Kakashi let Sakura go, bidding her goodnight with a soft kiss on her forehead (right on her Byakugō seal, causing a shiver to run down her spine). She too made way towards bed, slipping out of the alcove that she had just moments prior pushed Kakashi into.
The Fire Country palace had lulled in a quiet ambiance as night fell. A scant few servants scurried about with final errands to perform before they too could retire for the evening. Sakura had drifted in the opposite direction of Kakashi, her room oddly on the other side of the palace.
After suffering the maze of hallways that she barely remembered the route for, Sakura pushed open her door. Inside, she noted that it was already lit and assumed a servant had left the lights on when her hand paused at the switch near the door. She padded in, slipping out of her sandals and dropping them unceremoniously by the entryway. Coming to a stop in front of the dressing mirror, she analyzed herself, noticing the bright flush of her cheeks (still warm from her impromptu rendezvous with the Rokudaime) and the dishevelment of her hair.
Paying no mind to the tiny candles that were strewn about the room, Sakura started undressing by pulling off the intricately tied obi, pulling it into her hands to fold and gently place on the small shelf next to the tall mirror. She then peeled the outermost layer of the blue floral kimono off, also taking great care in folding it properly.
She stood facing the mirror, now only wearing the nagajuban layer. Sakura quickly undid the datejime and pulled both garments off. She grabbed the pastel purple sleeping yukata that was folded neatly on the bench to the side.
A rustling of noise burst out of the silence of the room.
Sakura paused in the middle of tying her yukata, hands freezing over the half-done knot at her waist. She glanced past the partition that separated the dressing area from the rest of the room, not visually noting anything strange in the large room. Giving a small shrug that Sakura figured that she was just paranoid from traveling and being in a new place, she finished tying her sleeping yukata and began to brush her hair with the brush on the low vanity next to the screen partition.
Another rustle sounded, much louder than the first one, causing Sakura to drop the heavy brush in fear. She spun around, heart racing and used her chakra to sense out the room for intruders.
Despite the candles providing some semblance of light to the room, it wasn't enough for Sakura to accurately discern what lurked in the dark corners. However, her chakra scans revealed that there was another chakra source in the room.
"Oh, Kakashi, didn't think you'd want to join me in bed so soon." Sakura said to the dimly lit room, expecting Kakashi's gray head to pop up with a cheeky grin. She ran to the bed to jump onto it and possibly surprise her new, official lover with a racy kiss. She landed on a firm lump that was hidden under the covers and heard a deep grunt of pain that sounded from it. "Oh, kami, Kakashi, I'm so sorry!"
Sakura hurriedly helped remove the covers that separated her from her man.
What she didn't expect was the dark-haired head that belonged to the daimyo's third son. He had a lecherous look in his eyes, or at least that's what Sakura later recounted as she screamed and shot off the bed, landing a good eight feet away.
"What the hell are you doing in my bed?" Her blood was rushing hard through her veins and not in a good way. Not like a good half hour prior when it was racing for an entirely different and much more tantalizing reason than finding a strange man in their bed.
"Father said it was the best way for us to separate you and Rokudaime-sama. He said that your relationship was faked."
Sakura stuttered. "Well, uh, it is most definitely not fake." She wrapped her arms around her chest. "Um, could you be kind enough to leave? It's been a long day and I want to sleep."
"Apologies, but Father said we had to stay here overnight or we'd get our privileges revoked for a year." The daimyo's son didn't seem at all apologetic. If anything, he sounded the complete opposite. Like he wanted to be in a foreign woman's bed. He suddenly stood, the covers dropping from his torso, revealing a nude form underneath.
Sakura paled and immediately ran out of the room, intent on finding Kakashi and seeking comfort within his presence.
.
"Please tell me you didn't find anyone in your bed also," Kakashi grunted under the force at which Sakura had launched herself into his chest, arms circling his torso and clinging to him tightly. She was breathing hard, her heart rapidly beating in her chest which Kakashi could accurately feel from their close embrace.
"Hey, you're all right now. I've got you." Kakashi whispered softly into her hair, one arm wrapped around her torso and the other cradling her head and petting her hair softly in an effort to get her to destress.
