Author's Note: I'm glad that, even if it was to a slow start, the latter half of the Hidan and Kakuzu arc got a better reception. Now, before we move onto the next arc, I decided that another breather was in order. Still, this chapter has some plot and character developments that I'm sure you'll find interesting. Anyway, enjoy:
Chapter 65
Wedding Bells Among the Chaos
or
Here comes the bride momentarily
A Month Later
There was a large gathering in the Sarutobi Clan's private training ground. However, training wasn't the reason all these people were meeting there, despite most of them being ninjas. In fact, rather than their usual attires, said ninjas were wearing more elegant clothes, the men wearing suits and the women wearing kimonos.
Yes, the kind of clothes one would wear to a formal, important event, like a wedding. More specifically, the wedding between Asuma Sarutobi and Kurenai Yūhi. After the latter revealed her pregnancy, the two of them decided to marry as soon as possible. In other circumstances, they might have taken more time to plan things out, but given the looming threat of the Akatsuki in the horizon, they wanted to jump right in.
Attending the ceremony were, as expected, the entire Sarutobi clan, Asuma and Kurenai's students, their ninja friends, and their respective students if they have them like Kakashi or Gai. There was also Jiraiya, Tsunade and their children.
The ceremony took place without any incident, but there were some whispers –that were quickly shushed– about Kurenai's rather noticeable belly.
When the priest declared them husband and wife, Asuma and Kurenai kissed for the first time as married couple, and the guests erupted in a chorus of cheers, whistles and applauses.
…
After the ceremony, they moved to the reception, which also took place in the Sarutobi Training Ground, inside several large sunshade tents that the clan had rented for the occasion.
At that moment, Kurenai was having a talk with her three students. Neither of their drinks were alcoholic, the former because of her pregnancy, and the latter three because of their age.
"I'm glad you guys managed to come," Kurenai told them. "I was afraid that, with how busy you've been in Taki, you might miss it."
"Never!" Naruto energetically stated. "How could you think such a thing?"
"Yes. Regardless of the current state of our team, you will always be our sensei, and we will always be there for you," Hinata added.
"Speaking of which, now that I have the chance to ask...how are you doing without me?" Kurenai asked.
"We manage," Haku laconically replied. "We might not be in the need for a replacement, but I'm sure things will be easier once you come back to us."
"Because...you plan to come back, right? You aren't going to retire?" Naruto asked, a bit of worry dripping from his voice.
Kurenai laughed in return. "Of course not. I'm just thirty. Ninjas only retire at that age when they suffer crippling injuries. Once the baby is born and I get back in shape, I'll be with you. I mean, Shizune had two kids already, and she still a kunoichi."
"Speaking of which, have you think in any name for the baby?" Hinata asked.
Kurenai smiled at Hinata. "No, not yet. Why, do you have any suggestions?"
"Yeah, if he's a boy, call him Naruto jr.!" Naruto chimed in.
Kurenai laughed again. "I don't think I'll be able to survive with two Narutos in my life. Plus I don't want to give my future son such a burden by naming him after an amazing ninja like you."
"Bummer. But you have a point," Naruto admitted, then he chuckled. "I mean, Sasuke's parents named him after the Old Man Hokage's dad, which was one of the Warring States Period's most feared ninjas, and look what it did to him! All ego and no talent!"
"Better than be named after a piece of food!" Sasuke replied from the other side of the tent, sounding rather annoyed.
"Learn to take a joke!" Naruto shouted back. "Maybe he should have been named after somebody with a sense of humor."
"Then again, there's still a lot of time before we have to decide a name," Kurenai said, bringing the conversation back to the topic.
"Whatever name you end up choosing, at least try to be more original than Shizune and Shisui," Naruto pointed out. "And don't name the kid something like Kurasuma or Asurenai or something like that."
Kurenai laughed again. "Don't worry, above all things, I plan to give my kid a name with personality."
"What about the honeymoon? Do you know where you want to go?" Hinata asked.
"I'd always liked to visit the Land of the Moon. I heard is a really beautiful place ideal for such things," Kurenai said, before her face fell a little. "Sadly, with the current situation, we can't afford going that far away, so in the end we decided to go to the Land of the Hot Springs. Not as exotic, but it has a very nice resort, and it's close to the Land of Fire."
"My parents also went there for their honeymoon. They said it was a pretty nice place, so I'm sure both you and Asuma-sensei will have a nice time," Naruto said with a smile.
…
Not far away from there, the groom, now husband, was having a chat with his students just like her wife was doing. Well, the male ones at least, since Ino was somewhere else.
"Man, who would have guessed that the day we met, Ino was right about you, Asuma-sensei," Shikamaru pointed out.
"Yeah, why did you even deny being in love with her? It's not like Kurenai-sensei is somebody to be ashamed of," Choji added, as he put more and more appetizers on a trail he was carrying.
