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A week had gone by.
While Nekomi was in her office, working on the arrangements for the Chunnin exams, several other women were working on the wedding plans.
Amaya, a jonin medic-nin put herself in charge of three other women, Miya, Shina and Saki. Others had wanted to help, but Amaya had told them they could help with the set up, any more than four people planning would cause more problems than it would solve.
Shina said "Nekomi-hime's finally getting married. I hope it goes well"
Saki said "I need to find a man."
Miya snorted "You have no trouble finding one, your problem is keeping one."
"Hey!"
Amaya smiled "That's enough, you two. This is going to take a lot of planning."
Shina said "Especially considering the things that will have to be brought in. It will take months to get together."
Amaya said "Hai, which is why we must start now."
With Nekomi...
Nekomi was in her office, unaware of the planning going on with the other women. She was concentrating on different arrangements. First, she would have to talk to waterfall, to see if its leader would vouch for her ninja. She had already determined who she would ask to come. She needed to figure out a way to communicate with the damiyos. She frowned. It had been the weak link in her plan. She tapped the end of her pen on her scroll, thinking.
They had already finished group training for the day. Zabuza was training Ishigo, Naruto and Gaara. He was also trying to train Haku, but her attention had been caught by a bird. "Haku, it's time for you to train with your senbon. Leave it alone."
"Toussan..." Haku pleaded "It's so cute! And I think it lost it's mother. Can I keep it?"
Zabuza stressmarked "No, Haku. You already have two mice. You can't have a bird. Besides, it would eat your other pets."
"No it wouldn't. This kind of bird only eats fish, Nekomi-san told me so."
Zabuza stressmarked "The answer is still no, Haku, you have enough pets."
"But toussan..." Haku used her puppydog eyes "Onegai...look at it. It's all alone and it doesn't have a kassan or toussan. It looks so sad..."
Zabuza tried to resist, but he sighed. He had yet to beat her puppydog eyes no jutsu. He said "Fine, but you watch it. I don't want it going in the apartment and keep it away from me."
Haku ran up and hugged him "Arigato, toussan!" She grinned and ran off after the bird.
Ishigo said "Some tough guy you are."
Zabuza said "Shut up, runt, and let's see what you've learned with that staff."
Ishigo paled a little. His weapon of choice had become an extendable staff. Even though he was a taijutsu specialist, Zabuza still made him do weapons training with him and when he trained with his staff, Zabuza sparred against it with his zanbato. He said "Hey, shouldn't you use a staff too?"
Zabuza asked "Why start now? Besides, it makes you stronger. Let's go." He grinned and ran at Ishigo who immediately went to defensive.
Naruto and Gaara were left to train by themselves for the moment. Naruto asked "Where's Itachi-niisan?"
Gaara said "I don't know. He's supposed to be here. Kaasan said he needed to keep sharp with his weapons practice." He smiled.
Itachi said "I didn't know you did jokes, Gaara-kun."
Naruto and Gaara jumped. Itachi smiled and fingered his necklace "Combination of a genjutsu necklace and seishougakure no jutsu."
Naruto cried "You've got to teach me that!"
Itachi said "I could still find you. You don't have good enough chakra control to do it as good as me."
Naruto said "Teach me, I can do it."
Itachi said "Gaara has a better chance of learning it than you do."
Naruto frowned "I bet you I can learn it."
Itachi smiled "Okay, you've got a week. If you can learn it well enough where I can't find you by the end of the week..."
Naruto said "You make me ramen whenever I want it, for a whole week."
Itachi frowned. That could seriously interfere with his training if the runt learned it. But he smirked. If it came to that, he could use his Sharingan. He was sure that he couldn't master the technique that well. It took him two weeks to get it down where Miya couldn't detect it. He said "Fine and when you don't learn it by the end of the week and I find you," He paused to think of what he wanted him to do. He smirked "Vegetables instead of ramen for a week."
