It's been almost an entire year since Naruto proposed to Hinata last spring.
After they told everyone they knew the entire village of Konoha became a veritable hive of activity prepping for the wedding day which was set to be the same day as the day that Naruto and Hinata first started going out and the same day that Naruto proposed to Hinata.
While everyone was trying to find a gift to give Naruto and Hinata for their wedding Shinzo decided to pay a visit to someone who wasn't exactly known for being an ally to Konoha.
It took him a few weeks, but Shinzo finally tracked him down to his secret lair. He was dressed in his standard ANBU gear, complete with a Dragon mask that reflected his summoning animal.
Once he entered the lair he was immediately surrounded by the villain's goons. Shinzo wasn't even phased. They all tried to attack at once but when Shinzo place his hands into the shape of a triangle and uttered the name of his signature attack
"Tri-Eye Stare!" the entire mountain shook from the force of Shinzo's signature Jutsu. When the dust settled all the goons were completely unconscious but still alive.
"honestly, I expected more from him." Shinzo uttered with a deadpan voice.
He then opened his 3rd eye and scanned the hideout for his target. "Ah, there you are" Shinzo said and took off with lighting fast speed.
He ran through the maze of tunnels taking down any stray foes that got in his way. Suigetsu and Jugo proved to be more of a challenge but not by much. Jugo lasted 5 minutes longer than any other opponent that Shinzo had faced on this mission. Suigetsu was hard to pin down but he didn't last long against Shinzo's lightning style attacks. After that he found Karin hiding behind the corner.
"I suggest that you save me the trouble and stand down. I don't wish to fight any more than I have to." Shinzo said blankly.
Karin was surprised that Shinzo was so calm. She was reading his chakra and realized that she couldn't win.
"You know you can't beat me, so, I'll give you a choice, tell me where he is, and I'll let you and your friends go, or I can take the information from your mind and leave you knocked out with your friends for the ANBU squad that's right behind me to take prisoner. it's your choice." Shinzo said with the same even tone.
The tone of his voice said he wasn't in the mood for games. Karin told him everything he needed to know. After which he let her off with a warning and told her that she and her friends had about 5 minutes to escape before the United Shinobi ANBU stormed the hideout to take prisoners.
Karin immediately set to work on reviving her friends and get them out before they were captured. After which Shinzo continued with his mission.
Finally, he came upon the door that his target was behind. He was about to open it when he dodged a last-minute attack. When the smoke cleared Kabuto stood in front of the door.
"I don't have time for this Kabuto" Shinzo said clearly annoyed, and with quick flash of his copied Sharingan Kabuto was completely out cold, trapped in a very powerful Genjutsu.
At last, Shinzo finally removed every obstacle in his way. He opened the door and came face to face with none other than Orochimaru.
"it took a while to find you but at last the search is over. Surrender peacefully and you will be taken alive and shown leniency. Resist and I can't guarantee that you will walk away from this unscathed, and you will most assuredly be put to death by the 5 Kage."
Orochimaru simply smiled and put his hands in the air as a sign of surrender. "enough, I know when I'm beaten. But I sense that I'm not the only thing you are here for am I correct?"
Shinzo didn't seem phased by Orochimaru's question. "well, you are not wrong. I'm also here about some information on a Jutsu you know. I want to use it as a wedding present for my friends. So, will you give me the information I need?"
Orochimaru smirked and said "I know many Jutsu's, so you will have to be more specific."
Shinzo removed his mask and said, "I need to know about the Reanimation Jutsu."
Orochimaru just smiled. "ah, one of my favorite Jutsu's. but I'm surprised that you came all this way to learn that. It would have been easier to learn it from the scroll in Konoha."
Shinzo continued to keep a blank face. "sadly, the scroll is missing. The ANBU have searched everywhere but can't find it. You wouldn't know anything about that would you?"
"you are correct. I know who took the scroll. You placed him under a Genjutsu over there." Shinzo briefly looked at Kabuto.
"so, he took the scroll to use it back in the war."
"yes. but Kabuto doesn't have it anymore."
Shinzo batted an eye. "then who does?"
Orochimaru smiled. "I do. I'll gladly return it. I already have all the information I need from it." After which Orochimaru reached into his mouth and pulled a large scroll out and set it on the table.
After using his copied Byakugan to make sure that it wasn't a trap, Shinzo took the scroll and placed in in the holster on his back then he thanked Orochimaru for returning the scroll.
Meanwhile ANBU members from all 5 great nations were swarming the compound and finding the unconscious Shinobi that Shinzo had dealt with upon his arrival. They were completely puzzled about who could do all this and why, when an ANBU from the Hidden Leaf mentioned that Kakashi had sent a man ahead to secure a lost piece of information before it could be lost in the ensuing struggle. The other ANBU were surprised that one Shinobi could do all this without breaking a sweat or without the aid of a tailed beast. The Hidden Leaf ANBU went on to say that it was someone from the Ohnaka Clan that was sent by Kakashi. To the other ANBU this made sense.
Tales of the Ohnaka Clan's strength were legendary. With the abilities to read minds, communicate over large distances with a hive mind ability and even predict and copy other Jutsu's including Kekkei Genkai. The Ohnaka Clan was possibly the strongest clan of them all. But for most of history they remained neutral in any conflicts and were hired by villages that didn't want to be caught in the cross fire of any wars. After the end of the Uchiha and Senju war they agreed to join the newly formed Hidden Leaf after Hashirama and Madara promised to help build a better world of peace. To the other ANBU seeing the scene before them it was proof of the Ohnaka Clan's strength were more than mere rumor.
Meanwhile Shinzo was explaining his plan for the Reanimation Jutsu to a curious Orochimaru. Orochimaru even offered a blank body for the one individual whose body had never been recovered as well as the DNA needed for the plan, to which Shinzo thanked him while placing his mask back on his face and alerting him that the ANBU were almost to the door and that he may want to sit down with his hands up as a sign of surrender, to which he did just as the door was blown off its hinges by the incoming ANBU.
"was that really necessary? You could have just knocked on the door it wasn't even locked." Orochimaru said not looking at all impressed the ANBU who had just blown up his door.
After the ANBU had secured all the prisoners including Orochimaru and Kabuto Shinzo offered a statement and a testimony for mercy on Orochimaru's behalf as part of their secret agreement. The ANBU would report it back to the 5 Kage and later grant Orochimaru and Kabuto parole if they would stay in the Hidden Leaf village for one whole year and not cause any trouble whatsoever while being under constant surveillance by the Hidden Leaf's ANBU. Orochimaru and Kabuto gladly accepted these terms and complied with them all.
Meanwhile Naruto and Hinata's wedding was just a few short weeks away. Everyone was scrambling to find the perfect wedding present for the soon to be newlyweds.
Ever since Shinzo had acquired the scroll with the secret to the Reanimation Jutsu, he had been working around the clock to master it. A Jutsu of this complexity was much harder to master than he expected it to be. Not only did this jutsu require a lot of chakra, but also required a body and the DNA of the deceased to use and the knowledge of how to call a soul back from the land of the dead to the land of the living even if it's only temporary. In total the complexity of such a jutsu was near impossible to master by normal means. That would explain why only 3 people in history could use it.