"If you want an answer...well, we both like to keep our personal and professional lives apart. And we don't like people asking about the former," Asuma replied.
"Let me guess: in your case, it was because being the son of the Third Hokage brought you unwanted attention?" Shikamaru asked.
"You could said that," Asuma agreed with a shrug.
"Hey there!" a new female voice chimed in. "What are you talking about?"
The men of the Tactical Squad turned around to see their only female member walking towards them, smiling happily. She had her arm wrapped around the arm of a pale, black haired boy in a suit with an uncannily neutral expression. On the other hand, the boy was holding a folder.
"Oh, hey, Ino. I had lost sight of you for a moment. I thought you left already," Asuma pointed out.
"Please, like I would ever leave a wedding so soon, especially the one from somebody so close to me," Ino replied with a hand wave. "Anyway, do you guys remember Sai?"
As if on cue, the pale boy smiled. "Hello there. Nice to meet you, Ino has told me a lot about you."
"Ah, yes, you've been hanging out with this guy a lot recently," Shikamaru noticed.
"Is he your boyfriend?" Choji directly asked.
"Eh, I think it's a bit too soon for that. So far, I tasked upon myself to make him a little more social. You know, being inducted into ANBU from such a young age can't be healthy," Ino said as she shook her head.
"How did you meet him, by the way?" Shikamaru asked.
"Sai went with us to the mission to liberate Kiri," Ino stated.
"Oh, I remember now!" Choji said in realization. "You're the guy Sakura punched out of the ship, aren't you?"
"Choji! Why did you have to bring that up!" Ino angrily chastised her rotund teammate.
"Sorry, but it was the only thing I remember from him," Choji said, shrugging.
"It's okay, I already put it past me. Ino told me that Sakura can have quite the temper, and my way with words wasn't as good back then," Sai softly said, widening his smile at the end. "Oh, by the way, I came here to bring you my wedding gift, since Ino told me is a custom to give a gift to the newlyweds. I don't have much money, so I decided to do something myself."
Sai then handed the folder to Asuma. The bearded Jonin opened it, and much to his surprise, he saw a picture of both him and Kurenai the moment they were saying the "I do" during the wedding. Despite being only a pencil sketch, it was amazingly realistic and life-like, almost looking like a black and white photograph.
"It looks really impressive, boy. Thanks a lot," Asuma praised, as he closed the folder and placed it under his arm. "But, if it's a picture of the wedding...when did you do it?"
"During the wedding. It was the only time I could have been able to capture the moment," Sai explained. "I had to miss part of the ceremony to do it, but sometimes you have to sacrifice something in order to obtain the better results."
"It's okay, kid. Your gift was really thoughtful and tasteful," Asuma praised.
"Thanks, but part of the credit goes to Ino. She was the one who suggested it," Sai stated.
"And with a good reason! If I didn't say anything, you would have bought him that booklet about how to cope when you stop smoking!" Ino said, mildly angry.
"What? You said that your sensei was going to stop smoking, so something like that would have been useful," Sai replied. "Or it's something that's just functional not a proper wedding gift?"
"See? I still have a lot of work to do with this guy," Ino said, shaking her head. She then smiled brightly again, and turned at Asuma. "But I'm so proud that you finally decided to drop such an ugly and unhealthy habit! Especially now that you're going to be a dad."
Asuma chuckled, as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "Haha, yes. Kurenai said that I either stopped smoking, or that she wouldn't marry me. Guess that the choice was obvious."
"Like I said, before, you sometimes need to sacrifice something in order to obtain something even better," Sai added with a smile.
"The way you talk it seems like you're speaking from experience, kid," Asuma noted.
"All ninjas end up sacrificing something during their careers, sooner or later," Sai replied with his unwavering smile.
"Yeah, I know that too well," Asuma replied, as he briefly reflected on how Hiruzen being the Hokage strained their relationship.
"Come on Sai, this is a wedding, let's talk about something less depressing and a bit more fitting with the situation, okay?" Ino asked, as he nudged him a bit.
"Alright," Sai agreed. He then turned at Choji and Shikamaru. "I see that most people came with a date, but you two seem to be on your own. Do girls find your appearances too ugly or your personalities too disgusting for staying with you?"
Asuma raised an eyebrow, and repressed a chuckle. The sound of Ino's hand slapping her face echoed through the whole village.
"While I don't need to justify myself on such issue, I do have a girlfriend. She's just from Suna, and she isn't here," Shikamaru pointed out. "And yes, I know that's something a lot of single people say in order to boast, but in my case is true. Ask anybody here."
"And while I don't have a girlfriend, I've been in touch from a girl from Kumo I met during the Chunin Exams. Though sadly I don't get to see her as often as Shikamaru sees Temari," Choji replied.
"Which isn't that much," Shikamaru pointed out.
