The Last Single Friends

Chapter Two: Express Feelings with Violence

Sakura stared at her three reflections in the massive mirrors surrounding her as she stood on a tiny dais and felt like a complete idiot. Ino had dragged her to a high-end boutique (thankfully, one she had never punched Naruto through) to select a dress for Sasuke's wedding, having declared absolutely everything Sakura already owned to be 'unsuitable,' 'boring,' and 'undeserving of a woman renowned for wresting the affections of the world's strongest shinobi away from a gorgeous heiress.'

Sakura had had quite enough of Ino's jokes about being a scarlet woman with pink hair, but her retorts were buried under her disdain for her current ensemble. Ino snickered knowingly from the stool she was perched on just beside the dais while the sales associate, a young woman wishing for a big commission, stared on hopefully.

"This one really flatters your figure, Sakura-san," the girl offered. "You're in wonderful shape. What do you do for exercise?"

Sakura could only assume that this particular boutique was extremely high-end if they weren't even able to identify a kunoichi when they saw one. "I'm a kunoichi," she replied in a distracted tone, still eyeing her reflection critically.

The sales girl immediately paled. "Oh."

Sakura stared at the dress. There were numerous problems: for one thing, it was a kimono and it was as tight as a sausage casing from head to toe and would therefore restrict her movements. For another, some liberties had been taken to modernize the ties around her waist. Sakura assumed this was to make the kimono more flattering around the stomach, but she didn't approve of modifying traditional dress. Even if the fabric was lovely.

"I like the fabric," she relented. It had a certain understated sheen to it that drew the eye but wouldn't receive criticism for being over-the-top at a wedding. "Where did you hear about this place, Ino?"

"From Hinata," Ino shrugged carelessly. "She probably would have ordered her wedding kimono from here, had you not gone and ruined that for her."

Sakura glared at her in the mirror. Ino knew full well that Sakura had done nothing to cause the famous split. Mentally stomping on her own temper, lest she terrify the sales girl who'd never seen a woman create a crater to prove a point before, Sakura regained her composure. "It's going to be a Western style wedding, so I'd rather not wear a kimono," she finally conveyed calmly.

"It's Western?" Ino asked in surprise. "Sasuke's having a Western wedding? I never would have pictured that."

Sakura shrugged. "Yumi's mother is obsessed with Western culture, and she wants her daughter's wedding to stand out from all of the cousins'."

"Yeah, well, dressed like a giant marshmallow in one of those ridiculous dresses will do the trick," Ino said cattily. She was of the opinion that Western weddings were soulless, tacky costume parties and they were only gaining popularity because so many people lacked appreciation of more subtle forms of beauty like tea ceremony and flower arrangement.

Sakura turned to the sales girl. "Can I see some of the Western gowns? Ideally something floor-length that's easy to move around in."

The girl blinked at her like an owl before her brain finally caught up to her mouth. "Is this for the wedding of Son Yumi?" she asked in a shocked tone.

"Yes," Ino and Sakura replied in unison.

The sales girl looked appalled and smacked her face with her hands. "Oh, I'm so sorry, you're right, this won't do at all," she muttered, flustered, and began tugging Sakura's kimono off right there on the dais.

Sakura, feeling quite cavalier lately, decided to allow it. What did she care if a strange girl tore her clothes off frantically?

Having successfully divested Sakura of all but her panties, the sales girl ran off to collect a different selection of garments while Ino snickered at her friend's tits. "You should just go dressed like that," she suggested. "Very Western."

-.-

Hinata bore the breakup in what Kiba would call her Gloomy Silence. As though she were a preteen again, she found herself wandering the halls of the Hyuuga compound, the streets of the village, and the trails that connected the training grounds, her head full of thoughts of Naruto. She could not pretend as though she had not seen it coming. There had been signs: the amount of missions, his bored and pensive silences in her company, and that persistent feeling that he was pulling away. She'd felt it almost from the beginning.

As she walked to the training grounds one day to meet Shino and Kiba, she sighed again, thinking on the breakup which the entire village had been gossiping about all week (not that there was any truth to the gossip beyond the fact that they had, indeed, broken up). Naruto had arrived at her house abruptly and without warning, which was typical of him. However, his carefree, sunny smile had been missing when she greeted him in the courtyard, which was not typical at all. If she was being honest with herself, perhaps she had known it right at that moment. Maybe she'd been waiting for it to happen for months now. Her stomach had twisted when she saw the guilty, watery look in his cerulean eyes.

In all of her life, she had never liked anyone but him. She'd set her heart on him when she was still a little girl and her heart had never wavered, no matter the distance, or the time apart, or how anyone else ever spoke of him. Yet he was as distant as he had ever been. Or even more so. The slump in his shoulders was enough to tell her why he had come. Perhaps the crushing disappointment was why she hadn't said anything. Maybe it was a small revenge to force him to say it aloud.

When they had adjourned to the place where she usually spent time with him when he visited, she had set about the usual task of making them both tea, but his voice stopped her: "Stop." he had said, the sound filling the room and freezing her where she stood.

Hinata turned back to him then, pressing her lips into a line. She wasn't sure, in that moment, if she would politely ask him why he didn't want tea or if she'd snap at him. Yet he stopped her once again when she saw he had already sunk low in a dogeza. "I'm sorry, Hinata," Naruto muttered, his forehead pressed to the floor, looking for all the world like he really, truly meant it.

For a long time, neither of them spoke or moved and the tension in the room built until Hinata could no longer take the oppressive weight of it. Something inside of her broke and she could imagine it all over again: the Academy days, which she had spent watching him; the times he'd made her laugh, even if he didn't know it, were innumerable; years ago, seeing him alone but always putting on such a brave face that she admired.

She'd watched him build his confidence and skills and friendships, brick by brick, slowly but surely, and she had wanted so badly to be like him. She spent years trying to improve herself: her ninjutsu, her friendships with others, and her own self-confidence. She wasn't as good at it as Naruto, but she knew he would respect her efforts. He was kind. He would never call her pathetic. He would cheer her on. He would understand her.

