Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor Sekirei, all characters, thoughts and ideas that exist in this story that were taken from the original works belong to their specific creators, Masashi Kishimoto and Sakurako Gokurakuin. Only original thoughts and or characters created in this story are my own.

Author's Notes: Here's the last chapter of this section! Yes, I said last. There won't be a Chime for some very good reasons which I won't bore you with here.

Chime might have a scene in the future but it won't be during this segment. Plus I can only write so much fluff before I want to hang myself from the rafters and I'm sure you all want me to continue on with the plot anyways.

Anyways I think this is the worst of the three chapters. Primarily for two reasons, first off I was running out of steam heading into this chapter and secondly I became conflicted. I couldn't find the happy medium between too little information and too much. Too much detail would put you to sleep and not enough would make it lose its value. As a result I ended up with a mediocre chapter because I kept flip-flopping back and forth between the two unable to find that middle ground.

Regardless I hope you all enjoy this chapter. And again like the last two there will be an explicit scene at the very end. If you're not of age I suggest stopping after the guests leave. There's a scene break so it's easy to figure out when to stop.

Review Responses: I'm kind of sad, nothing to say here really. I know people read the last chapter but few made any comments. I wonder if I've upset my reader base or something.

I figured at least a few elements in the last chapter would have garnered a response, such as the battle scene with the soldier (really no one picked anything up from that?) or the changes to Yume.

Well if that's how you all feel! Then screw romance! I admit that leaving you with that giant cliff hanger a couple chapters back and not expanding on it was pure evil but trust me when I say, there's no room for this later on. Even fitting a single one in, Chime's, is going to feel like a stretch, if I even do it, the past couple chapters haven't been very well received, relatively speaking of course.

Chapter 34: A Spark of Life

"Isn't it about time you told us why you called us all here?" Hanabi asked, she was lounged back in one of the many chairs in the room.

"I will once Yume gets here," Naruto said as he stifled a yawn with his hand. He had woken Yume soon after he had gotten out of bed. He wanted to let her sleep in but there was a lot he had to get done before Saturday and he needed her help with it.

They had both gotten a lot of sleep anyways. It had been a little past noon when he woke up, on account of being with Yume all night long. Fifteen minutes later he was in the living room munching on a sandwich he had thrown together with everyone else waiting for Yume to arrive.

"This had better be important," Blanc grumbled from her spot on the long couch. She was sprawled out lengthwise on it with one leg dangling over the front.

"It is."

"Sorry everyone!" Yume said as she rushed into the living room, "I had trouble finding something to wear," she explained sheepishly.

Everyone, save Naruto, stared at Yume in surprise. While no single change to her body was significant enough to be noticeable, save for her chest, enough changes had been wrought overall that it was readily apparent she had gone under a metamorphosis.

Her clothing emphasized this as well as the only thing she was wearing was her short skirt and a pair of panties.

"Nice clothes,"

"What the hell happened to your thunder-tits?"

"Naruto-kun! What did you do to her?"

Naruto raised his hands in protest as his wife got up and glared at him angrily.

Yume laughed merrily at the comments, "I asked Naruto-kun to do this to me," Yume explained as she walked over to her Ashikabi. She hugged him tightly and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, "I asked him to change my body. This is how I looked before I gave my Tama to Musubi-san."

Hanabi stared at her suspiciously for a moment before sighing in exasperation, "And why did you decide this?"

"For various reasons, but ultimately it was simply time to let Musubi-san go," Yume said softly as she moved to one of the chairs.

"She wouldn't agree to marry me otherwise," Naruto said with a pout.

Chime glanced at Yume's finger and then at Blanc's, noticing the ring on both their hands. A grin crossed her face, "Way to go bro! So when can we expect our proposal?"

"Uzume-chan!" Chime gasped in embarrassment as her face flushed red. She made a very good Hinata impression as she fidgeted with her fingers.

"I kid, I kid, that's why we're here though isn't it? It's Akitsu's turn next," Chime said with a happy grin on her face.

Naruto fired a grin back at Chime, "Yes, I want to do something a little different for her. I plan on skipping the whole engagement phase and going straight to marriage. I'm planning on holding a full ceremony for her. For Blanc and Yume I did most of the preparation myself, Hanabi helped me a little, but for this marriage it wouldn't feel right if Akitsu didn't have her sisters there at her side."

Naruto had decided to go this route because he knew Akitsu would accept it. Her loyalty and dedication to him was absolute. She would do anything for him and not as any questions as to why. She was also someone who wouldn't place a whole lot of value in a simple engagement. She viewed herself as already beyond that point. She already considered herself married to him so he felt the best thing he could do for her was make it official by holding an actual ceremony.

