CCNote: Today is my birthday (yay 25) so here's my gift to all of you. Thanks for reading my stories throughout this year. I'm very grateful to everyone that takes time out of their lives to even glance at my work.
Huge THANK YOU to a guest who pointed out a continuity error in the last chapter in regards to dates that conflicted with J is for Returns. Dates for that chapter have been changed. Thanks for letting me know. Since this is a nonlinear story, keeping dates straight is very important.
Also sorry if I mislead some people into thinking this was a NaruIno chapter. They will have another chapter (O is for Destruction) but it's not this one.
As always, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Excuse mistakes I've missed, I'll go back and change them! Don't forget to leave a REVIEW!
M is for Loyalty
Friday October 1 2019 8:10pm
Gobi Hotel- Konoha Branch
...
"Those two are complete idiots." Tenten scoffed as she poured herself and Hinata another healthy serving of Cabernet.
"I think it's cute." Hinata smiled and happily accepted her wine glass.
Tenten's lips twitched with barely contained amusement. Hinata knew that her best friend was trying to be the voice of reason in the group but even she had to admit that the antics of her little sister and Ino were funny. Currently, the two women were having an enthusiastic karaoke session full of hip thrusting and twirls that made Hinata dizzy just trying to keep up with them.
"So. Are you ready for tomorrow?" Tenten asked, taking the Hyuuga's attention away from Ino and Hanabi's mini concert.
Hinata gulped and shook her head. She was most certainly not ready. The venue for the reception was already set up perfectly. The caterers were ready and the flowers had arrived in pristine condition. Everyone who was meant to be a part of the wedding party or was supposed to be in attendance were already in town, many of them were staying in this very hotel. Everything and everyone was ready...except for her. It wasn't that she was afraid of marrying Sasuke. Their sons tied them together in a way that ensured that he would always be apart of her life whether she wanted him to be there or not. Luckily she knew that she wanted to remain by his side no matter what life threw at them. Whenever she wasn't by his side it was like to a piece of her being missing and when he returned she became whole.
It wasn't their union that made her feel unprepared but the ceremony that surrounded it. The process of merging the Uchiha and Hyuuga corporations was now complete. The construction of the new headquarters was almost finished and company profits were at an all-time high. The success drew investors to their side in droves, allowing for new business ventures to open up for their company. While the success was great it also came with unwarranted media attention. Not much happened in the city of Konoha so the occasion of two of the most powerful clans merging together in more ways than one had captured the attention of the citizenry.
Late night hosts poured over the guest lists, trying to decipher who was invited and who'd been snubbed. Others bought or sold stock in other companies based off of these guest lists. Apparently not being invited was akin to there being something 'wrong' with a company. There had to be something wrong if the Uchihas and Hyuugas didn't trust you enough to attend such an important event! Not only were people pouring over the politics of the guest list but also digging into their backgrounds. Rumors were starting to swirl of a secret relationship between her and the best man, Naruto Uzumaki.
They told of a jealous rivalry between the two for the former heiress' heart, completely cutting out the fact that Naruto was happily married with a child of his own. How could the future Hokage be happy with a woman like Ino? A woman with no formal higher education or pedigree? How could be satisfied with such a lowly woman when an heiress was also within his reach? No, a story about a happily married man did not sell tabloid magazines or bring eyeballs to midday talk shows. As with everything, the rumors would die down and they'd be allowed to fade into the background when some other big thing caught the public's attention. Until then she was left with a terrible, gnawing feeling in the pit of her stomach and the attention of people she wanted nothing to do with. Tenten reached out and grabbed her hand. Hinata squeezed back, leaning to the side so that she could rest her head against her sister in law's shoulder.