After awhile Shinzo was beginning to get frustrated with the lack of results. Never before had he had to deal with such a complex jutsu, normally he could analyze and copy any jutsu that he came across with ease, but this one was more advanced and complex, and it was really unnerving to Shinzo. But he knew how much this gift meant to Naruto and Hinata, so he wasn't going to give up without a fight.
Shinzo began to ponder on what he was doing wrong. He even wound up consulting both Orochimaru and Kabuto. After some brief instruction and a demonstration for which the briefly borrowed Neji for and to relay the plan to the other deceased souls that Shinzo was planning to revive for the wedding. Shinzo tried again but it failed again the body just wouldn't move. Things weren't looking good for the plan, until Kabuto made an off handed remark.
"too bad we don't have the Rinnegan, then it would be so much easier to call souls back."
That's when it dawned on Shinzo. "THAT'S IT!" he exclaimed.
"What's it?" Kabuto said clearly not getting at what Shinzo was thinking.
"I have the Rinnegan. I acquired a copy of it before Pain attacked the village. It's not as powerful as a true Rinnegan but it should be enough." Shinzo was clearly getting excited that this could work. But Orochimaru and Kabuto were clearly surprised that Shinzo had a copy of the Byakugan, Sharingan, and Rinnegan. Granted that they were not as powerful as the originals but still to hold all 3 was almost unheard of.
Shinzo weaved an unusual hand sign combination and called out "Rinnegan" after which his 3rd eye opened to reveal a Rinnegan eye. He weaved the proper hand signs for the Reanimation Jutsu and tried again, this time he succeeded in reanimating Neji who informed him that he delivered the message to the others and that they would be ready.
After thanking Neji and releasing the jutsu he thanked Orochimaru and Kabuto for their help. After which Shinzo returned home to have dinner with his family and his girlfriend from the Hidden Mist Mira Terumī the sister of the Mizukage, who he had invited to live in the Ohnaka Clan complex to help foster good relations between the Hidden Leaf and the Hidden Mist.
The next few days were uneventful. Everyone was still scrambling to find the perfect wedding present for the happy couple. Shinzo had returned the scroll to Kakashi after a few days of practice to make sure he had perfected the use of the Reanimation Jutsu and at Neji's request added someone else to the plan as a surprise for Hinata. After all was ready Shinzo had nothing to do but wait for the big day to arrive.
After a few days of pure craziness (see the Anime episodes) with everyone scrambling to make the final preparations for the wedding it was finally time. It was a beautiful spring day with hardly a cloud in the sky. The weather was warm, and a gentle breeze was blowing. In all it was a good day to be outside and the perfect day for a wedding. It was almost like the weather gods had decided to make such a special day just for the sake of love. Everyone was gathering with pure anticipation to the wedding of Naruto and Hinata. From the 5 Kage to all the happy couple's friends and family. Everyone was smiling and laughing, and a grand time was being had by all.
Shinzo had excused himself from his girlfriend's side to go speak with Hinata and reveal the big surprise of his wedding gift for the happy couple. Mira was completely understanding, after all she was the first one to know about the idea and when he had asked her for her opinion on his idea she whole heartedly agreed that it was a good idea.
When Shinzo found their room, the happy couple was standing at the window admiring the beautiful scenery of spring.
When Hinata turned around Shinzo was blown away by how beautiful Hinata looked in her wedding dress and started to picture Mira in her place but then quickly stashed those thoughts away for later.
Shinzo thought that the 2 of them were perfect for each other and was glad that this wedding was just for them. She smiled at him and Naruto walked up to him to give him a big hug and thank him for making it.
"thanks for coming Shinzo it means a lot to us that you are here."
"are you kidding I wouldn't miss this for the world." Hinata walked up and gave him a big hug and said, "thank you so much for everything Shinzo. You've always been there for me when I needed you the most."
Shinzo returned the hug and said, "that's what best friends are for. We are always there for our friends no matter what."
After they let go of each other and after a few moments of silence where they silently reflected on their journey to this point in their lives until Shinzo finally spoke.
"never before have I seen such a beautiful bride on her wedding day." At this comment Hinata blushed and thanked him for the compliment.
"Naruto, I hope you know what an amazing treasure Hinata is and I hope you know how to make her happy for the rest of your lives."
Naruto smiled and said, "don't worry I'll take good care of Hinata, I promise that I'll do everything in my power to make Hinata the happiest girl in the world, ya know."
Shinzo smiled back and said, "Good, I'll hold you to that."
The 3 of them shared a good laugh at this before Shinzo remembered why he came to find them in the first place.
"oh, before I forget I have your wedding present that I wanted to give you."
"Oh, you don't have to do that now you can wait until after the ceremony." Hinata said.
"nonsense, besides this present is best given before the ceremony so you can enjoy it."
But before they could question what Shinzo was talking about he started weaving the familiar hand signs of his 3rd eye jutsu after which he called out "Rinnegan!" the Rinnegan manifested itself in his 3rd eye when it opened. Then he began to weave another set of hand sign that neither Naruto nor Hinata could identify. After which he placed his palm on the ground and called out "Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation!" suddenly 5 caskets appeared in the room. "Rise" Shinzo spoke as the caskets opened to reveal their precious family members fully formed and showing no signs of decay. Minato, Kushina, Jiraiya, Neji, and even Hinata's Mother Hikari all stood before them with smiling faces. Naruto and Hinata were stunned to say the least. The room was silent until Kushina broke the silence.
"Hello Naruto, congratulations on finding someone to give your heart to."
"Mom, Dad is that really you?" Naruto asked not quite believing his eyes.
"of course, it us Naruto, you didn't think that death would stop us from being here on the biggest day of your life did you." Minato said with a big smile. After which Naruto tackled them in a big hug.
Meanwhile Hinata was still stunned to see Neji and her mother standing before her. Neji was the first to speak.
"Hello Lady Hinata, Congratulations on finally achieving your dream." Neji said with a small but warm smile.
Hinata was overcome with joy and pulled Neji into a big hug. To which Neji returned but with less force.
Hinata whispered through a thick voice "I missed you so much my brother"
"I missed you too" Neji's gentle reply came. When they pulled away Hikari approached Hinata.
"Hello my daughter. I'm so sorry I couldn't have been there for you all this time. I'm so sorry for not being able to give you a better childhood then what you had. I know I may not have a right to be but I'm still so very proud of the beautiful brave young woman you grew up to be." Hinata went to hug her mother.
"it's alright. I understand why you weren't there, but I really missed you. Every day I hoped I was making you proud, I wanted so much to be like you. I'm so sorry if I have failed to be like you." Hikari smiled and pulled Hinata into a big motherly hug.
"oh, sweetie. Don't you understand. I never wanted you to be like me. I wanted you to be you, to be the good person that you were always meant to be. You haven't disappointed me, you have become the very person that I hoped you would be. I'm so proud of you my daughter."
