Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews, everyone. This is story is definitely going to take some time. I have it all planned out mostly, but I just can't find the time to write it down. So for now, please enjoy the update.
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"So Naruto," Kakashi said blithely, "I take it Hiashi-sama is paying for this as well?"
Naruto was standing in the center of an elevated platform surrounded by mirrors. Bustling around him was a small, older woman with a measuring tape and several dozen pins. The object of her attention was a black hakama that was too baggy at his feet. The haori had finally begun to sit right on his tall frame, but only after nearly an hour of manipulation by her pins. The blonde Jounin had agreed to get fitted for his wedding after much prodding from Sakura and Ino, and much to his irritation, Kakashi had insisted on tagging along.
"Of course," he replied with a scowl as the tailor jabbed another pin into the fabric, scratching his ankle, "Hinata's clan has more money than I'll ever make – even after I become Hokage."
"And you're okay with using someone else's money?" Kakashi inquired with a slight grin behind his mask. Naruto shrugged before giving his former sensei a shrewd look.
"We use the tools we have available, Kakashi-sensei… that's the essence of being a shinobi, isn't it? Besides, you can always pay for your outfit if you prefer."
"Now, now," Kakashi said with his hands raised placatingly, "No need to get so defensive. Personally, I see no problem with getting someone to pay for my bills. I just wanted to make sure you and Hinata were okay with it."
"Hinata was pretty upset at first," Naruto replied thoughtfully, "But she seemed to come around quickly when I told her about the house." Kakashi crinkled his eyes as another grin flashed over his face.
"The Uzumaki clan, eh? I hope you guys chose a spot far away from my apartment. I need sleep to carry out my missions."
"Pfft," Naruto replied with rolled eyes, "No way are we starting a family by your apartment… it's right next to all the dirty stores and bars the old Perverted Hermit frequents. Come to think of it… that's a pretty suspicious place for you to be living, Kakashi-sensei."
"I'm insulted by what you're implying," Kakashi said indignantly, "After all the time and effort I put into training you--"
"Reading that dirty book and showing up late!" Naruto yelled back disdainfully, "Yeah, I can't wait to take a team of Genin under my wing… it's like paid time off."
"You shouldn't judge us by Kakashi," a deep, booming voice commented from the entrance. Asuma.
"Honestly Naruto, try to have a little respect for your elders. Remember that Kakashi saved your life on numerous occasions," Iruka added as he gave his favorite former student an exasperated smile. Naruto rolled his eyes again and leapt off the platform, eliciting a squawk of protest from the tailor.
"Nice outfit," Iruka commented wryly as the fox ninja struggled out of his haori and kicked off the hakama. Underneath, he was clad in the blue body suit common to shinobi at the Chuunin level or above.
"To think, you would be the first one to tie the knot out of all of us," Asuma added as he took a drag from his cigarette, "I guess you really do have a shot at becoming Hokage."
"Sheesh," Naruto growled as he donned his flak jacket, "It's like a gathering of all the senior citizen shinobi! You guys invited the Old Bastard and the Closet Pervert too?"
"This is the thanks we get for all the time and effort we put into your generation?" Asuma complained as he blew out a cloud of smoke. Iruka coughed irritably, waving at the gray vapor that suddenly enveloped his face. Kakashi sighed to himself and stood up with a dignified clearing of his throat. Naruto gave him a glare.
"You plan on keeping me here all day, or are you going to tell me what's going on?"
"You've gotten more perceptive, Naruto," Kakashi said in an approving tone of voice.
"No, you've just lost your subtlety in your old age," Naruto countered irritably, "What's going on?"
"Naruto," Iruka began diplomatically, "Everyone is very excited about your upcoming marriage to Hinata. We think it's wonderful how close the two of you have become over the years…"
"But?" Naruto asked with a smirk. Iruka appeared a little flustered, so Kakashi jumped in.
"But we want you to be sure you know what you're getting yourself into. Naruto, I know more than anyone how dedicated you are to your life's ambition… Becoming Hokage is not just a dream for you anymore… Tsunade-sama and the rest of the Jounin believe you have what it takes to lead Konoha once she's stepped down."