He had already sent a clone to register the two of them as a couple with the city. She was added as his second wife beside Hanabi. It had caused some odd looks but it wasn't exactly illegal considering both Hanabi and Akitsu were above the age of consent.

"Of course I'll help, I already offered it earlier when I found out you were planning all this," Hanabi said as she sat back down. She brushed a stray bang to the side and gave Naruto a smile, "I'll take care of her dress."

Yume gave Hanabi a curious look, "You don't mind that Akitsu gets a ceremony before you?"

Hanabi had a little smirk on her face as she replied, "Of course not, in fact I will do whatever I can to make this a success because I 'know' Naruto-kun wouldn't dare to let 'our' ceremony be anything less than what he's planning for Akitsu," she said as she gave Naruto an even look, "right Naruto-kun?"

Naruto swallowed hard, "Of course dear, nothing but the best for you," he was quick to reassure her.

"So, see, I don't mind helping Akitsu, because the more extravagant I make her wedding, the more extravagant my own will be," Hanabi said to Yume.

Yume just shook her head helplessly and gave her Ashikabi a pitying look. Hanabi wasn't going to require something 'equal' to what Akitsu had, but something far beyond it. And the greater Akitsu's wedding was, the further Naruto would be forced to go for Hanabi.

"Ah, anyways, thank you Hanabi," Naruto said as he tried to end that portion of the conversation. He turned to Chime, "Could you find some good songs to play during the ceremony?"

Chime grinned mischievously, "Of course! Leave it to me, I'll find most raunchy-NO, I will find some proper songs, Uzume-chan, you stay out of this!" Chiho protested as she took over the body. She wasn't going to let Uzume ruin Akitsu's big day.

Naruto shook his head and blinked in surprise. He was pretty sure everyone else did the same. It wasn't very often one saw Chiho shouting down Uzume.

Naruto cleared his throat and continued, "Thanks you two, Blanc could you handle the electronics? We're going to need a sound system and a music player and it would be nice to get the whole thing recorded," he asked as he turned to the blue-haired Sekirei lounging on the couch.

"Yes, I'll do it," Blanc said.

"Thank you," Naruto said.

x~X~x

Naruto was nervous as he walked through the tori at the top of the steps that marked the entrance to the shrine. He had a clone down at the bottom of the steps, transformed into a bush on the side of the road, ready to be swapped with if things went south. He was about to pay a visit to one of his fanatical followers and he had absolutely no clue as to how this would turn out.

The religion had grown quite a bit since its original inception. It had become registered as an official religion in Japan and had been renamed the 'Church of Kurama' at Akitsu's behest. There were now nine different shrines and churches dedicated to Kurama. Most of the structures were just old abandoned shrines or buildings that were acquired and repurposed for the use of prayer and ritual however there were new buildings under construction as well.

The following had exploded to nearly a hundred thousand followers across the nation and more were joining every day. The Kuramanomicon, the official book of the Church, had just recently been 'officially' completed and released. Not only did it detail the story of Kurama's life, half of which was made up and half of which was based on fact, but parts of Naruto's as well. It had also come in multiple formats. There was the text based version with a few images for emphasis for the old-fashion individuals but there was also a visual novel form for those that wanted a more interactive experience.

The Kuramanomicon held many of the lessons that Naruto and Kurama had learned over the course of their lives. Although Naruto may have been opposed to the original creation of the following in a sense the church was spreading his wishes and desires to more people than he could ever hope to reach screaming from rooftops. The peace he fought for and had trumpeted all his life was spelled out clearly in the book and many people were beginning to adopt his way of thinking.

There were other things in the book that many people didn't understand but took it to heart regardless, such as labeling ramen as the 'holy food' of the Church. Every mass a large bowl of ramen was prepared for everyone that attended and a small serving was handed out to be eaten at the appointed time. While in the beginning Kurama's presence had been enough to bring people flocking to the doorstep as time passed the free food became almost as large an incentive as the presence of an actual physical deity.

There was another passage that had held dedication and praise to something labeled as 'The Log.' The less devote ignored that passage but those that did accept it kept a perfectly cut log in their living room and used it as an altar to pray when they weren't attending mass.

Usually topped with a small bowl of ramen.

Even the primary altars in each of the shrines and churches were made out of a large wooden table shaped and decorated to look like a massive log.

There were other oddities as well. Kurama is a nine-tailed fox, a kitsune, and a master of pranks. Naruto was very much the same and that had been reflected in the Kuramanomicon. As a result the common interpretation of those passages was that the faithful must play at least one prank, harmless of course, per week on an unsuspecting individual.

Needless to say that one passage really gave the authorities a headache.