Meanwhile after Naruto and his parents pulled away from each other he walked up and hugged Jiraiya to which he eagerly returned. Jiraiya's body had never been recovered because it was washed out into the ocean, so Shinzo borrowed a blank body from Orochimaru to use as a substitute thankfully there was just enough blood at the scene of his final battle that the Reanimation Jutsu could make the blank body look and act just like Jiraiya and Shinzo made sure they looked as much alive as possible. Only their eyes seemed any different from when they were alive as well as a few cracks in their skin here and there.
"I missed you so much Pervy Sage" Naruto said with tears in his eyes.
Jiraiya just smiled and said, "hey come on kid this is a happy day, so no tears. Besides being dead isn't so bad. I met a lot of really cute angels up there."
Naruto burst out laughing. "same old Pervy Sage you never change, do you?"
Jiraiya laughed at this. "nope, but look at you kid, you've come a long way from that little hyperactive hotheaded brat that I used to train. Now you've become a fine young man whose ready to take this next step in your life. I couldn't be prouder of you if I tried. Oh, and by the way Nagato says Hi and Congratulations" "You saw Nagato up there? How is he doing?" He's doing well, he came to apologize to me and to ask for forgiveness. I told him that it was ok, and it wasn't his fault. I told him that I knew it was all Madara's and Zetsu's doing. After that we just decided to bury the hatchet for good."
"that's good I'm really glad that Nagato is finally happy, and that he found redemption"
Naruto then hugged him again and Jiraiya whispered in his ear, "so a Hyuga Girl huh, not a bad choice kid not a bad choice. You know they have some pretty big…"
"PERVY SAGE!" Naruto said with his face turning red.
Jiraiya burst out laughing. "lighten up kid I'm just messing with you." He laughed until he received a good punch on the head from Kushina.
"Ouch, what was that for?" Jiraiya rubbed the lump on his head and Kushina continued to look angry.
"that's not funny ya know, Naruto please tell me you didn't pick up any of his dirty habits."
"don't worry mom I didn't"
"well I guess that's good, but still don't you ever use the pervy jutsu ever again or I swear I will come back here and give you a good punch into next week, ya know." Kushina said looking very mad.
"eh, you know about that?" Naruto said looking really scared.
"oh, I know everything, I've been keeping an eye on you ever since we first died. So, I know all about what you have been doing down here. On one hand I'm very angry with you for that kind of behavior, but on the other hand I'm also very proud of you." Then Minato stepped in.
"we're all are very proud of you. you grew up into an amazing person and done some amazing things and even surpassed me and fulfilled all our hopes and wishes, and even saved the world and brought back your friend from a place that there was no way back from. You have become a great young man Naruto and I have no doubt that you will be a great Hokage someday."
Before they all knew it, they were engulfed in a big group hug. After they all let go Naruto got excited for his parents to meet his soon to be wife.
"Hey, Hinata come over here and meet my parents." Hinata, Neji and Hikari walked over to them and Hinata stood next to Naruto while the others stood to the side.
"Mom, Dad, this is my soon to be wife, Hinata." Hinata blushed a little at the thought of being called Naruto's wife.
She polity bowed to both Minato and Kushina. Kushina took a good look at Hinata.
"It's an honor to meet both of you. Thank you so much for bringing Naruto into this world. He means everything to me and I can't thank you enough for giving him to this world." Hinata spoke with such passion that both Kushina and Minato were surprised at how much love Hinata had for Naruto. After a moment Kushina smiled and gave Hinata a hug.
"Thank you Hinata for always watching over our son when we couldn't and giving him the love, we were never able to. For that you have our deepest gratitude and our blessing. Welcome to the family Hinata." Kushina said with a warm smile.
Hinata was so happy that Naruto's parents approved of her and that they welcomed her into the family with open arms. They all shared a group hug, even Neji, surprisingly. After they all let go Naruto and Hinata turned towards the man that made this happy reunion possible.
"Thank You so much for this Shinzo this is the best wedding present we could have ever hoped for." Naruto said with his signature smile. Hinata gave her oldest and dearest friend the biggest hug she could muster.
"Thank you so much Shinzo. You've always been there when I needed you the most, you've always been so supportive of me and Naruto, and now you have brought our lost loved ones back from the dead just for our wedding, I can never thank you enough for everything you've done for us."
Shinzo returned the hug and said, "that's just what friends are for. We are always there right when you need us the most. No matter what happens from now on I'll continue to do so but now I'll leave you in Naruto's capable hands. (turns to Naruto) Naruto take good care of her. I know I've already told you this before, but I just want to make sure that you understand how important Hinata's friendship means to me, and just how much she loves you. You hold her heart in your hands, do your absolute best to take care of it."
Naruto smiled and said, "Don't worry Shinzo I promise I'll do my absolute best to make Hinata happy for the rest of our lives. Because I know just how much she means to all of us."
The smiles were all around the room. Then Naruto ask Shinzo a question. "I just have one question Shinzo. How did you learn the Reanimation Jutsu?"
"I learned it from Orochimaru." Everyone was shocked at this revelation. There was a stunned silence. Then Shinzo spoke telling them all about the terms of the agreement. He told them of his secret mission, as well as their agreement. That he would insert a plea for mercy on Orochimaru's behalf in his trial. That plus the help he provided to the 5 Kage in the war, and his peaceful surrender to Shinzo and the ANBU squad that stormed his hideout help sway the 5 Kage into granting him and Kabuto a lesser sentence. He also explained that Captain Yamato knew about Shinzo's gift and had agreed to let them practice it in peace and to keep it a secret and not spoil the surprise.
After Shinzo was finished explaining they were still a little stunned but now it all made sense why Orochimaru was seen walking around the village with Captain Yamato following him.
After a few minutes of silence Jiraiya spoke up. "well guess he got tired of being evil. But still this is very unexpected even for him. I never would have thought that he would actually surrender willingly."
"true but I think that he realizes that there has been enough death and destruction in the world and now he just wants it to end. Not to mention I don't think he wants to deal with the United Shinobi Forces, or the 5 Kage. I think he knows that he can't win that fight and that's why he chose to surrender." They all nodded their heads in agreement.
Just then Hinata's sister Hanabi Hyuga knocked on the door and entered. "Hinata, Naruto it's time." When she saw who else was in the room she froze with her eyes wide, like she had seen a ghost. She saw the infamous Jiraiya, standing next to the legendary 4th Hokage, a long red-haired woman, and her deceased cousin and another woman that looked a lot like an older version of Hinata. Neji was the first to speak.
"Lady Hanabi, it good to see you again, I trust that you are well."
Hanabi was still shocked to see Neji standing in front of her. She simply nodded her head. Neji could sense her confusion and explained that he along with the others were reanimated thanks to Shinzo. After that he introduced the others to her.
"Lady Hanabi, this is Lord Jiraiya Naruto's God Father and sensei, Lord Minato Namikaze the 4th Hokage and Naruto's father, Lady Kushina Uzumaki Naruto's mother, and Lady Hikari Hyuga Lady Hinata's and your mother." As Neji went around the room and introduced them they all said their hello's, but when Neji introduced her to her mother Hanabi looked like she was about to pass out.