Naruto's face turned slightly red, as he took a moment to absorb the compliment. It was the highest praise he had ever received from Kakashi, and he didn't know how to respond.
"Becoming a husband is also quite an undertaking, that is by itself, worthy of being classified as a 'life's ambition,'" Kakashi continued earnestly, "It will take enormous amounts of time, energy, and patience to be a good husband… and ten times as much to be a good father. I hope you understand how difficult it will be to raise a family and be the Hokage all at the same time."
Naruto's face took on a look of preoccupied thought that the gathered shinobi had rarely seen. He suddenly looked much older than his years, and Kakashi was struck by how similar to the Forth Hokage, he looked. Abruptly, the quiet thoughtfulness evaporated, and an overwhelming surge of confidence seemed to light up his face.
"I understand what you're talking about," Naruto said with a soft grin, "And I've been giving it a lot of thought over the last few days." Asuma and Kakashi watched him thoughtfully, while Iruka simply smiled.
"I know I'm not as old as you geezers, so I don't have as much experience… but I don't want any more. I love Hinata… It's as simple as that. She stood by me when no one believed in me, and I stood by her when she didn't believe in herself. Now, I want to make sure that she's never sad again. And I can do that by being the best damn Hokage in the history of Konoha!"
"Hey, hey… Easy with the yelling," Kakashi commented as smiled proudly, "You've convinced me already…"
"OHHHH! Naruto! That was truly a rousing speech!" A deafening bellow issued from the entrance. Gai stood in the doorway, the sunlight illuminating his bright green spandex. "But you forgot to finish it off with a 'nice guy' pose!" He illustrated his point by giving them a powerful thumbs-up sign, accompanied by a dazzling grin of white teeth."
Naruto rubbed his hands together eagerly and returned the pose, grinning for all he was worth. He had been practicing secretly every morning in front of the bathroom mirror, and was confident his technique was almost at Gai's level. The dazzling sparkle of Naruto's teeth threw a white light into the older Jounin's face, causing him to stumble backwards with surprise.
"Nice one, Naruto!" the Jounin in green tights declared with an even brighter grin, "Your talents have been developing in all respects! You had best beware, Kakashi… Your student may prove to be an even worthier rival than you!"
Kakashi gave Naruto a long stare before shaking his head.
"Naruto… you're dead to me."
Asuma and Iruka started laughing as Naruto began to shout a variety of colorful obscenities at his old teacher. From behind several large manikins decked out in garish colored robes, Kurenai slipped out of the store, satisfied with what she heard. Out of the corner of his eye, Kakashi watched the older woman leave.
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"Ooooo! Hinata, it's gorgeous," Sakura squealed with delight as her friend emerged from the fitting room. Hinata's dark hair was pulled back in an elaborate braid, lending a more exotic quality to her naturally pretty face. She was clad in a pure white, silken kimono with silver trim. Ino, Sakura, and Ten Ten all let out a sigh that seemed to combine eagerness, admiration, and jealousy in one breath. As the gathered kunoichi continued to gush, Hinata's face began to turn bright red. She quickly turned to face the approaching tailor, letting the old woman attack her outfit with measuring tape and pins.
"I like this a lot more than the last time I caught you coming out of fitting room," Kurenai commented with a smile as she walked in through the door. Ino and Hinata both winced while Sakura and Ten Ten tittered with laughter. The last time Kurenai had seen her former student emerge from a fitting room, Hinata had been clad in a white bikini, posing for Naruto. Naruto had confided to her several years later that the image of her clad in that swimsuit had given him his first nosebleed, and still did to this day, if he wasn't careful.
"Give the girl a break, Kurenai," a younger sounding, languorous voice commented from behind Hinata's former teacher. Mitarashi Anko strode in, her face dancing with mischief. "Her plan worked didn't it? Give the boys a peek of the goods, and they'll follow you anywhere." Hinata's blush deepened, and she looked at her feet resolutely. Kurenai frowned disapprovingly, and would have said something if it weren't for another voice that cut in.
"Seriously, Anko! Watch your language. Not everyone has to skip around in a mesh shirt without a bra on to attract men." Anko turned her fierce looking grin on the woman standing behind her. Shizune.
