Shock

Chapter Three-

The ceremony was being held outside on the banks of the Kirakira River. White snow lilies were shoved into my hand. Both clans arrived to see the event. Flutes and violins begin to play tranquil music as my father escorted me down the path. Looking at his back, my groom had short black hair and he was about my height. The music stopped and we were at the end of the aisle. My dad looked at me then sat down with my mother and sisters. I closed my eyes and took the last two steps toward my destination. Turning, I saw the face of my groom. The shock of his face made my breath catch in my throat.

I couldn't believe who I was looking at! He was right there, in front of me. Every muscle in his body was tense and rigid. He was just as shocked to see me as I was to see him. My groom took a small step back, but we quickly regained our composures; and acted like we have never seen each other before. I closed my eyes again, but when I opened them; my childhood companion was standing there, staring at me.

His eyes where as dark as night, his hair was darker than a raven's wings. He looked older than he really was; his chin sharper, and his face more slender than that of a boy his age. All-in-all, he was very handsome. A Genin headband of Konohagakure Village stretched across his forehead.

The rest of the ceremony was a blur. I was too shocked from the identity of my groom to pay attention. It was like I entered a trance, like someone else was controlling my body and voice. I said and did everything Seisho Lemoto told me to, without a second thought.

I was forced back to reality at the end of the wedding. My groom and I bowed to each other and to Seisho Lemoto. The bridal party posed for some pictures, then everyone started for the reception in a nearby field.

I motioned for my groom to stay behind for a few minutes, "Well, well. Look who we have here."

"Yeah you could hardly keep the surprise off your face."

"Like you did any better." I sneered." You had to take a step back. Like the sight of my face scared you or something."

He studied me for a moment. "Well you are pretty scary."

I punched him in the gut as hard as I could; he laughed.

"We better get to the reception before our families start a war at our wedding."

"Well, that would be festive." I said with a laugh. "Hang on a sec. Where are we going to live, your house or mine?"

"Can't we decide this later?"

"The other details, yes. But not this one. I want the answers before we eat. If we don't, then our fathers might get into a fight."

"Fine." He rolled his eyes.

We stood there in silence for awhile thinking. Then the young Uchiha spoke up, "Let's just live in your hidden house. We both built it, only we know where it is, and it's on neither Uchiha nor Yakunan territory. It's the perfect place."

"I agree."

"Now that we have this settled…" his softened eyes were begging in a way only I've seen them do.

I laughed, "Okay let's go eat…stranger." We slipped into our icy masks and marched over to the buffet tables.

"They'll live at our house."

"No their last name is Uchiha, so they'll live in Uchiha territory."

"She's my daughter; they'll live in my house." Our fathers where arguing over our new house, just as I had predicted. Everyone else in the room- who were fighting just yesterday- were laughing and joking like old friends. We walked up to the arguing men and waited for a break in the conversation.

"Excuse me, father?" I said in my most humble voice. "May I give a suggestion about where my new husband and I live?"

My father sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Go ahead."

"Well, as you know, I have been living on my own for a year now. I have built a house on neither Yakunan nor Uchiha territory. If my new family agrees, is there a possibly we could live there?"

My father looked at the two Uchiha men, the youngest nodded his head in approval, but his dad looked a bit skeptical. "Where is it that you have been living?" Doubt swelled up in his voice.

I looked down at the ground. "The Mahou Forest." I mumbled.

"What?"

"The Mahou Forest." I stated, louder than last time.

"What!" both fathers yelled in unison. It was more of a statement than a question.

I stared coldly in my father- in-law's eyes. "I've lived for a year in the heart of the Mahou Forest."

"Alone? And with all the unknown creatures living there? That forest is even more dangerous than the forest of death!"

"Yes, and I've been safe the entire time."

Both fathers got up and walked away, exchanging words between them. I sighed and gathered my food to sit with my old friend.

The festivities went on. There was dancing, music, jokes, laughing, and a long speech accentuating the end of the feud. There was also the bride and groom's first dance. I made a mental note to tease my new husband. He waddled around like a duck, and by the time the song ended, I really needed to soke my feet; I've never felt such pain before.

There was also the traditional father-daughter dance, but that wasn't as funny. My father was an excellent dancer. We went through the waltz with no emotion and without missing a step.

When I couldn't stand dancing with my groom, father, or anyone else, any longer, I excused myself and walked back to the Kirakira River. I reached into a hollow in a nearby tree and pulled out a book. I sat on a chair and read, out of the sight of everyone else.

"There you are." I jumped at the sound of his voice. "How did I know that you would pull something like this?"

"You know me too well." I said, my nose still in my book.

"Your father was just about to announce where we are going to live."

"Oh joy." The way my venomous voice said those words scared me, it echoed the way my mother talks all the time.

"It would be wrong if we weren't there."

I sighed, putting my book back in its hiding place. Then I followed my groom back to the reception.

"Attention! Attention please!" Our fathers were standing on the makeshift stage along the edge of the clearing. The crowds grew quiet. "After a long discussion, we have come to a decision on the matter of where the new couple will live. As you all may know my daughter has lived alone before the wedding." Murmurs of acknowledgement rose and fell throughout the crowd. The men lifted their hands for silence. "After a lot of thought, we have decided to allow them to live in Katai's house. It isn't on Yakunan or Uchiha territory." He had to raise his voice in able to be heard over the shock that ran throughout the families; they all thought that we would end up on either territory, so this was a big surprise. But there were no arguments yet, so all's well for now...

"You don't have a lot of stuff."

"My life is a life of a ninja. You thought that I would be loaded with stuff? Besides you don't have anything to give away during spring cleaning either."

"I guess not." We were at my house, unpacking my roommates things in his room. We decided that because of our age and the fact that we had no feelings for each other(other than just friends); we would sleep in separate rooms.

"So our parents are meeting with Lord Hokage to discuss…"

"Yeah. He most likely will, considering …"

"For awhile at least, as long as I don't interfere with…"

"Yeah. Here, can you put these on the shelf over there?" He handed me a large box full of books and scrolls. I walked across the room, set the box on his desk, and started sorting through the numerous volumes.

-End.