Hanabi never really knew her mother she was very young when her mother died but Hinata had told her plenty of stories of their mother and now that her mother standing here before her, she truly realized just how much she wanted to know her mother. Both were silent for a few minutes both trying to find the right words to say to each other. Finally, Hikari spoke first.
"it's so good to see you again Hanabi, my daughter. You grew up to be so beautiful. I'm so sorry that I couldn't be here for you like I was for a small part of Hinata's life. My one regret is that I have is not being able to be here to watch you both grow into the two beautiful brave young women that you are today."
Hanabi couldn't hold back the tears. She hugged her mother as tightly as she could.
"it's ok I understand, Hinata explained to me why you were gone. I'm just so happy that I got to meet you now."
Hikari couldn't believe that both her daughters weren't even mad at her for dying and leaving them. She was so glad that they didn't hate her for something that she couldn't have controlled. But more importantly she was happy to be able to spend this most important day with her children. t
he room was full of smiles but then they remembered why Hanabi was there, when another knock on the door this time it was Hinata's father Hiashi Hyuga. When he entered he was surprised to see everyone, but he was most surprised to see his deceased wife and nephew standing in the room. He had the same reaction as Hanabi. And again, Neji was the first one to speak.
"Lord Hiashi, it good to see you again, I trust that you are well." Hiashi was still shocked to see Neji and Hikari standing in front of him. Hiashi quickly recovered from his confusion when he noticed Shinzo standing by Hanabi and understood that Shinzo reanimated them for the wedding. Again, Neji introduced the others.
"Lord Hiashi, this is Lord Jiraiya Naruto's God Father and sensei, Lord Minato Namikaze the 4th Hokage and Naruto's father, Lady Kushina Uzumaki Naruto's mother, and of course you already know Lady Hikari Hyuga."
As Neji went around the room and introduced them they all said their hello's, but when Neji introduced his wife he looked especially pleased to see her again.
"Hello Hiashi, it's so good to see you again, you look well." Hikari greeted her husband with a warm smile to which Hiashi returned. They then went to hug each other.
"I never though I would get to see you again, I've missed you greatly since you've been gone."
This was the most emotion that anyone had ever seen Hiashi display in a very long time. Even after all this time the love that Hiashi had for his wife had never once waivered in the slightest. This filled Hikari with great joy.
"I've missed you more than I can ever say. I wish that fate had never torn us apart. I wish I could have been here to support you and our daughters."
Hiashi tightened his hug and said, "it wasn't your fault. I never once blamed you for what happened. So please don't blame yourself for something that wasn't your fault." Hiashi then let go of his wife and turned toward Shinzo who was still standing by Hanabi and bowed to him as a sign of respect.
"I can't thank you enough for this Shinzo. I honestly never thought I would get to see my beloved wife again in this life. I also owe you debt of gratitude for supporting my eldest daughter for so long even when I didn't. I will never be able to repay you for your kindness and generosity."
Shinzo smiled and said, "your thanks is not necessary Lord Hiashi. Making Hinata happy is its own reward. I'm always happy to help Hinata when she needs it. After all she is my best friend."
The smiles and love that filled the air made the day seem even brighter to all. But Kushina interrupted all the good feelings when she reminded them that it was finally time to start the ceremony.
"Okay, enough sappiness everyone we can enjoy all these warm and fuzzy feelings at the reception, ya know. So, come on we got to get these 2 married before sunset, ya know."
Everyone nodded and began to file out of the room to find their proper seats. Fortunately, Kakashi was aware of Shinzo's plan and secretly had extra seats brought in to the front row to accommodate the extra guests from the dead.
Everyone seemed very surprised at the fact that there were extra guests coming in to sit in the front row. At first some wondered who these people were but then they recognized Naruto's father the 4th Hokage from the war (and the stone face on the Hokage monument).
A lot of people were shocked that the 4th Hokage was attending the wedding and were wondering how it was possible, but they also noticed that Shinzo was walking with them and his 3rd eye was open and had the Rinnegan activated. That's when most people realized that Minato and the others were temporarily resurrected to witness Naruto and Hinata's wedding.
They began to congratulate Minato and Kushina on their son's accomplishments and on their son's wedding. Minato and Kushina were all smiles at the fact that so many people held their son in such high regards.
The Hyuga were somewhat shocked to see Hikari walking with Hiashi but they quickly noticed that her eyes were like the reanimation jutsu. They decided to let it slide for the moment, but they were going to ask about it at the reception.
Once everyone was seated (with Minato and Kushina seated right next to Iruka, who was extremely nervous about what they would say about the fact that Iruka had practically raised Naruto.) the ceremony began to get under way. With everyone seated the music began to play as Naruto and Hinata walked down the aisle.
Once they reached the alter Kakashi who was officiating the ceremony began to speak while Shinzo was the ring bearer and Mira was a bride's maid.
"Dearly beloved we are gathered here today to witness the bonding of 2 lover in wedded bliss, if there is anyone who objects to this union speak now or forever hold your peace."
No one spoke so Kakashi continued. "very well then. Naruto Uzumaki, do you take Hinata Hyuga to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, to love and to cherish, in sickness and in health, for better or worse, for rich or poor, and to love with all your heart until death do you part."
Naruto didn't even hesitate as he placed his specially made ring that had the same power as the ring, he gave Hinata when he proposed on her finger.
"I DO YA KNOW!" he shouted for everyone in Konoha to hear. Kakashi wasn't even stunned by Naruto's loud reply.
"very well then, and Hinata Hyuga do you 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 better or worse, for richer or poor, and to love with all your heart until death do you part." Hinata didn't hesitate either as she placed the ring on Naruto's finger and spoke loudly and clearly.
"I DO!" It wasn't as loud as Naruto, but it was louder than what Hinata normally spoke. Kakashi and everyone else except Naruto was surprised that Hinata could speak that loudly, but they quickly recovered.
"very well then by the power invested in me by the people of Konoha and the Land of Fire, I now pronounce you Husband and Wife, you may now kiss the bride"
the kiss was one that both would remember for the rest of their lives. It felt like fireworks and lightning all in one burst. The cheers of happiness were the signal to start the fireworks.
After which everyone started to head to the reception. Ayame and Teuchi were gracious enough to help provide the catering for the reception. Everyone was enjoying themselves so much. Ayame and Teuchi were given great compliments about their food and were even expecting some new customers in the very near future.
Iruka was enjoying himself when he noticed that Minato and Kushina were walking towards him. When they finally met, Iruka bowed to them in respect for both their titles and the fact that these were Naruto's actual parents.
"it's an honor to meet both of you. I guess you know about the role I played in Naruto's life up till now, huh?"
Minato and Kushina smiled and returned the bow and Kushina even gave him a hug. "yes, we have been keeping an eye on him from up there. So, we know how you helped Naruto get his head on straight, for that we want to thank you Iruka Sensei for being the father figure that Naruto needed."
Iruka was so happy that Naruto's parents were pleased with how Iruka had tried to raise Naruto. They continued to talk with him for a while the subject of his parents came up and Iruka learned that his parents are very proud of him and were always watching over him.
