ACADEMY DAYS XVIII - WEDDING
The olden traditions dictate that an engagement is to last for at least one year before the marriage takes place. Typically, this was not a tradition followed by shinobi. At least, not during the Warring Clans Era before the Hidden Villages were founded. Back then, they couldn't really afford to wait that long; when your survival depends on outnumbering your rival clans, you needed to start families fast and produce heirs to fight.
The Hyuga clan in particular also had more of a political influence than some other clans, so their own traditions were heavily influenced by civilian nobility, hence this tradition remaining strong among them to this day.
It's now been one year since Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuga's engagement became official, and it's time for everyone to start panicking.
-x-
Thankfully, much of the things necessary are taken care of by the priests who officiate the wedding. Modern weddings leave all of the planning to the newlyweds and their families, but not for this. Then again, there is a large ceremony planned for later, where more people will be invited to share in the festivities so there's still planning for that part.
The official wedding is to take place at a shrine where everything is prepared, down to the traditional kimono and food presented to the guests.
That leaves the post-ceremony celebration for them to think of. First thing on the list- location. They'd spent some time thinking over their choices, with Hinata mainly being the one to go through the locations.
It's during this stage of planning that two guests visit their home. Hinata opens the door to be met by Tsunade and Fusuma Senju who are warmly welcome in their home.
"Venue is all set." Fusuma says proudly.
"Pardon?" Hinata cocks her head.
"I cleared it with the clan elders and, should you want it, Senju Park is at your disposal." She clarifies.
"It's by far the best venue in the village, although we might be biased about that." Tsunade adds with a laugh, joined by her cousin.
"You needn't have gone that far!" Hinata looks at them with worry that she's taking advantage of their generosity. "I don't want to inconvenience anyone. Senju Park is an important landmark, I can't expect it to close just for us."
"Luckily I'm the one who can make that kind of call, since it's our park." Fusuma says. "All you have to do is say 'yes'. Pretty easy, right?"
"I couldn't possibly ask you to-"
Fusuma holds her hand up. "Alright, stop right there. Think of this as part of our wedding gift for you two. Of course, if you don't want it to be Senju Park…"
"Of course I do! I just didn't think it would be possible to arrange for something like that to happen."
Tsunade smiles. "All you had to do is ask. We're family, after all."
Fusuma nods in agreement. "We'd be dishonouring our grandmother if we didn't offer this much, at least. This is a momentous occasion for the Uzumaki clan as a whole."
"In that case," Hinata bows deeply to her elders, "I graciously accept your offer."
"Now with that out of the way," Tsunade dusts off her hands, after a hard day's work, "Where's Naruto so we can tell him, too?"
"He's…" Hinata pauses in reluctance, knowing how her next words will be met. "He's out to… see to the catering."
Tsunade furrows her brow. "You know he's just going to order ramen, right?"
"I… trust him wholeheartedly."
-x-
Teuchi crosses his arms in slight disgruntlement. "There's no way I'm serving ramen at a wedding." he says, insulted at the very thought.
Naruto slumps his shoulders. "Aw, man. But I really wanted you to do it!"
"If you want me to cater at your wedding, I can. I just won't be ramen."
"You can cook stuff besides ramen?" Naruto jumps in his seat.
If Teuchi could cross his arms any further, he would. "I'm a chef, Naruto. I can cook practically everything, I just chose ramen for my stall. So whatever's needed you can count on me." He rubs his fingers together. "For the right price."
Ayame bonks him on the head. "With a discount, of course. As a wedding gift."
"Naturally! Yes, I was just about to say." Teuchi gives a hearty laugh.
"Then it's all settled, right?" Naruto grins.
"You can count on us." Ayame reassures him. "This'll be a feast to remember."
-x-
Making their way back home, Tsunade and Fusuma stop to admire the view from a platform, in-between a series of steps that lead to a more elevated part of the village.
"Thank you for making that happen." Tsunade says.
"It was nothing, and like I said- just helping family." Fusuma leans on the railing. "You've always been so passionate about Naruto Uzumaki and his well being that I just had to see for myself what kind of person he is. He's lucky to have you." She smiles.
"Maybe…" Tsunade walks forward to prop herself up the railing next to her cousin. "I'm just sorry I wasn't there for you when you needed me."
Fusuma shakes her head. "Don't worry about it. I was angry when I was a kid but not anymore. I understand what a difficult time you'd gone through."
"That still doesn't excuse me leaving you and the clan behind. I put myself first and didn't care about what that would lead to."
