I should've known better. I should have expected this, I yelled at myself as I was chewed out by an angry blonde teenager; Yamanaka Ino had just as big a temper as Sakura. Not as bad as Hina-chan when she was pregnant, but still terrifying.
"Never thought I'd see this: the great Kiiroi Kitsune, quaking in fear before a teenage girl," a familiar voice. I grinned, turning towards the door.
"Sabaku no Gaara. You're a little early," I commented. The redhead chuckled and took a step forward before hitting the wall of killing intent radiating from Ino. He glanced up at the blonde, impressed.
"What'd he do this time?"
"Ditched his fiancée to plan his bachelor party," she growled. Gaara looked at me, smirking.
"Ino, I told you; your father dragged me away. I don't even want a bachelor party!" I exclaimed. Kankuro and Kiba, the epitome of perversion, both stuck their heads in the door.
"What?" They both shouted, indignant before turning to the other and complaining about me.
"Shut up, Kankuro," another familiar voice ordered. The puppeteer shrunk away from the door as his sister stepped in. "Hey, Hina-chan, Naruto," she said, nodding at each of us.
"Temari," I nodded back. "Shikamaru should be at his house if you want to bother him some more," I divulged. Temari's eyes lit up with mischief and she adjusted her battle fan on her back, grinning, before walking out of the door. The two had gotten along just as they had during my party, just as they had in my past. I hoped that they'd get together in this timeline as well.
Gaara watched his sister leave and sighed, glancing at me.
"Poor Shikamaru," he commented. I shrugged.
"Shikamaru will be fine no matter how many times he complains about it. Temari is a good match for him, she'll make sure things get done. That's how most Nara relationships work; just look at his father."
"Speaking of relationships, congrats, you two," Gaara said, smiling at Hina-chan. She blushed and I chuckled.
"Speaking of other relationships, what's going on with you and Haku?" I asked, making the redhead blush. My smile widened and I raised an eyebrow. "What's this, the great Araiguma blushing? Never thought I'd see the day," I grinned.
"Yeah, today is completely unbelievable. Hmm, I'm thinking yellow orchids with purple irises on the tables…" Ino drifted off while Hinata-chan's face broke into a smile.
"I was thinking that! And the bouquets-"
"White hibiscus and lilacs?" Ino asked, bouncing on her heels excitedly.
"Of course," Hina-chan laughed. Gaara and I sweat dropped.
Gaara left all too soon, unable to suffer through the preparations. Since he left, Haku, Sakura, and Tenten all joined us, only adding to the nightmare.
"Who are you getting to make the dress?" Sakura asked, her hands full of cake ideas. I almost regretted not having a repeat of our last wedding: jounin uniforms and friends, the wedding presided over by Gaara, the Godaime Kazekage. Almost; I took one look at Hina-chan's face and abandoned the thought.
"I'm not sure… I've had a few suggestions but I can't decide who to go to…" Hinata-chan's voice drifted off as Ino rattled off preparations.
"We need to come up with an invite list. After that, we still need to come up with a seating chart… Where are you going to have the wedding?" Ino's rapid talking came to a halt and she looked at me expectantly. I struggled to remember the question.
"On the Namikaze grounds. I found this place the first time I-"
"Don't need a back story, just lead the way," Ino cut me off, pointing down the road. I shook my head and held out my arm. Hinata-chan, Sakura, and Haku immediately grabbed my arm while the others looked on, confused.
"Hiraishin time; grab on. I already put down a Hiraishin seal. I figured you'd want to see the place," I said, shrugging. Ino and Tenten shifted the bundles in their arms and closed their hands around my arm. "Close your eyes, it's a little disorienting," I warned. Each girl closed their eyes and I shut my eyes, focusing on the Hiraishin seal near the white gazebo.
~Flashback~
I wandered through the Namikaze grounds for the first time, exploring every inch of my new home. I was about to turn around and walk back to the Namikaze Manor when I spotted something: stepping stones through the woods. Curious, I followed the smooth slate slabs until a garden arch, covered with vibrant blue forget-me-nots, . Looking up from the ground, my jaw dropped slightly.
I was staring at an open field, surrounded loosely by a circle of trees. Just inside the ring of trees, patches of lilac calla lilies and yellow tiger lilies made their home, spreading lazily into the clearing. In the center of the field sat a forlorn gazebo, the white wood rotting and falling apart.
Following the stepping stones, I walked further into the clearing, walking towards the gazebo. I studied the Victorian style, somewhat out of place but still beautiful despite it's bad shape. The eight walls were open to the air and looked like they were hand carved. There was a single bench inside the large gazebo, directly opposite the door.
I glanced around the clearing smiling for no reason. The flowers seemed to imbue life into the air, something calming and exciting at the same time.
~End Flashback~
Staring at the now repaired gazebo, I heard Ino gasp at the sight of the flowers circling the clearing. The were under more control, residing inside a clear boundary I had set for them. Walking over the flowers, Ino's face fell into a confused frown.
"Someone was working on these," she mumbled. My hand went to the back of my neck and I chuckled.