Meanwhile, Jiraiya was hanging around the desert table when he spotted Tsunade and decided to go talk to her.
"Hey Tsunade, long time no see, huh?"
Tsunade instantly knew that voice and when she turned around she looked like she had seen a ghost. But when she snapped out of her shock she punched him clear through the nearest tree.
"ouch, what was that for?" Tsunade walked up to him with tears in her eyes.
"that was for losing our bet, jerk." She began sobbing and beating on his chest but holding back her real strength and Jiraiya smiled.
"hey it's ok. I know I messed up and wound up dying before you wanted me to. To be honest that's not how I planned to go out but hey it wasn't so bad. look I'm sorry about dying and all but I just wanted you to know that I'm always watching over you. Dan, Nawaki and me are always watching over you no matter what."
Tsunade couldn't help but let her tears fall at the fact that those who were closest to her were still always watching over her. Jiraiya just smiled and hugged her until she finally managed to compose herself. About that time people were dancing to the music on the dance floor.
"hey, I know you don't feel the same way about me that I feel about you but how about a dance or two with an old friend?"
"alright I might as well but don't think that this means that I'm not still mad at you." The 2 of them then proceeded to the dance floor to dance and chat some more for a bit.
Meanwhile, Neji was standing under a tree near where the Hiashi and Hikari were talking to the Hyuga elders Hanabi was also talking with her mother to get to know her a little better. The scene made Neji smile.
After Tenten had heard that Neji was reanimated she started looking for him. When she found him, she threw lots kunai at him, Neji saw the attacks coming and dodge them. When he realized who was attacking him he walked over to her, while she still threw more kunai that he simply dodged and deflected. He already knew that that there was no intent to kill in her attacks and that she was probably mad at him for dying and leaving her alone with Lee and Guy Sensei. When he finally reached her, she was nearly out of breath and kunai to throw at him. She wasn't trying to kill him, but she was still mad at him for dying and leaving her alone with Lee and Guy Sensei. Finally, Neji spoke.
"Are you done throwing things at me now?" the tears grew in Tenten's eyes as she started to hit Neji. Neji could tell that there was no killing intent in these attacks and that this would be good for her to get out all her frustrations.
"YOU'RE SUCH A BIG JERK!" she shouted at Neji who continued to take the punches from Tenten.
Finally, she couldn't help it anymore and broke down into tears.
"Why? Why did you leave me? Why leave me alone with those 2 crazies? Didn't you ever think about how that would affect us, how it would affect me?" she sounded almost broken to Neji, which unnerved him quite a bit, he was so used to seeing Tenten as so strong independent and determined and to see her like this was almost too much for him to bare.
"I'm sorry. I truly am. It was never my intention to leave you alone with them. But when Naruto and Lady Hinata were in trouble I knew what I had to do. As much as I didn't want to let you and the others down I knew that Naruto and Lady Hinata were needed on the battlefield more than me. So, I made my sacrifice to help them win"
Tenten was completely shocked. She had never heard Neji apologize for anything before. She finally understood what was going through his head the moment he died. After she wiped away her tears she looked Neji straight in the eyes.
"I get it, I really do but that doesn't mean that I'm not still mad at you." Neji could see the hurt in her eyes and was determined to make the most of what was left of his time on earth before the Reanimation Jutsu was finally undone. The 2 of them then set out to find Lee and Guy Sensei to hopefully get them to tone down their antics before they drove poor Tenten insane.
They found the pair juggling the dumbbells that they bought as a wedding present for Naruto and Hinata. "oh, good lord, they have gotten even worse since I left." Neji said shaking his head in embarrassment.
"you see what I have to deal with now. You were the only one in this group that wasn't insane. And now your dead and I'm stuck with these 2-crazy people."
"again, I apologize for that, give me a moment and I'll get them to stop"
after Neji said this he activated his Byakugan and used his 8 Trigrams Air Palm to knock them over. When Lee and Guy Sensei recovered they saw Neji looking annoyed with them. The immediately rushed over to him and to try to get him to train with them. He denied their request and then proceeded to scold them for acting like that in public. He went on to say that if they must do that then to do it out in the forest away from everyone because it's embarrassing to watch.
The 2 then admitted that Neji was right and that such behavior was not proper for a wedding day. After the 2 of then finally calmed down they began to talk more. The subject of Guy Sensei's leg injury came up and Neji felt a little bad that his former teacher had been injured in such a way, but Guy Sensei just waved it off and said that he could just use this as an excuse to get stronger.
Meanwhile, Naruto and Hinata were watching everything from their table. The guests came by to congratulate the happy couple on their wedding. The happy couple were all smiles. Hinata sighed happily. Her dream had finally come true, at long last she was finally able to be with Naruto no matter what would come. she knew that Naruto's dream of having a family was also coming true today and she was going to do everything in her power to make sure that he had a family that he could come home to. Naruto could tell what Hinata was thinking without her having to even say a word.
"Hey, Hinata. Thanks for everything, ya know. I promise no matter what happens I'll always love you, believe it." Hinata couldn't keep the smile off her face and kissed Naruto while Minato and Kushina were watching them.
"He chose wisely with her, didn't he?" Minato said.
"yeah he did. She's not exactly like me but she's close enough. She loves him with all her heart and that's good enough for me, ya know." Kushina said thoughtfully.
The 2 smiled at the still kissing couple.
"They are kind of like us, but let's hope their love story ends better than ours did." Minato said with a small smile.
"Yeah, let's hope they don't wind up like us. I would hate for our grandkids to be in the same situation that Naruto was forced into, ya know." They both nodded their heads at the fear of idea that the same thing might happen again, but this time to Naruto and Hinata.
Suddenly Kushina got mad at the thought of history repeating itself. "THAT'LL HAPPEN OVER MY UNDEAD BODY, YA KNOW!"
"you mean over our undead bodies, I'm with you on this. We died too soon, and we weren't able to give Naruto the life he deserved but we'll be damned if we let it happen again to our grandkids." Minato stated and Kushina smiled at him.
"YEAH, NEVER AGAIN, YA KNOW!" after calming down they both agreed to ask Shinzo to use the Reanimation Jutsu if Konoha ever came under attack again.
Meanwhile Shinzo and Mira were on the dance floor chatting with each other while they were dancing.
"that was a real nice thing you did. You not only made them happy but a lot of other people as well." Mira said with a smile.
"huh, what do you mean?" "well just look, Iruka is happy because Naruto's parents appreciate all that he's done, Hanabi and Hiashi is are happy to get to see Hinata's mother, Lady Tsunade is happy because she got to see Jiraiya and talk to him one last time, and Tenten is happy that she got to see Neji one last time. you see you made a lot more people happy than you intended to." Shinzo looked around at all the smiling faces that he had a hand in making and smiled.
"huh, I guess you are right. But I'm also sure that all these smiles will turn into tears later."
Mira looked confused and said, "why do you think that?"