The biggest impact the Kuramanomicon had, however, was not local. There were major religious debates going on internationally over the Kuramanomicon. The book stated that Naruto himself had a hand in aiding Blanc in writing it. This meant it could arguably be considered 'the' most holy book on Earth since the focal point of a religion had a direct hand in its creation and didn't act through the inspiration of the followers.

As the religion had grown Akitsu had been forced to create more roles to help facilitate the ceremonies and hold masses in more than one location. She had gone to Hanabi for help. It was one of the rare cases where she had sought help from someone other than Naruto.

Hanabi's political background had helped her to quickly draw up a hierarchy that should be utilized in the churches current state. She had also drawn up a second chart that expanded upon the first once the number of followers expanded beyond the capacity of the first hierarchy to safely manage.

The hierarchy was labeled with Naruto as the highest rank, Hanabi just below him and his four Sekirei all at equal level just below Hanabi. They all held the same job as before with the exception of Yume. She had been reassigned the position of Judicator. She would take care of any conflicts that arose between followers. She was the only one that could as Akitsu would be too biased, Chiho too shy, Uzume wouldn't care enough and Blanc would just make things worse with her explosive temper.

After Naruto's Sekirei were the Priestesses, with the one helping Akitsu in the primary church being held in slightly higher regard than the others, followed by the various individuals that aided the priestess with the various tasks of the church. At very bottom were all the fanatical followers. Oddly as of yet there were no men at any level of authority in the church save Naruto at the highest point.

And now the focal point of the Church of Kurama was going to meet face-to-face with one of his followers, alone. Hanabi had asked if he wanted her to come along, had almost insisted in fact, but Naruto had said no and put his foot down on it. While he would need Hanabi's help for some the latter aspects of Akitsu's special day he wanted to do everything he could by himself.

Naruto took a deep breath as he paused at the sliding shoji doors that marked the entrance to the main building. There was a small bell pull hanging just to the side of the doors, ringing it would most certainly start a confrontation that he was not looking forward to. Naruto took another glance around the property as he gathered his courage.

The size of the shrine couldn't be compared to any of the larger shrines scattered across Japan but it was still a fairly large. There were five buildings in total, although three of them were connected by covered walkways. First there was the honden, or the ceremonial hall that supposedly house the body of kami, at the far back of the shrine. Just before one reached it however was a second, much larger and more orante, building that was the haiden, the hall of worship, where visitors would kneel and pray at as they worshiped whatever god lived in the honden.

Aside from those two buildings there was the main building, the one he was standing before now, which housed the family of the shrine's caretakers was just off to the right of the main path that lead to the haiden. Connected to the main house was another smaller building that was more than likely the guest house. Both of those buildings connected to another building behind them. Its purpose Naruto couldn't guess at.

The shrine had all the other standard trappings such as decorative stone lanterns lining the shrine approach and a small fount used to wash ones hands and face. Rows of sakura trees lined either side of the path, their branches arching gracefully over the stone walkway. There was even an ema to hang wooden plaques bearing wishes and prayers although from the looks of it no one had left any prayers or wishes there for quite some time.

It was obvious from what Naruto could see that it had been quite some time since anyone had come here to worship however despite that the entire place looked as if it had been well kept. The path was clean, the grass cut, and the buildings washed. This was remarkable since the shrine belonged to the Priestess that aided Akitsu and she supposedly lived alone.

However you could still see the age in the buildings. The paint had worn thin, the stone path was chipped and crumbled in many places, and many of the buildings could definitely use some fixing. Only the main building he was at now seemed to have had the structural integrity completely intact.

Thankfully the individual he was going to see today wasn't the fanatical individual that had nearly torn her cheeks off when she had first met Naruto. Akitsu had sent that one was as far away from Naruto as she could get her. However that didn't mean this priestess wouldn't erupt the moment she saw him. Akitsu had said that she was the most stable and level headed of the priestesses but that wasn't saying much if they were all crazy.

Having delayed long enough Naruto took the plunge and pulled on the string.

The tinkling sound of a bell ringing in the distance floated out from within the house. Naruto didn't have to wait long as a few moments later he heard the sound of hurried footsteps approaching the door.

The door was quickly pushed open revealing a beautiful young woman with long black hair and purple eyes. It was obvious to Naruto that she had been in the bath as her hair was still wet and there was a damp towel wrapped around her body.

"Yes how can I help…" the woman's voice trailed off, her eyes widening in shock, as she noticed who it was that stood outside her doorstep.

"Um, hi?" Naruto said with a small wave of his hand. There was a forced smile on his face as he hoped for the best.

"M-My Lord Kurama!" the priestess stuttered in surprise. She quickly dropped to her knees and bowed her forehead on the floor with her hands crossed above her head. "I did not expect your arrival, I'm sorry that I have nothing prepared for you."

