Veil- A traditional bridal headpiece used during a wedding ceremony. A veil is light, sheer fabric often embellished with lace, rhinestone, embroidered patterns and other details. It is common for brides to cover their face with a veil. It is usually lifted by the groom so that they can seal their union with a kiss.
"I can't believe we got stuck with another low-rank mission…" Naruto grumbled as he stomped forward on the road leading away from the Village Hidden in the Leaves. A small caravan followed steadily beside him, the wooden wheels crunching the worn dirt of the road.
Kakashi let out a sigh as he turned the page of his well-loved novel. "A mission is a mission, Naruto. You can't expect every mission to be S Rank."
"But we've already had a few of those! I don't see why we can't get something more exciting than escorting a bunch of rags!"
Kakashi gave the boy a sharp look. Naruto flinched and turned away to continue grumbling quietly.
Kakashi turned to see their client in the front seat of the caravan. An older woman smiled flirtatiously at him whenever they made eye contact. Luckily she was animatedly conversing with her assistant, a younger woman named Mina.
Miss Kimiko Togami. She owned a well-known shop outside of the village. Miss Kimiko made it a point to emphasize their specialty was in designing and producing wedding apparel as she winked shamelessly at Kakashi. He really wished that she hadn't said that. Not only did Lady Tsunade find it hilarious, but Sakura looked absolutely delighted.
"You make wedding dresses?" Sakura asked with a bright smile. Naruto and Sasuke both glanced at the kunoichi between them.
Miss Kimiko turned to the young girl. She instantly recognized the expression on her face and became just as energetic. "I design the most beautiful wedding dresses! Anything from traditional kimonos to modern gowns! I get orders from all over the world!" She winked at Sakura before reaching into her bag to pull out a fat binder. The elderly woman dashed to stand beside Sakura, causing the boys to stand back slightly. Sakura was eagerly handed the binder by the designer.
Sakura looked down at the binder, and her eyes shone further in wonder. The designs were absolutely gorgeous! Kimonos and gowns in every style she could have ever imagined. Sakura gasped as she saw one kimono in particular. The kimono wasn't a stark white but in the palest powder pink. Lush white silk flowers were sewn onto the sleeves and scattered at the bottom of the dress. Dainty tree branches are embroidered throughout the piece. Sakura was absolutely captivated.
"Oh, I see you found one you like!" Miss Kimiko announced. Sakura snapped her head up and blushed.
Naruto raised his eyebrow at his flustered teammate and decided to take a peek. "What's so great about a wedding dress?" He asked curiously before gasping. Miss Kimiko chuckled lightly. "Whoa! That's really something! You designed this yourself, lady?"
"Naruto, be polite," Kakashi called, his tone neutral.
Miss Kimiko laughed heartily. "Oh, don't worry about it! I designed this one, but I also have other super-talented designers in my shop. Perhaps I could design a garment for you one day, dear?" She said to Naruto with a warm smile before turning back to Sakura. "I think you would make a beautiful bride."
Sakura's blush deepened at the woman. Naruto nodded eagerly in agreement. "Yeah, Sakura, you should wear this dress when we get married!" Naruto exclaimed.
"Shut up, you idiot!" Sakura growled, leaning away from Naruto with the book.
Kakashi gave a tired sigh as Tsunade smirked. The three were talking quite excitedly, with the old woman fixating on Sakura. He caught the gesturing glances she threw toward where Sasuke Uchiha stood in indifference to the commotion. Sakura's eyes shone brightly at the boy even though she slumped slightly when she noticed his aloofness.
Kakashi really did feel for her at times.
And now he felt more for Naruto as he suddenly got down on his knee.
"Naruto, what are you—!?" Sakura exclaimed loudly. Her face was Inflamed.
"Sakura Haruno, will you do me the honor—GAH!" Naruto suddenly found himself on the other side of the room with a lovely new bump on his head.