Naruto's eyes widened. That would be horrible! Naruto said, with a grin, "When I win, you have to cook the ramen in an apron like Miwa's!"
Itachi shuddered at the thought. Miwa's apron was Pink and frilly. He smirked himself. "When you lose, you have to not only eat the vegetables, you have to cook them too."
Naruto gulped. He knew he should have taken cooking lessons with Haku. No matter, he was going to win. He had to. If he went without ramen for a week, he was going to die. He just knew it. Besides, Itachi in a pink apron making ramen would be the most hilarious thing on earth and he had to see it. He frowned. Itachi said he couldn't get it because his chakra control wasn't good enough. He said "Okay. Deal." He looked at Itachi "Tell me how you do it."
Itachi gave him a brief explanation with a smile. There was no way the blonde could pick up the technique from that. He smiled as he saw the frown of concentration on the blonde's face.
Naruto sat down and plucked a blade of grass and put it on his forehead and closed his eyes.
Gaara said "You don't think he can do it, do you?"
Itachi said "No. It took me two weeks to perfect it. There's no way he can get it in one."
Gaara smiled "It's win win for me. If he wins" he laughed "I'm getting blackmailing material on you." He returned Itachi's glare with a smile "If he loses, he's going to eat more vegetables, like kassan wants."
Itachi asked "You going to make a bet yourself?"
Gaara thought about it, then he shook his head. "Kaasan says not to gamble, besides, I'll be happy enough seeing you in a pink apron...or, Naruto cooking." He added the last part as an afterthought.
Itachi felt only a little nervous. Gaara seemed to think he had a chance, but he couldn't. He wasn't that good. He frowned.
Gaara smiled. This was going to be interesting. He watched Zabuza and Ishigo. Ishigo had gotten better in the past six years, but Zabuza kept upping the offense, he had even started enhancing his moves with chakra. Ishigo didn't seem to notice. He wondered if he would notice soon.
Zabuza saw Gaara just sitting there and said "Hey, you need to practice. What's fishcake doing?"
Gaara said "Naruto's working on his chakra control."
Zabuza stopped as Ishigo started to wear down. In truth, he was beggining to tire a little too, but he wouldn't show it. The boy had gotten good. He smiled slightly. He supposed he should stop calling him a boy. He was a man now. He asked "Why is Naruto working on chakra control? He's supposed to be practicing with his sword."
Gaara said "He's trying to learn a new technique as part of a bet with Itachi."
Zabuza asked, interested, "What's the bet?"
Gaara said "If Naruto can't learn the technique in a week good enough that Itachi can't find him, he has to eat vegetables that he cooks himself for a week. If he can, Itachi has to make him ramen whenever he wants it and he has to do it in Miwa's apron."
Zabuza smirked "Interesting."
Naruto was trying his best to keep his concentration. He lifted the leaf off his head with his chakra and held it for a minute before it fell. He sweated. Chakra control was so hard. He needed help. He sought out Haku.
Later that day, when it was time for the evening meal in the cafeteria...
The news of the bet had spread to most of the village and many had made bets on the outcome of the match. Nekomi heard about it from her assistant an hour earlier. She was also interested to see the outcome of the challenge. She sat down with her food with the rest of her family and they all started eating. She noticed Naruto seemed off in his own little world. He was mouthing something as he held his hand over his bowl of soup and his brow was furrowed.
"Hey, fishcake!" Naruto jumped and his soup splashed. He looked up, startled, to see Saki, the crazy lady with the black hair and blue eyes that liked swords a little too much. "Nani?" Then he cried "Don't call me fishcake!"
She grinned "I heard about your bet. You better not lose, kid, I'm counting on you."
Naruto frowned a little. He asked "What are my odds?"
A dark haired man with glasses walked up "The odds equally favor either side."
Itachi was surprised. He said "They can't be that good."
Masato said evenly "You have the superior chakra control, but Naruto-san has surprised us before."