"You know what? I take back what I said. You're no longer ready to interact with other people on a casual level," Ino stated, as he grabbed Sai's arm and dragged him away.
"It was nice to meet you," Sai stated, as he was pulled away by the embarrassed blond.
…
While some people have been watching with some amusement how Sai embarrassed Ino in front of her teammates with his sheer lack of tact, certain two people have been paying more attention to the exchange than most others.
"Your friend certainly spends a lot of time with that guy, don't you think so?" Sasuke pointed out.
"Indeed. I don't know why. Ino surely can do much better than him," Sakura replied. "She said Sai's pretty nice deep down, but not even she herself seems to be sure of it."
"Are you worried about her?" Sasuke asked, noticing Sakura's tone.
The pinkette nodded. "There's something odd about that guy. Something I can't put my finger on. And that's not counting on how little we know about his past. I'm afraid he might be using Ino for whatever purpose. The idea alone makes me shiver, and that's not even getting into what he might do once he no longer needs her."
"Vapid as she can be, Ino isn't a stupid girl. She might have a reason for spending so much time with that guy," Sasuke pointed out. "If the guy tries something, I'm sure she will see it coming."
"You seem to have quite a lot of trust in Ino," Sakura pointed out.
"She's a ninja, just like you and me. I don't think the Hokage gave her the Chunin rank for her pretty face," Sasuke pointed out. "Plus she can read minds."
"Even then, I think it would be good if we kept an eye on them," Sakura stated.
"Though I think there may be another reason as for why you seem to dislike so much Ino getting close with that guy," Sasuke pointed out.
Sakura placed her hands on her hips, and frowned a little. "And that would be?"
Sasuke shot her an uncharacteristic smirk. "You're jealous that Ino is getting a boyfriend before you."
"What!?" an indignant Sakura replied, a little louder than she wanted. "Here I am worrying about her wellbeing, and you bring up such nonsense!"
"It wouldn't be that weird. Ino and you have always been rivals. You always competed in everything, romance included. It's only natural that you'll feel that way," Sasuke told her.
"Well, what about you and Naruto? You've always been rivals as well, and he got a girlfriend for way longer than you!" Sakura said in a mildly accusatory manner, which Sasuke found worth a chuckle.
"Naruto and I may compete, but not in such topics. Besides, if I really wanted a girlfriend just to rub him in, I could have asked you or Karin –at least before she started dating Neji– out, and I'm sure you would have said yes," Sasuke confidently said.
"You know, this is one of those times in which your confidence in yourself comes out as more obnoxious than charming," Sakura replied, crossing her arms.
"So, if I asked you to be my girlfriend, would you say no?" Sasuke asked.
Sakura grew increasingly uncomfortable. She averted her gaze, as her face reddened. "It's...it's not nice to use my feelings for you in such a way, Sasuke-kun..."
Sasuke grabbed her by the shoulder, and forced her to look at him. "Why the bashful attitude? You never were afraid to let me know what you felt for me."
"Things change, Sasuke-kun. I know that by pushing my feelings, I was only pestering you and making you dislike me more. That's why I decided that it was best to let you be, and if you really returned my feelings, you'd give me a sign," Sakura explained.
"Huh. Who would have guessed that that annoying girl from the Academy would mature so much," Sasuke stated.
Sakura just chuckled. She wiped a strand of hair from her face "Guess we all do, sooner or later. Being closer to you helped to understand you a bit better. I also understood that, if I didn't step up my game, I'd also be the weakest link of our team, and that wouldn't endear you to me much. Not to mention, that I'd put yours, Karin's and Shizune-sensei's life in danger by not pulling my share of the weight."
"Again, another thing I would have never guessed I would see when we first became a team, but guess that life has a knack for challenging expectations," Sasuke noted.
"You were my inspiration. I took a page from Hinata's book and decided that I should look at you the same way she used to look at Naruto. I mean, look at her. She used to be so shy and withdrawn, and not that strong of a ninja, and after graduating she because such a powerhouse...and that was before getting the Tenseigan," Sakura pointed out.
"And what will you do, once you catch up to me? I won't be a good source of inspiration anymore," Sasuke asked.
Sakura let out a mirthless chuckle. "Catching up to you, heh. Who would have guessed you can crack jokes."
"With that attitude, you probably wouldn't," Sasuke said, sounding mildly chastising.
"You can't seriously believe that. I mean, with all the stuff you can do with the Sharingan..." Sakura began.
"Yeah, my clan has a Blood Limit. So what? Look at Tsunade and Jiraiya. They were born without Blood Limits, yet they became two of the most powerful ninjas who ever lived," Sasuke countered.
"Well, you have a point..." Sakura conceded, as she rubbed her arm.
"But what?" Sasuke asked. "You can always push yourself a little harder every day. Limits can always be surpassed. New heights can be achieved. That's what you've been doing so far, why you should stop now?"