Tomorrow would be filled with prying eyes and cameras but for now, she felt it best to push all of that trepidation out of her mind. The twins were having a quiet evening with their paternal grandparents and she had her closest friends and family surrounding her. The Hyuuga smiled as she watched her little sister skip around the hotel room with an empty soda bottle for a microphone. She hardly ever got to see Hanabi now that she was in school and if she wasn't in school she was off traipsing the country with Itachi. Sometimes she worried about Hanabi and Itachi. They rarely called when they were away but when they got back Hanabi was always brimming with the stories of things she'd seen and done. Seeing Hanabi so happy assuaged any worries Hinata might have even though her sister was picking up rather outlandish skills along the way. The promise of summer adventures also kept Hanabi focused on her school work throughout the year. Neji refused to accept anything less than top scores in exchange for letting her go.
Hinata took a sip of her wine and sighed. Hanabi was growing up so fast now, it was hard to see her as the little delinquent who skipped school frequently and liked to sneak into her bed at night. The teen in question seemed to sense that she was being studied and turned her sights on Hinata. The elder gulped she knew that look. Almost predatorily Hanabi stalked over, Hinata shaking her head furiously all the while.
"C'mon Hinata! It's been so long!" She whined as she pounced on the bed. Hinata barely had time to put her wine on the bedside table to keep it from spilling everywhere.
"Hanabi-" she protested.
"Please! Please! Please!" The teen insisted and Hinata sighed.
She might be getting more mature but her little sister still had a lot of growing up to do. Hanabi cheered at Hinata's concession and stopped jumping on the bed. She handed her older sister the empty soda bottle with a wide grin on her face and Hinata reluctantly accepted it. Ino cheered as the Hyuuga girls got off of the bed and joined her in front of the t.v. as a new song was just about to come on.
"Stop the presses!" A muffled voice through the suite's door yelled. The doorknob jiggled for a bit but soon the door was flung open wide. "The main event has arrived!"
"Temari!" Ino squealed and jumped up and down with excitement. In her enthusiasm, she tripped over her own feet and fell face first onto the floor.
"Someone's started drinking without me." Temari laughed and stepped into the hotel suite.
Around her neck was a large, flamboyantly pink, feather boa. Behind her, Matsuri stepped into the room, swamped down with dozens of boutique shopping bags. The blonde surveyed the room and frowned.
"What kind of bachelorette party is this?" She sniffed, tossing one end of the boa over her neck. "Where's the loud music? The copious amounts of booze? Most importantly where are the half-naked boys?"
"Hinata prefers more low-key events." Tenten bristled, unappreciative of Temari's criticism.
As the Maid of Honor, it was her job to plan Hinata's bachelorette party and she'd taken great care to not have anything that would make her uncomfortable. That meant no loud music, no hard liquor, and most definitely no half-naked men. Hinata's face was already bright pink at the mere mention of naked men!
"Well, then I guess I'll have to liven this place up." Temari huffed and started taking shopping bags away from a rather nervous looking Matsuri.
As the blonde began rummaging through the shopping bags, Matsuri bowed low to Hinata.
"Sorry for the intrusion but Temari insisted she needed my help." The young woman said and Hinata hurried across the room to help her up from her formal greeting.
"Don't apologize! The more the merrier!" The Hyuuga said as she smiled at Matsuri. "Long time no see."
"It's nice to see you again. Congratulations by the way!"
Hinata's smile widened. Maybe it was because of the wine but she felt warm and fuzzy seeing Matsuri again under less auspicious circumstances.
"Ah!" Temari announced, pulling a large bottle of expensive brown liquor out of her bag. "Here it is! Is the squirt old enough to drink?"
Hanabi glared at Temari and crossed her arms over her chest defiantly.
"I'm not a squirt and I can drink you under the table old lady."
"You're on!"
"Um, Temari..." Hinata started, interrupting the friendly rivalry that was about to ensue between her sister and Temari. "What's in the rest of the bags?"
Matsuri had been bogged down by way too many bags for there to only be alcohol. Temari's sly smile also denoted the fact that there was more inside of the bags than any of them had bargained for. Without hesitation, she reached into a bright pink bag and pulled out a tiny cheetah print thong with the tags still attached.
"We've gotta pick out what you're wearing for your wedding night!" she said cheerily. "There's a lot more where this came from for the honeymoon too!"
