Over Time

Golden Loyalty – Decisions

The golden Sun shone brilliantly upon the village of Konoha, gracing it and the surrounding trees and mountain range with a curtain of warmth, and the promise of a beautiful day. Birds sang their hymns, setting the mood for the big event to be held within the open space at the base of the regally carved faces of the previous Hokages. Rows upon rows of seats were lined up before a raised platform, separated by a path that cut down middle, leading from the village to the steps of the platform. Some of the attendees of the event had already gathered, taking up odd seats, or helping out with the decorations.

Sitting on the edge of the platform, at the right corner, below the stone face of the Fourth Hokage, was a young man. The Sun shone brightly in his spiked up hair, fashioned similarly to the carved face he sat beneath. His sapphire blue eyes, usually lit up with determination and energy, were downcast as his mind wandered the plains of contemplation. With the solemn look upon his face, one would have thought that he was the man depicted in the carving above him, but on closer examination, a notable difference would have been spotted, namely the three sets of whisker-like markings upon his cheeks. He was dressed in a traditional black suit, tails coming off the end of his jacket, which seemed to accentuate the broadness of his shoulders, hugging neatly to his well built figure. He wore a white, straight priest-collar shirt, which hugged his neck in a possessive manner, the single blue marble-capped button bringing out the colour of his eyes. Cufflinks with the matching stone, adorned the cuffs of both jacket sleeves – it was obvious that this occasion was his.

A sigh escaped his figure, as his attention turned from the trinkets between his fingers to the owner of the shadow, which fell upon him at that moment.

"Iruka," he said, giving a name to the figure, as his eyes twinkled happiness at the presence of his teacher and best friend. The man still retained his young looks over the eight years; his hair was still pulled back in a brush-like ponytail and he wore a proud smile upon his face, for though the young man before him most likely viewed the other as a friend, he most certainly viewed him as more than that, as a son. He too wore a suit, black in colour, but without the tails the groom had, and a folded-collar shirt sporting a red tie. "Have a seat, please" the young man said, a clinking sound coming from his left hand as he coupled the items together, in order to use the other to indicate the space beside him. Iruka smiled and obliged the twenty-year old man, sitting beside him, the ghost of the spunky little twelve-year old passing before his eyes as he looked upon the fine adult.

"I'm proud of you Naruto," he said, placing an arm about the blond's shoulders. Naruto laughed lightly at the comment, giving the older man a bright smile, coupled with an amused look.

"How many times have I heard that in my life," he chuckled, the words more of a statement than a question. Iruka laughed lightly at the young mans words, and tightened his grip a little into a slight hug.

"Well each time you've heard it, I've always meant it," the older man replied, knowing the nature of the others words, but feeling that the truth had to be voiced, "you've always come out smiling and with victory behind you…I'm happy that you've managed to settle down, and with your childhood love no less," at the mention of the woman he was to wed, Sakura Haruno, Narutos expression seemed to fall as he looked away from his friends smiling expression, as it became one of curiosity. The blond knew the words spoken were true, even he felt that the day was unreal, that it was a strange dream he had to wake up from.

Sakura, the girl now woman, whom he had loved for as far back as he could remember, never reciprocated his feelings in the way he had liked to, for she had given her heart to the other member of their group, Sasuke Uchiha. Things had never been the same since the Sharingan user had left and refused to return, even after the several attempts Naruto had gone through, striving to uphold the promise he had made. He had never forgiven himself in his failure to keep his word, and as he had taken it upon himself to stand by Sakuras side, it had hurt even more, the shame slicing through him.

Even though she had never said a thing, accepting the fact that he had tried his best, her eyes never lit up with that spark, the spark of life which kept her going, sure there were embers, but he had no idea who the embers were for. He remembered the only time he had seen that spark appear, the embers becoming a flame – it had brought tears to his eyes, tears that he had not permitted to be set free. It was the first time since Sasuke's leave, and it had made him feel so overwhelmed, as he placed the ring upon her finger at her proposal. He didn't know what had made her stop waiting, choosing him to entwine her heart with, even though it yearned to be joined with another, but he knew that he would never want to see that flame die away again.