After a few tense moments where Sakura tried to calm down in the comforting embrace of Kakashi's arms, she finally dropped to the floor, standing a little wobbly on her feet. It took her another beat of time before she fully registered what he had first mentioned before she launched herself into his embrace.
"What do you mean, 'did you find anyone in your bed too?"' Sakura hissed, looking rightfully angry.
"I … too found a person in my bed?" He mumbled, looking somewhat abashed at the thought of having to repeat himself.
(In his defense, it was one of the more normal things to happen to him on this journey thus far. Which isn't the best thought.)
"Arghh, Kakashi." Sakura began to roll her sleeping yukata's sleeves up. "Take me to your room so I can fight a bitch… Damn, who the hell has the audacity to try to sleep with the Hokage. Not on my watch." She made her way down the hallway that she found Kakashi come from.
Only to be stopped by the man himself.
"Let me go, you oaf. I need to teach someone a lesson in diplomatic affairs."
"There will be time for that later, Sakura-chan. First, we need to speak with the Daimyo. You can stay with me for the time being." He loosened his grip around her shoulders, his gaze drooping lower to finally assess the state of Sakura's dress. "This won't do, take my haori." He muttered, slipping out of the dark blue haori and draping it around Sakura's shoulders. The bottom edge fell past her knees, completely dwarfing her already small form.
.
"Daimyo-sama, with all due respect. Or actually, none at all from what my fiancé and I have been shown. Please have your guards remove your children from our rooms."
"Hokage-sama, my sincerest apologies, I was not aware that they had entered your either of your rooms. I'll send for their immediate removal and discipline them promptly."
Sakura popped up from behind Kakashi. "Actually, Daimyo-sama, that is not what your son mentioned to me from my bed."
The daimyo's complexion turned as a white as a sheet. Clearly this was not this man's day. Or evening.
"Hokage-sama, Sakura-san, I must have you reconsider the relationship you hold with each other. And think of the political ties you both could create, aligning yourself with the royalty of the Fire Country." The daimyo tried to placate the two powerful shinobi.
"Daimyo-sama, if you do not have your children removed from either of our rooms, I will push our discussions back to a later date. And I will send missives to the other countries daimyos about the impressive lack of professionalism that you have shown either of us." Kakashi said firmly, his stance strong and imposing. What a Hokage should look like, Sakura thought to herself absentmindedly.
.
"That took much longer than I thought," Sakura remarked dryly as they walked back to her room once the Daimyo called in guards to escort his children back to their own quarters.
It had taken over an hour of Kakashi trying to placate the weak-willed daimyo who actually eventually broke down from the constant pestering from the better politician despite Kakashi's lack of training. Seeing the daimyo break down into tears was something that Sakura never thought she would ever see in her life. (Being with Kakashi has some unexpected perks?)
Kakashi mulled over her comment, giving a small squeeze to her hand that he held. "I'm still reeling that you've gone through somewhat similar situations over this past summer."
Sakura went silent.
As they passed through another turn, she finally spoke up, softly breaking the silence that they found themselves as they walked through the halls. "If it helps you sleep at night, you can stay with me."
Kakashi turned to face her, questioning her intentions. "Are you sure about this, Sakura?"
"How many times have we camped outside together? Hm?" She retorted, pulling her hand out of his and crossing her arms across her chest. "How many times, Kakashi?"
He peered down, noticing her snarky attitude leaking through her stoic mask in the tilt of her brows to the pursing of her lips. "Mah, Sakura, it's different now though."
"Ok, sure, there are actually four walls surrounding us and we'll share a bed but it's not like we haven't done similar things before."
"Sleeping in separate sleeping rolls is different."
"Semantics, Kakashi, semantics," she groaned, dropping her arms before threading her hand back into Kakashi's that she let go of earlier. She tugged him back into moving, headed towards her room.
"All of my clothes are in my room," Kakashi stated, jabbing a thumb behind him even though Sakura was dead set on going back to her own room.
"You'll be fine for one night, I think."
"But my emotional support animal is back there."