All of the color drained from Hinata's face as she scurried to shield Hanabi's eyes from the debauchery.
….
Friday October 1 2019 10:21pm
Illy Rooftop Bar
...
"Naruto get him down from there!" Neji hissed but the blonde merely shook his head.
"Woo! Go, Lee! Go, Lee!" He cheered, egging the bushy-browed dancer on.
The corner of Sasuke's lip twitched as Lee continued to dance on top of their booth table. Perhaps it was the crisp fall air mixed with the copious amounts of alcohol that he'd consumed but the Uchiha didn't mind the spectacle too much. If he were being completely honest, it was a rather amusing. However, he'd rather die than ever admit to Naruto that he was enjoying himself.
"Get down Lee!" Neji insisted and tried to grab onto the enthusiastic dancer's wrist but Lee spun away.
"Come on Neji!" He slurred as he thrust his hips from one side to the other. "You are only young once! We should enjoy a fresh autumn night such as this one by taking full advantage of what our bodies can do. That means dancing the night away!"
"Yea!" Naruto agreed, bouncing a bit in his seat as well. He'd likely get up there on the table as well if had a few more drinks.
Neji shook his head and slumped lower in his seat, clearly outmaneuvered by the will of their drunk friends. Sasuke smirked at the new Hyuuga head's discomfort as he brought his glass to his lips. Upon finding it empty, he frowned and moved to get up from the booth. Neji saw him trying to slide out and grabbed his wrist. Long calloused fingers wrapped around the appendage and pale eyes narrowed in desperation.
"Don't you dare leave me here with them." He threatened as Naruto and Lee continued to make fools of themselves.
"It's not as bad as it could be." Sasuke smirked and Neji let go of his wrist with a visible shudder at just how much worse it could have been.
The only reason things weren't going off the rails was because Ino had made Naruto promise no strippers. Otherwise, there would be naked women dancing on the table instead of Lee.
"If you insist on leaving me, bring me back a whiskey."
Sasuke raised a curious eyebrow at the usually stoic man.
"I'm the groom. Shouldn't you be the one getting me a drink?"
"Hyuugas don't buy drinks for Uchihas."
At that statement, Sasuke rolled his eyes and lazily shoved his hands into his pockets. Their families' rivalry was little more than political banter for them. Although the animosity was still very much real between Hiashi and Fugaku, Sasuke and Neji found it to be more of a joke. Especially with the merge going as well as it was there was no reason to harbor actual ill will towards one another. With an indignant shrug of his shoulders, the groom made his way towards the bar.
The rooftop bar was sparsely populated that night. Mostly overworked businessmen, zealous entrepreneurs, and high powered attornies occupied the space. Naruto's bodyguards had scoped the place out beforehand to ensure that there would be no paparazzi present to catch the future Hokage slipping. They were also downstairs near the entrance screening people as they arrived which was startling to many people who just wanted a drink but these kinds of precautions were neccessary. The bar itself was pretty relaxed as the bartender noticed his approach. Sasuke slipped easily onto an open stool and motioned for the bartender that he was ready to order.
"Fancy seeing you here." A sultry voice whispered in his ear. If Sasuke were a lesser man he would have jumped at the close proximity of the voice's owner but instead, he lazily turned his head.
Smiling coyly was his former pink-haired assistant taking up the empty bar stool next to him. Her green eyes were brighter than the last time he saw her but then again everything looked dull when Hinata and his sons were around. He actually hadn't seen her around too much but he did hear about her in passing sometimes from Naruto. Usually, he was complaining about Sakura cutting into his alone time with Ino. She never visited Ino when the girls were all together and showed up at the Hokage mansion at some very inopportune times.
"Good evening Sakura." He said cordially and turned his eyes towards the bartender who was starting to make the drink he'd ordered.
"So formal." She sighed and placed a hand on his forearm just like she used to do. "You'd think we hardly knew each other."