He looked up at the nearing patter of heeled shoes, blue eyes flashing with concern as he saw the hurried, yet controlled, pace Sakura's mother was taking as she came towards them. Iruka turned his head to see what had caught the grooms attention, as the young man made to stand, only to sit back down at a shake of the older woman's head.

"Is Sakura alright?" Naruto asked, his voice coloured with worry, as his facial expression became one of concern. Mrs. Haruno, soon to be known as 'mum' to the blond, smiled reassuringly.

"She's fine…just that she's with an unforeseen guest and may be a little late coming down…" she explained, kneeling down beside him and placing a comforting hand upon her shoulder. Her tone seemed apologetic and understanding dawned upon the blue-eyed man, and he nodded. She gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze, then nodded once to Iruka and stood, making her way back to tell the others that the bride would be a little late, due to nerves. Naruto stayed where he was for a moment, his brow drawn in a manner that showed how alone he felt, though the expression was quickly masked over with a blank look.

"Iruka," he said, standing up as he placed a hand upon the older mans shoulder, his blue eyes locking upon the others brown ones. He worked his lips, as if seeming to decide something, then spoke, squeezing their shoulder a bit, as though seeking support, "I need to…do some thinking…please…could you hold these for me in the meantime," he asked, holding out the other hand and opening it to reveal two wedding rings, one a golden band large enough to fit a male finger, the other a smaller, more delicate looking golden ring with diamonds encrusted along its surface. Iruka looked up to say something, only to see that the blond had disappeared. The man looked about to determine where he could have gone, only to freeze as he sensed someone behind him.

"Best do what he says…" a rather solemn voice said, the tone characteristic of a renowned Jounin who had headed Team 7. The older man turned to face the owner of the voice, knowing full well that he'd be looking upon the masked face and one-eyed gaze of Kakashi, the son of the White Fang of Konoha. The expression too was solemn, though it appeared to be indifferent; the academy teacher knew that if he disagreed with the white-haired man, he was just asking to suffer the consequences.

"…Fine…I won't go after him…" Iruka said, his posture becoming slack with resignation, as his face expressed the slightest sign of worry, which he felt in his heart. Kakashi nodded, and then frowned questioningly as the teacher's face became inquisitive, with a hint of surprise. Catching the expression, the older man obliged with an answer, "You look different in non-ninja attire," he commented then took a closer look at what the man was wearing. Kakashi was dressed in a white suit, the sleeves of which had been folded up to the elbows, as he had been helping with the decorations and such, but seemed to have little chance of being straightened out once the task was done. The jacket was open, displaying a black polo-necked shirt, which blended in with the mask he wore over the lower half of his face and left eye. By the apparent fact that the rolled up sleeves bore no black folds, Iruka deducted that the shirt was sleeveless, "Where did you get the suit?" he asked, taking note of the white shoes which completed the outfit. The white-haired blinked then laughed lightly, as he placed a hand behind his head, strands of his shock of white hair wavering a little.

"It's custom made…I can give you the name of the tailor," he said, smiling as he placed a hand upon his hip and let the other dangle loosely beside him. The brown-eyed man smiled and shook his head, smiling his thanks as he replied.

"It's okay…but I'll ask when an important occasion, equal or greater to today, rolls right around the corner," he said, then looked down at his hand, opening it to reveal the two rings, 'Naruto…' he thought, then looked up at the sound of Kakashi clearing his throat, in an inconspicuous manner, or so he attempted.

"My…I just remembered…we need an extra pair of hands to…uh…stick up a banner," he said, his eyes looking up.