Itachi knew he was referring to when Naruto had learned the kage bushin from their mother. He frowned, as he realized that Naruto had a better chance than that of learning the technique if he realized that he could use kage bushin to learn faster. He hadn't shown he knew that. If he figured it out...no matter. His Sharingan could defeat it. He looked at Nekomi, pleading with her not to tell him about the kage bushin ability.
Nekomi saw Itachi's pleading look and wondered what it was about. He mouthed 'kage bushin' She realized his worry. She smiled. She hadn't yet told Naruto about that ability of the kage bushin, wanting him to figure it out himself. She mouthed back 'I won't.' He smiled in relief.
For the next week, Naruto was scarce, showing up for team training excercises and then dissapearing again to train.
Naruto lay up top. It was getting dark. He had been working hard all week to learn the technique, working on chakra control excercises and on the technique, practising it on Gaara. He was close, but Gaara could still sense him. If Gaara could, Itachi could too. He scowled. It wasn't just the vegetables. He wanted to prove to Itachi that he was just as good of a shinobi as he was. He had only 16 hours left before he had to demonstrate. That was counting straight from now till then with no sleep. What was he doing wrong? There had to be a faster way. Since Gaara was gone, maybe he could use kage bushin to train with. Then the thought struck him like a bolt of lightning. The kage bushins! "Baka!" He berated himself. He just now remembered that kage bushin retained their memories. If he could use them to train, he could get their memories. He could learn the technique. He could win. He grinned and was about to create the bushin when his kassan came up.
"Naruto-kun, it's time for bed."
Naruto said "I can't go to bed tonight, Kassan. I have to train for tomorrow."
Nekomi said "You won't be able to do as well with no sleep."
Naruto shook his head "I have to. It will take all night, but.." He paused and grinned at her "I'm going to beat Itachi-niisan!"
Nekomi smiled. She supposed he could be let to stay up "Just this once, Naruto-kun." He nodded with a grateful smile. "Mind if I leave a bushin to watch?" He shook his head. Nekomi created a single jikyuu bushin. She would have made a shadow clone, but it would run out of energy before the night was over. She went back down "Good luck."
"Arigato!" Naruto cried. He watched as his mom's bushin went and sat down in the distance. Naruto paused, to concentrate and yelled "Taju Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" Over a hundred Narutos poofed into existence. "Yosh!"
There was a commotion about the sudden burst of chakra above ground. It settled down once it was identified as Naruto's. Some bets were changed.
The next day...
Naruto had been carried in for breakfast by the bushin. When Naruto was seated, she dispelled with a salute. Nekomi's eyes widened in surprise. That many shadow clones...very impressive.
Zabuza asked "Is he going to be ok?"
Nekomi said "Just a case of chakra exhaustion. Knowing Naruto, he'll be well enough for the challenge by lunch. It's not something that requires a large amount of chakra, after all."
Itachi asked "What did he do last night?"
Nekomi said "He trained." She left it at that, with a smile "Good luck, Itachi-kun. You're going to need that Sharingan of yours."
Naruto revived at the smell of breakfast and like Nekomi had predicted, he was back to his old self by lunch and the time of the challenge. Nekomi said "The test will be done above ground. Naruto will be allowed a genjutsu necklace as..."
Naruto interrupted with a grin "Don't need one, kassan." Everyone turned to look at him with surprise. He said "Itachi developed seishougakure from meisaigakure. I've combined the two."
Nekomi shook her head, suprised that he wouldn't take the necklace, but then again, that was Naruto. She said "Very well. The test will take place within the boundaries. Your task, Itachi, is to catch Naruto within ten minutes. If you cannot, Naruto wins." Itachi nodded. Naruto grinned. "Begin." Naruto and Itachi jumped away from each other and Naruto dissapeared. Nekomi had known it was coming, but even she was surprised as she felt as well as saw him dissapear. She saw Itachi look around, then activate his sharingan. She walked over to Miya who had activated hers as well, to watch. She shook her head in amazement. "Amazing, are you sure he's still there? I can't see him." Nekomi looked at Hisoka, who activated his byakugon. He paused as he scanned the landscape. He said "There is something...but it's not defined. It's like the edges are blurred when it moves. Could that be him?"