"You can summon Pakkun in my room." She countered. "Besides I find the pack's presence soothing."
"You only like them when you bake treats for them… that's when they're on their best behavior."
"Are you saying you don't like your own dogs?"
He sputtered, "I love my dogs."
"Mah, Kakashi, I thought I had you there for a second." Sakura chuckled as she came to a stop at her door.
"Don't use my speech idiosyncrasies to mock me." He glared at her.
"That's not the only thing I'll take from you," Sakura slyly remarked, giving him a wink before opening her door and pulling him with her.
"Kakashi," Sakura murmured softly in her sleep beside him. Kakashi had been keeping dutiful watch over their now shared room, having not wanting to endure another mishap with the daimyo's children. She turned, burrowing her face into his side.
He looked down at her with the softest gaze, running his hand through her sleep-mused hair. He had been sleeping while leaning against the headboard of the bed.
Though sleeping being a very loose term, as he had used his training from ANBU to stay alert for rest of the duration of their nights at the Daimyo's residence. Sakura had harshly spoken against it, stating that they were both trained shinobi and thus could protect themselves if need be and besides, she had argued, they had two ANBU details also keeping watch over them. Kakashi still being the skeptical man that he was, allowed her to believe that he would sleep properly during the rest of their stay.
"Shh, Sakura," he consoled, leaning down to press a soft kiss against her now exposed temple from his prior ministrations with her hair. Despite his efforts to be quiet, she woke up and looked up at his shadowed face.
(Neither of them truly knew what time it was but again, their nightly routine of having deep conversations at three in the morning would once again occur.)
"Just wanted to say I love you."
"Mah, Sakura, don't you think I should be saying that."
"Well, Kakashi, I feel like you don't hear it enough, so I'll be saying it more often."
"This is not how I wanted to court you, you know." Kakashi softly groaned in exasperation, not fully throwing his head back on the high headboard but still bumping it against the thick wood.
"You wanted to court me?"
"Of course, my father didn't raise me to be a savage."
"I mean you can be kind of savage." He glared down at Sakura who burst into sleepy but cheeky smile. "Occasionally."
"Fine, maybe he didn't tell me explicitly to court the woman I would eventually love and marry but going off some of his journals I read after his death, it's what he would have wanted." He paused, taking a moment to consider his next thought. "It's what he did with my mother."
"Oh, Kakashi," Sakura murmured, reaching for his hand and gently weaving her fingers in between his. He lightly squeezed her hand in a silent response.
"Wait."
"Hm?"
"So, you want to formally court me. What does that entail? When would we marry?"
"Mah, Sakura, marriage is a little soon don't you think?"
"Not really, I've known you for so long. Plus, we've been dating since January." She sleepily winked at Kakashi.
"I was not aware of the relationship until June," he responded testily.
"Occupational hazard?" Sakura joked, playing with his hand caught in her own.
Kakashi laughed. "But going back to the courting, I'd go to your parents and ask for your hand and present myself as a suitable husband for you."
"Would it be so wrong to start planning a wedding though?"
"I suppose not," he said after a beat of quiet breathing between the two. "What would you like to do? Traditional and simple or extravagant?"
"Ugh, I don't think I could handle a big wedding like Naruto and Hinata. As much as I love those two, their wedding stressed so many people out. Including myself. And you, if I remember correctly."
"That's true. Okay, so traditional it is."
"What would be a most auspicious day, in your humble opinion?"
"Maybe November? Sometime around then." Kakashi mused.
"Hinata's due date is around then." Sakura replied softly.
"Traditional weddings are small."
She pouted. "But they're basically family, Kakashi. It wouldn't feel right to not have him at my wedding."
"How about we do a small traditional wedding for our friends and families and then hold a banquet a month or so later and invite our foreign friends to that to spread the news?" Kakashi thought out loud after thinking for several moments.
"Sounds good to me." Sakura yawned, a hand drifting to obscure it from the darkness by reflex.
"You should go back to sleep," he noted with an accent of humor underlying his tone.
"You should, too, you know," she mumbled back, stretching her back and hearing the satisfying pops go down her vertebrae.