"But you remembered to care." Fusuma turns to face Tsunade, a light chuckle escaping her lips. "You know, I used to really hate Shizune. I kept wondering why you chose to travel with her instead of stay with me. Kept cursing her for stealing my beloved cousin from me."
"I'm so sorry, Fusuma." Tsunade lowers her head.
"It's fine." Fusuma leans over and kisses Tsunade on the forehead. "We can all be a family now."
Tsunade blinks in surprise, at her own loving gesture being used against her. "Yeah, we are." She pulls her baby cousin into a tight hug.
Probably one of the most excited people for the wedding is Kotori, eager to see the day that her adoptive parents become official. She's set her sights on making this day as special as it can be and that involves dragging Yokumaru and Shoto shopping for matching kimonos.
Naturally, their parents are with them to purchase them and any accessories that may be necessary.
"I apologize for dragging you all out like this." Hinata addresses Yoi, Itosuke, and Asami.
"You don't have to apologize, Hinata." Yoi says.
"That's right." Asami nods. "If anything, we should be apologizing for not doing this ourselves. We owe you this much, at least."
"Owe me for what?" Hinata looks at them, confused.
"For everything you've done for us." Asami explains.
"You've changed our lives and our children's lives." Yoi adds. "I shudder to think where we'd be without you. And we don't spend nearly enough time together, given how close the kids are."
"They've definitely built a unique bond." Itosuke adds his two cents, some of the very few words he's uttered this outing.
Ahead of them, going through the stores and shops' window displays, the kids and Naruto admire the choices of kimono and decide together which might look best on them.
Hinata smiles at how close the four of them are. "It's also been a while since Naruto and I could spend time like this with them. During our travels we tried to take them out for walks as often as we could, to help them remember a life besides shinobi training. It's nice to be able to do so once more and I think he's more excited about it than they are." She giggles.
Ahead of them, Naruto points to a dark green selection of kimonos. "Ooh, how about this one?"
Kotori looks it over. "Hmm… No, something about it is off."
Shoto rolls his eyes. "All of them have 'something off'. What even IS off about them?"
"I don't know!" Kotori says. "When I see ones that click, I'll know."
"Shouldn't you also be asking us?" Shoto taps his foot.
"I'm good with letting Kotori pick." Yokumaru intervenes. "I don't really know much about kimonos so…"
Kotori motions to her friend. "See, Yokumaru trusts my judgement, why can't you?"
"Because it's untrustworthy."
Kotori puffs her cheeks.
"Now, now." Naruto tries to play mediator. "I'm sure we can find something all of you will like. There's gotta be something… right?"
"Why do you want us to be matching, anyway?" Shoto asks. "Isn't it fine to just go with whatever?"
"Because we're a team! And it'll look cute if we're wearing the same thing."
"Although…" Yokumaru begins wondering. "Aren't girls' kimonos more fancy? So we won't fully match."
"We can always ask them to make changes." Naruto waves off the concerns. "That's probably possible. Come on, we won't find anything if we stay here talking."
The four of them run off further ahead to keep looking. In the end, they find some light brown kimonos that strike all their fancy. The boys try them on fairly quickly while Kotori has to struggle a bit more to try hers on as there's more to hers. It's not fair how much more of a hassle women's kimonos are.
With parental approval and payment made, the three families part ways for the evening.
On the walk back home, Kotori can't stop peeking into the bag to look at her kimono, or what little of it she can see while it's folded and bagged. The smile on her face doesn't disappear and Naruto and Hinata can't help but be affected by her happiness.
Naruto wraps his arms around both his girls, pulling them as close to himself as he possibly can.
Hinata giggles at his sudden burst of affection. "What prompted that?"
"I'm just… realizing more and more how lucky I am to have… all of this." He kisses his wife-to-be on the head.
Kotori hugs his arm as he holds her. "Thanks for letting me be a part of it."
"We've only just started, kiddo." Naruto leans down and picks up Kotori who yelps in surprise.
Blushing, she squeezes onto her bag and hides her face in his shoulder. "I'm not a kid! People are staring."
"Then let them!" Naruto laughs. "They're just jealous."
Kotori protests only slightly, using his shoulder to hide the smile on her face. Everything she'd wanted since she was a kid, everything she hoped to have is right here. She doesn't have to be jealous of other kids anymore.
Hinata leans in on his other shoulder as they walk into the Uzumaki compound.
With all the planning the bride and groom have to do, their honoured guests have to plan for a lot, too. Well, it's not as much as the couple has to do but picking out appropriate gifts is still important.
For that purpose, Team 7 has gathered in full force plus some extras. Sakura and Sasuke arrive together at their designated seat at the restaurant, followed soon by Sai and Yakumo. Yamato arrives on his own shortly after with, as usual, Kakashi and Anko arriving last, although this time Kakashi actually has a legitimate reason for being late with being a father and all.