Kakashi closed his eyes and tried not to sigh again for the 3rd time in 5 minutes. When he opened his eyes, he saw Sakura grumbling furiously as she tried to hand the binder back over to Miss Kimiko calmly. The woman looked astounded as she gazed at the powerful young girl. Most people assume that their pink-haired teammate is defenseless, but the honest truth is that she is a brutal force of nature. And once she is trained by Tsunade, she will be worse.
He turned his glance slightly to the other boy. Sasuke looked as stoic as always; however, his eyebrows were screwed slightly, with a minute twitch in his eye. The boy then suddenly looked at his teacher's gaze and scowled darkly.
Miss Kimiko turned to the darker-haired boy and gasped. The boy gave her a puzzled look, but the scowl was still on his face. She didn't even flinch. After several silent moments, the seamstress suddenly turned the open binder to him. Sasuke took a step back in surprise and took an involuntary look at the page.
It was the exact wedding kimono that Sakura was staring at, except it was next to a groom's kimono. Without meaning to, Sasuke caught the details of both garments. He noted the lush flowers on the bridal kimono and the intricate branches all on pale pink fabric. The groom's kimono was deep dark blue throughout and glossy black threads making fluid shapes like waves. The jacket was the traditional black, but he saw a subtle red thread on the edge of the sleeves. When he followed the thread, it led him back to the bride, who also had a red thread on her sleeves. Sasuke tore his gaze from the binder and saw the old woman's eyes gleaming. The scowl returned to his face, but Miss Kimiko was utterly unfazed.
Sakura watched the silent exchange, completely confused. The seamstress closed her binder with a satisfying clap and a sigh. "I think we should begin preparations to depart in three days' time." Miss Kimiko announced, turning to wink at Kakashi.
Now they were making their 3-day journey to Miss Kimiko's shop. Naruto began grumbling about 30 minutes into the trip, which was impressive given that it was Naruto. The front of their security detail was stone quiet.
Sasuke and Sakura walked at an equal pace on each side of the caravan. Sakura tried in vain to start small talk about the odd wind at the beginning of their trek, but Sasuke merely told her to focus on the mission. The disappointment was not unnoticeable. She did her best to kill that feeling so she could focus on her surroundings, but things were calm. Her mind wondered.
When she was not with her team, Sakura's mind would continue to travel back to the Forest of death. It was where she often found herself when she slept. She would be there at that moment when Naruto was knocked out and stayed out. You could always rely on Naruto to get back up, but when he didn't, that is when everything took a turn for the worst. It would slow down at the moment when the snake Sannin, Orochimaru, bit into Sasuke's shoulder. A tight ache would erupt in her hand while the sound of screams surrounded her. Those screams echoed in her mind when she woke up. It wasn't so long ago, but it was fresher every day in her dreams.
Sakura flexed her hand and noted there was less and less strain as the days went by. Still, if she moved her hand a certain way, there would be a really unpleasant pull. She hasn't been able to carry anything overly heavy with it for a good while now too. Sakura tightened her fist as tightly as she would and winced when a sharp pain erupted from her palm.
"Does your hand still bother you?"
Sakura turned to see Sasuke looking at her, the strong wind tossing his hair back a bit. He looked so handsome. She offered a small smile. "Not so much. It's been improving." She said lightly, demonstrating by flexing her hand some more. It backfired when it gave another nasty pull.
Sasuke looked slightly irritated. "Seems it has a way to go." He faced forward again.
"It'll get there. Maybe me messing with it just now wasn't the best idea." Sakura said a soft smile on her face. She tucked her hand behind her.
"Maybe."
At that, Sakura chuckled. Giving the boy next to her another glance, she could see his face relaxed again.
A loud neigh erupted suddenly from the horses. Sakura moved to calm the horses down, but they were becoming increasingly frantic.
"Whoa! Easy! Easy!" Miss Kimiko called out from her carriage.
"Why are they freaking out!" Naruto yelled as he ran up to help.
"We don't speak horse, idiot," Sasuke said as he tried to see what could have startled them.