And he had. These past two years, he really had taken the time to understand her and admire her in turn. He was kind down to his bones and the compliments he gave her were effortless whereas she would overthink each thing she ever said. Yet the hard truth remained: he did not especially love her. Not the way she needed. Not the way she wanted. He cared, of course, and he liked her, but it was not the romance she had imagined.

Her head swam as she looked down at him, still curled in a bow. He clearly felt terrible, and she could only assume he knew how painful this would be for her. And it was. Her heart clenched painfully. She hadn't felt so terrified and off balance since she'd fought Neji in her first Chuunin Exam. Maybe a stronger woman would be able to say 'it's ok.' Maybe a spiteful woman would ask 'sorry for what?' and make him say it properly. Hinata didn't feel spiteful or strong in that moment; she felt helpless and lost.

You are stronger now, though, she reminded herself and tried to suppress her tears. They would only sting both of them more. She couldn't place that burden on him after taking up two years of his time with her one-sided feelings. So she allowed herself only a sniffle, which was enough to get him to raise his head to meet her eyes. Did he see her heartache, she wondered.

"I... I'm sorry too, Naruto-kun," she replied, raising her chin to allow gravity to aid in keeping her tears at bay.

Naruto looked flummoxed. He staggered back to his feet clumsily, unsure how to comfort her or continue. After all, neither of them had ever done this before. "Hinata, I..." he began, then changed course. "I don't know what to say. I..."

Although she had originally assumed the worst was already passed, Hinata felt the world crashing down around her even more with each second spent dragging this out. Years and years of hopes and feelings. Countless efforts. Each individual building block of self-confidence. She'd thought he was her Forever. She thought she was done. A bittersweet yet romantic existence where she could marry the man she'd been dreaming of since she was a child and give him a good life and a loving family, the only things she truly felt capable of providing for him. All of those dreams shattered.

She allowed herself a selfishness. "Is it over between us?" she asked. An effort had been made to keep her voice level, but it betrayed her anyway.

Naruto blinked and looked deeply conflicted. He hated to hurt her at all, but he could not deny his feelings, or lack thereof. "Yes. I'm sorry. I-"

Hinata allowed herself another selfishness. "I'd like to be alone, then, Naruto-kun," she cut him off. She couldn't tell if she sounded cold or like she was on the brink of bursting into full blown sobs. All she could hear was the blood pumping in her ears as the future she thought was laid out for her fell away. What she thought was solid was just a flimsy fantasy she had indulged alone. Every sweet moment shared between them was immediately tainted by her own self-loathing. I was a fool, she thought to herself. He doesn't love me, I was just in each of those moments alone.

Naruto watched the emotions play across her face and each was as terrifying and mysterious to him as the next. He could not imagine what she thought or felt. Over the years, they had mostly talked about him, he realized. He did enjoy talking about himself, after all, and she never did have much to say. He realized all over again the distance between them. He had no idea how to fix this.

With yet another muttered, entirely insufficient apology, he left. A self-loathing burned in his gut at the cowardice of leaving her to cry.

The look on his face as he departed was one Hinata memorized and stored away. She thought of it often to remind herself how deluded she had been. That confusion and horror he felt was all the confirmation she would ever need to remind herself that their courtship could never have continued. It had been wonderful while it had lasted, but she was feeling bereft now. It was back to square one for her heart.

Upon arriving at the designated training ground, Hinata found herself alone. She was early and Kiba and Shino had not arrived yet. However, the landscape looked different. There hadn't always been a river through it. No doubt it was Sakura's work, perhaps after she became an unwilling star in the rumors that had taken over the town.

Ever since Naruto had ended things, Hinata's old insecurities had found new ways of reacquainting themselves. Was she really any good as a kunoichi? She certainly couldn't measure up to Sakura, who evidently re-routed rivers. Sakura was on an entirely different scale that Hinata could not contemplate for herself. She turned her thoughts to a new concern: was she really any good as a woman? Despite his frequent absences, she had been with Naruto for nearly two years. How had she allowed it to go on for so long? Had she truly not known he didn't return her feelings?

"You don't look like you're in the mood to train," Shino commented.

Hinata jumped and looked around, startled, to find that Shino had been standing in the shadow of a large oak; one of few that hadn't been ripped up at the roots and used as a tennis racket for Naruto Clones.

"Why?" Shino asked himself and then immediately answered his own question, "because you look distracted."

Hinata was tempted to stutter out an apology and curl in on herself and hide away, but those were old traits. With or without Naruto, she was not the same little girl anymore. She would have to keep becoming stronger, if not for him, then for her pride as a kunoichi. "No," she said, keeping her voice even and her head held high. "I'm fine. Let's begin."

-.-

On the night before they were set to depart for Sasuke's wedding, Sakura was utterly bored of life cooped up in the village. She had nothing to do and her mind had begun to overthink. Sasuke was getting married. She had been honest with Naruto; she did not love Sasuke and she was proud of the match she had made between him and Yumi. However, her heart ached with feelings she hadn't expected when she fully considered Sasuke's upcoming nuptials: a nostalgic sort of aching, a smidge of completely illogical jealousy, and a weird pang of loneliness which she quickly crushed with her inhuman strength, which existed in her subconsciousness as much as it did in the physical world.

Maybe Sasuke was right; maybe her options were dwindling. She never had thought about marriage so much before. Yet all of her friends were getting married all of a sudden, even on her own team! Sasuke and Sai! Two down! Was she really destined for the spinster life? Would she spend her twenties accepting emotionless dates that had a 50/50 shot of being derailed by missions and injured ANBU that preferred her personal treatment to the hospital? Then her thirties entirely alone because surely everyone would be married by then? Just missions and a one bedroom apartment and an empty bed for the rest of her life?

Sakura didn't kid herself. She took pride in her abilities and she flattered herself where it was due: she was strong, she was capable, she had many friends. But she didn't want to be alone. She didn't want them all to leave her behind while they bought homes and had kids.