They do spend time catching up and having the usual small talk before getting to the actual meat of it.
"As his teammates," Sakura begins, taking a leading role in this meeting, "We have to do something big for them! We can't slip up here!"
Yakumo looks around the table nervously. "Um, is it really okay for me to be here, too? I'm not really a part of the team."
"Of course you are!" Sakura reassures her with a smile. "If you're with Sai, then you're one of us now."
"Thank you." Yakumo smiles shyly. "I do want to repay him for how much he helped me."
Kakashi chimes in. "I can assure you, he doesn't think of that as something that needs to be repaid. So just think of this as a gift to a friend, not returning a favour." He smiles under his mask.
"Do you have any ideas, Kakashi-sensei, Captain Yamato?"
"Hmm…" Kakashi rubs his chin. "We've thought about it quite a bit but nothing really comes to mind so far. Naruto gave us a memento from the past for Azuki so I'd like to give them something with as much meaning, but…"
Anko shrugs. "So far we got nothing."
Yamato chuckles. "Ah, how unprepared of you, senpai. I expected more." He says with a slight air of superiority.
"Does that mean you have an idea?" Sakura asks.
Yamato holds up his hand, showing as it slowly turns to wood. "I'm going to do what I do best. Use my Wood Style to craft them a statue. I just… need to figure out a statue of what exactly."
"Ey, that's pretty good." Anko pats him on the shoulder hard enough to make him drop a piece of wood on the ground. "Using your jutsu as a gift, that's smart. Wonder if they need a snake?" She rubs her chin.
"That sounds amazing!" Sakura admires the idea. "Sadly I don't have something as creative as that."
Yakumo appears deep in thought. "Actually that might be the way to go. I don't really have much besides my painting, so…" She shares a look with Sai to see if they're on the same page, "We could gift them a painting made by us? Or offer to paint a mural in their home?"
"That sounds like an excellent idea." Sai nods. "I've read that homemade gifts are often met with a warmer response."
"Maybe I can paint a portrait whose eyes follow you everywhere you go." Yakumo says with glee.
"I, uh… think that may need some workshopping." Sakura suggests. "That's good that you figured something out." She then turns to her teammate. "Don't you have any ideas, Sasuke?"
He rubs his head in exasperation. "Isn't just money fine enough?"
"Eh? That's so impersonal!" She complains.
"Well, it's all I have." Sasuke shrugs.
"Surely something comes to mind." Sai prods with a smile. "Something from you that he'd enjoy."
"Naruto doesn't strike me as particularly picky." Yamato adds/
"He's a simple guy." Sasuke sighs. "He'd enjoy even the most childish things, like going to an amusement park."
"That… might actually work!" Sakura perks up. "A nice trip, just for the two of them, enjoying the rides, taking in the scenery… It's perfect!"
"Oh!" Anko remembers a piece of information that might prove useful. "They just recently opened a Princess Gale theme park, didn't they? Although getting in is… difficult right now. Place is absolutely sold out from what I heard."
"Maybe we can find some tickets being sold?" Sakura wonders.
"If they're not from the park itself, it'll be very expensive." Anko says.
"Yeah." Sakura slumps her shoulders. "But... it'll be worth it. Right?"
"You know I was just kidding, right?" Sasuke asks.
"And in doing so gave an actual suggestion." She pats him on the shoulder. "There's no way Ino can come up with a better gift!" She laughs.
Kakashi chuckles. "So that's what this is about."
"Looks like we'll have to think long and hard, huh?" Anko says as she stretches.
"Looks like." Kakashi smiles. "Going to need to step up my game."
Elsewhere, sitting in a circle among the trees of a lovely park, taking in the fresh air, is another group of individuals who are planning their gifts.
Ino, being the organizer of it all, had called over Shikamaru and Choji, and their other halves Temari and Karui. Kiba, being dragged into all this, decided to also drag Shino and Shiho.
Shikamaru leans back with a groan. "This is all such a drag."
"You could at least be serious about this one thing, can't you?" Temari sighs. "Honestly, you're so…"
Shikamaru grumbles. 'Already getting nagged…'
Choji munches on some food as usual. "If it's about this, then I already have their gift ready."
Ino snickers. "You? Seriously?"
He nods his head in response and pulls out two tickets from his pouch. "Yep."
Shikamaru leans in to get a better look, his eyes widened once he sees what they're tickets for. "Oi, oi… Isn't that the super high-end place in the capital? The waiting list is years behind! How'd you manage to get these?"