Shinzo frowned and said "because the Jutsu will have to be undone at some point. I don't have enough chakra to make this Jutsu permanent. Eventually they will have to return to the afterlife. Maintaining my Rinnegan is particularly difficult for long periods of time, and most likely after this is done I'm going to be hospitalized for chakra exhaustion. Mainating any of the Dōjutsu is hard enough but the Rinnegan is particularly difficult, not only because of its complexity and power but also it uses up a lot more chakra than the others. That's why I don't use it all that often. It can give me great powers but at a great cost. The one power I was interested in is the ability to control life and death. That's why I used the Rinnegan for this, but soon I won't be able to hold it and the jutsu at the same time. That's why I gave them until sunset to do everything they want to do. Pretty soon I'm going to start feeling the fatigue from this action. I think I'm going to go sit down before that happens." Mira was shocked that Shinzo would willingly put himself through all of this and risk his health just to make a few people happy.
Shinzo sat down and looked completely exhausted, but somehow, he was maintaining the jutsu and the Rinnegan through sheer force of will alone. Somehow his willpower was creating extra chakra to maintain both the jutsu and the Rinnegan at the same time.
Mira immediately switched gears from having a good time to trying to help keep Shinzo from accidentally killing himself. Mira ran over to the refreshments table and grabbed the biggest drink that she could find. She then brought it over to him.
"here you need to keep up your strength."
"thank you" Shinzo took the cup from her and downed the contents which just happened to be just regular water.
Mira then brought him an extra-large bowl of Ramen from the buffet. Shinzo began eating it very quickly. He finished it in no time.
"thanks again. Sorry about my table manners."
"it's ok but you ate that thing like you haven't eaten in a year."
"With as much chakra as I'm using I might as well not have eaten in a year."
"your killing yourself, aren't you?" Mira said with complete shock.
"I honestly don't know. I hadn't counted on this jutsu using up this much chakra. Curse it all." Mira began to panic.
She knew she had to do something. She started to plead with Shinzo to release the jutsu before it killed but he stubbornly refused. She honestly didn't know what she was going to do but she desperately wanted to save her boyfriend before his life force was gone for good.
Suddenly she remembered that special power that Naruto used in the war. The Nine Tails chakra was strong enough to allow him temporarily to use all 3 of the great Dōjutsu all at once with little to no damage to himself. Mira suspected that the Nine Tails chakra could help him maintain the jutsu and the Rinnegan while simultaneously keeping him alive. She immediately ran off to find Naruto and tell him what was going on.
Once she found him and told him Naruto was completely shocked that he didn't say something before. Mira led both Naruto and Hinata back to where Shinzo was sitting. Hinata quickly confirmed with her Byakugan that Shinzo was indeed dying from using more chakra than he had. Naruto immediately activated his Nine Tails Sage Mode and placed his hand on Shinzo's shoulder. Within seconds a chakra cloak appeared on his body. Hinata confirmed that it stabilized him for now but once it disappeared he would need to be at the hospital and need to be treated for extreme chakra exhaustion. Shinzo weakly smiled at the newly-weds.
"heh, sorry, I guess I kinda ruined your big day huh?"
"oh, Shinzo you didn't ruin it, but you definitely scared us." Hinata said with worry.
"sorry Hinata, but I didn't want to raise no fuss. Too late now I suppose. This ones on me my bad."
After scolding Shinzo for his reckless idea and all was said and done they continued with the celebration as planned.
At one-point Hinata spotted Sasuke. She walked over to him to talk to him.
"is that you Sasuke?"
"yes." Was Sasuke's only reply.
"I'm glad you could make it. Why don't you go join the others?" Hinata said with a sweet smile.
"No…um thank you, but no. I only came by to say congratulations to you and Naruto, and then I'm leaving."
"ok but can't you stay for a little bit, we were planning on a group photo of the entire Konoha 11, and I know it would mean a lot to everyone if you stayed for it."
Hinata pleas were so heartfelt that not even the cold hearted Sasuke could deny her request. So reluctantly Sasuke walked with Hinata back to the celebration. When Naruto spotted Sasuke walking with Hinata he had a big smile that his friend had made it to the celebration.
"Hey Sasuke, I'm glad you could make it." Naruto said cheerfully.
"I only came say congratulations, but your wife roped me into stay for the group photo so can we please get this over with." Sasuke said looking slightly annoyed.
"oh, come on Sasuke. Lighten up a little. Have some food, dance with Sakura. Enjoy yourself a little. It's not like it's going to kill you." Naruto said trying to get Sasuke to lighten up a little bit. But Sasuke clearly wasn't in a partying mood.
"ugh, fine we'll call everyone together and take the photo and then you can leave."
After getting everyone together. They took the photo and Sasuke was about to leave when Hinata stopped him again.
"thank you for coming it meant a lot to us."
"whatever." He turned to leave but then stopped.
"take care of that idiot ok." Hinata's eyes widened but then she smiled.
"right, I'll do my best." Sasuke then nodded and began to walk away. Before he was stopped again by Sakura.
"hold it Sasuke, you're not seriously going to leave before we've had at least one dance, right?" Sakura said while cracking her knuckles.
"ugh, fine let's just get this over with" they danced to a slow song with some of the other couples that included Naruto and Hinata, Sai and Ino, Choji and Karui, Neji and Tenten, Shikamaru and Temari, Konohamaru and Hanabi and even Shinzo and Mira.
After that Sasuke escaped and was being pursued by Sakura as it was time for the bouquet to be tossed. All the single ladies gathered in an attempt to be the lucky one to catch it except Sakura who was still chasing down Sasuke somewhere in the distance.
When Hinata tossed the flowers up in the air (secretly using her Byakugan to aim it towards someone in particular) all the ladies scrambled trying to catch it. In the end it had landed in none other than the Mizukage's hands (Hinata's intended target).
When she looked at it, she was so surprised and ecstatic to have caught it. Everyone clapped for her as she held it up triumphantly. After which Ao came up to personally congratulate her and wound up receiving a kiss from the Mizukage.
Naruto then leaned over to Hinata as they watched the scene and said, "I guess we know who's getting married next, but let me guess you used your Byakugan to purposely give it to her right?"
Hinata blushed a little and said, "yes, I knew how much it would mean to her, so I decided to help her out a little."
Naruto just chuckle at this and said, "that's my wife for you always wanting to make other people happy."
Hinata blushed even harder at this statement, because Naruto had called her his wife. That was going to take some getting used to, but for now they decided to rejoin the party and have a good time.
A few hours later Sasuke managed to escape Sakura by using his own Rinnegan. The party was beginning to wind down. Soon the sun was beginning to set. The guests began to leave save for Naruto and Hinata's close friends and family. Finally, it was time for the souls of the deceased to return to the afterlife. Everyone gathered to say good bye. Tsunade bid her final farewell and forgiveness for dying to Jiraiya.
"well this is it eh, Tsunade?" "yeah I guess it is. I guess this is where we say goodbye." Tsunade said with tears in her eyes.
"hey, it's ok even if I'm not here with you physically I'll always be with you in spirit. And remember what I said we are always watching over you no matter what." Jiraiya said with a smile.
"I know but I wish you all were here with me instead of up there." Tsunade said trying to be strong.