Nothing they did had any effect. The horses stomped and whined loudly. Soon one of them began trying to shake off their harness. When they didn't break free, it rose on its hind legs and tried to bring itself down on the genin in front of him. Sakura moved out of the way quickly, avoiding its hooves.
The horses began bucking the carriage, causing it to shake violently. Miss Kimiko and her assistant hastily exited the carriage, assisted by Kakashi and Naruto. Just as the two were secured away from the panicked horses, they suddenly sprinted forward.
Sasuke and Sakura threw themselves out of the way, barely avoiding getting run over. The carriage flew past them in a cloud of dust. Once the wind blew the dust away, they turned to look at the rest of the group. Kakashi, Naruto, Miss Kimiko, and Mina stared in shock as the carriage continued barreling down the road.
"Well. That's not ideal." Kakashi stated in the quiet. "Alright, let's go track down the horses. Hopefully, the carriage is still in one piece." Kakashi turned to Miss Kimiko and her assistant. "Our apologies, ladies. We will have to walk for a bit."
Miss Kimiko grabbed Kakashi's arm and snuggled him. "Oh, no need to worry, Mr. Sensei! I'll just think of it as a lovely little stroll." She said while smiling brightly at him.
"I just hope the fabric stays secured in the carriage." The assistant said, a much more concerned expression on her face. She glanced at the clipboard she kept with her when she exited the vehicle. "Luckily, most of the fabrics we purchased are quite durable, so even if they fell out, there would be minimal damage. But we may miss our deadline."
"So diligent, Miss Mina." Miss Kimiko applauded. "Couldn't run so efficiently without you." Miss Mina blushed at the sudden praise.
"Then let's do this quickly," Sasuke said, his patience running thin.
"Yeah, let's leave sensei alone with his girlfriend!" Naruto chuckled as Miss Kimiko hugged Kakashi's arm closer. Kakashi, however, was very unamused by his comment if the irritated stare was anything to go by.
The three genin took off into the trees and raced after the horses. From their view, they could easily see the hoof tracks down the path. After a few yards, the tracks veer off the path and into the forest.
"Aw, great," Naruto grumbled.
Sasuke mentally agreed. Now that the horses were in the forest, there was a better probability of the carriage being damaged. The trio dashed deeper into the forest, looking out for any sign of horses and carriage car. Looking closely, Sasuke could see damage on the tree trunks. Most likely, it was from the carriage crashing into them. They picked up speed. After a few more yards, they all heard a loud crash followed by galloping sounds.
"The horses got loose!" Sakura exclaimed. "You two get the horses. I'll go check on the carriage."
Sasuke nodded before heading off in the direction of the horses, Naruto following close behind him. Sakura kept following the damaged trees until she found the carriage. She let out a groan in dismay as she surveyed the damage.
The carriage lay on its side, the back compartment door open. Expensive wedding fabric was thrown in every direction, some even flying onto the tree branches above her. The wind picked up more and more, sending anything not on a ream flying away further. Sakura gave a tired sigh and set to work.
She began by gathering the reams of fabric, rolling anything that may have come undone. As she did so, she couldn't help but admire the fabrics' designs, patterns, and textures. Each one had its charm, no matter how simple or complex. Sakura's mind couldn't help but imagine what each fabric would be used on. Would this team of ivory fabric be used for a kimono or for a modern style dress? This colorful silk with embroidered crane designs must be for the uchikake. Perhaps this soft lilac is used for the underlayers? Which one would she use for her wedding?
Sakura startled herself by that thought. Oh boy, what would her wedding even look like? It wasn't a new line of thought but one she hadn't visited in a while. She had always imagined a huge wedding. One with all her friends and family at the biggest shrine in Konoha! Now, however, she can't imagine herself being at the center of such a spectacle. Especially if Sasuke was her groom. She couldn't imagine he would ever feel comfortable at a massive wedding, especially when his family couldn't be there to fill the space. No, he wouldn't. The more she thought about it, the more she smiled at the idea of a small wedding with Sasuke. He would look so handsome in his groom's attire. Sakura's smile grew with the mental image.