Nekomi frowned slightly, then grinned. She asked "Hisoka-san, you have observed seishougakure and meisaigakure before, yes?"
He nodded. "My wife has shown me both after she picked up the former from Itachi, but with both, I could see through them. This is...amazing."
Nekomi smiled "Hai, he's one amazing boy."
Itachi knew the clock was running out, but he couldn't sense Naruto, not with or without the sharingan. He couldn't see him, he couldn't detect his chakra. He couldn't hear him moving either. What was left? He didn't have an Inuzuka's nose, so he'd have to either find someway to make him visible or trap him. Thinking quickly, Itachi flew through handsigns and spat out a puddle of mud big enough to cover the clearing and he watched with his sharingan. He found the footsteps and ran over.
Naruto had thought he had it made until Itachi made the mud field. Now he was heading straight for him. He stopped himself from panicking. Mud was water and dirt, right? Maybe he could walk on it like he did on water. That should make his movements less noticeable. He stepped up on top of the mud and backed away a little.
Itachi grabbed thin air. 'He moved again? I didn't see it. Did he figure out running on top?' Then he saw dripping mud and a splash. He reached out to grab Naruto.
Naruto couldn't hold the jutsu any longer. He'd soon lose the other jutsu as well. He was tired. He cringed as he realized he was backed into a corner. He couldn't lose...
Just then, when Itachi's hand was an inch away from Naruto's head, "Time!"
Naruto breathed out in relief and let the jutsus drop "I'm beat!"
Itachi's eyes widened in disbelief "You were that close!"
Naruto grinned tiredly "I want some ramen, two bowls please, and don't forget the apron."
Itachi was torn between being annoyed and amazed. He was annoyed highly that he had lost the bet, but he was amazed that Naruto had learned the justu so well. He sighed. He had been so close to catching him. He said "You're going to have to be in the kitchen to eat it."
"Yeah."
"Can you move?" Itachi asked, looking at the slumped form of the blonde.
Naruto tried "Yeah, just."
Itachi said "Good because I wasn't going to carry you."
Naruto said "I don't need you to." He got up and wobbled to the kitchen.
Gaara smirked at the scene the losers made and chuckled as Itachi took Miwa's pink apron from her with a red face. He decided he had to see this and followed several others to the kitchen.
Things went on normally, for the next two weeks, well as normal as they can be with Itachi in a pink, frilly apron for half of it. The chunnin exam was now in two months exactly. She was in her office, working on finalizing the plans, when Amaya came in. She said "Next Saturday."
Nekomi asked "Next Saturday what?"
Amaya answered "Your wedding. It's on next Saturday."
Nekomi's eyes widened. The wedding, already? She opened her mouth.
Amaya said "It will be the best time and it's all planned out. All that's left is making the kimono and the yukata"
Nekomi said "This is all very sudden..."
Amaya said "I'll take care of everything, now I need to get your measurements for the dressmaker." She took out a measuring tape and started taking measurements. Nekomi asked "Has Zabuza been erm..measured yet?"
Amaya said "Him next." She had the end of the tape in her teeth as she wrote down the last measurement. She then left "I'll be back." Nekomi watched her leave, bemused. Her wedding. She would be married soon, for the second time. She thought back over what she had heard Haku say with a blush and thought on the possibility of another child. Then the girl herself came into her office. She had stars in her eyes "Ohayo!"
"Ohayo, Haku-chan." Nekomi smiled.
Haku said "I've been to weddings before, but yours and toussan's going to be the best! There's going to be...oops, I'm not supposed to talk about that, but it's going to be big and I saw toussan in his yukata. Can I see you in your kimono? I bet its pretty! I'm getting a new one too. Are Naruto and Gaara going to be wearing yukatas?"