"we feel the same, but you will see us again someday, just promise me that it won't be anytime soon. That's the thing about eternity, it's always there waiting for you." Jiraiya said and pulled Tsunade into a hug.
"ok I promise." Tsunade said trying her best to smile but her tears still shown.
Finally, they pulled away and Naruto said his final goodbye to his beloved mentor.
"well this is it Pervy sage." Naruto said trying to hold in his tears.
"hey, it's ok kid. You're in good hands with her, and I know that you will be a fine Hokage someday. I'm always watching over you. Besides like I said being dead isn't so bad. I get to meet plenty of cute angels up there, so the way I see it, it's a win. You just keep on being who you are, kid. Because that's the kind of kid that we all believe in."
Naruto couldn't fight back the tears anymore. He hugged his beloved mentor for the last time.
"I'll never forget you Pervy Sage, you were the closest thing I had to an uncle. You always encourage and accepted me for who I am and for that I'll always be grateful to you. So, thank you Jiraiya Sensei for everything, and just you watch I'll be the best Hokage ever, Ya know!"
Jiraiya gave a teary smile at his best student and future Hokage. "Heh, that's the first time you've called me that but I know you will Naruto and I'll be watching and cheering for you every step of the way. I have a feeling that one day they'll make a story about you kid, it'll be called the Tale of Naruto Uzumaki, I would have loved to have written it, but you know, oh well." They both share a touching goodbye hug and there wasn't a single dry eye in the house.
After they let go Minato and Kushina were next to say goodbye.
"Naruto, I know that we haven't been in your life long enough to say this, but we are so very proud of you son, you became the hero that we always had hoped you would be." Minato said.
"our one regret in our lives is that we weren't able to be there for you and to watch you grow into the man that you are now. But make sure you treat your wife right, because she's the one who loves you just as much as we do, ya know." Kushina said looking right at the happy couple.
"I got it mom, I'll make sure to keep Hinata happy because that's what we both deserve after all that's happened to us, ya know." Naruto gave his parents his biggest smile.
"good, I'll hold you to that, and if you fail then I'll come back and kick your butt into next week." Kushina said matching his smile with her own.
Minato just smiled and agreed with his wife. "what she said."
They then gave the biggest group hug. Naruto for the first time in a very long time was enveloped in his parents loving embrace. Hinata stood off to the side watching the scene with loving eyes. She was happy for her husband (she blushed at the thought) to share this tender moment with his parents. But then she was pulled into the group hug by Naruto. No words were needed, Hinata knew that Naruto wanted her to share this moment with him. After they pulled away Kushina then pulled Hinata over to the side to talk to her.
"just so you know we knew that you were always watching Naruto from the shadows. And we can't thank you enough for being the first to accept him for who he is. You'll always be considered family to us Hinata, no matter what. If I had a daughter I would hope that she would be just like you. So, I have nothing else to say except welcome to the family Hinata." Kushina then gave Hinata a big hug.
Hinata was so overjoyed that Naruto's parents had been so accepting of her. She had been worried when she first met them that they wouldn't like her and say that she wasn't good enough for their son, but she was so glad that her fears were wrong. Naruto's parents welcomed her with warm open arms. For the first time since her mother died Hinata felt the warmth that a family can give, and she enjoyed it with every fiber of her being.
Hinata's mother and father watched the scene with a smile. It had been a long time since Hiashi was this happy.
Hikari then turned to him and said, "my love time is short, so I'll make this quick, the time I spent with you was the best time of my life. Together we had 2 beautiful daughters. And now one of them is married. I was always watching over you and our children from the afterlife, and I wish I could have been there for them as they grew up. I know you acted stern and strict with them as a way to cope with your pain and I forgive you for that. but please my love, try not to be so harsh from now on. I promise I'll be waiting for you when your time comes, and I'll always be with you in your heart." Hikari looked at him with pleading eyes.
Hiashi couldn't keep his sadness bottled up any longer. He broke down in his wife's arms. The scene would have been bizarre to anyone, but they all knew the pain of losing someone they loved dearly, and somehow Hiashi had bottled up that pain for so long. At long last the dam that held all his sorrow and grief broke. After a few moments Hiashi managed to compose himself enough to form a decent sentence.
"My love not a day has gone by where I don't miss your sweet smile and your infectious laugh. The day you died was the day that I stopped feeling anything. It hurt so much to be away from you for so long. And now that you have returned even for this short amount of time, I don't know what to do to show you how much I love you."
Hikari smiled that special smile that only Hiashi had ever seen until that point. "it's alright my love I already know. And I love you too so much. I wish our time wasn't so short I wish that I could stay for a few days longer just to be with you and to get to know my youngest daughter a little better, but sadly it's not meant to be. But know this I'll always be watching over you no matter what and someday we'll be together again."
They shared a passionate kiss knowing that it would be their last for a very long time. when they parted Hanabi walked up to her mother to say her goodbye. Hanabi fell into her mother's arms and started to sob quietly.
"Mother I know we have only just met but I don't want you to go. There's still so much that we never got to do. Stuff that a mother should do with her daughter. I wish you didn't have to go." Hanabi said with tears in her eyes.
"I know my daughter and I feel the same but sadly it wasn't meant to be, but like I told your father I'll always be watching over you and I'll be with you always, even if it doesn't feel like it, just know that I'm always with you and your father no matter what." Hikari said with a tearful smile.
Hanabi returned the smile and they then shared one last hug and Hikari placed a kiss on Hanabi's forehead. After they let go Hikari notice Konohamaru standing a few feet away. She then smiled and walked over to him. She then whispered, "Take good care of my daughter, for me please." Konohamaru went 20 shades of red that would put a tomato to shame as he watched her walk away, and Hanabi was equally red at her mother insinuation. "MOTHER!" Hanabi shouted turning into a stuttering mess, much like how Hinata was in her younger years. The others shared a laugh at seeing the normally calm and collected Hanabi act all flustered.
After the laughter died down Hinata began to say her goodbye to Neji and her mother. "Mother, I can't tell you how happy I am to see you again after all this time, I always had wished to see you again just one more time, so I could tell you how much I miss you. I wish you could stay but I know that you have to go, and I know that you will always be with me in my heart. I wish you could have been here with us when we were growing up, but in a way, with you being gone, it helped me to become the person you see before you. I'm glad that I made you proud mother and I hope that you will continue to watch over me and Naruto."
Hinata said with a teary smile as Naruto hugged her from behind in order comfort her. Hikari smiled and said "always, no matter what." The 2 shared one last hug before Hinata turned to Neji.
"Lady Hinata you have finally achieved your dream at last. I'm very happy for you." Neji said with a small smile. Hinata pulled Neji into a big hug, at first, he went stiff but then retuned it. Hinata started to sob.
"I miss you so much my brother, I understand why you sacrificed yourself to save me and Naruto. but I wish there had been another way. You were so important to me and you helped me so much, I just don't know how I can go on with out you. I need you Brother Neji." Hinata continued to sob until Neji forced her to look him in the eye.