To put an end to her depressing thoughts, Sakura set herself to the task of preparing for the upcoming trip. It was billed to last five days: travel, a "get settled" relaxation day, rehearsal, the ceremony, then another travel day. Sakura fully intended to travel light and use summoning scrolls to retrieve the rest, and she was diligently setting up garment bags and scrolls all around her living room. She went through a mental checklist: dress for rehearsal dinner, dress for ceremony, dress for reception (the sales girl had told her two different dresses were essential and over-the-top was an impossible notion when it came to the wedding of a Son family member). Swimwear (the wedding would occur at an island resort), casual dresses (the resort had a casino), more clothes (for no reason in particular), enough underwear for ten days (no further explanation needed), and shoes, shoes for each dress, Ino had insisted.

She stepped back to survey her work. Yes, she thought to herself, all set. And there was nothing else to do to distract herself. She glanced at the clock; it was eleven at night but she didn't feel tired yet. She was just wondering what Sasuke and Naruto might be up to when Naruto appeared once again in her kitchen window - she really needed to start closing it.

"Hi, Sakura!" he yelled happily with zero regard for the late hour and her slumbering neighbors.

She was too relieved to care about the neighbors either. She shifted her weight from one leg to the other and smiled in greeting. "You're all packed, then?" she asked.

Naruto thumbed his orange jacket and shrugged. "This'll do. It's only four days!"

Sakura rolled her eyes. Yumi's family likely had the guys' clothing prepared for all of the events so she kept her comments to herself.

Naruto slid off of the window ledge and strolled right over to Sakura's fridge. He withdrew a container of strawberries and began to eat them without asking permission. "I'm out of groceries at my place," he explained, as he always neglected to shop, whether he was leaving town or not. "Isn't that a little much?" he asked with his mouth full, gesturing vaguely at Sakura's living room, draped with clothing and scrolls and shoes.

Knowing that the strawberries would go bad before they returned from their trip, Sakura decided not to chew Naruto out for helping himself to them. She looked at the living room. She scratched her head. "I may have overthought it a bit," she admitted.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Naruto said, perching himself on the counter. "Sucks being stuck here, right? I'm going stir crazy."

"Well, at least when you're Hokage, you'll be busy all the time," Sakura remarked.

Naruto made a face. "Office work?"

Sakura laughed. "It can't all be posing for carvings and fighting gods."

"Can't it?" he whined and the familiar expression made him look like her was 10 years old again, complaining to Iruka-sensei about a math assignment. The nostalgic aching in Sakura's chest grew to a persistent, stabbing pain. Naruto noticed the subtle shift in her expression. "What's wrong?"

Sakura blinked in surprise that he was being so uncommonly astute. "Ah, nothing," she said, waving a hand dismissively. "I was just over-thinking some more."

Naruto paused but decided to accept her vague answer. "Well, as long as you're doing that, can you revise my best man speech for me too?"

Sakura grinned wryly in response; that was just the kind of task to keep her thoughts occupied. "Sure," she agreed. Naruto handed over the draft, scrawled on an old field notebook, and the revisions quickly dissolved into stories about Sasuke.

Two exhaustive hours later, Sakura returned the heavily revised speech and Naruto yawned. "I guess I better go home," he announced.

"See you in a few hours," Sakura replied. Once Naruto had vanished out her window, she went around her apartment, turning off the lights and tried to ignore the ache in her chest that had returned as soon as he had left. She set her alarm clock, tucked herself into bed, and tried not to wonder at the unwelcome feelings.

-.-

The next morning (or, really, about six hours later), Sakura went to the gate to meet up with Naruto and Sasuke and begin the journey. Hinata, who had been Naruto's plus-one, was no longer attending.

Yumi's family had made arrangements for the wedding to take place at a very glamorous resort on a very exclusive, tropical island where all of the world's richest and most powerful assholes owned private, beachfront residences and at least a few servants. The resort boasted a massive casino, live entertainment daily, three rooftop bars, and twelve restaurants that the public was allowed to know about.

The venue also had at least three more restaurants, two brothels, and a vault, all of which Sakura was fairly certain she wasn't supposed to know about, but she had been there once with Tsunade on a gambling binge.

Sasuke was already waiting at the gate when she arrived, dressed for travel and carrying only a light day pack. Like her, he fully intended to use a summoning scroll to retrieve any other luggage once they arrived at their destination.

Sakura endeavored to greet Sasuke with her most prominent of emotions: exasperation. She pinned him with a deadpan look and asked clearly, "Are you wearing two outfits on your wedding day?"

Sasuke met her gaze evenly, unimpressed with her attitude. Yumi's mother had insisted on morning suits for the ceremony and tuxedos at the reception. "Yes."

Sakura facepalmed. The sales girl at the high-end boutique had probably been right. Not only had she insisted that Sakura needed two dresses, one for the ceremony and something entirely different for the reception, she had also said that everyone in attendance would be the same and that no matter what Sakura thought of the flashy gown she'd ended up purchasing for the reception, there was no way she would ever be considered overdressed. "How many guests did Yumi's family invite?" she asked next, fearing this would be a much more extravagant than she had originally considered.

She dreaded the answer and Sasuke could sense it. However, still a little sore over her and Naruto taking a lot of pot shots as of late, he mercilessly replied, "Five hundred."

Well, at least she knew that the girl hadn't up-sold her solely for the commission. As the life seemed to seep right out of her, Sakura's mouth opened just wide enough for a tiny little ghost version of herself to emerge, seeking nirvana rather than face such a massive event. The appeal was diminishing. She was happy for Sasuke and Yumi and she was glad of a chance to hang out with Naruto while not on a mission. But large events were a pain for shinobi trained to notice every detail.

Sasuke resisted the urge to snicker. Yes, it was a massive, extravagant wedding, the likes of which he had never imagined for himself, even after the betrothal contract had been signed. However, he'd been assured that the wedding was actually the smallest and most inexpensive of anybody in Yumi's entire extended family given the dishonorable circumstances (namely, her marrying a ninja and some questionable personal circumstances of hers that Sasuke was not yet privy to). Even having it on a semi-private island had actually been a ploy to strictly control any media coverage. Sasuke was enjoying that fringe benefit.

Sakura, having honed her sensing ability over the years, abruptly straightened her posture and Sasuke followed her lead just in time for Kakashi to appear before them. "Ready?" he asked jovially.

"Just missing a best man," Sasuke replied.