"That was me," I admitted. Ino nodded, studying the rest of the clearing.
"When did you do all this?" she asked, impressed. I shrugged.
"Shadow clones. The only part I really did myself was stain the gazebo," I said, glancing at the rich color of the wood. I had not added anything to the original design, the bench sat in the same space it had before.
"It's beautiful," Tenten breathed, looking around the clearing. Sakura smiled, sitting on the grass.
"I'm stealing this clearing when I get married," she said, closing her eyes as the sun hit her face through the tall trees.
"Sure," I chuckled. "I'm sure he'll appreciate getting married surrounded by flowers," I said, laughing at the image. The image got less humorous when my imagination thought of Sakura's happiness.
Hina-chan looked mesmerized by the clearing. She dropped the items in her hands and sat down next to Sakura feeling the sun's warmth on her face.
"There's something about this clearing…" her voice drifted off as I sat next to her.
"I know," I said quietly. Hina-chan smiled up at me before laying her head in my lap. I played with her hair while Ino explored the clearing, making sure it was perfect for her friend's wedding. Sighing happily, she sat next to us. Haku and Tenten joined us on the grass and we sat talking, catching up on recent events. The sun began to approach the horizon and I sighed, not really wanting to leave.
"Did it pass inspection, Ino-pig?" Sakura asked lightly, leaning on her elbows as she looked at the blonde kunoichi.
"Yes it did, Billboard-brow," she smirked back. I glanced up and groaned, watching someone approached. Ino glanced up, her eyes not identifying the ninja. "What now?"
"Kakashi," I growled. "Probably here to drag me off so he and the other guys can plan a bachelor's party."
Haku laughed quietly as Tenten scowled.
"Guys are idiots," she remarked. I raised an eyebrow. "Not you, just most guys."
"Trouble with Neji?" Hina-chan asked. Tenten sighed, shrugging.
"No idea. He's getting really tense with the Chuunin Exams coming up," Tenten said, leaning onto her master scroll. I shrugged.
"He's in the Branch family," I reminded her. "He thinks he has more to prove than the rest of us. Most of the Rookie Nine are heirs," I said, smiling at Hina-chan as she grimaced.
"Have I ever mentioned how much being the Hyuuga heiress sucks? You can't have any fun," she complained. "I'm glad that Hanabi will take over soon, she's better suited for politics and images than I am."
"You do a great job, Hina-chan," I protested quietly. "If it makes you feel better, I've insulted a few clans and I'm on the council."
"You only did that to help Zabuza and I," Haku defended. I smiled at her, yawning.
"Tell that to Tsume. She hasn't let Kiba anywhere near me after the party," I said as Kakashi approached us. "Hey Kakashi!" I called to the jounin, waving.
"Sorry, girls, I need to steal Naruto for a bit," he said, smiling.
"Go ahead," Hina-chan smiled before glaring at me. "Don't come back until you got drunk and did something stupid; that's what a bachelor party is. Get it out of your system," she ordered. "Also, tell the guys who your best man and groomsmen are."
"Only if you tell the girls now; I want to see their faces," I countered. Hina-chan sighed but nodded.
"All of you and Temari-chan are bridesmaids," she began, looking unwilling to say who her maid of honor was. I didn't blame her, Sakura and Ino fought enough. Being Hina-chan's maid of honor would only cause celebration and revenge.
"Who's the maid of honor?" Ino asked, almost pleadingly. I winced, telling myself that Sakura was only the maid of honor because Sasuke would be my best man.
"It was really hard to pick," Hina-chan tried to delay the inevitable. "I have to say that I could only decide after Naruto decided to make Sasuke his best man," she hinted. Sakura's eyes widened and she began her victory dance.
"Thank-you-thank-you-thank-you-thank-you," Sakura shouted, hugging Hina-chan tightly as Ino fumed.
"Billboard-brow?" she snarled. I held my arm out to Kakashi, my eyes wide. Without a word, he held on and we Hiraishined away, to the house. Even at that distance we could hear Ino's shouting. I winced for Hina-chan's sake. Turning to my living room, I stopped. Every male ninja I knew, jounin, chuunin, and genin alike, was gathered around my coffee table, laughing as someone put on some music. Someone forced a shot glass of sake in my hand. I stared at it before turning to Kakashi, incredulous.
"When did you put this together?" I shouted over the music as a number of kunoichi came into the room, none wearing much more than lingerie and mesh armor. My palm flew to my forehead when I recognized Kurenai and Anko. Kakashi only laughed.
I chuckled, watching everyone get drunk and act like idiots. Before long, the only people sober were myself, Shikamaru, and Sasuke. While everyone else enjoyed the entertainment, we tried to talk over the music.
"By the way, Shikamaru; you're a groomsmen. Don't complain about it, you're walking with Temari," I winked, laughing as the Nara grumbled and grabbed his first glass of sake. Sasuke started laughing until I told him what role he was playing.
"Best man?" he asked, his eyes wide. I nodded and passed him a shot glass.