"What banner?" Iruka asked, blinking as he looked up to see what the younger man was looking at, then brought his eyes down once he had determined nothing of interest. Kakashi jerked a thumb behind him, indicating a banner that was being hoisted up and set to place, "It's been put up already…" he commented. At these words the Jounin turned to see the banner, hanging between the poles that stood on either side of the steps, which lead to the platform, swaying back and forth in all its glory, thought he could only view from the side. The people who had been involved in its display, one of them being Gai, were now standing back and admiring their work. Upon noticing his rival looking their way, the other Jounin sported his characteristic victory pose – thumb up accompanied by a cheesy grin, which flashed brightly in the sunlight. Kakashi waved politely then turned back to the academy teacher, who simply smiled, "I get your message, Kakashi…thanks you're right, I shouldn't worry about him…" he drew in another breath, pocketing the valuable items and rolling up his sleeves, "come on, I'll help out with whatever there is to help with,"

-o-

He didn't really pay attention to where he was walking to, only just that he made sure to follow this path to wherever it lead…which was hopefully somewhere he could continue thinking about what he was to do, without having to keep half his mind worrying about straying or tripping up. He drew in a breath and let it out, of course he knew what was holding up his bride-to-be, and he didn't blame her…they had a lot to catch up on…but it wasn't that he was thinking about, it was what he would do after she came down, with her guest.

His feet continued to carry him along, his mind wandering in emptiness as a crushing feeling filled within him. Naruto came to a stop, drawing a breath to ease the pain away, and looked about his surroundings for a momentary distraction. A small smile played on his lips, as he made his way towards the bridge that connected both banks of the river that flowed through the village. He stood at the peak of the rise, leaning against the red-painted, wooden rail and looked into the shimmering waters below, the odd fish or two swimming with the gentle current.

It was at this time that the memories, from his youth, chose to flash before his minds eye; this had always been their meeting spot, waiting for Kakashi, their mentor and team leader to arrive. A nostalgic laugh escaped him, as he remembered how impatient both he and Sakura were, and even though he never showed it, he was sure that Sasuke was as well, as they waited for the white-haired Jounin to arrive, which was always some hours after the agreed time. It wasn't until some time later that hey had discovered their teacher's true reason for being late, rather than the farfetched stories he always seemed to come up with. He chuckled at the happy memories he had, especially the times when Sakura would turn on him, should he dare to belittle the Uchiha survivor in any way…all of which had stopped when the raven-haired boy had left.

The smile melted away, becoming a sad and distant gaze, as a poignant sigh escaped him – everything had changed that day, and he couldn't help but feel that it was all his fault…and now-

"Naruto…?" the sudden question, emitted from an all too familiar gentle voice, startled him out of his downhearted reverie. The young man turned to face the owner of the voice, once the meek young girl who had always admired him, now a young woman who had gained confidence in herself over the years, though her tone of voice was still the same.

"Hinata," he returned, smiling in greeting, though his upper face carried his worry. A smile touched her features as well, and she came to stand beside him, as she looked upon her, the ghost of the young girl taking her place for a moment. Over the years she had allowed her hair to grow a little, just long enough to brush her shoulders, her eyes were still kind, though they seemed to hold a kind of warmth, a ghost of secrecy…an almost motherly kind of look. The smile on his face grew, as the revelation came to him, but he wouldn't ask her about it…it was her place to tell, not his to pry. She was dressed in a pale lavender, straight-cut, long silk dress, which was sleeveless and secured by a snug turtle-neck, which was encrusted with jewels of the same colour that came down in a V-neck, ending about half a foot below the collarbone. He took in the final details, of the matching silk scarf that was draped about her shoulders, against the light breeze, and the matching shoes she wore, that had decently-sized heels. "How come you're out here, and not at the wedding?"

"I should be asking you that…" she remarked, her voice gentle as always, trying never to offend, even though he highly doubted that the Hyuuga heiress would ever offend anyone. Along with the words, she had cast him a look that hinted at apology, but carried over a greater level of curiosity. Naruto considered his answer for a moment, and then sighed.

"Sakura's having a private moment with a last minute invitee…so I'm out here…thinking," he replied, smiling a little lopsidedly. He kept his eyes on her reflection in the rippling waters below, not wanting to risk an emotional outburst by having to look into her seemingly all-seeing eyes. Hinata nodded and placed a hand upon his shoulder, silently telling him that he could face her whenever he wanted, and that her support was at the ready.