As if on cue, Naruto landed before them in a crouch. "Aw, man!" he complained, looking at the assembly. "I'm later than Kakashi-sensei? I overslept!"

Sakura smiled knowingly. "I told you not to put off writing your speech."

Naruto looked at her miserably, pouting at the chastisement.

Kakashi smiled at the three of them together and felt both old and happy, something he was getting more and more used to as the years wore on. "Good luck, Sasuke," he intoned seriously.

Sasuke scoffed a bit at the paternal sentiment. "It's a wedding, not a mission."

"But it's your wedding, and that is much scarier," Kakashi replied with a mock seriousness. "Have fun, and I'll see you after the honeymoon. As for you two," he said, turning to Naruto and Sakura who immediately looked guilty of something. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

The troublemakers broke out in identical devious grins. Kakashi wasn't above hearing the rumors in the village (and immediately dismissing them as false) and he knew that his former students would be desperate to let off some steam. Just, hopefully, that wouldn't result in some type of diplomatic crisis. Although, if it did, it would be pretty funny, he mused. He really wouldn't put anything past them.

Sasuke smirked, turned on his heel, and walked out of the gate.

"Bye, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto cheered, following Sasuke out.

Sakura grinned widely. "Nothing you wouldn't do, was it? I'll hold you to that. See you later!"

With that, the three vanished, immediately racing one another to their destination like hyperactive children.

-.-

The hotel where the wedding would be had provided a ferry service to and from the mainland for its esteemed guests. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura took one look at the gaudy monstrosity floating at port, complete with a water slide and teeming with other wedding guests that looked positively puffy with the extent of their pompousness and decided that, with the island only being fifty kilometres offshore, it might be more fun to get there the ninja way and see if anyone ran out of chakra and drowned like a loser.

Unsurprisingly, however, they all made it and, having arrived firmly ahead of schedule, they took the time to get a round of drinks at the hotel bar before Sasuke's future in-laws descended like a pack of vultures and began to peck at him. Although he didn't need to meet all five hundred guests (so disgraced and unlikable as he was), they were operating under some delusion that he wasn't capable to behaving properly at a wedding and impressed upon him the exact time and location of the ceremony more than fifteen times.

As they dragged him off, crowing about the rehearsal dinner and who he absolutely needed to avoid (foreign dignitaries from Lightning country who would never forgive his past misdeeds topping the list), Naruto gave Sakura a wicked grin, which she returned. "Ready?" he asked, holding his beer aloft.

Sakura clinked her glass to his. "Let's do this."

They waited until the late evening, then Naruto used his Sage Mode to detect with absolute certainty the moment Sasuke entered a restful sleep. Although most people would consider it highly inadvisable to startle a dangerous shinobi as he slept, Naruto and Sakura felt it was the height of hilarity. Hanging upside down from the ceiling just above Sasuke's bed, the two smiled evilly before Sakura activated a water jutsu and vomited about twenty gallons of water onto the sleeping man.

He awoke immediately and attempted to stab her with Chidori (an old classic) but she just laughed her butt off when Naruto kicked him in the back instead, sending his body hurtling out of the window. By then, he had realized what was happening and a small smile graced his mouth too.

His friends had prepared the perfect version of a bachelor party for him: they sparred, drank, and goaded one another well past dawn and managed to relegate all of the damages to the undeveloped side of the island where none of Yumi's relatives needed to know that Sasuke's Susanoo could chop the top of a volcano off before a single punch from his ex-girlfriend reduced the rocks to glittery dust.

Once they had decimated most of the landscape and terrified the wildlife, they napped in the midday sun on the beach rather than returning to the hotel where none of them felt very comfortable. As appealing as luxury sounded, it put all three of them on edge.

Naruto awoke to the gentle caress of Sakura's hair blowing softly against his cheek. He opened his eyes and sat up, feeling sweaty from the hot sun and the humid air, and saw that she had rolled onto her side to face him, an uncommonly peaceful look on her face. He'd been waking up beside her like this since they had first started taking missions together when they were just twelve. Back then, obsessed with her as he was, he'd sometimes play pranks to wake her up, but occasionally he would simply study her face and imagine if a girl like her would ever return his feelings.

She hadn't. Eventually, he'd come to accept that she would end up with Sasuke in spite of how much he liked her. He convinced himself that they were destined to be together like stupid characters in one of Jiraiya's stupid books. The way Jiraiya always wrote it, men were meant to go on interesting adventures and eventually realize they loved the beautiful, stereotypical girl-next-door they had left behind. Only Sakura hadn't stayed behind. She had seen just as much of the world as Naruto had and she hadn't come to the realization about Sasuke she was supposed to.

So where did that leave her, Naruto wondered. According to the village's rumor factory, that left her with him but Naruto knew better than to listen to gossip from those who'd once labeled him a monster and now idolized him as a hero. Maybe Sakura would continue to work hard and shirk romance; maybe she would become even stronger, though she had already surpassed Tsunade, and she would live out her days alone. But even Tsunade had once had a great romance in Dan and an unrequited one in Jiraiya. Sakura had only had a meager, hardly-a-romance with Sasuke.

Briefly, Naruto tried to imagine who would be a good match for her, now that she was single. Certainly not a random cousin of Ino's or some stupid dog-breath Inuzuka. Definitely not Rock Lee either, no matter how much Lee probably hoped the winds would change in his favor. Maybe Neji would have been a good match, having originally struck Naruto as being similar to Sasuke, but he had died in the war. Now it was bothering Naruto. He scrunched his face up and thought harder. It wasn't about who was like Sasuke, he should be thinking about who Sakura liked. But Sakura, being the temperamental thing she was, only really liked her team. Sai was married, Sasuke was about to be, Kakashi and Yamato were way too old and creepy, and that only left Naruto, which had been off the table for years already.

'Maybe put it back on the table,' Kurama grumbled from Naruto's subconscious, cracking an eye open from where his head rested on his paws.

Naruto gave the fox a condescending look, concluding that the spirit couldn't possibly comprehend the complexities of human relationships. 'Huh?' he asked blandly.