Sakura readjusted again, though now pulling Kakashi down to lie next to her and then tucking the blankets up to his chin before curling up against him and easily falling back to sleep.
Kakashi leaned over and pressed a soft kiss on her forehead before he followed her and truly fell asleep this time, arms securely pulling her close.
"Pakkun!" Kakashi hissed after he finished the summoning jutsu. It was cold and windy on top of the palace roof but it was the only time he was able to slip away from Sakura and the rest of the Daimyo's entourage. Despite the dark clouds overhead, it was around midday and most everyone was gathering for a light lunch before the Rokudaime and the Fire Country Daimyo continued to discuss the budget plans for the next few years.
"Yo, Boss!"
"I've got a set of missions to give you and the boys."
"Shoot. We've just been keeping a rotation watching over Sakura-san's new charge but besides that we're free. What did you need?" Pakkun looked over to Kakashi from his perch on the center beam.
"I've got two things. First, I need two of you to check out the Hokage residence and I need another two to check out the old Hatake grounds. Both I need checked out for habitability." He brought a hand up to scratch his chin. "I suspect the Hatake grounds will be in some sort of disrepair so ask Tenzō to oversee some work put in there. Um, the Hokage residence should be okay since Tsunade-sama used to live there a few years ago, but I still want you to scout it out."
"Um, Boss, is there any specific reason why you want us to scout these places out?" Pakkun asked apprehensively, small form shuddering in the cold gusts.
"Mah, Pakkun, you don't have to be so obvious." Kakashi said, averting his head to the side to stare indifferently towards the lush forest to the west of the Fire Palace, hair blowing every which way in the harsh wind.
"-Okay, so talking with Sakura, may have made me think over some things… like moving in together?" He continued, a light dusting of pink edging out from the cover of his mask and spreading to the tips of his ears. Pakkun just gave his Boss a flat look. Kakashi sighed, his shoulders dropping in resignation. "And, we might get married soon." He said in a rush.
At that Pakkun's eyes widened. "So… Sakura-san will be Boss Lady?"
Kakashi laughed nervously. "In a matter of speaking, yes. Hopefully."
"Swell, I'll inform the boys." Kakashi nodded along. "And, I'll send Shiba and Ūhei to the Hatake grounds with Tenzō-san and Guruko and Bisuke to the Hokage residence. When do you want me to report back?" Pakkun summed up, getting ready to deliver the missions.
"We'll be done here in a few days, so upon my arrival back in Konoha will be fine." He replied. Pakkun nodded before disappearing in a cloud of chakra smoke that quickly dissipated in the windy conditions.
"You know, I dreamt about us last night," Sakura began as they left the Fire Country palace at an easy pace. "Or, rather kids?" She continued, her clarifying statement coming out more as question than a statement.
"Hm?"
"I'm not pressuring you or anything but yeah, it was cute." She said, waving a noncommittal hand. A couple of body lengths ahead, Kakashi stayed silent.
(He was waiting for her to continue so they passed through the foliage in a few minutes of silence. Obviously, the head medic of Konoha didn't know that so the next few moments were passed in awkward silence until Kakashi spoke up.)
"Oh, by all means, please enlighten me, Sakura," Kakashi chuckled, turning his head to face her. She caught his gaze and blushed furiously.
"Um, you know what… I completely forgot what happened in my dream." She muttered, face hot with a gorgeous mix of embarrassment and nerves spreading across her cheeks.
"Mah, now that's highly debatable."
"Hey, it's true. I forgot what happened."
"Sakura, we both know that you're lying though your teeth."
"Am not."
"Oh Sakura, it's very much true." He said, coming to a sudden stop and grabbed her shoulders, pulling her to a stop as well. They plummeted to the ground in a heap, Kakashi breaking her fall.
"Damn it, Kakashi! Why did you stop us? We're like a day and a half out." Sakura groaned on top of him, slamming a weak fist against his chest, obviously not chakra laden or filled with any harming intent.
"We-ell, as you put it so eloquently, I'd love to hear your dream about us, or rather, as you put it, our kids."