"Who said I did stop?" Sakura asked, crossing her arms.
"Your quitter attitude," Sasuke replied.
"Quitter? I'd like you to see training with Gai-sensei," Sakura said, rolling her eyes, before shivering a little at the memory of the beginning of such torture. "Which I still do, by the way."
"The problem here is that you see a big gap between our level of skill and power, and think that since there's no chance of catching up to me, why bother trying? You probably feel pretty comfortable with the level you achieved. But then you realize that such thing may not be enough," Sasuke said. "It's good that you see me as an inspiration, but you shouldn't mistake it for a goal."
"You sound like you talk from experience," Sakura noted.
"And I do. Remember that even before the clan's downfall, Itachi and Shisui were the two strongest Uchihas the clan ever produced. And I felt very frustrated when I was unable to catch up to them, no matter how hard I trained. And in my case, it was justified since unlike you and me, they didn't have anything I did not," Sasuke explained. "Until I realized that I was looking at it the wrong way. I still look at Itachi and Shisui for strength, but I want to improve for my own sake, regardless if I catch up with them or not. Try to surpass yourself with each passing day, and you'll see real progress. And before you realize it, the gap between our power and skill level will be much smaller than you realize."
"Wow, that was...really inspirational," Sakura said in awe.
Sasuke smirked. "To be completely honest, I'm only paraphrasing what Itachi and Shisui told me once."
"That's really good advice. You're lucky to have them," Sakura sincerely said.
"Lucky indeed. Even after losing most of my clan, I still feel grateful for having them. I don't know what I would have done if I lost them as well," Sasuke wondered.
Sakura blushed a little, as she started to rub her arm. "Well...I now it's not the same since I'm not part of your clan, but as long as I'm here, you'll never be alone."
"I know. But that doesn't mean it can change in the future," Sasuke said.
"Wait, what? What do you...?" Sakura's words died in her mouth as the realization hit her like an sledgehammer to the gut. Her eyes were open wide, as her blush intensified. "Sasuke-kun! Are you telling me-"
"Listen, I have a responsibility to the Uchiha Clan," Sasuke interrupted her. "A few years ago we used to be more than one hundred, now, even with Shisui's brats, our numbers are still in the single digits. I can't let Itachi and Shisui do everything; I have to get married and produce children as well. And I can't marry anybody; the mother of my children must be a strong kunoichi, somebody worthy of the Uchiha name. However, that's not the only thing I'm looking for. I want my future wife to be somebody I can love, somebody who makes my life whole. And somebody I can make happy as well in return."
"Sasuke-kun...that's..." Sakura was at loss for words upon hearing the Uchiha's speech.
"...and I think that you can be that woman," Sasuke finished. "I'm not asking you to marry me on the spot. But I want to see if I'm right and you're that special somebody." Sasuke then sighed. "Sorry, I think I'm being too theatrical. I'm not good at this. What I want to ask you is...do you want to become a couple, and see what fate has for us?"
A star flashed in each of Sakura's eyes, as her brain processed the words coming out of Sasuke's mouth.
"You...you mean it?" Sakura asked, coming close to him.
"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't," Sasuke replied, rolling his eyes a little.
"Oh my god! Yes! Yes! A million time yes!" Sakura screamed, as she wrapped her arms around the Uchiha's neck.
Sasuke grew a bit uncomfortable as Sakura's over the top reaction drew the attention of quite a few people. Some muttered something to themselves while others snickered.
"You know, I think I made clear I wasn't asking you to marry me, just to go on a date and see if things work out between us," Sasuke stated, as he gently tried to push Sakura aside.
"Just let me dream, dammit!" Sakura said, still in the same elated tone, strangely enough.
…
Meanwhile, at another table, Kakashi was sharing a table with his students and Rin. However, his students got up to talk to other people, leaving the two members of Team Minato alone.
"Look at them, married already," Rin said with a chuckle. "I knew that there was something more than friendship between them back then, but seeing them married...it feels unreal."
"You can't help but still see them as they were, can you?" Kakashi asked. Despite the wording, he didn't mean to sound accusatory.
"I can't help it. When I heard your names, I picture how you looked before my death. Such disconnect is hard to reconcile," Rin stated.
"I know what you mean. When I think about Obito, I can't help but think in that annoying boy that wanted to become Hokage," Kakashi told her.
"And who had a crush on me. In hindsight, he wasn't exactly subtle," Rin said with a chuckle.
"He felt that since he was in the same team as you, his chances would be greater," Kakashi pointed out. "Which isn't that rare to happen, as Kurenai and Asuma were part of the same team as well."
"Maybe if things were different, Obito and I would have been an item, who knows," Rin said, before directing her eyes towards the newlywed couple, now happily engaged in a chat with Shizune and Shisui. "Still, I'm happy for them. They deserve each other. I can't wait to see how their baby looks like."