"No, no, that's fine," Naruto said as he waved his hands. "Please get up, you don't need to bow your head."

"But that would not be proper of me. You are my Lord Kurama."

Naruto sighed in exasperation, "Well as your 'Lord Kurama' I'm ordering you to get up." When dealing with people like this sometimes the only way to make them do something was to use your authority, "Besides, I need to speak with you and I'd rather talk to your face, not your back."

"As you wish my lord," The priestess said and quickly rose to her feet. The sudden shift in position caused her towel to unravel and fall to the floor.

Naruto's eyes widened as they were involuntarily drawn to her chest. They were enormous, "102… Those are amazing! The only other person I've ever seen break a 100 was obaa-san!" Naruto said in awe as he stared at those glorious mounds.

The Priestess blushed at the unusual amount of attention Naruto was paying her breasts but said nothing. If her Lord wanted to stare at her breasts he was welcome to. She was his to do with as he saw fit.

After more than just a few minutes staring Naruto shook his head violently. Clearing his head of perverted thoughts he forced his mind back on track, "I'm sorry about that, my thoughts wandered there for a moment, may I come in and talk?"

"Of course my Lord, and do not apologize. You are my lord, if my body pleases you, then I am content," The priestess said as she stepped to the side to allow Naruto to enter.

"Ah, right, do you have a comfortable place we can talk? You may want to get dressed as well. This may take some time," Naruto said as he entered the cool interior of the home.

"Of course my Lord, the lounge is this way," she said as she beckoned Naruto to follow her. A sweat drop rolled down the back of Naruto's head as he realized she had no intention of getting dressed.

Following closely behind his eyes couldn't help themselves as they gravitated towards her rear. The shapely ass was almost as perfect as his wife's but there was a gentle sway, a sashaying motion, that Hanabi couldn't mimic that added an extra erotic element to them. If Naruto didn't know better he would have assumed she was doing that on purpose just for his own benefit.

He wondered if he could get his wife to do that for him, that was something he definitely wanted to see. Maybe the priestess could teach her?

Actually that was probably a bad idea. Hanabi would wonder how he came up with the idea and how he knew the priestess could teach her and that would simply end badly for all parties involved. He had just gotten his ramen back; he didn't want to lose it again so soon.

Still he was fairly impressed with the priestess so far, breasts and ass notwithstanding. Akitsu had been correct in her assessment. While she seemed utterly unconcerned by her nudity, and had essentially offered her body to him, that was still a far cry better than all the rest. The other followers he had met thus far wouldn't have even given him a choice. They'd have tried to tear his clothes off by now.

Arriving at the lounge he noted that it was sparsely furnished. There was a small rectangular table with a glass top in the center of the room with six plush cushions spaced around it. Beyond that the only other furnishings in the place was a few small plants in the corners of the room.

The priestess lowered herself onto one of the cushion and crossed her legs. She folded her hands and placed them on the edge of the table as she waited patiently for Naruto to take a seat.

Still unsure about whether or not she would jump him if he sat too close he took a seat directly across from her. Instantly he realized that was a bad idea. She had probably predicted his movement as the glass table allowed him to see everything perfectly. He had wondered why she had not sat in the standard seiza position.

Naruto shifted his pants and sighed softly. This was going to be a long and painful experience, just in a very different manner than he had originally thought.

"I came here to talk to you about Akitsu," Naruto started as he once again forcefully pushed all his perverted thoughts to the side. "She has been with me for quite some time now and I wish to do something special for her and I will need your help for it."

"Of course my Lord," The priestess said with a bow of her head, "I will do anything you ask of me."

"Good, because I wish to hold a ceremony for Akitsu and I want you to preside over the wedding," Naruto said.

The priestess tilted her head and looked at Naruto in confusion, "Marriage ceremony? Is the High Priestess not your wife already?"

Naruto grimaced and rubbed a hand through his hair. He understood why Akitsu said what she said. To Sekirei the bond was something stronger, more powerful, than any marriage ceremony could ever be. However it was really making things awkward right now.

"Well yes and no. She is my wife, but we have not held an official ceremony. You may have noticed there is no ring on her finger," Naruto pointed out.

Naruto could see the priestess mulling that over for a moment. He could see the understanding dawning in her eyes.

"I understand, but is it alright for someone like me to preside over the wedding?" The priestess asked.

"Of course! Akitsu said you're the best of her Priestesses and so far I'm inclined to agree," Naruto said with a large smile.

The priestess blushed and smiled happily at the compliment, "As you wish my Lord, I would be happy to preside over the wedding between yourself and Lady Akitsu."

