Part 6 – Wedding
The venue they had for their wedding was on a glass-enclosed riverboat that was big enough for all of them, and a few more. But since it was a small ceremony, they simply hung some curtains and prepared for the wedding.
As Naruto was getting dressed in his naval uniform, he looked up at Sasuke, and asked, "Is she here?"
"She's across the hall," Sasuke said, "Take a moment and breathe. This is supposed to be the happiest day of your life. Enjoy it!"
"I'm nervous bro," Naruto said, "I'm getting married today, and tomorrow we ship out for a foreign country full of individuals that want to kill us…"
"Hey," Sasuke said as he put his hand on his best friend's shoulder, "Don't think about that. You're going to marry Hinata, and have a wonderful life. Because I'm done taking care of your sorry ass."
"Your best man's a dick," Shino said as he walked in wearing his own dress uniform, his Sergeant rank stood out against his dark blue uniform.
"There's one of my groomsmen," Naruto said, "Now where's my flower girl?"
"With your fiancée's bridesmaid," Shino said as he sat beside Naruto, "Everything's gonna be perfect. I got Hine a very nice white dress at ELFPennies. She seemed very happy about being asked to be the flower girl."
"That goes double for Arund," Rock said as he walked in carrying five glasses, followed by Sai who was carrying a bottle of liquor whose color was as close to black as you could get without being black.
"What the hell is that," Shino asked.
"A little pre-wedding libation," Sai said as Rock passed around their glasses, and Sai poured each of them a glass, "Being as we weren't able to have a bachelor party, me and Rock thought a little mid-level camaraderie before the wedding might be in order. Just one shot."
"Alright," Naruto said as he put his hand on Sasuke's shoulder, "Best man leads the toast."
"Ok then," Sasuke said as he held up the glass, "To Naruto, and his new life with his new wife," he looked over at his friend, "You've saved my life more times than I can count, and I will always be grateful. You're the best sniper I've ever led, the best XO I've had, and my best friend, my brother. I will always have your back if you always have mine. To Naruto."
"Naruto," they all said as they cheered their glasses, and took a swig.
But as soon as the liquor touched their tongues, their immediate reaction was to spit it out.
"Good shit," Sasuke said as he coughed from the horrid burning taste in his mouth, "What's the expiration date on that?"
There was almost nothing that separated that from the type of spirit that is used to clean brushes. Not to mention the unbearable burning sensation that came as soon as the liquid touched your tongue. Then the taste which was unbelievably metallic, like it had been fermented in a rusty barrel for twenty years.
Sai looked at it, "Not for another month," he said.
"Then what is it," Sasuke asked as he snatched the bottle from his hands.
Sasuke and Naruto's jaws almost came unattached when they saw the label which read, in big, bold, capital gold letters against the gray background 'BLACK THUNDER CRASH'.
"Black Thunder Crash," Naruto asked.
"You bought a liquor made by fucking dwarves," Sasuke asked.
"I went to a dwarven liquor store," Sai said, "I asked him to get me his best."
"Then he played you," Sasuke said, "Like a lute."
"Yep," Sai said.
"You boys ok over here," Ino asked.
"We will be once we get some water," Shino said as he walked out to look for some.
"What's wrong," Ino asked.
"You went with Sai to get this right," Sasuke asked as he held up the bottle.
"Yes," Ino said.
"Then tell me, why did he get this," Sasuke asked as he handed the bottle to Ino.
"Good gosh," Ino said, "I didn't know this was what we got. The liquor store owner brought it out in a paper bag and said it was absinthe."
"That would explain it," Sasuke said as he took the bottle back before looking at Naruto, "I think I know what we can do with this, however."
"What," Naruto asked.
"How about we throw it in the river," Sasuke asked, "See how the mermaids like it."
The team laughed as Shino returned with a few bottles of water that the team drank greedily.
"Thanks," Naruto said.
"But seriously, we can hook this to the back of your bike, and make a trail out of the liquid instead of using a bunch of tin cans," Sasuke said.
"Not a bad idea," Naruto said, "And speaking of good ideas. Me and Hinata were wondering if you would give her away since her father can't make it?"
"It would be an honor," Sasuke said.
"Then should we get started," Ino asked.
"Let's," Naruto said.
Naruto walked up to the front of the boat where the base's chaplain and Naruto's mentor, elvish Captain (Colonel) Iruka Umino was waiting.
"Congratulations," Iruka said as he put his hand on the shoulder of the only like-son figure he had.
"Thank you," Naruto said as he grabbed Iruka's hand.
As the music started playing, Shino led Rock and Sai down the center of the tables. All three of them wearing their dress uniforms, and carrying their hats underneath their arms.
As they stood to the side of Naruto, Tenten led Zunagu and Ino toward the front. They all wore white, knee-length dresses, and carried dark blue and yellow flower bouquets.
As the stood opposite from Shino, Rock, and Sai, Sakura walked up to stand across from where Sasuke would be standing. Her ankle-length white dress created a very nice compliment to her pink hair.
It was then that Hine walked toward the front, scattering flower petals behind her. Her white dress looked like something you might see a girl her age going to Easter service in. Following closely behind her was Arund who was dressed in a small boy's suit that you could pick up at any local ELFPennies. The rings were sitting on a very nice velvet pillow that had the team's insignia of a round table with various knights standing around with their king at the front imprinted on the front.
As they took their places at the front by their parents, the musicians started playing, "Here Comes the Bride".
It was then that Sakura waved her hands which glowed a slight greenish color, and parted the curtains to see Hinata standing there in a lovely white wedding dress that had a very short train so that the bridesmaids didn't have to carry it. Her hair was tied upwards in a Japanese bun, and she was carrying a very beautiful bouquet of white roses. Standing next to her was Sasuke who took her arm to escort her to the front of the boat.