"For real?!" Ino takes a closer look, as well. "Even Lady Tsunade would have to wait years for a table. Even the Daimyo himself would!"
Karui furrows her brow. "Is it really that impressive?"
"Surely it can't be that prestigious?" Temari sounds as incredulous.
Shino nods his head. "It is the only 7-star establishment in the Land of Fire and one of three in the whole world. The others being in the Land of Lightning and Land of Rivers."
"The Akimichi clan regularly makes reservations." Choji waves the tickets in front of himself. "It's a shame I'll have to miss eating there but it's for Naruto, after all."
"Oh, man, you're already way ahead in the gift department..." Ino complains.
Karui looks at the tickets with a great deal of uncertainty and nervousness. "If it's something that valuable, I don't think I should attach myself to that gift. Those tickets are all you, after all, I can just get them something else."
"You don't have to worry about that, it's no big deal." Choji says. "Besides, I was kinda thinking of taking you there…" He adds in a more mumbling voice but it still comes out clear.
Karui laughs nervously. "I… really don't think that kinda place is for me."
Temari turns to Shikamaru. "So, any plans in that big brain of yours?"
"I don't know." He rubs his head. "I was thinking of a holiday somewhere. Something relaxing."
"Like a hotspring?" Temari asks.
"Maybe? Do you know any places? Figure it shouldn't be anything in the Leaf since they can go here any time."
"There's a few good places in the Land of Wind, although the best options might be in the Land of Hot Waters. Since we're technically allies now, it might be easier to find a place there."
Shikamaru gulps. "Will that require…" He dare not finish the sentence.
"Going around and looking?" She finishes it for him. "Yes. So get ready for a busy week."
Shikamaru slumps his shoulders. "We could get them a new couch or something?"
"Too late for that. I'm sold on the onsen." Temari states.
Hearing all their ideas, Shiho looks perplexed. "Now I'm even more lost on what to get for them."
"Did you not say you had an idea for something?" Shino asks.
"Yeah, but it feels silly now." She rubs the back of her neck in embarrassment. "It's nothing compared to what you all are getting for them."
"Hey, come on, I'm sure it's not that silly." Kiba reassures her.
"Yeah, if you're not too sure about it, we can help you out with it." Ino offers.
"Well," Shiho begins with a slight hesitation, "Since I work for the Cryptanalysis Team, I thought of making, like, a coded language just for them. Something only they'd understand. And, well, me, of course."
"Aw, that's adorable!" Ino gushes at the thought. "You should definitely do that."
"You think so?"
Temari nods in agreement. "Even I have to admit that's pretty cute."
"And she's usually not into cute things." Shikamaru foolishly says out loud, earning himself a bonk over the head.
"If it's to create a new cypher, I can assist." Shino offers. "I'm not as practiced as you, but…"
"That'd be nice." Shiho smiles.
Ino smiles warmly at the couple planning to work together, but when a certain realization hits her, she screams in frustration. "So we're the only ones with nothing!" She grabs Kiba by the shirt and violently shakes him. "We need to come up with something good! At the very least something better whatever dumb idea Sakura got!"
Karui chuckles. "So it's a competition for you?"
"We always compete." Ino lets go of her fiance. "It's our thing."
Kiba goes deep in thought. "I wanna do something big for them. Hinata's my teammate, after all. But honestly, they're kinda difficult to get gifts for. Hinata's so nice, she'd be appreciative of basically anything and Naruto is… well, Naruto is Naruto. He'd be happy to go to a theme park or something."
"Wait." Ino snaps her head. "Theme park? Didn't they just open a really big new one, based on the Princess Gale movies?"
"Oh yeah, I heard about that." Karui says. "But it's already sold out for a while, it might be hard to get tickets unless someone sells theirs for a higher price."
"But it just might be worth it. It's got to be better than Sakura's gift; there's no way she can top this!" She turns around and lays a big one right on Kiba's lips. "You're a genius!"
"Greetings, everyone!" They all turn around to see Lee and Tenten approaching them from the main walking path. "What brings you out on this fine day?"
"We were just mulling over wedding gifts." Ino explains. "You two want to join?"
"That's fine." Tenten says with a grin. "We already got them a present."
"Is it a weapon?" Kiba jokes.
"Ah, um…" Tenten shuffles her feet. "Yes… BUT! It's a collector's item, I'll have you know! The legendary blades wielded by the famous samurai Musashi hundreds of years ago."
"Sounds fancy." Temari looks impressed. "Doubt it was easy to come by."
Lee gives a thumbs up with his usual shining grin. "It cost a fortune but by teaming up, we were able to get it for them!"