"Sakura is Hina-chan's maid of honor," I hinted. Sasuke glanced at me before downing the alcohol.
Eventually, Anko tricked me into drinking. I don't remember much from the rest of the night.
I woke up with a huge hangover, groaning. I glanced around myself, noting that I wasn't alone in my bedroom. I put my face in my hands when I recognized who was sleeping next to me. I stumbled from the bed, trying not to wake Anko while I was glad to find myself mostly clothed. I picked up my shirt from the chair it was hanging on, forgotten, and tripped into the hallway. Not wanting to know what had happened with who, I avoided the guest rooms as I walked straight to the kitchen.
Opening the fridge, I pulled out the orange juice. I poured myself a glass, almost missing, and walked into the living room.
Needless to say, it was trashed. One of the couches was on its side, the coffee table upside down and various pieces of clothing were strewn across the room. I chuckled, recognizing Kakashi's mask lying on the armchair. If the other guys were as drunk as I remembered, they wouldn't even remember what his face looked like. Turning the couch and the coffee table right side up, I propped my feet onto the table and drank my juice, trying to remember what happened.
Placing my glass on the table, I stifled a laugh as I saw my old sensei stumble out of one of the rooms wearing only his boxers, his hands covering his face and his Sharingan exposed.
"Your mask's over there," I said, trying not to laugh at his Pakkun boxers. Kakashi nodded tiredly and put his mask on before turning and looking for his clothing. "Who'd you wake up with?"
"Don't know her name… You?" Kakashi said, wincing as he put a hand on his temple. He reached down and pulled his pants out from under a couch cushion. "How did they get there?"
"… You don't know her name? Harsh," I winced as I laughed. I concentrated chakra to my hand and held it to my head, trying to sooth my hangover.
"You dodged the question. Who'd you wake up with?" He said, falling onto the couch next to me. I pulled my hand away from my head, my headache lessened, and held my hand to Kakashi's hair. "Thanks."
"No problem," I said. After a while, I grimaced. "Mitarashi Anko," I told him. His eyes widened and he leaned back. "At least I woke up with my pants on," I retorted in advance. Kakashi blushed under his mask.
"Touché." I sat there for a while as various ninja stumbled out of the rooms wearing more or less clothing. After they picked up their clothes, they retreated back into the guest rooms without a sound. I think Sasuke won the contest though; he stalked out of his room wearing a towel, glared at me, picked up his clothes, and walked out of the door without a word.
All the rest of the clothing reclaimed, I spotted an orphaned chuunin vest. Picking it up, I recognized it and laughed. Kakashi walked over to me, confused.
"What is it?"
"Iruka," I laughed, holding out the vest. Kakashi laughed with me, stopping when Anko stalked out of my room, my Sage coat over her lack of clothing. I kept my face straight as she walked over.
"Kami, I have a hangover… Do I want to know what happened last night?" she asked, smirking at me. I coughed.
"I don't think anything happen. Unlike Kakashi, I woke up wearing my pants," I smirked at the jounin. Anko chuckled before wincing. "Come here," I said, my hand glowing green. She obeyed, sitting beside me and I put a hand to her temple.
"You've got to teach me this," she said, closing her eyes as her hangover weakened.
"Do you get drunk often enough to make it worth it?" I asked, chuckling as Anko glared at me, dodging the question. I pulled my hand away and pointed to Iruka's vest. "I have a feeling Iruka's going to be late."
Right on cue, the chuunin appeared. He, unlike many of the ninja that had searched the living room, was wearing most of his clothes.
"Looking for this, Iruka-sensei?" I smirked, holding out the flak jacket. The chuunin smiled sheepishly before walking over to me and taking his vest back.
"Thanks… Damn it, I'm late!" he shouted, sprinting out the front door.
"Called it," I chuckled, stretching. "Never doing that again in my life. I can't even remember most of yesterday," I complained. Anko grinned.
"That's what makes bachelor parties fun. You aren't supposed to know what you did, especially if you're the groom." I raised an eyebrow.
"Been to a lot of bachelor parties?" I asked. If Anko had any political training, she wouldn't have grinned and nodded. However, Anko didn't have any need for niceties.
"They're more fun than bachelorette parties," she shrugged. "Guys understand that you're supposed to get drunk at a party."
"Tell that to Kakashi; he doesn't even know the name of the girl he slept with," I said.
"It's okay, she probably won't remember his," she shrugged. I smirked.
"Do you know he took his mask off yesterday?" Anko looked scandalized. "Let me guess, you can't remember?"
"Okay, Naruto. That goes in the 'never talk about ever again' box," Kakashi interjected.
"Most bachelor parties do," Anko grinned. She got her lingerie together and walked towards the door. "Stealing your coat!" she shouted at the door.
"I want that back later!" I called back. She laughed and slammed the front door behind her. I rolled my eyes and sighed, pulling a Shikamaru.
"Troublesome," I muttered. Kakashi laughed and stretched.
"I should probably get home," he announced. "Ja ne," he waved, Shunshining away and leaving me with the cleanup.