Sakura blushed viciously, her green eyes brightening against the deep scarlet hue that spread across her nose and cheeks. Her current predicament of her body splayed overtop Kakashi's did nothing to help the rapid spreading.
She gaped, looking down into his eyes as he secured a hand on either of her biceps. "Ah, well, let's see… there was Sarada, of course, and she was playing with three silver haired kids of varying ages, all sporting green eyes." She recited, looking up at the greenery that surrounded the area that Kakashi choose on the fly, making every effort to avoid his dark gaze.
Kakashi scoffed, his form shaking with the sound. "How very interesting as I also had a similar dream, but instead of silver hair, they all, 'cept Sarada-chan, had light pink hair."
"You're playing with me." Sakura said, finally bringing her gaze back to the man underneath her.
Kakashi looked self-righteous in that moment, his eyes crinkling up in a masked smile. "Nope, every word was true. And the pack made an appearance too."
Sakura shook her head in disbelief. "Okay, and what was the setting? Because mine was in an old-style farmhouse, with a field that sat across the road that was mainly for growing flowers."
Kakashi's eyes widened.
"The house wouldn't have happened to have a tall tree in the back with a broken fort in its uppermost branches, would it?" He asked weakly.
She nodded slowly.
"Well, I guess I know what house to renovate first."
Sakura turned a quizzical towards Kakashi, shifting off his chest to sit up on her own. "What do you mean?"
Kakashi pinked under his mask and averted his gaze. Sakura glared down at him, crossing her arms over her chest. "Mah, Sakura," he groaned. "Okay, fine, fine, I sent Pakkun on a mission to scout out houses in case you wanted to move in with me. And obviously, my apartment, or yours, isn't really big enough for the eleven of us."
"Eleven?"
"You, Sarada, me and the pack?"
"Oh, right, of course."
"Plus, Sasuke still hasn't given me much to work with on when he'd be able to come back to the village to help train Sarada with her Sharingan abilities once they manifest. So, I can help with that despite not having Obito's Sharingan anymore."
"I don't know how I didn't put two and two together." Sakura muttered, mostly to herself. She directed a small smile in Kakashi's direction. "If it helps, I'd love to move in with you though."
Kakashi looked shocked with his wide eyes and jaw dropping. Sakura could almost see the gears in his mind turning at a rapid pace to compute everything. "You… don't want to wait a little bit?" He asked, a little unsure of himself.
"Did you want to wait?"
"The house still needs renovations done..."
"OH! We could ask Yamato to help." Sakura exclaimed, she was already thinking of little projects to do for their future yet fictional home together. "Where did you want to live? When we get back tomorrow, I'll take Sarada out and look at open plots of land."
"Sakura, I already had a place in mind."
"The Hokage residence? I've been there before and Shishō always complained because the plumbing was terrible there. Not enough water pressure for a good shower. However. It did have a nice view of Konoha, if not a bit loud because of the street traffic since it's a sort of tourist attraction… And, I think she mentioned it had hundreds of good hiding spots for her impressive sake collection."
"Ah, well, that was one of the places I had Pakkun visit but there's another one I had in mind." Kakashi said, pulling himself up to a seated position and rubbing his lower back to ease the knots from his fall. "I was actually thinking of the Hatake land on the outskirts in the farming sector."
Realization dawned on Sakura. "You don't mean…"
"My childhood home that's riddled with trauma and memories? Yes, exactly."
"But won't that be triggering for you?" Sakura asked, concern heavy in her voice.
"I'm sure I'll be fine if I've got you, Sarada, and the pack to help liven up the place." Kakashi said, pulling Sakura into a loose hug that Sakura easily fell into. She nestled under his chin and relaxed in his embrace.
"When can we get started? Like working on fixing up the house?" She murmured softly yet the excitement in her voice was still very obvious.
"When we get back," he replied, rubbing her back in large circles causing Sakura to sigh in relief.
She tilted her head up and pressed a soft kiss to his jawline. She fell back into the relaxed position under his chin and murmured, "I'm really excited now… can we start heading back now or did you want to stay here for the night?"