Nekomi blinked, trying to take in the hyper girl. "Haku, have you been into the sugar again?"
Haku said "Sumiyo made sweets. I tested them out for her."
"I can see, didn't Zabuza tell you to lay off the sweets?"
Haku pleaded "Don't tell toussan..."
Nekomi shook her head "I won't, but you'll give yourself away if you don't calm down a bit." The girl nodded. Nekomi sent her back to the kitchen to work with Sumiyo.
A week later...
The wedding was tomorrow and the chunnin exams was now in a month and three weeks, they didn't have much time left, but finally, Nekomi had most of her focus on the wedding instead of the chunnin exams.
She was trying on her kimono which was red and white. It was white with a red trim and red blossoms on it. Zabuza had a dark blue, almost purple yukata. Haku had a red kimono and the boys had opted to wear yukatas similar to Zabuza's, but a lighter blue. Although he wasn't required to, Itachi also dressed in a yukata, although his was black.
Nekomi was trying on her kimono again, Sakae Shippuu, the dressmaker, was determined to make it perfect. She had tried it on so many times...it was a pretty kimono, but she didn't want to see it again for a long time. She said "If you get it to fit any better, Sakae, I will not be able to remove it after the wedding."
Sakae said "The wedding dress must be perfect. It is important, especially since you are our kage. You must look perfect. We must begin on your hair early in the morning to get it ready."
Nekomi sweatdropped. The wedding was in the late afternoon. How much could be done with her hair? She had to sit through dressings up for her father's council, but it only took a couple of hours to get everything ready, bath, dress and hair. All that time for hair? She opened her mouth, only to get a shake of the head from Sakae "No breathing yet, Bankage-sama." She smiled "Or I may have to do this again." Nekomi thought about how lucky Zabuza was, that he didn't have to go through this much.
Zabuza was growing more and more nervous. He had never been married before. He knew how he felt about Nekomi, but...no, he told himself, it would be no different from when they were dating. He shook his head, but it would. He would be the husband of the kage. He hoped it didn't complicate things for her too much.
Akado said "If you don't stop pacing, you're going to wear a hole in the floor."
Zabuza stopped "What do you want?"
Akado turned serious. He said "Why do you think I tried so hard to find Nekomi?"
Zabuza looked at him, wondering where the man was going with this.
Akado continued, after a minute wait "My first thought was to recreate our clan, since we were the last Waras left." He paused "But we are too much alike. I have come to see her like a sister." He got up "I don't know why I came in here really, I guess it's just to say that you'll have a lot of enemies if you hurt her, and..." He paused again, then smiled "And if anybody was going to marry her, I'd have it be you."
Zabuza was touched, but he wouldn't show it. That would kill his tough guy image, or at least what was left of it. He said "Thanks, but what am I supposed to do until tomorrow?"
Akado grinned "I'd offer a spar, but you don't want to mess up your..." Akado paused as there was a puff and Zabuza appeared in front of him changed. Akado laughed as he saw the yukata on the bed.
Zabuza said "I've been dying to get out of that thing, but I'm supposed to be wearing it to 'stretch it out' or something. Let me get my zanbato." He got his sword and went outside with Akado to spar.
Early the next morning...
The whole village was up early. Nekomi was practically sewn into her elegant kimono and in another room, Zabuza just was able to get into his yukata which seemed to have shrunk overnight.
For Nekomi, the morning seemed to stretch on forever and yet be going at a blinding pace. It was finally time for the wedding.
Haku, Gaara, and Naruto sat in their places until it was time for them to join the ceremony.
Haku said "Isn't oneesan pretty?"
Gaara smiled. Naruto complained "This is boring." He was shushed.
Gaara said "You have such a short attention span."
Naruto pouted. "I'm hungry."
Gaara said "Your always hungry."
Haku said "Shhh. They're talking."
Itachi watched the wedding with a smile. She deserved to be happy. He hoped Zabuza knew what he was in for. There were several men in the village that would be more than willing to take his place.
