Disclaimer: Sis didn't own Naruto, only her story plots and her OCs.

20—Wedding Bells

Sakura fidgeted nervously. Her hair was up in an elaborate 'up-do', as Ino had called it. The blonde had been nearly homicidal when she'd found out that they'd kept the wedding a secret from her, until Neji had bluntly stated that anything Ino knew instantly became public knowledge. And since Sakura was in no condition to deal with 'drama seekers', the decision had been made to keep her in the dark until the last minute. Which had actually been this morning. Sakura had called her, asking her if she could do something to the long pink tresses so that she wouldn't be too hot.

Ino had at first been confused, until her mother had informed her that Sakura was getting married today. Ino had blown a fuse and Gaara had hung the phone up before the blonde could say something she'd regret. It had taken an hour to calm the fuming girl, until it was revealed she was a bridesmaid and needed to hurry her butt up and get ready.

After that, Ino had happily done Sakura's hair and makeup, adhering to Gaara's demand for simplicity. Add to the fact that Sakura's skin was extremely sensitive to chemicals right now, and Ino had been left with no other choice but simple. Now, with only ten minutes before the ceremony was to start, Sakura was jittery. She was terrified her parents would somehow find out and show up to ruin things for her.

She shifted in the chair that had been dragged into the room deemed the 'brides changing room' and bit her lip nervously. She knew she loved Gaara, but this was still a huge deal. She was sixteen and getting married. Emancipation or not, there were still certain channels that had to be gone through once she married him. She looked over when she heard a gentle knock on her door. When she quietly invited whoever it was in, she was surprised to see Sasuke was there, Kakashi right behind him.

"W-what?" Her teacher smiled and put his hands on Sasuke's shoulders.

"Gaara invited him. Your brother asked me to come." Sakura smiled gently and tried to stand. Sasuke rushed to her side and helped her up, as did Kakashi. She smiled at them both. She looked at Sasuke, who blushed slightly and looked away from her.

"I never got to say it before, but thank you…for what you did for me at school." She noticed him shrug before he sighed.

"The truth is, I've always been kind of jealous of both Naruto and Gaara. They were orphaned very young. Mine was when I was older…more…" He stopped and Sakura remained silent. He took a ragged breath. "It's lame, but I guess I just felt that I'd been slighted. It was easier living with the semblance of having everything than facing the reality of having nothing." Sakura nodded and rubbed her hand up his arm, reassuring him.

"Pretending that everything is normal is hard, especially when you have to keep up the face in front of people who can read you as well as Naruto can." Sasuke nodded, looking at his feet.

"There's always been a strange rivalry between Naruto and I. We were born only a few months apart. Before Gaara and his siblings were adopted by Naruto's foster mother, we were all each other had." It began to dawn on her then that perhaps Sasuke had felt abandoned when Gaara had come into the picture.

"And you felt that was threatened when Gaara was adopted by Naruto's foster mother." Sasuke looked up at her quickly before looking back down at the floor, nodding stiffly.

"I felt…replaced. It was hard for me, especially with having lived in my brother's shadow for so long…" Sakura felt tears gathering and she steadfastly tried to keep it together.

"So the rivalry with Gaara erupted because you didn't want to lose that closeness with Naruto." She noticed him nod and clear his throat.

"Naruto is a naturally friendly person. He can't help it. From what I had heard from my parents about his, both his mother and father were extremely friendly people as well. Very charismatic. There wasn't anyone in town that didn't know them and like them." Sakura bit her lip at the almost jealous note in his voice.

"You envied him that…didn't you?" She noticed Sasuke stiffen then.

"I have never made friends easily. Not like Naruto did. Stems from not trusting the motives of people trying to befriend me. For years kids would befriend me just to get close to my brother. The seven-year age gap made it…awkward…for both of us." Again, Sakura rubbed his arm.

"My parents told me that my brother was unmarried and in Africa, treating people with diseases that sounded horrific. Instead, I find him disowned and living in Tokyo with a wife and three children." She noticed his eyes widen at that and she looked down. "My parents…they're very cold people. They never make a decision that isn't well thought out…calculated. Or at least they didn't until my father hit me." It was her turn to stare at her feet.