Kurama glared at him and raised his head, all nine tails flicking irritably. 'I said maybe put it back on the table, or however the stupid idiom works.' he repeated. 'You're being stupid. You just said yourself that the only single man Sakura likes is you, so why not?'

Naruto scratched his head and continued to eye the fox doubtfully. 'Why would it work this time?' he asked, trying not to let a sulk sneak into his voice.

'Maybe because this is the first time you're both unattached,' Kurama returned, his mouth twisting into a devious smile.

'Um... Sakura definitely doesn't like me like that. She and I... we aren't...' Naruto replied, starting to feel uncomfortable with the conversation. He recalled all of the times Sakura had punched him in the face.

Kurama narrowed his eyes. He knew Naruto as well as Naruto knew himself and summoned to the surface all of his memories of Sakura smiling, laughing, or joining Naruto on a prank. 'I always thought you two were similar,' he concluded.

Naruto felt even more uncomfortable. 'But... well... you know with her and Sasuke...'

'She said she never loved Sasuke,' Kurama reminded him.

Naruto saw that he was quickly losing an argument he didn't even want to have. He couldn't say he was heartbroken over his breakup with Hinata because he wasn't. He was glad it was over, even if the pain he had caused her was awful to think about. But just because everyone in the village thought he'd callously moved on to Sakura didn't mean it was a possibility.

'I say it is.' Kurama interjected.

Naruto looked at him doubtfully. How had he never realized how petulant and childish the fox could be? Kurama growled, knowing exactly what he was thinking, but Naruto was distracted when Sakura's mouth moved.

Throughout his entire internal crisis, he'd been absently staring at her face and her pink lips and her slightly open mouth as she snoozed in the bright sun, breathing deeply, totally at peace between him and Sasuke.

Sasuke was laying in the sand on the other side of Sakura, his hands folded behind his head, looking over Naruto curiously. He had totally noticed him staring at Sakura while she slept. Naruto yelped guiltily and scooted backwards as though the sudden distance would be able to undo any meaning Sasuke had associated with the prolonged staring.

Sasuke hid a smirk behind his hand as he sat up and gently shook Sakura's shoulder to wake her. She opened her eyes and looked at him curiously. "What's up? Did you have fun?" she asked sleepily.

There was a time when she would have self-consciously flinched away from him, but she had mellowed a lot since their breakup. It seemed like she had realized a lot of things lately and had a whole new set of priorities; being concerned with how he perceived her seemed to have fallen off of her list. He found it refreshing. "Yes," he answered. "Thanks. I have to get back, though. Yumi's brothers want to meet me for drinks."

Sakura sat up and cast a curious glance at Naruto. He was weirdly far away and looking oddly guilty. "What's with you?" she asked, a touch of amusement in her voice.

Naruto quickly shook his head, but couldn't figure out what to say.

"Tsh, dobe," Sasuke said. "Anyway, Yumi wants you to meet her tomorrow at the spa, Sakura. Then we all need to be at the rehearsal by five."

Sakura nodded. "OK... do I really need to go to the rehearsal? I'm not even in the wedding."

"Since you were the central figure in arranging all of this, you need to be there," Sasuke said.

"Well, I'll try, but I may get tied up doing something violent and interesting," Sakura replied sarcastically.

Sasuke smirked. "You wish." Then he left, leaping into the trees so he could make good time getting back to the hotel.

Sakura rolled her large green eyes over to Naruto, who still looked speechless and confused. "Are you OK?" she asked.

-.-

Although Sakura found Mute Naruto to be hilarious to tease, he was also quite perplexing. Once they'd returned to the hotel and Sakura had showered and changed into something that might pass as fancy enough in the swanky hotel, she'd dragged him to one of the rooftop bars for dinner and drinks and then down to the casino floor to enjoy some light gambling. She never risked much, but she did enjoy ripping off fools who didn't lie for a living the way ninja did.

All throughout, Naruto formed very few full sentences, stuttering himself into silence most of the time. Although she had hoped the drinks might loosen him up, he only managed to get a bit more weird, staring at her for long stretches of time, and subtly slinking his arm around her at the black jack table at one point. She had pinched his hand and threatened to dislocate it from his body. In reaction, Naruto pouted and complained, saying "but I thought that's what I'm supposed to do!"

Sakura could only assume he was operating under some misguided delusion, which she decided to set straight verbally rather than sending him flying through the ceiling only because she would hate to get kicked out and miss Sasuke's wedding. "All you're supposed to do is be yourself, Naruto," she told him testily. "Those low-brow, sleezey moves don't suit you."

That had shut him up again rather quick. She went to bed late that evening wondering what it was that was bugging him. Maybe he was still ruminating on his breakup. She knew, of course, that it would hurt him to hurt Hinata, but that was no reason to stay in a relationship. Sakura had long been of the opinion that Kiba and Hinata had wonderful chemistry. Perhaps Hinata's heart would find its way to the Inuzuka now that she had finally been set free. Sakura herself had recently set her own heart free from the long time Sasuke Cage, and as terrifying as it was to rewrite one's future that had seemed so certain, she had never felt more relaxed.

Then again, Hinata had truly loved Naruto, so they were not exactly the same. Still, Sakura wished her a quick recovery from heartache and a wonderful romance to follow. That's what she wanted for herself too. Unfortunately, as Sasuke had said, her options were dwindling. Although she was receiving plenty of invitations for dates and she had grown used to turning heads, she did not feel any spark with those men. They were strangers. And although her heart was finally free, she wasn't quite so eager to give it away. So much of her already belonged to her family and friends and especially to Sasuke and Naruto who she would do anything for.

Sometimes she felt like she didn't have much love left to give a man. She was uncharacteristically timid to even try. There had been so many setbacks in her pathetic attempt at a relationship with Sasuke that she was not eager to relive the experience with some random idiot from the village.

Stirred up with swirling thoughts, she did not sleep well. She hated hotel rooms: there were too many people, too much activity, and too many openings. In the morning, she awoke early and went to the spa to meet with Yumi for the pre-wedding Spa Day, eager to relax.

The area was painted a calming sky blue and frosted glass walls lead deeper into a maze of massage rooms and other frivolities. Sakura waited patiently at the entrance until Yumi appeared, grinning from ear to ear and glowing like any bride should.