"Great!" Naruto exclaimed as he clapped his hands together, "Now we've got a lot of work to do. I want to hold the wedding in two days, this Saturday. I know it's on very short notice but we need to make it work. Don't worry about money and man-power, that's not going to be a problem."

Naruto quickly got down to business explaining what he had in mind. The conversation went on for several hours. At first the priestess didn't say very much, accepting everything Naruto had to say as if it was law, but as time passed she became more and more involved in the discussion. She became much more animated and engaged, at times even forgetting to position herself in revealing and provocative ways. By the end she was even protesting certain aspects that Naruto had brought up earlier and suggested better alternatives.

By the time Naruto left, just shortly before dinner, the two had hashed out a thorough plan for Akitsu's big day. It was going to take a lot of work to get everything ready in time but that wasn't an issue for someone that could create thousands of clones and essentially had an unlimited budget.

x~X~x

Two days came and went in the blink of an eye. Even with his clones it had still taken quite a bit of effort to get everything sorted out and prepared for the ceremony. One of the biggest challenges was keeping it a secret from Akitsu.

He wanted this to be a surprise but he couldn't take things slowly. It had to be Saturday or he would have to delay it a month. There was a very specific reason for this as well.

Naruto had originally wanted to host the ceremony at the church that Akitsu and her priestess presided over but the priestess, who had introduced herself as Akeno, said that was bad idea. While Akitsu had control over who presided over which congregation she had no control over who attended them. The ones that went to hers were generally the most fanatical of his followers, in other words all the zealots that had ever tried to tear his clothes off would be there.

She had suggested that he hold a quiet ceremony, one with just her close friends and relatives, at a small shrine instead. Change it from a western marriage to more of a Japanese one.

He quickly realized the merits of what she said and the two of them had decided to use her shrine as the location of the ceremony. It was an old shrine whose deity had long been forgotten. No one had used it for prayer in almost a century. It would provide all the privacy and intimacy that they would need while at the same time maintaining the legitimacy of the wedding by having it at a proper shrine.

A shrine made more proper after she had convinced him to part with a portion of his body to enshrine in the honden. It was only a small vial of blood but it still unnerved him how easily he had accepted. He still wasn't entirely sure how she had managed to convince him. He wasn't even certain of when he accepted, all he knew was that it was sometime between ogling at the sashaying hips and the bouncing breasts.

Akeno took on the role of task master. She had been incredibly surprised when Naruto had made duplicates of herself but she quickly got over that. Once over her initial shock she had quickly delegated roles to the various clones breaking them up into small groups. Between her quick, concise and accurate directions and Naruto's army of clones, things were prepared in record time.

Most of Friday was spent preparing everything, cleaning up the shrine and restoring it back to its former glory. New stone had been quarried in secret Thursday night and brought back to the shrine to replace the crumbling path. A fresh coat of paint was applied to all the buildings, the hondan and haidan were now all shades of orange. Naruto had almost painted everything orange but Akeno had reasoned him out of it saying that the orange of the haidan and hondan would be better appreciated and emphasised if there was something to contrast with.

Beyond the paint Naruto's clones had worked tirelessly all Friday reinforcing the structures by replacing rotten beams, restoring the shingles of the rooftops, shoring up the floors and fixing the siding.

When Saturday arrived Akeno went to the church like always to aid Akitsu leaving Naruto and his clones to finish up the preparations. Most of the preparations revolved around hanging the decorations and setting things up such as the altar and the chairs. A replica of the altar at the primary church was raised at the foot of the haiden and on either side of the path just before the altar was a row of chairs.

Blanc was the first person to arrive, appearing at the foot of the shrine with a large box of electronics held above her head. She was dressed in the same white and blue dress Naruto had given to her earlier that week. She wore the same accessories only this time she had decided to add the tiara to the ensemble.

The clone that had teleported her here saluted Naruto and disappeared again, flashing back home.

Blanc quickly got to work setting up the speakers and the music player. The music player turned out to be a new laptop that she had bought and the songs had been downloaded through sTunes. Despite being the first time having done this Blanc did an amazing job hiding the speakers in the boughs of the sakura trees and behind various obstacles so that they weren't readily visible. Even the wires were masked with colors that helped them blend in with their surroundings.

An hour after Blanc had arrived, around the time she started testing the system, Yume and Chime arrived together with another of Naruto's clones.

Like Blanc, Yume was dressed in the gown Naruto had bought for her earlier that week, the crimson, ankle-length gown with a deep V neckline.

Chime was wearing an elegant black kimono the bottom of which was decorated with flowers and petals. The kimono was tied together with a white and gold obi. She wore a pair of soft sandals and white socks her feet.