"Then how about we all go out to celebrate our small win?" Ino stands up and dusts the grass off her skirt. "Sounds like we all got pretty solid gifts."
"Let's!" Kiba gives a resounding yell in agreement.
The Hyuga clan, being the traditionalists that they are, have their own rules and customs to follow. As much as it pains Hiashi to keep pushing these traditions on his daughter, it's not something the Elders would just let go and agree to ignore.
It's for this purpose, with a heavy heart, that Hiashi has summoned Hanabi to his office.
"I don't intend to beat around the bush, Hanabi." He begins clearly. "The Elders are determined to build further relations with the Taketori clan. They expect you to attend the wedding with their youngest son with the prospect of marriage."
"What?" She quickly jumps up to her feet. "But they can't! I don't want to go with that guy!"
"I'm fully aware of that. I've tried to keep them at bay as long as I can, but you're coming of age and they're growing impatient." Hiashi lowers his head. "I'm sorry."
"But…" She fidgets in place. 'Is there something that could get me out of this?' "What if…" 'Or… someone?' "What if I already have someone to take to the wedding?" She hesitantly asks. 'What're you saying?!' She beats herself mentally.
Hiashi raises a brow. "Oh? Who might that be?"
'No one!' "It's…" An image immediately popped into her mind. 'Don't say it, don't say it.' However, Lord Hiashi Hyuga is already expecting an answer and he seems eager to hear. "Konohamaru Sarutobi." She says in a quiet voice, hoping that maybe she wasn't heard to give her a chance to rethink her words.
"Konohamaru, huh?" Hiashi rubs his chin. Guess the mumbling didn't work. "It's true he's of much higher station than the young Taketori. I wasn't aware you two had gotten that close."
'Neither was I…' She tries to regain her composure. "I… didn't wish to raise expectations too high." She continues to lie. "So, um, surprise?"
"That would certainly appease them." Hiashi stands up and goes to hug his daughter. "I'm glad you've found someone, Hanabi."
"Yes, I'm… sure he's ecstatic, as well." Hanabi whimpers.
-x-
"WHAT?!" Konohamaru jumps in his seat.
Hanabi presses her hands together and bows her head. "Please, I'm begging you. If only just for a little bit, to get the Elders off my back."
"Why me, anyway? You could ask basically anyone." Konohamaru asks.
"It's… just… I don't know." Hanabi whines and hides her face in her hands. "You're the first person who came to mind. You'd be a better pick than the Taketori."
Konohamaru crosses his arms in contemplation. "So what, do you hate this Taketori guy or something?"
"I don't… hate him. He's just not someone I'd want to be stuck with. He's bland, only talks about himself, has always had everything handed to him. Not my type."
"Hm. And, uh," Konohamaru shyly looks away. "What IS your type?"
If Hanabi could retract her head like a turtle, she would. With reddened cheeks, she mumbles her way through. "Someone… passionate about what he likes. Cares about his friends. Determined to achieve his goals. That kind of guy."
Konohamaru nods along as she lists off qualities until it hits him like a brick. Everything she just said… He slams his hands in front of her, startling her to look up to him, his eyes widened in a panic.
"You can't!" He declares.
Hanabi blinks twice. "Can't what?"
"I mean, I know he's cool and all but he's already in a relationship! With your sister!"
She blinks again. "What're you talking about?"
"Just now, you were describing bro, right? But you can't, Hanabi!" He gets right in her face, eyes pleading her to reconsider her non-existent crush on Naruto. "Please don't do anything that'll ruin your relationship!"
Hanabi grows red in the face, this time from anger rather than embarrassment. In her frustration, she grabs her pouch and throws it right at his nose. "I WAS DESCRIBING YOU, YOU MORON!"
He rubs his nose and stares at her blankly. "Huh? Me?"
She puffs out her cheeks. "Forget it. I'll just go."
As she goes to stand up, Konohamaru instinctively grabs her hand. "Wait. I'll… go. With you."
"You don't have to. I'll deal with it." She says in a monotone voice, not even bothering to look back at him.
"'Cause… I also got a type. Someone who's a constant pain in my ass. Who always butts heads with me. … Who throws stuff in my face."
They both remain silent, unmoving from their position. Konohamaru still holds onto her hand. Under normal circumstances, they might pull away and it's certainly slightly uncomfortable right now. However, normal circumstances these are not. It feels … freeing to be like this and to be honest.
Hanabi gives Konohamaru's hand a light squeeze.
As the days pass and the wedding draws ever closer, Naruto finds himself with less and less free time as plans need to be made. There's apparently way more to weddings than he thought and Hinata's been more than patient as he figures this stuff out.