"Sakura-chan, I'm so happy to see you again!" Yumi enthused, rushing forward to embrace Sakura warmly, a gesture Sakura quickly returned. Yumi was the picture of traditional beauty, with pin-straight black hair that flowed down her back like water, large brown eyes that were warm and endearing, a slim but feminine figure, and a heart-shaped face with a perfectly tiny nose.

"I missed you too, Yumi-chan," Sakura said, laughing gently at her enthusiasm. They were the same age, but Sakura felt like Yumi acted a bit younger. Although they hadn't spent much time together, Yumi was a very affectionate and open person and Sakura had taken to her quickly during the escort mission all of those months ago. As the hug ended, Sakura looked around in confusion. "Is anyone else joining us? What about your maid of honor?"

Yumi made a funny face to show her distaste for the topic. "Oh, her?"

Sakura raised a pink eyebrow. "Her?" she repeated, inviting elaboration.

"My mom made me choose my cousin Yuuki. Do you remember her? She doesn't want anything to do with you, of course, so she won't be joining us." Yumi explained offhanded while turning to look for the staff.

Sakura did remember Yuuki from the mission. Unlike Yumi, Yuuki held a higher station in the family: she was the Feudal Lord's only great-grandchild and was expected to marry well and assume his role, with her husband, when the time came. Like many of the well-to-do, she looked down her nose at Sakura and all shinobi as though they were a relic from a distasteful time gone by. "Oh, I remember her. So you weren't able to choose your own maid of honor after all?"

Yumi rolled her eyes. "I'm not allowed to choose my own anything," she groused, signing them both in at the desk. The staff rushed to accomodate the bride and ushered them into a glorified locker room to change into fluffy robes.

First on the pampering agenda was a nice soak in a man-made hot spring where the water had been specially formulated to suck out toxins and strip away impurities on the skin. Once they had made the initial plunge into the large tub that had been reserved for their exclusive use, Sakura continued the conversation: "Not for much longer," she pointed out.

"I can't wait to go to Konoha with you." Yumi admitted with a wistful sigh, relaxing against the stone edge of the tub and discarding her towel shamelessly. "A shinobi village sounds so fun. I wish I knew how to manipulate chakra."

"It is fun," Sakura agreed. "I can show you all of the best restaurants and walking trails and introduce you to everyone."

Yumi looked around as though to check they were completely alone. Sakura knew for certain that they were. "So, tell me, what's Sasuke like?"

Sakura smiled. "He's fine. I'm sure you two will get along."

Yumi chewed on the thought for a few moments. "What does he expect?"

"An obedient wife to bare him children, but nothing more, like I told you. You'll be free to do whatever you like besides, as long as you're OK with your kids becoming shinobi." Sakura explained honestly.

"Is it really that simple?" Yumi asked. Sakura nodded. "What a relief!" she exalted. "I always wanted children, it's the husband I've got issues with."

Sakura smirked knowingly. She knew this had been a well-made match when she suggested it. "And how does Sen feel about children?"

Sen had also been on Sakura's escort mission. She was an attendant of the family with a tall, skeletal stature and a shock of red hair, which she kept cropped short. Too intelligent to be a maid, she assisted the family with making arrangements and managing their other staff. However, she had fallen out of grace with Yumi's mother and she now primarily attended to Yumi.

Yumi shared Sakura's conspiratorial look. "Sen loves children. She wants me to have at least five."

"Well it's a good thing Sasuke inherited so much property in the village, then," Sakura replied, thinking of the sprawling Uchiha compound. "I'm sure he wouldn't have any issue with five. Or with Sen."

"So you think he'll let me bring her with me, then? She is here, staying carefully out of my mother's way somewhere." Yumi said.

Sakura winked at her. "If Sasuke doesn't want to take Sen along with you, I'll make him."

Yumi giggled.

Following their soak, they enjoyed facials, massages, manicures, and pedicures before finally being released with just enough time to get ready for the rehearsal dinner. Sakura felt sufficiently relaxed after the pampering, but it was more Yumi's company that had made her feel so buoyant. She returned to her room more confident than ever that this would work out well for both Sasuke and Yumi.

-.-

Sasuke awoke early but laid in the hotel bed for awhile considering how to fill the day. Sakura would be tied up at the spa with Yumi, but he thought maybe Naruto would be open to a good fight. Then again, without Sakura around to heal any injuries, that might be ill-advised on the day before his wedding. The day before my wedding, he thought to himself again. It sounded strange, but he wasn't nervous and attributed his lack of emotional attachment to what was normally a big event for someone to the impersonal arrangement of the entire thing.

More distressing, however, was Sasuke hated not having anything to do. When he was home, at least every minute of his day had purpose. There was always something to attend to and when there wasn't, he'd visit Kakashi and ask for a mission, any mission.

His mind turned back to drinks the night prior with Yumi's brothers. There were three of them, all older than Yumi, and she was obviously very important to them. For a moment, after several shots they insisted on pressing upon him, he was reminded of his own older brother and the boundless affection that still made his throat go dry whenever he thought of Itachi.

Sasuke was rescued from having to feel something when Yumi's second eldest brother, Raitou, had moved on to a different topic: gossip. "So... the gorgeous lady-ninja," (Sasuke had an inner-cringe moment at the term 'lady-ninja' - did this idiot not know the term 'kunoichi'?) "who escorted our Mom and Yumi last year was the one who set this all up, right?"

Sasuke recalled that Sakura had met Yumi on an escort mission, along with Yumi's mother, several cousins, and their extended retinue of maids and servants, six months prior and had reported that everything had gone well with the exception of a particularly determined and well-organized band of thieves, all of whom were punched into a mountainside and did not bother the 'lady-ninja' and her charges again. "Yes," he replied simply.

"Oh!" the youngest brother, Mikami, exclaimed, snapping his fingers to display his moment of recollection. "Sakura, right? I heard she's your ex, Sasuke!"

Sasuke did not rise to whatever bait they were attempting. "Yes, she is," he confirmed. There was no point in denying it.