"Oh, that means that we have to make them a gift when he or she is born," Kakashi said, sounding a little annoyed. "Man, after it took so much thinking to find that perfect wedding gift, now I'll have spend more sleepless nights thinking in a proper gift."
"Kakashi, your wedding gift was a book on how to stop smoking, plus several boxes of nicotine patches," Rin deadpanned. "That's hardly an A-Class wedding gift."
"Hey, Asuma said Kurenai forced him to drop smoking, so I decided I could give him something practical," Kakashi replied, not sounding ashamed in the slightest. "Though a gift for a baby is going to be a little trickier."
"Oh, I already have an awesome idea," Rin proudly said.
"Oh? What is it?" Kakashi asked, interested.
"So you can take that idea for you? Sorry but no, Copy Ninja," Rin replied, emphasizing the last two words.
"Aw, you hurt me, Rin," Kakashi mockingly replied. "Come on, I promise I won't copy you."
"Very well then. It's a crib," Rin stated. "I know it's not something overly original, but I'm sure they'll appreciate."
"A crib, huh? A nice gift. Practical as well. Though some cribs can be a bit expensive," Kakashi warned her.
"Oh, I don't plan to buy a crib, Kakashi. I'll make one from scratch with my...special talents," Rin replied, smiling widely.
"So, you got a better hang of it?" Kakashi asked.
"Once we have some privacy, I'll show you how much I progressed since the last time you saw me fight," Rin proudly said, sounding almost like a boast.
"Um, excuse me, I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" a new female voice asked.
Kakashi and Rin turned around to see Ino of all people standing in front of them.
"Sorry, I couldn't help but hear your conversation. You were talking about a gift for Asuma-sensei and Kurenai-sensei's baby, right?"
"That, we were," Kakashi confirmed with a single nod. "Why? Do you want advice from us?"
"Yes. You see, I didn't have to think in a gift for the wedding since my clan provided all the flowers for the ceremony for free, but sadly I can't cheat like that again," Ino said, chuckling a little. "So I was wondering, do you mind I borrow Rin a little for some girl talk?"
"Uh, sure. Do you mind staying alone, Kakashi?" Rin asked.
Kakashi replied by pulling one of his many Icha Icha novels. "I know how to make the best of solitude, so don't worry about me."
"I can't believe he brought one of those smutty books to a wedding of all places," Ino disapprovingly said, shaking her head. "Anyway, come on Rin! I want to take a break from this multitude, plus the weather's great for a walk."
"Alright then. See you later, Kakashi," Rin said as she got up, and followed Ino outside of the large tent.
…
"You know, when I was a Genin, I asked myself, 'what kind of dumbass hires a team of ninja to babysit?' Shouldn't it be better just to hire some civilian teen to do the job?" Shisui began. "But now that I have kids myself, I see how easy and practical it is."
"Not to mention fast," Shizune chimed in. "It might be a bit more pricey than hiring a civilian babysitter, but the advantages are surely worth every additional ryo."
"It's kind of funny when you think about it. We can't take care of our kids because of our job as ninjas, so we hire lower ranked ninjas to do that job for us," Shisui said with a chuckle.
Kurenai and Asuma were now having a talk with Shizune and Shisui about their experiences with their kids. After that, they also had planned to ask Yugao and Hayate.
"So...I'm taking your life changed a lot since you got kids, right?" Asuma asked.
"Oh, absolutely. Though it's not as bad as it may seem at first sight. I mean, yeah, you don't have as much free time you used to have..." Shizune began.
"You need to spend much less money on yourself and more on the kids," Shisui continued.
"The sleepless nights when the kids feel like crying for no reason..."
"The constant battle of making them eat their food..."
"And 'battle' isn't an euphemism! Somedays our kitchen ends up in a state comparable to the battlefields of the Third War!"
"And pray they don't get sick! It's all of the above multiplied by ten, plus a stream of vomit!"
"Not that they need to be sick to throw up for some reason..."
Shisui noticed that color was starting to disappear from the newlywed couple's faces. "Uh, honey? I think we're scaring them."
Realizing Shisui was right, Shizune laughed awkwardly. "But don't worry! All of that stuff will be meaningless compared to how much a kid will brighten your life!"
"We hope so, hehe," Kurenai said, laughing a little. "We know that taking care of a kid is a serious endeavor, but for a moment you made it look as it was more an arduous chore than anything."
"Though, a kid also gives you perspective, you know what I mean?" Shizune asked. "I mean, we're ninjas. We risk our lives with each mission. I can say that all of us here are not afraid to die to complete a mission, or to save a comrade, or something like that. But when you have this little one at home depending on you, and wonder what's going to be of him or her if this time you don't return..."
"Yeah. I know I worried my father when I started my career as a kunoichi, but I believe this is worse. I mean, if I died, even if it would have been devastating, my dad could still take care of himself. But if it was him who died..." Kurenai said.