"Mah, Sakura, one would think that you are impatient." Kakashi said booping her nose with his pointer finger before while shaking his head and standing, pulling a sputtering Sakura up with him. He started running again, leaving Sakura in his dust.
The quaint, partially modern, partially traditional house of the Uzumaki's caused Sakura moment of longing for her own home and family to be welcomed back by. Well, up until she knocked on the door and the now slightly showing, pregnant form of Hinata opened it, with Sarada and Boruto holding onto her legs.
"Sakura-chan, you're back!" Hinata glowed at the sight of her friend.
"Hinata, you're looking amazing, how's the baby doing?"
"Oh, thank you." She blushed. "She's doing good, growing nicely as Tsunade-sama remarked during my checkup last week."
"You found out the gender?" To which Hinata nodded with a gentle smile. "That's wonderful! I'm so excited for you."
In the midst of the two adults catching up on the doorstep, one of the toddlers pulled on Hinata's pant leg to get her attention. Hinata looked down at the dark-haired toddler and gave a slight nod in Sakura's direction.
"Sarada-chan!" She exclaimed, kneeling down and opening her arms wide for the dark-haired girl who promptly rushed forward in only a way a child who was just getting the hang of running down could. She collapsed into the pink kunoichi's arms, the slightest glimpse of a huge smile upon her small features.
It had only been a few weeks, barely a month since she was first given custody of the young Uchiha, but the girl had already formed such a large attachment to Sakura that it was surprising to say the least. It was plausible that she vaguely looked like the girl's mother, with similar build and colorings. But it also could have been due to the fact that Sarada didn't know very many people to begin with and since Sakura had been so warm to her and didn't toss her aside, she could be trusted.
"Mama," Sarada murmured in Sakura's neck, causing the woman to freeze. Sakura looked up to Hinata, her face contorted in both shock and awe.
"She's been asking me all week when her mama would come home to pick her up, Sakura-chan." Hinata clarified, her smile soft in recollection. She laughed lightly into her hand noticing Sakura's expression became even more confuddled and perplexed. "Uh, not in so many words though. Naruto-kun heard it first. He came up to me on Monday asking if she had said her first word before loudly exclaiming she just looked up at him from playing with Boruto and said 'Mama' with big eyes and a pout."
Sakura sat there, her mouth still slightly open as she cradled the small girl in her arms. Sarada further nestled herself in Sakura's neck and chest, sniffling, her tiny nose squished in the junction of Sakura's shoulders.
"Oh, what am I doing!? Sakura-chan, please come inside." Hinata looked abashed at her own apparent thoughtlessness. She scooped up Boruto into her arms and ushered Sakura to follow after.
"I couldn't impose, Hinata-chan," Sakura mumbled, following after the Uzumaki matriarch as she made her way further inside her home.
"It's not a bother at all, Sakura. Besides, you just got back, I'm sure you'd like to get off of your feet for a bit." Hinata commented as she sat Boruto on his playmat in the living room. Sakura set Sarada down next to him, allowing the two to continue playing together. Hinata stood and made way towards the kitchen just off to the side of the room, an elegant dance of movement preparing a kettle and snacks for the little ones.
Sakura toyed with one of the plush shurikens on the playmat much to the dismay of the blond boy who gave Sakura his best mock angry face. She tossed the toy to boy who brightened immediately once he caught it with his small hands. Sarada looked over from her spot in the middle of pile of building blocks.
Hinata brought over a tray of snacks for the kids and tea for the two women, placing it on the low table in front the couch and took a seat on one of the chairs to the side. "Boruto, Sarada-chan, come get some snacks." She announced to which the two toddlers popped up to get some of Hinata's homemade cooking.
As the two happily munched on small bowls full of rice balls, Sakura took one of the cups of tea, inhaling the soothing scent of chamomile that wafted up in the steam. Her eyes closed in the air of calm that was brought from the soothing scent.
"I figured you might want something to help wind you down after your journey." Hinata commented in response to Sakura's humorous expression.
A couple months later, in late November…
"Wow, Forehead, you look amazing."