"What is there to think about?" she asked, watching the smile twitch away, as he kept his eyes firmly locked onto the reflections, "Our chance came and went…we tried, but…I know you could never do that to her…you couldn't allow yourself to be happy, when the one you truly loved was not…" he turned his face to look at her then, disbelief at the truth of her words marked in his expression. The blond looked into the others eyes, which bore insightfulness and sincerity, 'Had she always been like this…?' he thought, an insecure feeling building within, which was quickly squashed away as memories of their one-to-ones and the time their relationship had come to an end flashed before him, 'Yes…she has…' he thought sadly, then swallowed as tears stung his eyes, shocking him as they fell away, trailing along his cheeks and dripping down. Hinatas eyes widened, her brow drawing in apology as she reached out a hand to wipe his tears away, but was stopped as Naruto took hold of her wrist gently, smiling weakly through the tears that he swiped away with his free hand.

"Thank you…" he whispered sincerely, "I'm sorry if I hurt you…and I could never ask for your forgiveness if I have…" her eyes threatened to form tears of their own, as he shifted the hold of his hand, so that it wrapped about her fingers, nestling against her palm, "but I truly hope that you have found a greater happiness in your life, Hinata Hyuuga," he raised her hand and touched his lips to her knuckles, kissing them in an honourable manner. She smiled, blinking back her tears, as she nodded, only to shudder a moment later as a chill crept upon her, accompanied by a slight breeze. Naruto smiled and removed his jacket, placing it about her shoulders, "Can't have you getting cold now, can we,"

"Thank you," she said, bowing her head a little, her tone soft as she pulled the jacket closer about her. Her eyes wandered up to meet his, surprise momentarily flitting across her, as she caught a twinkling behind his eyes, indicating that he knew something. A girlish smile touched her, "We're very happy," she said, confirming his knowledge, to which he nodded approvingly, "he'll make a good father, and he's already a wonderful husband…though I think that this is the first time the Head and Branch families have been joined together…apart from mere blood relation," The smile upon Narutos face faded, as his expression became distant once more.

"You know…this isn't the first time I've been thinking about this…today, I mean…" he admitted, chewing his lip in a worried fashion, "I've…" she nodded her head, urging him to go on when he was ready, "I've been thinking a lot about this since day one…and I've only talked to those I feel comfortable with, like Lee and Shikamaru…" he paused a moment, eyes casting themselves downwards, "…their answers have been similar, but comforting…though for some reason, I-"

"She'll never leave you," came the honest statement, the sudden appearance of the new voice shocking the two on the bridge. They both turned their attention, looking past where the blond stood and met with the same eyes the Hyuuga family inherited. Neji stood at the end of the bridge, one hand in his jacket pocket, while the other was raised in greeting. He wore a black suit and white shirt similar to the blonds, but the jacket was shorter, reaching just past his waist-line. His hair was kept a mid-length, still tied in the same fashion, and he wore a black band about his forehead, seeing it as a decent alternative to not wearing the Konoha Forehead Protector, for attending this event. "You've stood by her side since the day you came back, and you've never left it," he expanded, closing the distance to stand opposite his wife, letting his raised hand fall to his side. Naruto appraised the older man, who was just a little taller, searching their eyes for anything that would make him question their words.

"Thank you, Neji," he said, smiling warmly as the other smiled back, "blunt and to the point, but it made sense,"

"Beating around the bush has never been my way," the dark-haired man admitted, highlighting his trait, which could have been the result of his genius-status among most ninjas, but especially upon his clan. He turned his pale eyes upon Hinata, his expression warm and kind, "Come, we should go back," he said, then his eyes travelled back up to the groom, "unless…" she shook her head, smiling.

"No, you're right, we should head back now," she stepped towards her husband, then turned back to her blue-eyed friend, "come when you're ready, okay," she said, reaching out a hand and placed it upon his shoulder, "and thank you," she added, slipping the jacket off her shoulders and handing it back to him. Naruto took it with a smile, and nodded.

"Thank you for the company," he said, raising a hand as the two nodded and walked back to the wedding grounds, Neji with his arm wrapped about Hinata, holding her close to him as she rested her head upon his shoulder. Once they were out of sight, the twenty-year old groom turned back to the river, facing it downstream, leaning against the rail, the jacket resting upon it beside him.