It was quick work getting the reams together and placing them in the tipped-over carriage. Upon closer inspection, Sakura saw that the wheels were broken along with the axle and reins. The carriage was no longer operational. Well, there was nothing she could do about that. Sakura looked up at the trees to her next task: collecting all the fabric that was scattered by the intense wind.
The gusts continued sending the cloth pieces flying further into the forest. Sakura quickly took to the trees and began her retrieval. Landing on a sturdy branch, Sakura learned over and carefully untangled the delicate fabric from the abrasive tree branches. Sakura gave another sign. This was going to take a while.
Elsewhere in the forest, Naruto and Sasuke were finally able to secure the horses. It took some effort, but eventually, they were able to calm them down and grab them by the reins. Now the two young boys guided them calmly through the Forest to where they first separated from their teammate.
"See, horsey, I don't know what got you so spooked!" Naruto spoke animatedly to the horse whilst gently petting his mane. "There's nothing to be afraid of. I'll protect you!" He cooed. The horse gave a gentle neigh as if he understood and appreciated the orange-clad ninja's efforts.
Sasuke just walked ahead, the now docile horse following him in equal stride. He didn't really understand why people spoke to animals as if they were children, it's not like they could understand anyway. But he did know that they were indeed quite sensitive creatures. Without meaning to, Sasuke reached up to stroke the horse's silky mane. To his surprise and subdued delight, the horse leaned into the touch.
"Whoa," Naruto exclaimed, causing Sasuke to look ahead of him again.
There was the carriage, overturned on its side. From a quick look, Sasuke could see the traces were broken, one of the wheels was tilted at an odd angle, and the windows were shattered. The entire vehicle was totaled.
"Where's Sakura?" The blonde asked.
"She's probably nearby. These fabrics look like they were just rerolled and put back." Sasuke noted the strong sweeps of wind as it tousled his hair. "Some must've flown away."
"Well, what do we do?"
"Secure the horses and get back to Kakashi. Tell him the carriage is busted. We'll either have to walk back, or the village will send another ride."
"Why do I have to go?!" Naruto yelled at him.
"Because you asked, idiot," Sasuke replied calmly but with equal bite. "Besides, someone has to keep an eye on the horses in case they manage to run off again and in faster than you."
Naruto gave a huff of irritation. "You're not that fast." He grumbled. "Fine." Naruto secured his horse onto a tree trunk. The horse neighed slightly at being anchored but was otherwise calm. Naruto gave the beast another gentle pat before dashing away to find his sensei.
Sasuke secured his horse as Naruto did and looked up to the trees to figure out where his other teammate had gone. There was no sign of distress besides the wrecked carriage. She was perfectly fine. In a forest. By herself. Sasuke clutched his hand as his mind took a trip where he didn't want to go.
The forest of death.
As time went on, he remembered more of the events that occurred on those forest grounds. He remembered seeing Naruto knocked out. He remembered the horror of seeing his own death. He still couldn't figure out how he found the strength to turn and look at his companion. But seeing Sakura frozen in terror and unresponsive bolstered him to get them out of the line of fire.
He wanted to run away.
He wanted to take his friends and run away.
But there was no running. It was either fight or die.
Sakura made that clear.
Sasuke's mark twinged slightly as the memory of the bite flickered in his mind. His hands involuntarily clenched as his own screams echoed in his ears.
"Whoooa! Ooff!"
He snapped out of his reverie and immediately dashed toward the scream. His eyes flashed red as he scanned the grounds. His mind brought up images of blood and bruises. Tears. Sasuke told himself to calm down, but it did nothing to help as he searched for a hint of pink and red.
And finally, he did. Sasuke came to a stop as he spotted his Sakura at the bottom of a steep incline. It was well hidden in the tall grass, but Sasuke saw it from the trees. The young girl stood and dusted herself off, unhurt.
