Kekkon
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Sasuke glowered at the apron which hung innocently on a golden hook. He poked the rough, tweed material before he withdrew his hand and scowled. All around him happy old people were bumbling about while they got ready to start the day.
The wooden room was small and congested, with shelves on one side, each for a designated employee. There were ten people in total that worked in the herb shop, most of whom were old and retired, the exception being Sasuke, of course.
"Oh come on now," Sakura said from somewhere behind him, "don't be all pouty, here let me help you." Sasuke grumbled, but allowed her nimble hands to fasten the green apron onto him.
He sighed, it was his last month as an anbu before he left to become the head of the police department, but after being severely injured that time had been cut down. Currently, the grumpy Uchiha was on a two week recover leave, administered personally by the Hokage, which explained why he was here.
Sakura had insisted that since he had nothing to do, Sasuke should come into the store and help her. Unfortunately for him, Mikoto agreed, and when his mother approved of something, it always happened.
Sensing his sullen mood, Sakura smacked him, "Cheer up! Working in the shop isn't that boring, I'm sure you'll like it."
Sasuke sent her a half hearted glare, before he rubbed his face, "What exactly do I have to do?"
The pink haired girl tapped her chin, "Well, everything is pretty much covered, but you can stand by the register with me, if you want, or help some of the-"
"I'll go with you," he nodded curtly. Sasuke's eyes narrowed for a moment, "Why aren't you wearing an apron?"
Sakura shrugged, "I don't know, it's usually for the people who work in the green house, or outside."
Sasuke's face scrunched, "Then why do I have to wear one?"
The pink haired girl giggled, and pinched her husband's cheek, "Because you look so kawaii!"
The Uchiha grabbed her wrist and backed her up to the wall, a devious smirk on his face. His lips came dangerously close to her own, enough for her to feel his warm breath.
"Sakura? Sasuke?"
The girl thanked kami for her husband's ninja reflexes and soon the two of them were a respectable distance apart. An old man hobbled in and adjusted the glasses on his face while he looked around the room.
"Ojji-san, is everything okay?" Sasuke asked, unflustered.
"Hai, hai. I just wanted to know why you were taking so long," the old man said, with his chiding directed at Sakura, "You know how busy it gets on weekends."
His daughter nodded, "Gomen Ojji-san, I'll be right out. Come on, Sasuke."
The couple walked out into a narrow hallway, which creaked with each step. There was a sweet smell in the air that wafted from the various rooms that each contained a different commodity.
"I never knew the store was so big," Sasuke said.
The dark haired man stopped for a moment and peeked into one of the rooms. Two ladies worked diligently while they chatted about their grandchildren; one of them seemed to be grinding up pastes while the other packed tea leaves.
Sakura pulled on her husband's sleeve, "The shop looks small from the outside, but it's actually really complex. Each room has to be kept at a specific temperature, and environment ideal for preserving the herbs and such."
He nodded and allowed his wife to drag him onward. They pushed past a curtain which led them to the front of the store, the part which Sasuke was familiar with.
"No one's here," he pointed out.
Sasuke stared at the various colorful jars and herbs that hung from the ceiling; strands of sunlight seeped into the room and the store looked oddly peaceful. He sighed, visibly relaxed, as he followed Sakura behind the counter, and watched as she sat on a rickety stool.
"There's so many locks," Sasuke said while he looked at the drawers and each of its different keyholes, "don't tell me you keep your recipes in there."
Sakura shook her head, "Of course not, conniving ninja's like you would steal all our secrets."
Sasuke scoffed, "Then where do you keep them?"
His wife grinned and tapped her large forehead, "Right here, in my head. No one can steal them that way."
The dark haired man looked impressed, "So you memorize everything? But, what if you die? Everything would be lost."
"Well I don't plan on dying anytime soon, and anyway," she grinned and wrapped her arms around Sasuke's torso, "I got my own personal ninja bodyguard."
"Don't get too cozy, you two!" came a crumbly voice from behind them.
Hikaru waddled in and rested both hands on his cane. The bamboo stick seemed to strain with the weight, but stood strong. Sakura blushed and moved away from Sasuke who smirked at her embarrassment.
The older man chuckled, "Have you ever seen Sakura as a child?" he asked his son-in-law.
The dark haired man shook his head and much to Sakura's mortification, her father pulled out an album.
"I've been cleaning out an old storage room for a couple of day, and I stumbled upon this!" Hikaru said as he pointed at his discovery.
The old album was light pink; covered in dust and dirt from being hidden for so long. It had a plain, simple cover and was relatively big, with worn bindings and torn edges.
"Well don't just stare at it, open it!" The old man said, "I'm going back to the room to dig up some other things."
Sasuke threw a look at Sakura, who seemed to dread what was inside. Her husband smirked when their eyes met.
"Let's see what's inside, Sa-ku-ra," he quickly opened the album.
The first picture consisted of a small Sakura and Ino, both standing side by side and grinning mischievously. They were covered in mud and dirt, with twigs and even pebbles tangled in their hair.
He could hear his wife giggling, "Ojji-san took that after we got lost in the woods one day, kami everyone was so worried."
Sasuke only shook his head, and when he flipped the page he caught a photo that had been pressed between the pages. The picture was faded and wrinkled, the colors looked dulled and the sides of the photograph was creased. It had been taken early in the morning as indicated by the rising sun, and in the middle was a small child, around the age of four, undoubtedly Sakura. She was wearing plain clothes and curled up into a ball, staring out the window.
"Why are you so unhappy," Sasuke asked, suddenly aware of the tension.
He glanced at Sakura to watch as she hesitated, "It- it was right after Ojji-san found me," she whispered turning away.
Sasuke bit his tongue and instantly regretted his question. He had forgotten that Sakura was adopted.
The pink haired girl always seemed to close up whenever his mother mentioned her family. Mikoto would pester her with question, but his wife would always change the topic or suddenly remember that she had something to do.
Sasuke cleared his throat and effectively gained Sakura's attention who watched curiously as her husband thumbed through the pictures and nodded as though he found something interesting. She scrunched her face, as he closed the album with a definitive snap.
"Nani?" she asked, as she met his calculating gaze.
Sasuke smirked and walked around the counter to stand in the middle of the store. He folded his hands behind his back and spoke loudly.
"I have come to a conclusion."
The pink haired girl rose her eyebrow, resting her elbows on the counter, "What conclusion?"
"That you, Uchiha Sakura, have always had a large forehead and have most certainly not grown into it," her husband said, crossing his arms.
Sakura's eye twitched and he swore he heard wood crack, "Sasuke you're such an-"
"Don't worry, our children will inherit my genes," he said confidently, his wife flushed and she let out a stream of insults.
The Uchiha barely listened as she gave a vivid description of his inflated ego; his thoughts wandered elsewhere. He wanted to learn about Sakura's past, but knew it would take time, which was fine with him, he could wait.
Sasuke watched as his wife stomped away while she mumbled about arrogant husbands. An irritated Sakura was always better than a sad one.
The dark haired man smiled.
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QUICK QUESTION
Which Naruto character do you want to hug the most? (minor groping is accepted)- for example I would have to say... the Uchiha bros and Gaara (yes I love him)
What animal would you describe yourself as? - Panda: lazy, hungry and awesome.