On one of the few free moments he has, he's sitting atop the Hokage Monument, looking over the village with Sasuke. The two are sitting on the Fourth Hokage's head, sharing a drink.
"I never would've thought things would change this much." Sasuke contemplates.
"Yeah." Naruto nods. "You, talking to other people… Who could've predicted that?"
Sasuke sighs. "Not that, you dolt."
Naruto laughs. "I know."
"I'm happy for you. Honestly." Sasuke says as he takes a sip.
"Thanks." Naruto drinks, as well. "You mentioned the Uchiha used to be priests in the past, didn'tcha? More spiritual. Maybe I should have you perform the ceremony."
Sasuke snorts. "Don't even joke about that. That was hundreds of years ago and I wouldn't know the first thing about it."
Naruto leans back against his dad's stone hair. "I been thinking a lot about it, y'know? We're apparently gonna get the blessing of the deities that watch over us and our marriage. But after everything we've been through… That thing I fought in the Land of Wind that had the Sharingan and how it kept talking about Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi and stuff like they were real… And the Uchiha being priests and all… Do you think that…"
"That Amaterasu isn't just the name of a rare jutsu, but of a deity? Yeah. I've thought about it." Sasuke leans back, as well. "But I still don't know the connection of it all. Is the jutsu named after that Amaterasu or is my jutsu more directly connected to it? Still, it raises a lot of questions about what entities we pray to and give offerings."
Naruto nods. "I'd rather not pray to that Hachiman thing." He stays quiet for a moment before turning to look at Sasuke.
"What?" The Uchiha feels uncomfortable with the staring after a while.
Naruto leans in, far too close for comfort and looks him directly in the right eye. "HEY, AMATERASU, YOU IN THERE?!" He shouts at the top of his lungs.
Sasuke quickly pushes him away. "What're you doing?!"
"I figured maybe whatever Amaterasu is, it's in there somewhere." Naruto explains his brilliant theory. "Y'know, they say the eyes are windows to the soul."
"I don't think it's that literal!" Sasuke wipes away some of Naruto's spit from his cheek. "Disgusting."
"Was worth a shot." Naruto shrugs.
"It really wasn't." Sasuke grumbles. He tries to remain serious but a chuckle gets the better of him. "You idiot."
They both share a good laugh.
Wedding day
The first thing required is to get dressed. Or in this case, for someone else to dress you. A kimono isn't something you just slap on, you need several people to wrap the large piece of cloth around you, to properly fold it and tie it. It takes several belts to actually hold it in place and Naruto has to stand still for the entire duration as the shrine priests help him become more presentable. It's worse than he ever imagined.
Sitting to the side, dressed in a suit, Iruka chuckles at his discomfort. "Just hold on a little longer."
Naruto groans. "Did you have to put up with this, too?"
Kakashi chimes in, propped up against the window sill and also wearing a suit similar to Iruka's. "Nope. We had less traditional weddings. Smaller." He looks out the window, to Senju Park that sits beneath the shrine the official ceremony is to take place. He takes in all the figures of the people who're already gathering for the grand celebrations. "Fewer people, too."
"Your kimonos look way comfier, too." Naruto continues to complain.
"That's because we're not the stars of the show." Iruka explains. "Do you plan to complain like this all day, Naruto?" He laughs.
"Don't challenge him, Iruka." Kakashi joins in on the mocking.
Naruto grumbles under his breath.
At this point, Shizune and Tonton enter the room, wearing matching grey kimonos. She gushes as she takes a look at Naruto's dark grey kimono and lighter hakama pants, more clean than she's ever seen him.
"Why, don't you look sharp." She compliments him.
"Thanks." Naruto grins from ear to ear. "Feel a bit stuffy, though."
"None of that." She walks up to him and straightens his haori. "This is one of the most important days of your life. Cherish it. You look great and Hinata…" She giggles. "Well, you'll see."
Kakashi pushes himself off the window where he'd been up until now. "Well, if everything's ready, I'll leave you with mom and dad." He salutes and begins climbing out the window. "See you at the shrine."
"Shall we?" Shizune beckons Naruto and Iruka to head out.
With the donning of the kimono complete, Naruto is escorted to what would be a waiting room. The groom and bride get dressed in separate rooms and convene in a middle room, from where they'll be taken to the shrine, to make their bond official.
The only ones allowed to the procession, where the couple is escorted to the main shrine, are their immediate family. For Naruto's side, Iruka and Shizune take on the role of parents. Thus, they're to wait here with him, and will walk behind them alongside Hiashi and Hanabi from Hinata's side.