"Yes. That's why we agreed that I'd take a job that entails less risk and does not require me to leave the village for a long periods of time. If something happened to Shizune –pray it doesn't– our kids would still have me," Shisui explained.
"Plus at least one of us will be in the village if an emergency happens," Shizune continued. "We agreed it would be him since he mostly did solo missions or with temporary teammates. I'm the Jōnin-sensei of a team, so I wouldn't be able to do it without leaving them."
"Which makes me wonder, do you guys plan to do anything similar?" Shisui asked. "I'm bringing this up because, unlike us, the two of you are Jōnin-sensei. The two of you take risky missions that make you spend time away from the village."
"While I don't plan to retire, I think I may give Naruto command of the Assault Squad permanently. That way I won't be so bound to the team, and I'll be able to take some time if the situation calls for it."
"Well, you have it easier. Your students are either Jonin or Special Jōnin, and from what you told me, they all soon will be the former. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if one of them took a team of their own," Asuma stated.
"Hinata has expressed interest in doing such a thing, but she herself admitted that, even if she got the rank shortly, she doesn't feel ready for the task, and think she could use some more experience," Kurenai told the others.
"Wait, isn't Hinata like, the new head of her clan?" Shisui asked, scratching his head. "I mean, clan heads are usually pretty busy. I don't know where is she going to find time to do both things."
"It can be managed," Asuma interjected. "My father was the Jonin-sensei of the Sannin while he was also head of the Sarutobi Clan and Hokage. How did he manage to do all that, I'll never know. But it sure as hell didn't leave him any time to spend with his family," the bearded Jonin said, some bitterness leaking from his voice.
"Asuma..." Kurenai said, as she squeezed his hand with her own.
The bearded Jonin breathed deeply as he forced himself to calm down. He eyed his father the former Hokage, chatting with his fellow clansmen and other guests.
"I know, I know," Asuma apologetically said. "I like to think I put all the bad blood between my father and I behind, but some things are hard to forget. If anything, I want to make sure my relationship with my kid is better than the one I had with father."
"You know I'm on the same boat. My father never approved of me being a kunoichi. He felt such career wasn't befitting of a woman," Kurenai said.
Shizune raised an eyebrow, her face becoming indignant. "Really? What a bunch of nonsense."
"Indeed it was. My father was a very traditional man," Kurenai stated.
"No, being traditional is following some outdated customs because they're part of your clan history or something like that. Women have been ninjas since the foundation of the Great Villages," Shizune stated.
During the Warring State Period, women were often barred from becoming ninjas. The reason was that due the absurdly high mortality rate of the era, all clans agreed that women should be away from danger, and produce and raise children. They were basically glorified baby factories. With the advent of the Village System, the mortality rate greatly decreased, and it became more acceptable for women to become ninjas or other high risk jobs.
Of course, not everybody was ready to embrace social progress enabled by this new era, and in some places, while not banned, women were discouraged from being ninjas.
"My relationship with my father wasn't the best either. I think that was one of the reasons Asuma and I clicked so easily. A bit said if you think about it," Kurenai sadly chuckled. "Sometimes I wish I had at least tried to make things up with him before he died during the Nine Tails attack."
"I know what you mean. It's not until you lose somebody that you realize that you could have been a bit more understanding to them," Shisui solemnly agreed. "Their memory...it's like a wound that will never heal."
There was a moment of silence following the usually cheerful and laid back Uchiha's unusually serious and deep statement.
Kurenai forced herself to smile as she pushed the bitter memory of the last time her father was alive away. "But enough of such gloom talk, okay? Today is a day of celebration. I want everybody in their best mood."
…
At another part of the large sunshade tent, Jiraiya, Tsunade and their two youngest children were also enjoying the reception.
"Enjoying the wedding, kids?" Jiraiya asked the twins.
"I dunno. I preferred Shizune-neechan's wedding. There were less people, and we knew most of the guests," Kaida complained with a shrug. "I don't even know who most of these people are."
"Because we were Shizune-neechan's family," Hagane pointed out. "And the groom's family were just two people at the time."
"Yes. A good chunk of the guests are the Sarutobi Clan and Kurenai's family, even if the latter is much smaller than the former," Tsunade pointed out. "Though you should have seen our wedding. It had even less people."
"Less? But you guys are like living legends! I'm sure lots of people would have loved to attend!" Kaida said, visibly surprised.
"And they wanted to attend, make no mistake. But weddings are special and meaningful events, and thus you want to share them with your loved ones, not a bunch of strangers. You see neither your mother nor I had any family left by the time we were married."
"I had Naruto," Tsunade pointed out.
Jiraiya rolled his eyes a little. "Yes, you have Uzumaki blood and all that, but your family ties aren't that close. Besides, Naruto wasn't even four at the time, so he hardly counts as a proper guest."
"And how many people did attend your wedding?" Hagane asked, putting the conversation back on track.