"Big words, Shizu-chan," the kunoichi in the mesh shirt replied with a grin, "But I guess you need them to make up for smaller goods." She emphasized the word 'smaller' while she glanced significantly at Shizune's breasts. The medical ninja gasped with outrage, covering her chest and tossing the taller woman a glare.
"Well, I guess Iruka-sensei likes 'em tiny, eh? Easier for him to manage since he's got small hands… Speaking of small hands… I guess you're going out with Iruka-sensei because of his personality, right?" Shizune turned a dark red as Anko cackled gleefully. Ino, Sakura, and Ten Ten were wisely keeping silent, while Hinata continued to examine the ground. Kurenai sighed with exasperation.
"Speaking of 'going out,'" Shizune said with a slow, wicked grin, "How have your dates with Gai been going? I can always arrange another one for you."
"Don't you dare!" Anko screamed with more force than she intended. The other kunoichi began to laugh as she belatedly clamped her mouth shut, turning beet red. Shizune sauntered past the frozen Jounin and gave Hinata a smile.
"You look beautiful, Hinata. I hope you're not feeling nervous…"
"I am," Hinata replied softly, "But not as nervous as Naruto-kun is probably feeling right about now."
"Oh, I don't know about that," Kurenai drawled as she came up and gave her former pupil a soft squeeze on the arm, "I just happened to overhear a conversation he was having with Kakashi…" The other kunoichi quickly converged on the two, their faces eager for the latest gossip. When Kurenai finished her story, there was a collective sigh of appreciation from the gathered females. Ino nudged Sakura with her elbow.
"You never told me what a romantic that idiot teammate of yours was."
"He doesn't let it show very often," the pink haired Jounin replied with a shrug, "Despite the way he acts most of the time, Naruto really is something."
"Yes," Hinata declared pertly, "He's my something." The laughter and applause filled the entire store, and earned the women a disapproving cluck from the tailor working on Hinata's kimono.
"So," Anko began wickedly, "You must be excited about your first night of intimacy… The brat has Kyuubi's chakra at his disposal. That must mean he's got unlimited stamina! When you've had your fun with him, let me borrow him for a bit… I've always wondered what it would be like with a demon…" Hinata turned bright red again, and began to twiddle her fingers.
"You've had something close to a demon, Anko," Kurenai put in dryly, "Well, to be precise, you've had a beast…"
"A Beautiful, Green Beast of Konoha!" Shizune crowed as Ten Ten, Ino, and Sakura burst into another fit of laughter. They all did one of Gai's trademark poses, which caused even Hinata to start giggling. When the tumult died down, the tailor stood up with great dignity and politely informed them that everyone except Hinata was banned from the shop for the next two weeks.
"Good going, Shizu-chan," Anko commented darkly as they filed out. Shizune stuck her tongue out at her friend and waved a goodbye to Hinata. Sakura, Ino, and Ten Ten followed them out, indicating that they would meet her for dinner that night. Kurenai was the last to leave, giving her a smile.
"Well done, Hinata," she said, "I'm proud of you."
Hinata bowed her head, and gave her former sensei a warm smile of her own.
"Thank you, Kurenai-sensei."
"Just Kurenai, from now on. I think I could learn a few things from you at this point."
"Thank you, Kurenai," Hinata said with another bow, but added softly, "-sensei."
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Tsunade sighed to herself wearily as she set down a large stack of papers. Her right wrist was beginning to cramp, and her head was already throbbing. In the seven years she had served as Hokage of Konoha, great upheaval and conflict had served as a constant source of long and tedious paperwork. Now that Akatsuki was destroyed, and Orochimaru dead, a relative peace had been established between the great ninja villages. Much to Tsunade's disappointment, peace brought with it an even larger slew of forms to be signed, and projects to approve.
"You might as well come out," she commented irritably, "I could always tell when you were around." Silence answered her. She growled inarticulately, stood up, and slammed her fist against a large column holding up the roof of the outside balcony. The entire building seemed to shake, and seconds later, a certain white-haired Sannin lost his footing, and slid off the roof. He would have fallen at least thirty stories if Tsunade hadn't reached out and plucked him out of the air, dumping him unceremoniously on to the balcony.
"Yo, Tsunade," Jiraiya said nonchalantly as he picked himself up.