"Sakura?" the eldest brother, Soichiro, repeated. "She's a famous ninja too, isn't she? The kunoichi with the pink hair?" Sasuke was of the opinion that this brother was the most intelligent. Being the eldest, his education had been handled with more care.

Sasuke merely gave the smallest nod, not quite understanding what their fascination with Sakura was.

"I can't believe a woman would do such a job," Mikami stated, sipping his drink.

It was clear he was operating under a common misunderstanding about the job tasks of kunoichi. Mikami probably equated them to prostitutes trained with knives, but Konoha only gave the girls additional etiquette training when compared to the boys; otherwise, all of the training was the same and 'seduction' missions were just fodder for dime store smut books.

"I've saw her yesterday; I can't believe you dated a total babe like her!" Raitou crowed, pushing against Sasuke's shoulder in an overtly familiar fashion. "I wonder if she'll need a shoulder to cry on at the wedding," he suggested and Mikami joined him in a bout of drunken, lecherous laughter.

Sasuke grimaced just from remembering the exchange. They were just the type Sakura would dismember if they so much as used a tasteless pickup line. Maybe he should warn them rather than warning her. Oh well, too late now. His mind returned to another interesting bit from their night out: the gossip about his intended.

The brothers had proposed a toast to Yumi's marriage after many rounds had been sacrificed to less worthy declarations.

"Look after our sister, OK, Uchiha?" Mikami insisted after he had downed his shot.

"Yeah," Raitou chuckled stupidly, one eye sliding half closed. "And keep an eye on her too, if you know what I mean." He then proceeded to giggle to himself as though it was an inside joke.

Soichiro caught Raitou when he stumbled into him. "Whoa!" he said. "You OK there, Raitou?"

Raitou swayed on the spot, ignorant to his brother's steadying arm. His head lolled a bit before he fixed Sasuke with a fierce gaze. "Once you marry her, there's no take-backsies, OK?"

Sasuke couldn't imagine a scenario where this advice was necessary. As Sakura had said, Yumi was young, fertile, and willing to wed. That was really all he needed. If he were capable of something more romantic, it would have worked out with Sakura and he had accepted that. His friendships and the love Itachi had given him were enough; he did not desire a loving wife.

Now, he simply wanted the next step: children. He was determined to be a good father and to raise powerful and well-respected shinobi. He sometimes day dreamed about a son awakening his Sharingan or a daughter blasting the lake with fireballs like he once had. He thought of teaching them to use shuriken and he expected every single one of his children to be the best at everything. He was full of anticipation for their arrival in this world. Marrying at nineteen with a sub-par mission load was ideal; he had time to have many children and to guide them and he would hopefully live long enough to become a grandfather or even a great-grandfather. The traditions of his family could be given new life.

Naruto knocked on Sasuke's closed window before sliding it open. "Hey, what are we doing today?" he asked in a chipper tone.

Sasuke was reminded instantly of Naruto's face from the day before. Naruto was hardly ever quiet and contemplative, but the soft, sad look in his eyes as he had gazed at Sakura sleeping stuck with Sasuke. He had known for years of Naruto's crush on their teammate, although he had diligently ignored it during his youth as a troublesome inconvenience. Upon his return to Konoha, he'd assumed that Naruto had moved on, especially after he became romantically involved with Hyuuga Hinata.

Only, Naruto's face spoke volumes (he really was terrible at suppressing his emotions). Had Sasuke misjudged? How well did he really understand his best friend? He sat up in bed and looked at Naruto mutely, trying to discern his secrets. Did the doofus really keep something like that from him? Because they were friends? Because he'd been dating Sakura? Had Naruto's feelings for her persisted the entire time?

Naruto hated scrutiny and even after two years, he wasn't used to Sasuke's Rinnengan staring back at him. He scratched the back of his head self-consciously. "Wh-what are you staring for, Sasuke?"

Sasuke thought about asking about Naruto's breakup. They'd never spoken about it at length. But the idea of prying was oddly embarrassing, so he glared and just said "tsh," as he turned his head away moodily.

Naruto prickled at the brush-off as though they were preteens again. "Hey!" he protested loudly. "What the hell is that about, huh?"

Sasuke smirked to himself. Some things really never did change. He stood and paced towards his pack in the corner of his room. "Nothing, dobe. I was just thinking about something."

Naruto bristled further at the old insult. "Yeah, what? You were staring at me."

Sasuke turned to face the blonde. There were a hundred thoughts swirling in his head that he could have shot at him, and all of them would have caught Naruto off guard. "You were staring at Sakura yesterday."

Naruto slipped clumsily off the window sill, his face turning bright pink as he hastily caught himself. "I- I was just arguing with Kurama!" he protested quickly.

Sasuke tilted his head, considering his best friend like prey. "Why are you yelling? I just noticed is all."

"I-" Naruto began, but he seemed to be out of words. "It wasn't like-"

Sasuke took a slow and deep breath. Naruto was his best friend, but he was also an idiot that needed to be guided along by the hand. Between the three of them, Sasuke had always felt like Sakura and Naruto were most alike even from the first day of Team Seven when they had conspired to prank Kakashi using a chalkboard eraser. Sakura had pretended like she was above it, at the time, but they both knew she was just as into it as Naruto had been. "I don't care if you look at her, usuratonkachi," he intoned, turning back to his pack to extract a scroll and quickly summoning fresh clothing.

"You don't?" Naruto asked from behind him.

Sasuke looked back, startled by the suddenly sober tone. Naruto looked more conflicted than he'd seen him in a long time. "No, I don't."

Naruto pressed his lips tightly together. "Even if... I went out with her?"

Sasuke blinked in surprise. Had he really progressed that far in his hopes? How had he missed this? His best friend and his ex dating - how did he feel about it? All normal thinking told him he should get pissed off, but it was Naruto and Sakura. After everything they had both done for him, how could he deny either of them anything? And what would he get angry about? He hadn't been in love with Sakura and she had still cared for him like a lover might. She was one of the bleeding-heart types, just like Naruto. It stuck him then, and he said it aloud without thinking: "I think you two would be good together."

Naruto recoiled in astonishment. "Really?!" he asked.