"Lady Hinata, I have done my best to prepare you to stand on your own. After the Chūnin exams I realize just how much you were suffering, and I made it my mission to help you to become strong enough to stand on your own. I did my best to help you prepare to be with out me. Have I failed you Lady Hinata? Have I failed my mission?" Hinata looked shocked.
"NO! You never failed me Neji!" Neji then smiled.
"good, then let's see just how far you've come since I've been gone."
Neji stood in his signature battle stance. Hinata looked confused then she realized what Neji was talking about. Neji wanted to have one final duel with Hinata before he would have to return to the afterlife. Hinata was torn between refusing to fight Neji and honoring his last request. It was then that Naruto placed his hand on Hinata's shoulder.
"You can do it Hinata, I know you can.' Naruto said with his signature smile. Hinata smiled back and then turned to face Neji in her battle stance. But then Shinzo stopped the fight.
"hold it Hinata can't fight in what she is wearing." Shinzo pointed out.
"you're right. I don't want to ruin this dress. It's too important to my family." Shinzo smiled and then produced a new Ninja outfit (like the one she wore in Naruto: The Last)
"here, this should suffice." Hinata then went behind a few trees to change, and Naruto asked Shinzo why he had that. To which Shinzo stated that he knew that Neji would want to duel Hinata one last time, so he had that made for her to honor his last request.
When she returned dressed in her new ninja outfit, she then took her battle stance once more. Shinzo decided to referee. The battle was something to behold. At one-point Hinata's wedding ring activated and a large chakra hand came out of the jewel. It attacked Neji while enveloping Hinata in a protective chakra cloak. Naruto had to call it off, so it wouldn't interfere with their match again. they were evenly matched until Hinata landed a critical blow to Neji's chakra point. After that it was all over Hinata had finally defeated Neji. Her secret wish had finally been fulfilled. Neji then stood up and smiled at Hinata, he now knew that she was ready for whatever life would throw her way.
"well done Lady Hinata, I now know that you are ready for anything. My mission has been fulfilled and I can finally rest in peace knowing that fact." Hinata then shared one last hug with her cousin, whom she thought of as her brother. Neji returned the hug and then turned towards Naruto with a smile and held out his hand.
"I leave her in your hands Naruto, take good care of her" Naruto took Neji's hand and shook it firmly while staring Neji in the eye.
"count on it. I won't fail you Neji. I'll become Hokage and I'll change the Hyuga clan for the better in your memory, as a way to say thank you for all you've done for me and Hinata." Neji closed his eyes and smiled.
"I know you will, I have no doubt about it in my mind. You will be a great Hokage someday." The 2 of them then tightened their grip in a show a friendship and respect. Neji then turned to his teammates.
"Tenten, I know I hurt you when I sacrificed myself to save Naruto and Lady Hinata, but I hope that someday you can forgive me." Tenten had tears in her eyes as she spoke. "I already have Neji, I already have." Neji smiled at this.
"Lee, it's up to you now to make sure our team will carry on. Even if we are no longer rivals never forget to stay true to yourself, but please try to tone it down in public for Tenten's sake." Lee's voice was thick with emotion as he said, "I promise to do my absolute best for you Neji." Neji smiled again at this.
"and Guy Sensei, keep working hard to get stronger and don't blame yourself for my choice, but try to tone it down for Tenten, she needs both of you and you need her, so promise me that no matter how crazy things get you will stick together like a team should." They shared one last group hug before it was time to go.
After which everyone that had been resurrected gathered up and prepared for the Jutsu to be undone. After everyone had said goodbye. Shinzo formed the hand sign and said, "Release!" their bodies began to come undone as the Jutsu had been released. There were sad smiles all around as the spirits of their loved ones began to fade, but they all knew that they would see each other again someday. They all stood there with smiling faces looking toward the sky.
After that they all began to depart for their homes except Naruto, Hinata, Shinzo and Mira who decided to get Shinzo to the Hospital before Naruto could reabsorb Kurama's Chakra. As they made their way to the hospital Naruto and Hinata repeatedly expressed their gratitude towards Shinzo for his gift, and he repeatedly said that he was happy to do it. Once Shinzo was good and situated in the hospital Naruto reabsorbed Kurama's chakra. Once that happened Shinzo definitely was feeling the strain from the Jutsu now, but it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Kurama's chakra had been slowly restoring him to a safer level of chakra exhaustion, so Shinzo would only be in the hospital over night, but he wouldn't be doing anything strenuous for a few weeks.
After which Naruto and Hinata retuned to their home, with Naruto carrying Hinata over the threshold of the home they shared. Followed by a night of passionate love making.
The next day, they had finished packing their bags and getting ready for their honey moon. Shikamaru had come up with an idea to purchase Naruto and Hinata a private beach house in the Land of Waves.
The people of the Land of Waves were more than happy to give Shikamaru a reduced price when he told them it was for Naruto. They gave him a very nice vacation home to give to Naruto and Hinata. When Shikamaru told Naruto about his present to them they were a little concerned that he had given to much, but he told them that "it wasn't as much of a drag as you think." And explaining that the people from the Land of Waves insisted on doing something special to honor their hero. So, they accepted and began to plan their trip.
Also, when they returned they would be moved into a house that was made specially for them by Captain Yamato, on the very spot where Hinata first confessed her feeling to Naruto during the Pain incident. The move would be taken care of by their friends while they were away on their honeymoon. They would be gone for about a week or so. Along the way they would get to visit some of the places that were special to them. Including the valley of the end, and the waterfall where Hinata first danced for Naruto. As they walked out the front door and saw their friend come to greet and wish them a safe and happy trip.
One by one they all shared a hug and once everyone was done their friends walked up the steps to Naruto and Hinata's apartment, so they could get to work. Both Ino, Tenten, Temari, and Sakura were all in charge of making sure the move would be done quickly and efficiently. Shinzo and Shikamaru were to make sure nothing got left behind or damaged in the process. Naruto and Hinata watched as their friends got to work then turned to each other with a smile and decided to take their leave.
The week went by at a comfortable pace, when Naruto and Hinata returned from their honeymoon, the went to their new home but before Hinata could open the door Naruto scooped her up in his arms bridal style.
They both shared a look and she knew what Naruto wanted to do so, she let him have a little bit more fun, secretly she enjoyed this just as much if not more than he did. Naruto opened the door and carried Hinata over the threshold of their new home and into their new life while they shared a passionate kiss and a smile full of love and joy ready to begin their new lives as husband and wife.
Author's note: Hey everyone! if you are seeing this then that means that you finished the story. thanks for reading. i had a lot of fun writing this story and a lot of fun researching the characters to get their personalities just right, but now like all good things we come to our end or do we? I've deiced give you a very special treat. come closer. i've been considering doing a final chapter for this story where Boruto and Himawari getting to meet Neji, Minato, Kushina, Jiraiya and Hikari. if you guys loved this story please let me know i really want to hear what you think of it and if you want to see the idea come to life please let me know that as well. if i see that a lot of people want to see it happen i'll gladly begin making it. and don't forget to stay tuned to Lost Galaxy Productions for more Naruhina goodness. so as the journey continues true believers!
btw: i own nothing except my original character because he's an extension of me and my weird diseased imagination.