Sasuke grunted and slid his arm off of the bar top so that she was no longer touching him. When they'd worked together he'd thought that her need for physical contact was just a personality quirk, one that he was willing to put up with because she was excellent at her job. Now...it felt different. It felt as though he was being marked, as though she was just reclaiming her property. The Uchiha shoved the thought out of his head. His drunk mind was making him paranoid.
"How have you been?" She asked, unperturbed by his snub. "How are things at the office? The harpies haven't gotten their claws into you have they?"
"Fine. Things are normal. No." He answered and she giggled at his clipped response.
"You always did get straight to the point. I'm glad that hasn't changed." She sighed.
Sasuke looked at her curiously and a light blush dusted over her cheeks. Why was she blushing? Nothing he said was the least bit embarrassing so why was her face changing colors? She twirled a bit of her around her finger, fidgeting under his calculating gaze. She grabbed her own drink and nearly downed the rest of the glass in a single gulp. Why was she so nervous? The Uchiha didn't have much time to ponder her behavior as the bartender finally set two drinks in front of him and held his hand out for payment. Sasuke reached for his wallet to pay put Sakura already had her card out and was handing it to the bartender. Seeing her pay made him stiffen suspiciously, putting his wallet back into his pocket. Sakura noticed his shift in demeanor and smiled.
"It's the least I can do."
"What do you mean?" He asked flatly.
Sakura blushed and leaned closer to him. He could smell the liquor on her breath.
"You're so serious Sasuke. After working together for so long isn't it normal for me to buy you a drink. As former colleagues of course." She said and boldly placed a hand on his thigh under the bar top.
Sasuke pushed her hand away and started to stand up from the bar stool, drinks be damned. Sakura grabbed the edge of his shirt sleeve to keep him from leaving.
"Sakura you're drunk." He said flatly as she stood up from her stool as well, still holding onto his shirt sleeve all the while.
"So?" She replied glibly with a shrug of her shoulders. "I'm sure you've been drinking as well."
Sasuke jerked his sleeve out from her fingers, causing her to stumble forward. Several nearby patrons looked at the couple curiously. The bartender narrowed his eyes and shook his head at the move. How could he treat this woman so coldly after she bought him a drink? Sakura was also doing a good job adding to the pitying looks by her shoulder's slumping and a dejected look on her face. If he wasn't careful she might actually start crying. With a huff, he grabbed Sakura's wrist and dragged her away towards the exit for the bar. There in the dim stairwell, he pulled her towards the bathrooms where the hallway was thankfully deserted. Once satisfied that they had some semblance of privacy he let her arm go as if it burned him.
"Sakura-" He started but she closed the distance between them, pressing her body up against his. Sasuke pushed her away with more force than he'd intended and the motion made her stumble back. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Sasuke." She pouted. "You're the one who practically dragged me over here to a dark corner. You of all people know what adults do in dark corners."
"I brought you here to keep from making a scene-"
"Oh really?"
Her voice sounded incredulous and while the circumstances they found themselves in warranted skepticism he had no intentions of doing what 'adults do in dark corners'. Least of all with Sakura. She confidently took a step closer to him, reaching out in the dark to touch him again.
"Sakura stop. I'm sure you very well know that I'm getting married tomorrow." He spat, taking a step back from her but finding his back pressed up against the wall.
"Everyone knows that one of the precious Uchiha sons is getting married tomorrow." Sakura giggled as she took a step forward. "Tonight is your last night of freedom right? Why not indulge? Haven't you ever wondered what it would be like? You...and me."
"No." He said flatly and pushed her away again.
"There is no way you are satisfied by only one woman. Especially one that's boring like Hinata." She spat.
Sasuke bristled at the venom with which she used to refer to the Hyuuga woman. The distaste that she had for someone who belonged to him felt like a slap in the face. It was as if she were insulting him. His upper lip curled as he tried to restrain his temper.
"I know that I would be a better match for you. You don't even know what she's don-"
"Pathetic. I would have thought you'd have gotten over your childish crush by now."
"It's not a crush-"
"I don't care what it is. Get rid of it."