"They lied to me my entire life. I feel like I don't even know who I am. Was that a lie too? Just something they told me to keep me complacent?" Tears sprang to her eyes and Sasuke held up his hands.

"Whoa, whoa…no crying. Sabaku might kill me if you walk down the aisle crying." Sakura giggled and wiped her tears, sniffling. Kakashi handed her a tissue and she wiped her nose. Sakura then sighed and looked down again.

"Truth is, I'm afraid my parents are going to show up and ruin this." She bit her lip nervously. "I've never disobeyed my parents before the incident. Afterwards…I couldn't bring myself to feel anything towards them. Neither love nor animosity. I…I'm afraid of becoming like them…" She sighed as she voiced her fears. She was surprised when Sasuke hugged her gently.

"You could never be like them Sakura. You're like Naruto…people gravitate to you. You taught me what it means to be confident in oneself. You and Naruto. Your unwavering conviction to be with the one you loved, despite everything…" Sakura blushed and Sasuke looked away, scratching the back of his head. "All I'm saying is just be yourself. That's who he fell in love with, right? That's who people gravitate to." She nodded, a blush on her face, and smiled suddenly. She looked at him, her eyes warm and soft.

"Thank you, Sasuke." He nodded and looked at Kakashi, who leaned in and kissed her on the side of the head.

"Never had siblings of my own, so I forged a tight bond with my friends. After Obito and Ren passed away, your brother was all I had left. And then you came waltzing into my life all these years later." He smiled crookedly and Sakura giggled.

"Family isn't necessarily who you share blood with." Sakura recited with a finger held up. She smiled at her teacher and reached out to hug him. He hugged her back and she sighed. "I have a family that loves me…I have my brother, Naruto, the Hyuugas, Gaara and his siblings…and now I have you and Sasuke." She smiled as she pulled away. "I have my family…the one that counts." She touched her chest over her heart and smiled, which made them both blush. A knock on the door had them all looking over. It was Xavier.

"It's time, Sakura." She smiled and nodded, walking towards the door with Sasuke and Kakashi. She put her hand in her brothers, felt him squeeze it, and she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is what she'd been waiting for her whole life. She took a deep breath and let her brother lead her out of the room, the other two guys following and finding a seat in the back of the church without disturbing anyone.

As Sakura opened her eyes from taking a deep breath, she caught sight of Gaara as he stood with the minister. He looked nervous and uncomfortable, but he was oh so handsome. His black suit was light weight, with a white dress shirt and a deep purple vest. The flower pinned to his jacket was a lavender color.

She worried her lip as she was led down the aisle. There was no one there that she didn't know personally, except the minister and the organ player of course. She noticed Hiashi was sitting in the front row, on her side, his eyes closed and arms crossed over his chest. Meyumi-sama was smiling, tears in her eyes, so she took it as a good thing. Hinata's younger sister, Hanabi, was sitting by her mother, her oxygen mask in place.

In an unconventional move, Sakura broke away from her brother and went over to Hanabi. She leaned down and took Hanabi's hand and smiled, helping her up. Hanabi looked at her parents, both of whom looked surprised. Sakura just smiled gently and leaned on Hanabi just a little so that the girl would understand that despite everything, she needed help standing. The girl smiled brightly and nodded, going with Sakura, her oxygen canister acting as a crutch for the both of them. Sakura held Hanabi's hand as she was presented to Gaara, who regarded her. There was a pleading in Sakura's eyes that he would never be able to deny.

So, he nodded and looked at the little girl, giving her a wink. She blushed, but her smile never wavered. Sakura handed her bouquet, which normally the Maid of Honor held, to Hanabi, who went and stood with her sister. Hanabi looked up at her sister, her eyes bright and her smile beaming, and in her heart, Hinata thanked Sakura a thousand times over for doing this for her little sister. And as Sakura took Gaara's hands, her rounded belly barely visible thanks to her dress, she smiled up at the man she loved with all her heart as he stared back at her with his heart in his eyes. And she thought that perhaps she had never loved him more than she did at that moment, when everything was perfect.