"Just Naruto, Shizune, Sensei, Itachi and Shisui," Tsunade replied. "Sensei was the one who conducted the ceremony. The reception was in our house, when we merely talked about various topics as we had some food with sake in the living room."
"I know I said I didn't like crowds, but that sound pretty boring for a wedding," Kaida said, crossing her arms.
"We like to think it was something intimate. Who cares if it wasn't something grand nor grandiose? It was a memorable day for us, and that's what counted," Jiraiya said.
"I can understand dad not having any family left since he was an orphan and all that, but mom is a Senju! Our clan founded Konoha! Where were the other Senjus?" Hagane asked. "I read a lot about our clan in history books, but they don't detail what happened to it."
"Yeah, I would want my wedding to have more people than you guys, Shizune-neechan and Naruto-niisan," Kaida deadpanned.
"Then you know what to do. Marry a guy with a pretty big family. Wanna know which are Konoha's biggest clans?" Jiraiya asked, chuckling.
"DAD!" Kaida protested, turning red. "I don't mean right now!"
"Kidding, kidding! I already knew that," the Hokage laughed, holding up his hands in defense. "Besides, after you were born, I passed a law to make illegal to date the Hokage's daughter until she's thirty, under penalty of death."
"Very funny, dad," Kaida said as she rolled her eyes.
"Funny, yeah..." Jiraiya laughed, as his eyes narrowed, sparkling with a dangerous glint.
"Hey, look at that, they're clearing the middle zone from tables and chairs," Tsunade pointed out.
"I guess it's time for the dance then," Jiraiya pointed out. Then, his face blanched as a realization dawned upon him. "Oh shit..."
Tsunade's face suddenly became sad. "We didn't have a dance in our wedding," she recalled, sounding melancholic.
"Oh god, here we go again," Jiraiya muttered to himself, before placing a hand on Tsunade's shoulder. "Well, like we just said, our wedding was pretty small, so there was no point it-"
"How the hell did we have a wedding without a dance!?" Tsunade asked, sounding far louder than she intended –but not caring at all–.
"Well, it's all in the past and-"
"No! We have to make up for it! Come on, let's dance until our feet start to bleed!" Tsunade insisted, as she dragged Jiraiya to the dance floor. "Then I'll heal them, then we'll continue dancing until they bleed again!"
Jiraiya couldn't repress a groan. The same thing happened in Shizune and Shisui's wedding, and he knew that "dance until their feet bleed" wasn't an hyperbole.
"Uh, hime, this is Asuma and Kurenai's wedding. Shouldn't they start dancing first?" Jiraiya uncomfortably asked.
Fortunately, that question stopped her in her tracks. She huffed and crossed her arms. "Fine. But then we get to dance more than anybody!"
…
As Jiraiya had said, Asuma and Kurenai opened the dance, everybody else watching as they moved, holding each other in their respective arms. After a few minutes of solo dancing, other couples started to join as well.
"Let's dance slow. I don't want to accidentally step on you."
Hinata laughed in return, as she and Naruto danced. "Come on, Naruto-kun, you're not doing it that bad."
"If you say so," Naruto replied with a chuckle.
"Though we can go slow if you want to," Hinata said, bringing herself closer to Naruto, and slowing her movements. "Albeit..."
"Albeit?" Naruto repeated.
"I also want to dance slowly. So I can enjoy the moment the longest. Just the two of us, dancing like this. No missions, no Akatsuki, no friends dying...just the two of us..." Hinata said.
"Well, we can dance like this whenever you want," Naruto replied.
"No, we can't," Hinata replied.
"Huh?" Naruto dumbly asked.
"Well, technically we can, but it's not the same, you know? It's not the same dancing just because you want, than dancing to celebrate a special event like this one. Plus, it's not just us. All our friends are enjoying the moment too," Hinata pointed out. "Plus we'll have to go back to Taki and continue helping with the reparation efforts."
"Ugh, don't remind me," Naruto said, as he continued to dance. "Too bad you don't get to undo Akatsuki's destruction by punching them. Otherwise this would be fun."
"Come on, we're almost finished with that. It can't take more than a week to finish what's left," Hinata said in an encouraging clone. "Besides, imagine how long we would have taken if you couldn't create so many clones."
"I think that's why I feel it's such a bother. With the clones' memories, it makes me feel as if I've been doing the job of a hundred people," Naruto said with a chuckle, which Hinata echoed.
As they continued to dance, they passed on another couple, Shino and Fu. The usually energetic girl had decided to dance slowly as well, something Shino would no doubt be thankful for. For the event, she had traded her usual scantily-clad appearance for an elegant red kimono with white floral patterns. The Kimono was loose enough that to hid her muscles, but it did little to hide her tall stature, especially compared to the much shorter Aburame. Some would say that they looked ridiculous, but those who knew them thought that they were adorable instead.