The wedding had taken much less time than the planning, as weddings tend to do. Naruto said "Yatta! Now we can eat!"
Haku bopped him on the head. "You weren't even paying attention to the wedding."
Naruto rubbed his head "Itai...I was so..."
Haku said "You were paying more attention to the refreshments than oneesan and toussan."
Gaara said "Kaasan's your kaasan now too, Haku."
Haku realized he was right. She hadn't had a mother in...a very long time. Her eyes teared. Nekomi had always acted like a mother figure to her, but now, she'd actually have a mother... She sniffed.
Naruto said "Good going Gaara, you made her cry."
Haku shook her head at Naruto with a smiled "I'm crying because I'm happy." She turned to look at her toussan and her new kaasan, who hadn't yet broken the kiss that sealed their bond.
Akado spoke up from off to the side. "Hey, save some for later. Some of us would like to eat sometime this century."
Naruto laughed when Akado got a fireball thrown at him by Miya.
Akado joined them a couple of minutes later, looking a little burned "What are you laughing about, fishcake?"
Gaara smirked "I think you lost some hair in that one."
Akado felt his hair with his hands. Then frowned at Gaara, who was laughing. "Real funny."
Nekomi and Zabuza walked over. Nekomi smiled at them all. Zabuza said "Heh, I bet you want to get out of that yukata, don't ya fishcake?"
Naruto said "Stop calling me that! I'm not seven anymore! I'm a shinobi now!"
Zabuza said "Bet you want to get out of that yukata, don't ya fishcake?"
Naruto stressmarked, then decided to ignore Zabuza "Yeah, it's hot."
Zabuza grinned "Too bad, Amatsubu-san is going to paint all of us, after the refreshments, so you're stuck in it for about...the next three or four hours." Zabuza didn't like being in his yukata either, but the reaction of the blonde was priceless. He said "Now, now, remember your manners, Naruto-kun."
Naruto sighed "Well, at least we get to eat."
Haku said "Not yet, toussan and ...kaasan have to talk to everyone first."
Naruto sighed and looked at the food. Then an idea formed. He grinned.
Haku and Gaara saw the grin and looked at Naruto worried.
"What are you going to do?"
Naruto put a finger over his lips and dissapeared.
Gaara tried to avoid looking at Haku because he knew if he did he would crack up. She was holding back a laugh too at the flying ricecake, wondering when they adults would catch on.
Soon all of the adults stopped what they were doing to look at the dissapearing food.
Nekomi smiled and reached out with her arm, to catch a startled Naruto who reappeared. "Naruto..."
The sight of him trying to make an innocent face with a piece of rice sticking to the side of his mouth was too much and she burst out laughing. Naruto crossed his arms in a huff at being laughed at.
Nekomi smiled down at him, warmly, then said "Well, let's go ahead and eat. Since my son has decided to test the food for us." Everyone got some food and started eating.
Once they had sat down to eat, Nekomi's mind was threatening to drift back to the matter of the chunnin exams.
Zabuza said "No you don't. You don't get to think about business for the rest of the day."
Nekomi smiled "I know, but..."
Zabuza said "No buts."
Nekomi noticed Haku kept looking at her throughout the meal and she thought 'That's right. Haku hasn't had a mother since she was very small, before Zabuza found her. Now she'll be my daughter and the boys, Zabuza will be their father now. She smiled as she wondered if the boys would call Zabuza toussan or not, knowing Naruto, he wouldn't do it, just to tick Zabuza off. It would be different for all of them, but good.
This sent her mind off to thinking of the good that the new alliances would do, only to get poked in the ribs. "Hey!" She laughed.
Zabuza said "You were thinking about business again. Stop it now."
Nekomi smiled. "I can't help it."
Zabuza said "Well then I'll just have to distract you." He leaned over and kissed her.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Forgive any grammar mistakes, as always. I wanted to get this out tonight and not have it wait for a couple of days. Don't forget to RnR. Ja ne.