Sakura flushed at the sudden comment. They both stood in front of the floor length mirror, Ino appraising her work on Sakura's white uchikake kimono. "Thanks, Ino-pig… Never thought I'd have a wedding to look amazing for." She responded cheekily, directing a sly wink in Ino's direction.
"You're insufferable."
"But you love me."
"Unfortunately true."
"Anyways, Forehead, you're getting married. Aren't you scared?" Ino paused from their banter with a serious tone.
Sakura shook her head. "I mean, a little bit but mostly excited. I've crushed on this man for over two years, originally thinking that it was never going to go anywhere. But look at me know, Ino," Sakura gestured to the gorgeous Haruno family heirloom kimono she now wore. "I'm going to marry the man of my dreams and I've got an adorable daughter and one on the way."
"WHAT?!"
Sakura gave a weak laugh before a knock sounded on the door, startling the two women into silence and Haruno Mebuki made her way back into the room carrying a dressed up Sarada in her arms, tears in her eyes as she looked over at her daughter. "Who would have thought I'd live to see my daughter getting married." She stated, dramatically bringing a limp hand to her forehead with a sigh.
Sakura rolled her eyes at her mother, pulling her close and giving her hand a squeeze of reassurance. Ino glared daggers at the back of Sakura's head to which Sakura overtly ignored.
(To be fair, she had just dropped some very important information.)
The next few minutes were spent in a heavy airspace with the two kunoichi having a subtle staring war with one civilian blissfully unaware of the dark aura looming over them. Mebuki, after preening her daughter one final time, left and rejoined the rest of the wedding party, taking the young Uchiha back to be with her adopted grandfather.
"After this, Forehead, we're going to have a long talk." Ino stated after the two finished their staring war. "Does he know?"
"I didn't know until last night when Shishō asked me about it. Told me to steer away from the sake. And you know how much I've picked up from Shishō… especially her drinking habits." Sakura giggled. "And besides, she said it was early, like around a month or so. Just said that there was a bright chakra source that was different from my own."
"Will you tell Kakashi?" Ino pressed, pulling her best mother voice out.
"Tell Kakashi what?"
Ino paled, her already fair complexion turning even more white. (Which did wonders for the bright red lip stain and the sharp eyeliner she was sporting.) She shakily turned around. "Hokage-sama, apologies you must want to talk-" she winked at Sakura who blushed, "- to your bride alone."
"No need for formalities, Ino, but yes, I would like to speak with Sakura."
Ino bowed lightly and soon followed the same route that Mebuki and Sarada took back to the others.
"-Hm, so what did Ino mean by that?"
"I'll tell you later." Sakura leaned up to press a kiss to his masked cheek. "You didn't want to drop it for this?" She asked, running a hand along his jaw.
Kakashi shook his head. "I'd rather keep my face just for you. No need to share it with the rest of the world."
"You mean our friends and family?"
"They don't need to see it." He pulled his best aloof face. "'S not worth it." Which earned him a light whack on the shoulder.
"Now, I won't tell you the secret at all."
"Mah, Sakura," Kakashi pouted childishly. She pushed him out of the room and followed soon followed after.
.
"-With this final cup, you two are bound to each other in marriage and partnership." The priest stated and indicated to the last set of sake cups for Sakura and Kakashi to drink from. (Tsunade had covertly switched out all of Sakura's with water.)
They both drank and the miko that was helping the priest officiate the wedding, brought forth the rings. Both had come from the Hatake clan's reserve. Kakashi had mentioned during their planning over the last couple of months that they had belonged to his grandfather and grandmother.
Kakashi took Sakura's hand in his and gently pushed the ring over her knuckles on her ring finger. Sakura observed the warmth in his eyes in the faint crinkles as he finished placing the ring on her finger.
Sakura followed suit, mimicking the same actions that Kakashi did with her own hand for his own ring.
.
"Congratulations, you two!" The boisterous, whiskered blond carrying his tiny mini-me, commented. Hinata daintily trailed behind her husband and son, offering a smile to Sakura and Kakashi as Naruto continued to shower them in compliments and wishes of good luck and fortune.
"Thank you, Naruto and Hinata," Kakashi said, clapping a hand on his former pupil's shoulder.