The anticipation is killing Naruto. He stands by the window looking over Senju Park and taps his foot, fast and hard. The tapping on the wooden floor resonates more and more until it becomes far too much.
Iruka places a hand on Naruto's shoulder, which snaps the young lad out of it. "Take it easy. Breathe."
"Right." Naruto laughs nervously. "Sorry."
It takes a few minutes more until the Hyuga family steps into the room with them. The bride's kimono is far more intricate and so takes far longer to put on but Naruto will soon find out it was worth every second.
Hiashi and Hanabi open the door but don't set foot in just yet. Instead, they make way for the bride to enter first.
Dressed in a pure white kimono contrasted by a red layer beneath, making her shine as bright as the sun, Hinata carefully steps forward. Her head is lowered and framed by two curled bangs, if only because she's watching her feet, fearful of tripping her own kimono. Her usually long hair has been done up and tied to a ponytail with the ends curled.
When she looks up to meet his eyes, Naruto's heart skips a bit. Her natural beauty has been highlighted by only a touch of make-up, the prominent of which is her crimson lipstick.
Before he can even realize he'd moved, he's already in front of her and embracing her which causes her to yelp in surprise.
Hanabi giggles. "Save it for the honeymoon, bro."
Hiashi clears his throat as a reminder for her to behave herself.
"You look… incredible." Naruto admires her from up-close.
Hinata looks away with a blush, unused to this kind of attention. "You look very handsome, as well." She manages to squeak out.
Maybe it's the tenseness of the wedding or maybe it's that she's not used to being lovey around this many people, especially family, but she can feel herself slightly reverting back to her 15-year-old self. Either way, she knows Hanabi is going to find something to tease her about when it's all over.
With the couple now ready, they're all escorted to the shrine. Several priests lead the way, playing a slow melody on a flute. Naruto and Hinata walk in the middle with several more priests behind them. And then, their families behind whom are more priests.
As they walk, with their hearts beating several times faster, Naruto can't help but steal a few glances at his beautiful bride, wondering how he ever got this lucky.
Within the shrine itself are several seats reserved for the closest friends and family. To the right is Naruto's side. Sitting on the front are Kotori and Tsunade, with two empty spots for Iruka and Shizune. Behind them are his extended family- Team 7: Kakashi and Anko, Yamato, Sakura and Sasuke, and Sai and Yakumo.
To the left are Hinata's closest. At the front is her grandfather and a rather nervous-looking Konohamaru with two seats next to him for Hiashi and Hanabi to take. Behind them are Hianat's own extended family- Team 8: Kurenai and Mirai, Kiba and Ino with Akamaru next to them, and Shino and Shiho.
Naruto and Hinata are motioned to kneel in front of a small table just in front of the altar, as their families take their seats. The head priest offers a few prayers to spirits whose names have been long lost. When he finishes, the attendants place a small cup on the table, pouring sake into it.
Naruto takes the cup first and takes three sips, before handing it to Hinata who takes three more sips, emptying the cup. As per tradition, they have to do this three times total, with each new cup increasing in size. A ritual meant to signify their increasing love for each other and strengthen their bond by drinking from the same cup.
When the priests place the second cup on the table, Naruto reaches to take it and tries to drink before they're able to pour sake into it. With a light chuckle from the guests, Naruto gives the cup back for it to be filled.
Once the third and largest cup and drank from, the couple stands and walks behind the table, closer to the altar in the back of the room. Hinata is presented with a tray upon which is a comb. As the bride, she wraps the comb in whithe cloth and holds it up to her heart before passing it to her groom who places it on the altar. As the groom, Naruto is presented with a branch from a sapling. He holds it up to his forehead before passing it to his bride who places it on the altar.
The final part of the ceremony, they're to read a vow to the deities that watch over them, prepared by the shrine priests.
Naruto reads from the parchment they're handed. "On this great day, before the kami, we are sincerely thankful for this ceremony. Going forward, we will love each other, trust one another, share the good times with the bad, and swear that this will stay unchanged throughout our lifetime. Husband: Naruto."
"Wife: Hinata." She adds to the speech.
Naruto folds the parchment and places it on top of the wrapped comb and branch.
Finally, the two exchange wedding bands which binds their destinities together. As the newlyweds kiss, they're met by cheering ovations.
"Congratulations!" Everyone in the shrine says in unison.
When they break the kiss, Hinata stares longingly in Naruto's eyes, shedding a tear of joy despite her best attempts not to. "I still can't believe this is all real."
"It is." Naruto brushes it away with a thumb and kisses her again.
The attendees are each given a small cup of sake to share with the husband and wife before they leave for the even bigger celebration.