When Naruto saw his wife, the air was nearly completely sucked out of his lungs. He had never seen her look more beautiful.
Sasuke had his tail tucked into a small pouch that ran down the back of his right leg. The pouch was standard on most Tiefling uniforms and actually didn't take up much room.
As they walked up to the front, Sasuke gently hugged Hinata and gave her to Naruto who put his hand on Sasuke's shoulder as Sasuke did the same.
Sasuke then walked over to stand opposite from Sakura who smiled at him.
As Naruto and Hinata turned toward Iruka, he smiled as he began, "Dearly beloved," he said, "Great friends and battle brothers. We are gathered here on this boat, on this river to join Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyūga in the sacred bond of matrimony. You two, I know have been through so much," he turned toward Naruto, "Naruto, through the fires of the military, you have been hardened into a strong warrior. I know that military life is hard, but being a special operator is a challenge that I have encountered before. During my stationing in various warzones, I know a thing or two about Special Forces soldiers marrying women who didn't grow up in the military. A marriage like this has a few things to succeed: love, understanding, and mutual respect. I have known many couples that didn't have those, and I've known just as many who did. But you have something that they didn't: history. You've known Hinata since the two of you were young, and I think it's safe to say, you have the tools to succeed," he then turned toward Hinata, "Hinata, I think it's also safe to say you know what you're getting into because you're marrying this knucklehead."
"Yea, yea, very funny," Naruto said.
"But I do know that with military wives, most of them haven't known their spouses as long as you have known Naruto," Iruka said, "I know what it's like to wait for someone you love to be away for a long time. And you have one thing that I didn't have: understanding. You understand that what Naruto is doing needs to be done, I didn't, and that relationship I had suffered. Now that I'm in the military, I understand. Being as you're not a military child, you having the kind of understanding that you have is an essential benefit to your marriage. Which is why I have faith that your marriage will succeed," he then looked at both of them, "As I understand, you have vows you'd like to say to each other?"
Naruto and Hinata turned toward each other, and Naruto began, "Hinata when I first asked you out, I wasn't sure you'd say yes. When you did, I couldn't have been happier, and I swore I could never be that happy ever again. But I now know how wrong I was. Because I can't be any happier than I am right now. When I became a member of the Knights, and you understood, I was overjoyed. Not a lot of women would put up with that, but you have. Aside from Sasuke, you're my absolute best friend, and I can't think of anyone else I'd rather have standing in front of me than you. I swear to you, I will be the best husband and protector I can be."
Hinata smiled as she began, "Naruto, I wasn't in a military family like you, but I did have a very difficult upbringing. My father was never a good man, as you know, which is one of the reasons I'm sort of glad he's not here," everyone chuckled a little, "When I met you, and you understood what it was like having a difficult upbringing, I thought I had found myself a good friend. The day you asked me out was the day I was going to ask you out. When you say that that was the happiest day of your life, until now, that goes double for me. Right now as we go onto another chapter in not your life, or my life, but our life, ready to support you all the way, I couldn't be happier. I promise to you, I will always try to understand when you say what you have to do is necessary, and I will always be there for you."
"Very nice," Iruka said before turning back toward Naruto, "Now, do you, Naruto Uzumaki take Hinata Hyūga to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, to love and to cherish, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, for as long as you both shall live?"
"I do," Naruto said.
Iruka then turned toward Hinata and asked, "Do you, Hinata Hyūga take Naruto Uzumaki to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold, to love and to cherish, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, for as long as you both shall live?"
"I do," Hinata said.
Iruka then turned toward Arund, "Arund, if you would," he said.
Arund walked up to Sasuke who reached down, and picked up the rings, "Thank you," he said.
"Best man, if you would," Iruka said before Sasuke handed Naruto and Hinata their rings, Iruka then turned toward the couple, "I think you know what's next."
"With this ring, I thee wed," Hinata said as she slid Naruto's wedding band onto his finger.
"With this ring, I thee wed," Naruto said as he slid Hinata's wedding band onto her finger.
"By the power vested in me, I declare you husband and wife," Iruka said, "You may kiss the bride."
Naruto lifted the veil, and they shared the first kiss of many that would mean so much more than any other kiss they had shared before.
As the party clapped, Naruto and Hinata turned toward their friends and hugged each one of them.
The cake that Rock made was in no way Cake Boss material, but it could have passed for a very, very high-end cake made by another fancy baker in the country.
Naruto and Hinata cut it together before feeding each other a piece, and they managed to do it without spilling any on their rented wedding outfits
However, Arund and Zorand were a little less clean with their eating: their outfits had to be scrubbed by hand by Rock and Zunagu when they got home.
The first song they danced to was a very nice jazzy tune that could have been played at any wedding, but it was in no way a traditional wedding song because of the tempo of the music.
Arund wasn't much of a dancer, but being as he had to dance with Hine, it was not so bad, but a little awkward being as Hine was about six inches taller than him.
After their wedding, Naruto and Hinata changed into a still-formal, but less wedding-esq ensemble so they could travel to their honeymoon more safely.
As they walked out to Naruto's bike, they saw Sasuke strapping the bottle that Sai bought to the back of the bike.
"Think this'll work," Naruto asked as he walked up to his best man.
"It should," Sasuke said as he pointed at the cork he put in the bottle, and to the string, he put through it, "This little string should pull the cork out cleanly as you drive away."
Naruto climbed onto the bike and Hinata sat behind him, clutching onto him as tight as she could before Naruto fired it up.
As the two of them drove off, everyone gathered there holding onto the rope attached to the cork, and as they continued driving, the cork popped out, and the bottle of horrid liquor began leaving a small trail behind the bike.
How's that for a quick military wedding…