Sasuke thought about it a moment longer, never having seriously considered it before. Really good, actually, he thought. "Well," he said, a smirk curving his lips, "I think so, anyway, but you'll have to ask her."

When he looked at Naruto next, the blonde was staring at him with wide, twinkling eyes. Sasuke immediately regretted encouraging him at all. His previous goodwill for his friends was instantly forgotten. He was not meant to spend the day before his wedding fielding questions about how best to woo his ex.

-.-

Sakura and Yumi were among the last to arrive at the ceremony space for the rehearsal. The nuptials were set to occur in the hotels sprawling, breathtaking gardens and already most of the gold chiavari chairs had been set up, facing a floral archway beneath which Yumi and Sasuke would wed. Sakura had chosen to wear a lilac dress that fell to her mid calf and was made of a loose, light, flowing material to combat the humidity. It was a repeat: she'd worn the same for Shikamaru's wedding ceremony in Suna. Despite how much it had stood out at that wedding (she still avoided Kankuro on each trip to Wind Country), she may as well have worn a burlap sack for this event.

Yumi and her mother and her retinue of female cousins, including the highly snooty Yuuki, not to mention the grandmothers, were all dressed to impress in flowing gowns or auspicious kimono. Every shimmering fabric and subtle detail screamed: High Class. Sakura gulped and hastily smoothed the silky line of her dress over her narrow hips.

"You look beautiful," Yumi assured her, noticing the nervous movement. Easy for her to say, wearing a fantastic teal kimono and her hair pinned so perfectly that it was a wonder this was only the rehearsal.

"Really?" Sakura asked self-consciously.

Yumi winked cheekily. "I would know, trust me."

Sakura giggled at her, but was distracted when Sasuke and Naruto approached. Both had only managed collared shirts and slacks for semi-formal attire. Sakura turned back excitedly to Yumi. "Well, Yumi," she began as the boys joined them. "May I finally, actually, introduce you, now that the curtain has been pulled back? These are my teammates, Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto."

Yuki surveyed both men, her eyes narrowing just slightly as she took them in, a sharp edge coming to the curve of her mouth. "Yes," she agreed. "Lovely to finally meet you face-to-face," she said to Sasuke, her voice much less friendly than when she had been speaking with Sakura. "My apologies for all this nonsense, by the way. My mother could not be contained." She extended her hand for a shake.

Sasuke considered her coolly. Aesthetically, he had nothing to complain about and she seemed to get along just fine with Sakura, which were points in her favor. "Hn," he agreed. "I've endured worse." He took her hand and shook it. If he felt at all awkward about such a greeting with his soon-to-be bride, it did not show on his face.

"Nice to meet you, Yumi!" Naruto enthused, shaking her hand next. He then turned to Sakura. "You look beautiful tonight, Sakura."

Sakura stumbled at the compliment which had fallen with uncharacteristic grace from Naruto's lips. Her cheeks tinted with color. "Thank you, Naruto," she managed. "You're looking pretty good yourself."

Naruto grinned brightly. "Wait until you see me in my tuxedo tomorrow."

"A tuxedo? Now that I think of it, Western clothes suit you," Sakura replied, discreetly steering him slightly away from Yumi and Sasuke so they could better size one another up.

Naruto scratched the back of his head nervously. "You think so?" he asked. "I hate formal clothes in any style."

Sakura grinned. "Missing your orange jacket already?"

Naruto pinched at the white button down. "Is that weird?"

"No," Sakura answered. "Just very you."

Naruto beamed. Talking with Sakura always made him feel so light. As they paced through the gardens, Sen appeared near the archway, holding a clipboard and dressed in a very smart and slim pantsuit, her bob of red hair tousled perfectly. She snapped a pen against the clipboard to draw everyone's attention.

"Everybody!" she called in a perfectly pitched voice. "Everyone, if I may have your attention, we are about to begin."

She began to rapid-fire instructions and called Naruto and Sasuke forward. As Naruto released Sakura's company, he leaned into her ear and muttered, "that's my cue."

Sakura had no idea why such a simple exchange sent her heart into overdrive. Since when had he acted so suave? Shaking her head to clear it, she found a nondescript location to sit and wait out the rehearsal while Sen guided everybody through the processional. It was long. First the Feudal Lord and his wife had to be introduced as guests of honor. Then the grandmothers were escorted down the aisle by Yumi's older brothers. Then her parents. Then Yuuki, the maid of honor. Then all three flower girls and the cutest ring bearer in all of history. Then, finally, Yumi processed alone down the aisle and joined Sasuke beneath the floral arch.

Sakura had anticipated that if she had any lingering feelings for Sasuke, this might be when they would be made known to her. However, watching Sasuke as he carefully studied his bride, she felt joyous for the both of them. Safely self-assured that she had made a good match, she was rather abruptly caught off guard by the less welcome and completely unanticipated distraction Naruto provided.

She could hardly keep her eyes off of him as he stood proudly beside Sasuke. His expression mirrored her own feelings: happiness on Sasuke's behalf. But more than once, his blue eyes slid in her direction too and each time their eyes locked, they both quickly glanced away. Even these unintentional glances caused her belly to churn uncomfortably and the sensation was distressingly unfamiliar.

Certainly Naruto's uncouth personality had become endearing to her over the years. And, sure, she enjoyed spending time with him and they always made one another laugh. And, yes, she did feel like he knew her better than anyone ever had. And, OK, he did look good in that shirt and with that natural tan. Handsome, even.

Oh no, Sakura thought to herself fearfully. Certainly not. It couldn't be, could it?

She chanced another look at him while Sen was correcting the officiant and his blue eyes were already looking at her.

'Hey,' he mouthed at her cheekily, his cheeks slightly flushed.

Sakura smirked. 'Hey yourself,' she mouthed back.

He glanced up and to the side then shifted slightly and looked at her as if to say 'how am I doing?'

She wasn't sure how to convey a reply other than to give him a subtle thumbs up.

The gesture was so rare in her that Naruto started slightly and scratched his nose nervously. 'Thanks,' he replied silently.

Then his attention was recalled by Sen and Sasuke, ready to continue. As Sakura continued to study his impressive stature, she thought that the rising feeling in her gut was rather like coming home after a long mission.