of her. No, actually he just didn't know her yet, and there was time for that! Time for him to get to like her, for her to get closer to him… for her to seduce him.

"And you refer to him as a pervert," snorted the fox.

"... three children with the first coming before your 18th birthday. Do you have any other questions, Naruto-chan?" Oops. Stupid fox. Hope I didn't miss anything.

"Uh, no. That's it, I think." What else was she supposed to ask? This was all so bewildering.

"Will you accept then?" Hiruzen asked.

Well isn't that the marriage proposal a girl waits for her whole life? She snorted internally at her thought and the shitty situation. "I don't have much choice, do I, Hokage-sama," she replied.

"Still, I would like you to agree. That is, if you do agree to this."

She slowly took in a deep breath and finally looked at her - what should she even call him? Her "fiance" for these precious minutes? He sure did look handsome with his deep, dark blue fancy kimono-thing, (Naruto never paid much attention to that kind of stuff,) it's silver lining and details highlighting his hair and eye. I could definitely do worse, even if Kami-only knows what's underneath that mask of his. If it's too gross, I'll just tell him to keep the mask on. He'll probably do that anyway, weirdo that he is. One way or the other, he was a hell of a better match than the Teme. She heard Kurama gag in her mind. "Yes," her voice spoke on its own. "Yes, I agree," she continued, sounding more determined but feeling the blood rush to her cheeks and ears.

The Hatake looked at her fully then and for a moment she felt like time froze. Her heart sped up as he stared at her. Then he pulled that confounded eye-smile of his and she wanted to hit him. She had seen Kakashi-sensei smile for real before - and that weird smile thing he was doing now bugged the shit out of her. It made her think of Sai. Oh no, it's not nearly that bad, actually; I'm just frustrated. Keep it together, Naruto. She attempted to smile back. To anyone else, she worried, they probably both looked like they were in pain or constipated.

30 minutes later the two were married before the Hokage and Jonin Commander. Naruto and Kakashi were even stunned to see the Daimyo's signature on the official certificate, sharing a wide-eyed look at each other at that moment. She did get a shy smile back from the Hatake after that, so Naruto felt a little better. As the Hokage reeled through all sorts of things ranging from housing to something about her parents, Shikaku finally spoke.

"Troublesome. This has been a big day, an overwhelming one, I'm sure." Naruto couldn't look up to see what had to be agreement in her husband's eye. My husband: gah! "I can go over these details with her again back at the estate. We'll get everything together and ready to go. I'm guessing I know how you live, Kakashi-kun, so you shouldn't have that hard of a time." She heard a weird sound come from her… husband. Yeah, her husband. "Bachelors and all that, Naru-chan. We'll be off then."

Naruto nodded and looked up to the men around her. "I will see you soon then, Kakashi-san?" Since when was her voice so weak?! "Sandaime-sama," she bowed out politely to the men who stood watching.

"She left through the door! Not to mention addressing me so formally… I'd better be prepared," the Hokage said darkly.

Kakashi wasn't quite sure what he was talking about, but he couldn't stand to be there a moment longer. With a quick, polite nod to his superior, he jumped out of the window, infuriating the Hokage. He needed a drink - or several, badly.