-o-

'Where could he be?!' the frantic thought passed through her mind for the umpteenth time, her brow drawn in worry as she turned her attention to the sky above. It had been some hours since she had come from her house, accompanied by Sasuke, only to find that her husband-to-be had taken off some time ago. Now the Sun had begun to set, marking the onset of dusk, the sky tinted with brilliant hues of oranges, reds and yellows, as though it was on fire. More than once within the past few hours she had stood up to go and look for him, and more than once she had been told to relax and sit down – which was what she was doing now. Sasuke had stayed by her side, waiting for him with her, reminding her of the times Naruto had done the very same…though this moment of support was nothing in comparison, but she figured that in his mind, it was the least that he could do, wait by her side.

A hand rested upon her shoulder and she looked up to meet the owner, meeting the pale and solemn eyes of Hinata, who had come just an hour or so back, with Neji. At the time, they had said that he was busy with something, and that he'd be a little late…though now…

"Don't worry, he'll come," she reassured, squeezing Sakura's shoulder gently, smiling warmly as she did so. The green-eyed woman looked into the others eyes, finding only an honest opinion that she believed in, and she smiled gratefully.

"Thank you, Hinata," she said, placing her hand above the Hyuuga heiress' and squeezed it a little. She looked up momentarily, past the woman who sat beside her and caught a faint glimpse of spiky blond hair. A curious frown came upon her expression and she stood up, focusing her eyes to sharpen the image relayed to her brain. Her eyes widened as the flash of blond appeared again, but this time closer and accompanied by what seemed to be slightly tanned skin, "Naruto…?" she said, her voice low and uncertain. The people within hearing range of her words looked up and followed her gaze, others looked up to watch her, noticing that she was seemingly unaware that her feet were carrying her towards the tufts of blond that she could see. She came to stop, her hands clutching at the skirt of her dress, her eyes hopeful, as the figure came into full view. The man she had been waiting for suddenly came into the clearing, eyes focused on the ground before him, his mind seemingly elsewhere, as he seemed to be walking without paying attention to anything around him. His jacket was slung over one shoulder, the fingers of the supporting arm hooked under the collar. "Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed, the call of his name catching his attention and bringing him to a halt. She threw her arms about his neck, burying her face into his nape, tears soaking into his collar.

"S-Sakura…" the blond said dumbly, wrapping his arms about her waist, looking into her tear-filled eyes as she pulled away to fix him with an unsuccessful glower. His throat blocked up at the sight of her tears, and all he managed to do was attempt to wipe them away, "I'm sorry…" the words managed to come out in a cracked whisper, as tears of his own threatened to come forth…never had she once cried for him, or so he could remember, "I'm sorry for making you wait,"

"It's a good thing you came back, or she'd have forced everyone to look for you if she wasn't allowed to herself," came the comment, the tone of voice belonging to only one person he could remember. Both of them turned to look back, their eyes caught by the smiling Sasuke, "Long time no see,"

"S-Sasuke?" Naruto stammered, his tone unsure, as even though he had had his suspicions on who his wife-to-be had a private audience with, he hadn't really counted on the possibility that he may have been right.

"Who else would I be, idiot," the dark-haired man returned, the smile still on his features, though his tone had taken up the mocking notes the blond was so used to hearing. At a loss for words, the blond stepped forward, releasing Sakura and closed the gap between himself and the other. He came to a stop, not more than a foot away, his expression unreadable, though the emotion in his eyes kept shifting, until one became prevalent. The Sharingan user steeled himself for the punishment her was sure was coming, but deserved nonetheless and so closed his eyes, as he drew in a breath. His eyes flew open in surprise as Naruto threw his arms about the other, taking them into a companionate embrace, which said more than any words could. Tears stung his eyes, but he blinked them away and returned the hug, then pulled away slightly, "Come on," he said, looking into the blonds shining eyes. He looked up momentarily to catch the bride dab at her eyes slightly, and then smiled, turning his attention back to the groom, "you have a wedding to attend,"

-o-o-o-o-o-

A/N: Sorry for the long wait, but at last, the story has come to an end…though I'm not too happy with the ending. Anyhow, thanks for the support from Chapter 1, silent and voiced, hope you enjoyed the story as much as I had writing it, thank you again, and see you next time

-Erutan Xiku