"Aw man, I just picked all those up." He could hear her grumble. The wind had picked up again and dispersed all the fabric she had collected.
Sasuke jumped down from the tree and stood by the incline. "Sakura." He called out.
The young girl turned around and smiled brightly at his arrival. "Oh, Sasuke! Did you find the horses?" Sasuke gave her a short nod. "Oh good! Just give me a second to grab all of these again. Be careful there it's—"
Sasuke was making his way down the incline when his feet suddenly slipped from under him, sliding him down the rest of the way. He corrected himself so he would land on his feet, but it didn't save him from embarrassment.
"Slippery." Sakura finished, using her hand to hide her amusement, but a few giggles managed to escape. "Did you hurt yourself?"
Sasuke stood up and dusted himself off. "No, I'm fine."
Satisfied, Sakura turned to begin collecting the fabric again. She could hear Sasuke moving around to do the same. "Be careful; some of these are really delicate. I think they're supposed to be veils." Sakura babbled on.
Picking up a few of them, Sasuke could feel how fragile they were. So thin and sheer with the tiniest details of lace and glittery stone. There were some that were a bit more substantial but still remarkably light. The wind was still blowing strong and tossing the fabrics everywhere. One particular gust snatched one right out of his hands just as he righted himself on his feet. He turned quickly to grab it but missed. The piece of fabric flew across the way and smacked right onto Sakura's head.
"Oh!" Sakura exclaimed in surprise before letting out a soft giggle.
Her vision was slightly obscured by soft white tulle and lush flowers. The cloth fell down past her back, bunching up in a pile on the forest floor where she knelt. Sakura tried to remove it gently but found her hair had gotten caught in several places. She tried to untangle herself, but the flower appliqués had a good grip on her. "Uh…" she said awkwardly as she still tried to get the cloth off.
"Just rip it off." Sasuke commented as he watched his teammate battle with the fabric.
"I don't want to damage it!" She protested. "It's not ours to destroy."
Sasuke rolled his eyes in annoyance before walking toward her to help her out. Sakura turned to him as he approached, and his steps gave an imperceptible stutter. Her large light green eyes looked up at him through the sheer white tulle. It draped nicely on her slim shoulders and fanned out gracefully on the grass.
"Would you mind helping me?" Sakura asked softly, standing up carefully so she wouldn't step on it. She gently cradled the other bunch of fabric in her arms.
Sasuke handed her his own bunch and walked behind her. Carefully, he gave a few tugs of the tulle to see where the hair was caught. There were at least 6 places where the appliqués entangled themselves in her hair.
"It's really stuck in there, huh?" Sakura said, her voice a bit tight now that he was so close. His hands rested lightly against her scalp, but it was enough for her to short-circuit. He gave a hum of acknowledgment.
The young boy glided his hand through Sakura's hair, trying to ignore how she gave an involuntary shudder. Her pink hair was like silk against his fingertips, moving effortlessly through the locks. He had to ignore that too. Sasuke found one of the knots and began to undo it gently.
Sakura's mind couldn't focus on anything else besides the boy she loved touching her hair. He was slow and gentle in untangling the fabric from her head, careful not to tug too harshly. It was tedious work, she mused as she allowed herself a small smile.
After a few moments, Sasuke was done with the tangles
on the back of Sakura's head. She gave a silent sigh at the lack of contact. The boy walked in front of her and, much to her surprise, wove his hands through her hair again. Her face burned hot as his fingers worked through the knots at the very top of her head. Sakura focused her gaze on the floor. She would definitely faint if she gazed up at the boy whilst he was so close.
Sasuke found the last tangle in her hair and quickly undid it. He delicately lifted the veil over and away from Sakura's face. Without meaning to, his gaze locked in with her face and his hands stopped.