Naruto gave the two a quick wave as they passed him on their way to the chairs. He was too busy to give them a proper greeting; he had to double check to make sure everything was ready for when Akitsu arrived.

About thirty minutes before Akitsu was scheduled to arrive Hanabi appeared. There were several dresses draped over her arm. She gave Naruto a quick nod and hurried into the main building to get everything prepared.

Akitsu would not be arriving through the main entrance but would be brought directly to Hanabi in the dressing room where she would be taken care of.

Naruto became so absorbed in double checking everything that he almost started in surprise when his clone tapped him on the shoulder and pointed to the building. Naruto blinked a couple times before reaching out with his senses.

He could feel a two the presence of three individuals in the main building. One of them was Hanabi, he was intimately familiar with that presence. The other two were Akitsu and Akeno, they were finally here.

"You should go get changed boss," the clone said as he dispelled, his duty as taxi done.

Naruto brushed a hand through his hair and swallowed hard as he headed for his room, suddenly he was very nervous even though he knew there was nothing to be nervous about.

x~X~x

Akitsu looked curiously at the long dress laid out before her, "Why are we here Hanabi-san?" she asked as she looked over at Hanabi.

"Because today is a special day," Hanabi said evasively. She smoothed her own dress. It was a soft satin dress that flowed down her body to her ankles. The dress had the color of an amethyst. A single slit along the side allowed for ease of movement and exposed a pair of violet heels on her feet. The strapless dress hugged her chest tightly.

"Why are there two dresses?" Akeno asked curiously.

"Because you're getting changed as well, now, off with your clothes, the both of you," Hanabi commanded.

"As you wish Hanabi-sama," Akeno said and quickly undressed. She followed her standard church attire and set it to the side. Akitsu joined her, her own clothing neatly folded in her arms.

An eyebrow twitched on Hanabi's forehead as she stared at the two of them.

"Akitsu, why weren't you wearing any panties?" Hanabi demanded.

Akitsu paused for a moment as she thought about that, "Ah, I forgot."

Hanabi groaned and palmed her face, "And what about you? Why did you forget to wear your panties?" Hanabi demanded.

"Because Lady Akitsu never wears any. We emulate her, no one that serves the church wears panties, I don't even own a pair anymore."

Hanabi's twitching eyebrow transformed into a throbbing vein, "I'll be watching you two, you better wear some to the ceremony. I won't have you outside exposed like that!"

"Yes Hanabi-sama," Akeno said as she quickly changed into the outfit that Hanabi had provided for her. It was very similar to her own standard Miko outfit but this one was obviously of the highest quality and was more suitable for formal affairs than her normal one.

"Oh…" Hanabi turned at the sound of Akitsu's depressed voice.

"What's wrong?" Hanabi asked in concern as she approached the ice Sekirei. Akitsu was turning the dress over as she looked at every inch of it.

"There's no chains."

"…"

"…"

"Just put on the dress Akitsu-san," Hanabi said in a tired voice, "Turn around I'll help you get into it."

It took nearly an hour to get Akitsu dressed but the result was worth it. The long strapless ivory wedding dress clung to her body like a second skin emphasising her perfect hourglass figure. The heart-shaped neckline hugged her breasts tightly. The bottom of the dress billowed out just past her hips and flowed down her legs. Intricate embroidery and beadwork decorated the satin dress. Originally it came with a chapel train but Hanabi had opted to remove that part of it due to the outdoor nature of the wedding.

Beyond the dress Hanabi had done up Akitsu's hair, brushing out the tangles and smoothing the hair out. The hair was combed to one side and a hairpin in the shape of white flowers was used to hold it in place.

Makeup wasn't needed as Akitsu's natural beauty surpassed anything Hanabi could hope to accomplish with makeup.

"There, I think you're ready now," Hanabi said happily as she slowly circled Akitsu.

"What am I ready for Hanabi-san?" Akitsu asked. She had been silent the entire time up until now.

"To get married silly, today is the day you and Naruto-kun are to be married," Hanabi said happily as she moved to the door, "Come on now, Naruto-kun should already be out there waiting for us at the altar."

Akeno had quietly left in the middle of the dressing. She had gone on ahead to the altar to prepare her things for the ceremony.

"Wedding…" The way Akitsu spoke the word made it seem as if that was the first time she had ever encountered it. However her eyes slowly began to widen in shock as realization dawned on her, "I'm getting married?"

"Yes, you do want to marry Naruto-kun right? Of course you don't want to marry Naruto-kun, I'd understand-." She stopped as Akitsu hurried past her through the door.

"I'll take that as a yes," Hanabi chuckled quietly to herself and quickly hurried after Akitsu.

x~X~x

Naruto fidgeted as he stood at the altar. He was dressed in his best tuxedo as he waited for Hanabi to finish preparing his bride. He glanced around the place once more taking stock of everyone there.