"Don't 'yo' me, you damn moron," she snarled, "What are you doing here? Peeping at the bathouse wasn't enough?"
"I don't peep at senior citizens," Jiraiya replied with a wicked grin, "It's not good for my writing--" He didn't get to finish the sentence, because Tsunade slammed him head first into her desk, splitting the thick wood as if it were made of cheap balsa. Outside, Shizune sighed and began to fill out another requisition form. As much as she admired the legendary Frog Hermit, she often wished Jiraiya would keep his meetings with Tsunade outside, around less valuable objects.
"You and your brat of an apprentice are practically indistinguishable," Tsunade snarled at her former teammate, who lay prone on the floor amidst the wrecked pile of wood, "You both have a special talent for irritating everyone."
"Don't say that," Jiraiya said in a muffled voice, his face still firmly planted in the ground, "I'm a far superior example of masculinity on any given day."
The big, white-haired shinobi stood up and brushed off the splinters from his garish robes, and gave Tsunade a smug grin before taking a seat on a couch along the far right side of her office. The Fifth Hokage rolled her eyes and walked over to a couch on the opposite side, seating herself and pouring out a generous dollop of sake. Taking a big gulp, she willed the irritation out of her body, and tossed him a questioning look.
"I've got some information that may or may not be of any consequence," Jiraiya said calmly, "You're well aware of my apprentice's engagement to the Hyuuga girl, I'm sure."
Tsunade nodded. Everyone in Konoha knew about the engagement. Dignitaries from every major Hidden Village were arriving in droves to attend the upcoming wedding ceremony. Security issues had stretched Konoha's manpower to the limit, but the Hidden Sand had lent a sizable force of Jounin to assist with the festivities, thanks to the firm friendship between Naruto and Gaara, the present Kazekage.
"The most unlikely marriage in the history of Konoha," Tsunade said with a fond smile, "Konoha's loudest, number one unpredictable shinobi is going to wed Konoha's soft and delicate Hyuuga heiress. Why? What's the matter? Is the brat getting cold feet?"
"No, no," Jiraiya replied with a wave of his hands, "Despite his irrefutable stupidity, the idiot knows a good thing when he sees it. The issue stems from the Hyuuga clan, as you may have already guessed."
"I talked with Hiashi," Tsunade said with a shrug, "The old bastard is as stiff as ever, but he's offered his blessing."
"It's not Hiashi," Jiraiya murmured softly, "It's the Council."
Tsunade scowled. The Council of Elders wielded authority that seemed to supersede even the Head of the Hyuuga clan at times. She had heard of the cold-blooded sacrifice Hyuuga Hizashi had been ordered into by the powerful group from her former master, the Third Hokage. Though Sarutobi made it clear that a Hokage's authority does not extend into the affairs of a clan, his disapproval at the way the matter was handled was obvious.
"You know my authority in clan matters is extremely limited," Tsunade said reluctantly, "And the Hyuuga Elders are a zealous group. We'll need a contingency plan to deal with them, should their obsession with bloodline purity become a liability."
"I'm working on it," Jiraiya offered with a grin, "I should have something for you when I get back from the bath house."
"You and your damn peeping," Tsunade snapped angrily. Jiraiya turned around, a smirk on his face.
"Do I detect a hint of jealousy?"
"You're mistaking disgust for jealousy. It's a common mistake of idiots."
"I love you too."
"Ugh! How can you even say that with a straight face," Tsunade shrieked with horror. Jiraiya's grin fell slightly, but he quickly picked it back up.
"If only I found a Hinata when I was younger… someone that would actually let me take her on a date. Instead, I had to deal with some grouchy, uncouth, flat-chested blonde that would never go out with me."
"You weren't the kind of man that would settle down and accept responsibility," Tsunade said with a dismissive snort, "How could I accept someone like you into my life?"
"Heh," Jiraiya scoffed as he turned to leap off the balcony, "How would you know? You never gave me a chance. Guess you and your apprentice are indistinguishable too… you judge people without giving them a fair trial." Without another word, the white-haired sennin jumped out, leaping from building to building until he disappeared. Tsunade walked over to the balcony, and stared out over the village, a thoughtful expression on her face. After a long moment, she turned and walked back inside.