-x-
In Senju Park is what might just be one of the largest gatherings the Leaf has seen that's not a widely celebrated holiday. Practically everyone wanted to gather to congratulate the newlyweds.
Tables lined with a wide array of meals are spread throughout, courtesy of the staff at Ramen Ichiraku. Several sculptures made of wood and crystals are also curiously dotted around, no doubt the work of Yamato and Guren.
To celebrate this joyous occasion, it's not just people from the Leaf who are present. Shinobi from every major nation are here to pay their respects, including the major village leaders and their closest envoys.
In the large crowd, Mei manages to find Konan, handing her a glass of wine. "I'd not expected we'd see each other this soon."
Konan takes the wine with a smile. "Neither did I, but…" They clink their glasses. "I'm glad we did."
The Hagane family walk around their first large gathering as a family, with Tama staring at everything and everyone in awe. They quickly find Kurenai and Mirai, with the two young girls quickly latching onto each other for the remainder of the celebration.
Kotori grabs Mutsu and her classmates to eat as much as they can.
"You gotta try EVERYTHING!" Kotori broadly gestures at the numerous tables around them. "Yokumaru's mom and stepdad made most of it."
"He helped a bit, too, right?" Shoto bumps his friend on the shoulder.
"Not much." Yokumaru shyly looks away.
Mutsu laughs. "I don't think I can eat everything but we can start!"
Sasame and the rest of the Union ambassadors make sure to give their heartfelt congratulations, gathering around to offer a handshake.
"I never would've guessed you'd look this good in a kimono, Naruto." Sasame chuckles.
"I'm actually starting to get kinda used to it." Naruto responds with a laugh. "Maybe I should wear it more often."
"You both look incredible." Kiri compliments them. "Thank you for having us."
"Of course." Hinata says. "I wouldn't miss having you all here."
Leaning on a nearby, Omoi stands next to Karui, a plate of food in his hand.
"So, you seem to be adjusting well." He makes small talk.
"It's been… a process. But it's gotten easier." Her eyes instinctively dart toward Choji.
"Because of the Akimichi? Saw you earlier. Seem awfully close." He takes a bite-sized snack he'd gathered from the table.
"Yeah." She smiles. "Not something I set out for but I'm glad it happened."
"I just hope you don't forget where you came from. If you start taking after the Akimichi hiden jutsu and grow in size, you won't be able to adjust to your former fighting style, and if we ever need to fight again, you'll-"
She plants her hand over his mouth. "Don't you start again."
Kankuro hands Shikamaru a bottle of liquor. "If it ever gets too much, we'll hide you in the Sand."
"If what does?" Shikamaru raises a brow.
"Temari." Kankuro laughs.
Shikamaru snorts. "Maybe I'll take you up on it one day."
A voice from behind them sends a shiver down their spine. "Oh? Aren't you two getting chummy." They dare not turn around to meet Temari's eyes.
With everyone gathered in the park, talking within their own bubbles, Naruto and Hinata make their way around, talking to as many people as they can, catching up with people they'd lost touch with. It takes a lot of time and energy to socialize.
When they finally have some time to breathe, Iruka walks over to them with a glass of water for both.
"After a day of hard work and heavy emotions."
Hinata bows her head to him as she accepts the glass. "Thank you, Father."
"Ah, calling me that is a bit…" He shrinks in his spot from embarrassment.
"You've watched us grow." Naruto contemplates. "Taught us what we needed to know and supported us as we did. I know I wouldn't be here with you." He claps his sensei on the shoulder.
"Thank you, Naruto. That means a lot." Iruka smiles. "I'm glad I could be here for both of you. Watching you grow from kids to respectable shinobi has been an amazing journey. I'm proud of both of you." He hugs Naruto tightly and gives Hinata a much lighter hug, partly because he's afraid of ruining her kimono or hair.
"Thanks."
"So what's next for you two?" Iruka asks.
The two share a mildly puzzled look, unsure themselves, but Naruto speaks up. "Well, we got a lot of vacations as gifts. So gonna talk with granny about a lot of leave off duty."
"I fear it might even be too much vacation." Hinata laughs, especially thinking of how both Sakura and Ino got them tickets to the same exact place, doubling their stay there.
"After that?" Naruto shrugs. "Everything goes as normal. There's still a threat out there that we know nothing about and we gotta prepare for it."
"The trouble just keeps coming, huh?" Iruka sighs.
"Yeah. But we'll be ready for it. Whatever they got planning, we won't back down." Naruto looks over the massive gathering of people from every village in the alliance. "We can't let anyone ruin what we've built. We won't."