Behind the altar Akeno stood calmly as she too waited. She was completely prepared for this. The Kuramanomicon sat before her, opened to the particular passage that she would read during the ceremony. There was a small bowl of ramen sitting on the center of the altar, an homage to Akeno's god, Lord Kurama. Beside the bowl of ramen were three small cups and a small kettle of sake.

In the row of seats sat the guests. On the right set of chairs sat his Sekirei, Chime, Yume and Blanc. There was an empty chair right next to the path for Hanabi to sit in once she arrived.

On the left side was Minato along with Homura and Matsu. Naruto had approached them the day before and had asked them if they wanted to join him. He wasn't sure if Minato would show up, he seemed quite exhausted when Naruto had spoken with him, probably courtesy of Matsu's perversions.

He looked good right now, Matsu had probably let him rest for a change. Homura however looked dazed and confused. There was a rosy hue to her cheeks and the look in her eyes were one part confusion, one part surprise and one part joy. Matsu had more than likely dragged the flame Sekirei into the festivities at the hot spring. Homura looked as if she didn't know what to feel.

Naruto had invited Miya to the wedding as well but she had declined. Her hands had been full at the moment maintaining Izumo Inn and keeping certain individuals contained. She spent most of her time with Kusano when she wasn't working around the Inn.

Music filled the air as "I Love you Forever" by Two Steps from Hell began to play.

Naruto's attention was drawn down the path as the music started up. His breath hitched in his throat as Akitsu stepped out from between the sakura trees. She was absolutely stunning in her wedding dress. He hadn't seen the dress that Hanabi had chosen for Akitsu before now, Hanabi had kept it hidden from him, but it was worth the wait. He couldn't take his eyes off her as she slowly made her way down the path.

Akitsu's eyes were fixated on his own as she took even measured steps towards him. Halfway there a gentle wind blew through the trees. Sakura petals loosened from the branches and filled the air with their color and fragrance.

She looked absolutely radiant as she stopped beside him before the altar. Naruto could see the surprise and joy radiating from her eyes.

"You look amazing Akitsu," Naruto said as he smiled at her.

"Ah, thank you Naruto-sama," Akitsu said and returned his smile with one of her own. Akitsu wasn't one to smile often, or at all, so it really showed just how much this meant to her if she was smiling now.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes."

As one the two turned to face Akeno. The Shrine Priestess gave both of them a large smile and turned to the assembly, "I thank you all for coming here today to witness the joining of these two, Lord Naruto and Lady Akitsu, in holy marriage," Akeno started, her clear voice rang out across the shrine. Akeno had wanted to use Lord Kurama but Naruto had insisted that it be his name, "Lord Naruto and Lady Akitsu have stood side by side through thick and thin. They have supported one another from the day they met, ever being at the other's side to pick them up should they fall."

Akeno glanced at the Kuramanomicon and picked the passage that she wanted to say. Nodding in satisfaction she raised her face to the sky and held her hands up, "And it was said that in the early days of his life, the nine-tailed fox, Lord Kurama, was fought to a standstill by the Goddess of Ice, Shiva. Never before had he fought so strong an opponent, never before had he ever come so close to defeat. In the end it took the fall of his faithful companion to give him the strength needed to overcome his limits and defeat Goddess of Ice. When he asked how she was so strong, how she could match him when no one before ever had, her answer was simple: 'I do not fight for myself, I fight for others, for those that believe in me, that is the source of my strength.' And so it was that day that Lord Kurama discovered the source of true strength, and the reason for his victory over Shiva for it was not his own power that let him defeat her, but the desire to protect his companion that had granted him the strength to emerge victorious."

Akeno lowered her hands and encompassed Akitsu and Naruto in a warm smile, "And so too do I hope that you will both continue to support one another, for only in doing so will the two of you find the strength to preserve and overcome any obstacle."

Naruto stared at Akeno in wonderment. There was no way that the priestess could have known but that passage fit the two of them far better than she would ever realize.

Akeno continued on with the ceremony as she pushed the bowl of ramen forward, "Now please, eat from this holy bowl and share between you two the sacred food that the Lord Kurama has blessed."

"Maybe this religion isn't so bad after all," Naruto said as he eyed the bowl of ramen hungrily. He accepted the chopsticks offered by Akeno and helped himself to a large portion of ramen. The taste was glorious, after going all day with little to eat this was heavenly to him. He hadn't known about this ritual, he might start attending his own church congregations if it allowed him to eat ramen.

He almost didn't want to hand the chop sticks over. Almost. However at this moment in time Akitsu's happiness took priority over ramen so he graciously presented the chopsticks to his wife-to-be.