"Sasuke-"
"Hinata is the mother of my children and tomorrow she will be my wife. There is no room for your feelings if you wish to continue to associate with either of us in any capacity. If I had my way you would never breathe the same air as Hinata but for some reason, she still holds an affection for you. Listen to me well. Try anything like this again and you will regret it."
His voice was hard and distant, as though reprimanding an employee for subpar work. He didn't understand Sakura's continued affection for him and quite frankly he didn't give a damn to try. Her shoulders slumped as his cold words washed over her. Maybe this time it would actually sink in and she could move on. He didn't care either way but situations like this could not be allowed to escalate, especially not in public. Hell would freeze over before he allowed a compromising photo of himself to get out to the press or a scandal to brew. Sakura's bottom lip trembled as he pushed past her to rejoin the rest of his bachelor party.
"Sasuke." She whispered, the sadness in her voice bringing him to pause. "Congratulations."
When he returned to the table, Lee had finally gotten down from his dancing stage and was now 'resting his eyes' on the table. Naruto was no longer there but was easy to spot at the bar ordering more drinks. Neji eyed him suspiciously as he slid back into the booth.
"No drinks." The Hyuuga said dryly and Sasuke shrugged his shoulders. He wasn't in the mood to drink anymore. After a long stretch of silence, Neji spoke again.
"I saw you leave with Sakura." He said simply but Sasuke wasn't perturbed.
"Nothing happened."
The two men stared each other down across the table, neither one's gaze wavering. For a moment Sasuke was reminded of just how short of a fuse the Hyuuga possessed. It had only taken a split second for Neji to punch Naruto in the jaw because of Hinata. He would have done a lot worse if they hadn't had more pressing matters to attend to. Sasuke was more than confident that he could take the brunette on in a fight but he'd rather not have to do that. Stiffly, Neji leaned forward with his jaw clenched.
"I will say this only once Uchiha." He said. "If you hurt her. I will kill you."
…..
Saturday October 2 2019 2:00pm
Atami Shrine
...
Gathered together in the courtyard of their ancient family shrine was a sight that many would have thought would never happen. One half of the crowd wore crème and silver colored kimonos made of expensive silks, all of which had been painstakingly hand-embroidered and handed down through generations. The other half was a stark contrast of all tailored black suits and expensive dark dresses. Countless sets of pupilless eyes, some pearl others onyx, were waiting patiently to bear witness to a unique moment in both of their lives. A moment that had their ancestors rolling in their graves and the future uncertain. A union that was not only between two people who'd found themselves amongst a sea of many. Nor was this merely a blending of families, both prestigious within in their own right. No, this was a reunion of blood. Of the rebellious faction in their family tree finally returning, rendering them whole once more. This was the day that the Uchiha and Hyuuga became a family once again. Despite the misgivings of many of the elders of both factions, this was a day that would mark a new era for their clans.
The youngest Uchiha head to date understood the magnanimity of what was about to happen but was utterly unfazed by it. It was merely the last step to making what was already a reality for him official in the eyes of the world. He adjusted his black tie for what might have been the millionth time, dark eyes scanning his reflection to ensure not a hair was out of place.
"Are you ready little brother?" Itachi asked as he picked up Hajime from the floor.
Sasuke tore his eyes away from the mirror and nodded his head. He watched as his eldest son calmly allowed himself to be held by his uncle. To most, this would be seen as normal but Sasuke knew his sons better than anyone. It took them awhile to warm up to most people and family was no exception. Itachi, however, was a special case when it came to the twins. They'd both latched onto him the moment he met them for the first time. Their big black eyes and locked onto him and whenever he was around they'd follow him like little shadows.
"You shouldn't call me 'little' brother." Sasuke scoffed as he stood up from the floor. "I am supposed to be your Head."
"You will always be my little brother." Itachi replied, smirking at his brother's arrogance.
The smirk, while genuine, had a certain tired quality about it. He was paler than normal and the bags under his eyes were more pronounced. He was still the same Itachi he'd always known but something was off.
"Are you alright Itachi?" Sasuke asked and Itachi laughed.