She was still looking away from him, but her ears and cheeks were touched with pink. Her lips were pursed as if she was fighting to keep a secret. The soft white veil rested on her head as his hands let go and returned to his sides. Sasuke took in her image, the suggestion of a future bride. He may have been looking for too long as Sakura's face lifted, and he could see her eyes again. Big bright eyes, the color of seafoam framed by darker pink lashes. It was all he could see now. Were her eyes always so big?
"So, what's going on here?" Naruto suddenly materialized beside them.
The two young ninjas stepped away in surprise, Sakura giving a high-pitched yelp. Sasuke inwardly noted that that was the most effective sneak-up Naruto had ever done. He didn't hear him at all.
"Where did you come from?" Sakura exclaimed, hand to her chest as she recovered.
"Well, I was calling out for you, but apparently, you two were occupied," Naruto grumbled, his face entirely unamused. "So what's all this then? Are you two having a private wedding ceremony or somethin'?" He continued.
"W-wedding ceremony?!" Sakura squeaked as her cheeks burst into a bright red.
Naruto turned to glare at Sasuke. "I'm actually surprised at you, Sasuke, didn't think you would sneak off to get hitched in the middle of the mission."
Sasuke glared back, but he felt the heat creep up his neck. "Shut up, idiot. The veil got caught in her hair, so I untangled it."
Naruto's blue eyes stared back, unimpressed. "Yeah, sure, but what the heck was that that I just saw? How is closing in like that helping?" What the heck was he talking about, Sasuke thought. "I can't believe you would give Sakura such an improper wedding!"
"Naruto!" Sakura hollered at him in a warning. Her face was still heavily flushed.
"But Sakura! You deserve a beautiful wedding! With a dress, cake, friends!" Naruto protested. "I'm just giving the jerk some advice!"
"Naruto." Another voice called from overhead. All the young kids looked up to see their sensei and the two ladies peering down at them. Lady Kimiko's eyes were sparkling as she saw the scene.
"How lovely!" Miss Kimiko cooed, a hand to her cheek. "Such sweet young romance!"
"And it looks like all the fabric made it out unscathed and accounted for." Her assistant said, jotting notes down on her board.
Kakashi caved and let out another sigh. "The new carriage will be arriving soon. Let's head back to the wreckage for transfer." His students all nodded with varying degrees of acknowledgment. His sole kunoichi was slightly turned away from them in embarrassment, the veil still atop her head. "Sakura, you look lovely, but the veil's gotta go back in the carriage."
Sakura squeaked at the realization. Both boys turned to look at her as well. She quickly but carefully removed the veil and added it to the bunches in her arms. Avoiding the eyes of her teammates, she marched up the incline. The boys followed suit.
Naruto ran up and made it to the top before Sakura. He stretched his hand to help her up the rest of the way, a massive smile on his face. Sakura just raised her hand when her foot slid from underneath her. She braced for a rough landing; instead, she was dangling by someone's arm around her.
"Slippery," Sasuke said softly beside her as he helped her back to her feet. He kept his arm around her until they were both on the slick grassy slant. She gave him a warm smile.
Naruto shook his head slightly in incredulity. Kakashi fought the urge to do the same. Sakura handed the fabrics to Miss Kimiko, who thanked them all profusely. As they returned to the wrecked carriage, the designer began discussing alternative veils for the young kunoichi. The men followed closely behind them, with Sasuke at the rear.
Kakashi snuck a glance at the quiet boy. Sasuke, by all appearances, looked as aloof and unaffected as ever. But unfortunately for him, not only was his sensei observant, he knew the boy's tells.
All the older man needed was a few seconds to see that Sasuke's eyes had that focused intensity when something was on his mind. No doubt, a Sharingan was redundant to him at this moment. Kakashi will wager all his earnings that the image of Sakura in a veil has permanently engraved itself in the young Uchiha's mind. It somehow reminded him of the day he asked his students about their goals for the future. Kakashi had no doubt about the future if things kept progressing at this pace, but he was in no hurry for them to grow up.