The Uzumaki's passed by, Naruto and Boruto making a beeline towards the refreshment table to scrounge up some ramen. Hinata chuckled after her boys and scurried after them.
Next to wish the newly married couple was Kakashi's longtime rival, for once not wearing his trademark green spandex onesie, though still wearing a dark green suit. "Kakashi! Sakura-chan! Many Congratulations on Your Union. May the Springtime of Youth Shine Brightly Upon You Both and Allow You to Create Beautiful Offspring!" He presented a vibrant bouquet to Sakura and shook Kakashi's hand vigorously.
Kakashi paled and blushed simultaneously and Sakura's eyes widened into saucers. "Gai, thank you."
Sakura held the bouquet, slowly realizing that it was making her tear up and the urge to sneeze grew increasingly by the second. She tried to push it off onto Kakashi, who, despite his affections for his wife, was a little confused on why she would deign to ask someone to hold her flowers.
Sakura let out a loud sneeze, sniffling and went to dab at her nose with a handkerchief. Only to bring the bouquet back up to her nose and causing another sneeze. Kakashi (bless his heart, he'd only been married for thirty minutes) finally realized the causation of his wife's sneezing and took the bouquet from her hands.
"Oh my, Sakura-chan, Please Forgive Me. I Did Not Realize You Were Allergic to Certain Flowers!" Gai apologized profusely.
Sakura tried to humbly wave him down, shaking her head. "No, no, Gai-sensei, I'm not allergic to any. I'm not sure why I'm reacting so strongly now…. No, please don't feel bad, I really appreciate the thought."
At that Gai ceased his waterfalls of tears. "Really, Sakura-chan?... Oh, Kakashi, the Springtime of Youth Really Has Shined Brightly Upon You. I Must Go Find Myself a Wife Immediately to Settle Our Match."
Kakashi groaned, watching the enthusiastic jōnin walk away to other of the wedding attendees. Sakura looked up at him with a smile, looping her hand into the crook of his elbow. She lightly leaned onto his bicep, watching the rest of the small group of their friends and family (by way of the Haruno's and Sarada) congratulate them on their wedding.
A couple hours into the festivities, a loud cry was heard and everyone still there turned towards the sound. Hinata had curled up on her chair in pain. Naruto looked rightfully panicked at his wife's predicament.
Sakura rushed forward quickly despite the heavy uchikake kimono she still wore. "Hinata-chan! You'll be alright. I've got you."
Hinata's face turned red in between her contractions. "Sakura-chan, you don't have to do this on your wedding day."
"Nonsense, Hinata-chan." Sakura consoled her friend. She immediately went into her medic mode and had Naruto create some kage bushins to help transport his wife safely to Konoha Hospital.
She and Kakashi went back to the renovated Hatake clan home by transportation jutsu and in a flurry of formal wear, changed into their normal shinobi clothes.
"Mah, Sakura what did you want to say earlier? Before you pushed me out of the door?" Kakashi asked as he adjusted his mask that had shifted in the rapid changing.
Sakura paused, in the middle of tying the black obi around her red qipao. "Oh, uh," she fidgeted with the fabric at her waist. "It's just that I'm about a month pregnant, according to Shishō."
"Wait, really?" He asked completely flustered.
"Yeah," Sakura smiled, finishing the ties on her obi.
He scooped her up in his arms and spun her around in glee. "Does anyone else know besides Tsunade-sama?" He asked coming to a stop and pulling her close, dropping his face into the crook of her neck.
"Uh, Ino? But she barely found out before you." Sakura remarked, her hands laced together on Kakashi's nape.
He grinned, Sakura felt the fabric on her neck shift. "Well, it's a good thing we renovated before with a mind towards having more rooms over less."
"Kakashi," Sakura sputtered, turning red and leaning back to light whack him in the shoulder.
"Mah, you love me."
She huffed. "Well, of course I do. Wouldn't be pregnant otherwise." She said looking back at him with a teasing glint. Sakura noticed the time on the clock on the wall. "We gotta go, Hinata needs me. And you need to go pick up Sarada from my parents." Sakura ordered before teleporting to her office at the hospital.