"I should be asking you that question. Your bachelor party was last night but you're not even remotely hung over. I must admit that I'm a little disappointed."
"Hn."
Sasuke shook his head and approached his son and brother. After the run-in with Sakura at the bar, he had no desire to drink anymore. Just the thought of her left a sour taste in his mouth. A most unwelcome sensation since this was supposed to be a happy occasion. He pushed the thoughts of his old secretary out of his mind as he stroked his son's cheek. Eyes much like his own blinked back at him.
Despite the strange aura that hung over his brother, Sasuke was grateful that he was there. Itachi never came home anymore but standing here with him felt as though he'd never left. He was still the shadow he looked up to and the shoes he'd never be able to fill. Three sharp knocks against the frame of the door broke the Uchiha men from their comfortably shared silence. The shoji door slid open, letting a crisp fall wind into the room. Naruto smiled brightly at them in his dark, well-tailored suit and bright orange tie. He should have worn a black tie like Sasuke had repeatedly told him to but the loudmouth never followed directions.
"Its time to get married bastard!" He said, his enthusiasm making Itachi chuckle and Sasuke's eyebrow twitch with irritation.
Naruto opened the shoji wider to allow the Uchiha's to leave the tatami room. Sasuke stepped out of the room, flanked on either side by his companions, and regarded the mass of people before him. A heavy hush washed over the crowd as they watched him descend the stairs into the courtyard. Gravel crunched underfoot as he made his way to the mouth of the large divide between the two factions, all eyes boring into him. At the other end of the aisle was the building that held Hinata. A sharp three knocks from Tenten resounded through the courtyard and the shojo door slid open.
Hanabi exited the room first, elegantly dressed in a bright yellow kimono that denoted her honor as a daughter of the main house. If one didn't know any better someone might mistake her for a well-bred lady. At least they would until she opened her mouth and immediately proved them wrong. Sasuke had to admit though that the brat cleaned up nicely. In her arms, she held Hiroto who was thankfully on his best behavior at the moment.
The Hyuuga girl stepped aside to allow Neji to stand beside her. The new Hyuuga head stood stone-faced as he regarded the crowd momentarily. He bowed deeply to his own faction, long brown hair falling around his shoulders as he did so. The Hyuuga returned the gesture in kind while the Uchiha clan remained straight. Neji then turned back to the room that held Hinata and bowed one more time. He stepped aside to let Hinata leave the room and Sasuke's breath caught in his throat.
There she stood, pale eyes downcast and framed by thick black lashes. Her white wedding kimono was covered in a bright red furisode, embroidered richly with golden cranes and koi fish. Sasuke hadn't even realized he was holding his breath until her foot touched the gravel and she finally looked up at him. All at once the world began to turn again, it's axis solely relying on one woman. One small woman who had more power over him than he ever cared to admit but had relinquished willingly. One woman who was willing to bind herself to him forever despite the fact that she deserved better.
However, he was a selfish man. Even though he knew that she could so much better than him he would still bind himself to her. In every sense of the word, she belonged to him. A small smile spread across her face as she looked at him from the other side of the aisle. It was such a small gesture but it made him want to bound across the divide and kiss her senseless. Instead, he settled for walking, one slows step at a time until he met her in the middle. On either side, Naruto and Itachi followed him closely just as Tenten and Hanabi followed Hinata and Neji.
When the two parties met in the middle, both families bowed low and stayed there with anticipation and respect. Neji took Hinata's hand and took a few steps closer to Sasuke. Each step brought her closer to him, each infuriatingly slow step. Hinata's pale eyes stared back at him as though he was the only person that existed. As though the countless sets of familiar eyes set on them weren't even there. He lost himself in their depths and wouldn't have resurfaced unless Neji had cleared his throat.
"I present to you, Hyuuga Hinata. Eldest daughter of Hyuuga Hiashi. Mother of Hajime and Hiroto Uchiha, heirs to the Uchiha clan..."
To be continued...
N is for Promises
All good things must come to an end.