"Thank goodness we managed to save her," Naruto told Hinata. "A few seconds late..."
"But we did save her. Just like we did save Gaara. Try not to dwell on what could have been, It's not healthy," Hinata softly chastised.
"I know. But in both cases, we just barely did it. We need to be better prepared to face Akatsuki. We're bound to run out of luck sooner or later, and there are still four jinchuriki that need to be protected," Naruto insisted. "How's your Tenseigan training, by the way?"
"I'm progressing. Slowly but surely. I think I could go faster if I could be trained by somebody with a Tenseigan, rather than from old books and scrolls," Hinata told him.
"Not to put any pressure on you but...try a bit harder, okay?" Naruto said, trying not to sound imposing. "Look how much trouble Kakuzu and Hidan gave us, and I'm sure they aren't even among the better half of the Akatsuki. Not to mention the one with the Rinnegan."
"I know. I'll train even harder."
"Meanwhile, I'll see if I can get dad to train both me and Fu on using Tailed Beast chakra. That's the best weapon we have against an enemy of such power," Naruto stated.
"Naruto, shh," Hinata said, placing a finger on her lips. "You're getting carried away. Let's enjoy the moment, okay? There will be plenty of time for training and worrying about Akatsuki."
"Oh, right, sorry," Naruto stammered, as he and Hinata continued dancing.
"Now relax, and enjoy the moment," Hinata said, as she rested her head on his shoulder, before giggling. "And the company."
"Aw, the dance already started? I can't believe we missed it!" Ino's voice complained, as she and Rin entered the tent. "Where is Sai? There's no way I don't get to dance at a wedding."
"I think it's over there," Rin said, pointing to a corner of the tent.
"Ah, right! Thank you!" Ino said, as he headed towards the pale brunette, before turning at Rin one last time. "Oh, and keep in mind what we talked, alright?"
"I will, don't worry," Rin said, as she also went to find somebody to dance with.
"Huh. It seems that Ino and Rin became friends," Naruto noticed.
"Despite her somewhat blunt personality, Ino-san is a very outgoing and confident girl. Making new friends doesn't look like a challenge to her," Hinata pointed out.
"Hey, you have nothing to be jealous of. You also have lots of friends," Naruto pointed out.
"I know. I'm not the same super shy, stuttering girl from the Academy. But back then, I wish I could be as open as Ino-san was," Hinata said, before her eyes rested on Rin, trying to mingle with the crowd. "I think Rin has it worse than me, given the circumstances."
"I'm happy for Rin. Given what she went through, she needs a lot of friends to rely on," Naruto pointed out. "And together we will make her feel much better about her situation."
"Yes. Yes we will," Hinata agreed.
And the two of them, alongside the rest of the wedding guests, continued dancing and enjoying the night without any care.
…
Land of Lightning, Southern Border
At the same time the wedding reached its end, something else happened hundreds of kilometers to the north.
Standing over a stone hill, Obito Uchiha overlooked the scenery before him. A mostly rocky expanse, with a river crossing it, and patches of vegetation here and there, mostly near the river. There was a small town at the edge of river, and a Kumogakure outpost built at the base of a nearby mountain.
"I think this place will do," Obito said, as he removed one of his gloves, bit his thumb, and made five hand seals. "Wherever you're hiding, jinchuriki, this will surely force you to come out. Summoning Jutsu!"
And Obito slammed his hand into the ground.
Author's Note: So, Kurenai and Asuma finally married, yay!
Despite the lack of action, I liked this chapter, since it allowed me to focus on manry characters that have been absent for quite some time, such as Kurenai herself (told you she would appear from time to time even if she is still pregnant) Team Asuma, Rin, or Sai. Speaking of the latter, I really enjoyed writing Sai much more than this around than in his previous appearances. Guess that he needed a good foil like Ino for his brand of insensitive comedy to work better.
Something I'm not proud of, however, is Sasuke and Sakura's relationship upgrade. I rewrote the scene quite a few times, and honestly, this was the best I could do. I'd like to blame Sasuke beign a cold fish and not that good to work with romantic scenes, but then again, I did read quite a few fics in which Sasuke and Sakura's relationship is both interesting while keeping both characters truer to their core. Guess that, since SasuSaku is a couple that I'm mostly indifferent to, I simply didn't have the passion to give it more depth. Oh well, at least I took that out of my hair.
So, anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter full of comedy and fluff, because as the last scene shows, the heroes are for a wild ride. I think you all know what's going to happen in Kumo now.
Thanks a lot to grimlock987 for betareading this chapter.
The arc following Hidan and Kakuzu is the Itachi pursuit arc. But since neither Itachi is an Akatsuki nor Sasuke defected Konoha, what comes next is another original arc, but I'm confident that you guys will love it. In the meantime, don't forget to leave a review! Reviews make me really, really, really happy!