Akitsu accepted the chopsticks with a small smile and set them to the side. She picked the bowl of ramen up with both hands and brought it to her lips. Naruto's eyes grew wider and wider as she emptied the entire bowl into her mouth.

"She just deep-throated my ramen… that is so hot," Naruto said in shock and awe. Akitsu just managed to combine two of the things he loved most in life, ramen and women. That one singular point in time would forever be etched in memory as one of the greatest moments of his life.

Hanabi's eyebrow started to twitch. She was of half a mind to go up there and smack Naruto across the head for saying such an asinine comment. The other half of her mind was thinking up ways of incorporating ramen into their 'extracurricular activities.'

As Akitsu set the now empty bowl of ramen down on the altar Akeno spoke once more, "Now that the two of you are bound to the Lord Kurama it is time for you to further bind yourselves to one another."

Naruto knew about this next part. This was the san-san-kudo ritual that most traditional Japanese weddings had. It was literally the singular most important event of the ceremony. San-san-kudo represented the joining and deepening of the relationship between the bride and the groom.

Naruto took the larger of the three cups and held it out before him. Akeno took the kettle of sake and delicately poured sake into the cup. Carefully Naruto took three small sips from the cup, emptying it on the third, before handing it to Akitsu. Akeno refilled the cup and Akitsu repeated the ritual.

After setting the cup down Akitsu picked up the second cup. The entire process was repeated again, only this time in reverse with Akitsu taking the first three sips before handing the cup over to Naruto.

The third cup followed the same procedure as the first.

When Akitsu and Naruto finished sharing sake Akeno moved on to the guests and handed each guest their own small cup of sake so that they may also join in the new union.

With the san-san-kudo completed it was time for the final part of the ceremony: The vows and the exchange of rings. Minato quickly got up from his seat and hurried over to Naruto and Akitsu. He presented the rings to the two of them. Naruto had asked him to be the ring bearer earlier and Minato had readily accepted.

The song "You Are Not Alone" by Gothic storm picked up in the background.

Naruto turned to Akitsu and held her left hand in his right. He raised a gold band with a small diamond shaped like a snowflake to her hand, "I, Uzumaki Naruto, take thee, Yuki Akitsu, to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, forever and ever." With the words spoke he placed the ring upon her finger.

Despite the entire wedding being a surprise Akitsu was a quick learner. She took Naruto's left hand in her right and repeated the words, "I, Yuki Akitsu, take thee, Uzumaki Naruto, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, forever and ever." She placed her ring on his finger. As the ring touched the one he already had on his finger, the one he had received from Hanabi, a miracle happened. The rings literally combined as Hanabi's ring took Akitsu's into itself. The snowflake shaped diamond started to orbit around the diamond shaped like the Hyuga's clan symbol.

"I… don't believe it," Naruto whispered under his breath as he stared at the ring in surprise. He wasn't shocked at what had happened, but at what he had felt. When the rings merged he had felt a flare of chakra, a chakra he hadn't felt since…

Since he trapped Madara in his seal.

It was tiny, miniscule, he almost missed it and he probably would have had he not been wearing the ring, but he was certain of it. For a brief moment there he had felt the familiar surge of the Prime Chakra element.

"By the power invested in me by Lord Kurama, I now pronounce thee husband and wife, you may now kiss the bride," Akeno said as she wrapped up the service.

Shaking himself from his thoughts he focused on what, or rather who, was standing before him. The two smiled at each other and shared a long, loving kiss. Brilliant wings sprouted from Akitsu's back as his power surged through her body.

Akeno could only look on in awe as Akitsu sprouted wings before her. Everything finally made sense to her. It was no wonder that Lord Kurama had chosen Lady Akitsu to be his wife. Her wings were proof of her divinity; she was an angel, and now she was his.

She only wished her own wings were half as beautiful as Lady Akitsu's.

With the ceremony completed everyone soon gathered around the newly wedded couple. Akitsu was swarmed by her sisters, who quickly dragged her away to talk without the men over hearing, while Minato and his Sekirei approached Naruto.

"Congratulations," Minato said as he shook Naruto's hand. Beside him was Homura and Matsu. They weren't as dressed up as his own Sekirei but they didn't have nearly as much notice, or as much money, to work with.

"Thanks," Naruto said as he returned the shake with a firm one of his own.

"You truly are something else," Homura said softly, "Akitsu was originally a scrapped number, now she's winged and married. I would like to add my congratulations as well."

"Me too Narutan!" Matsu said with a wicked grin on her face, "Congratulations on the wedding! I bet tonight is going to be one 'exciting' night!"

Naruto laughed but didn't deny the allegations. Tonight was going to be a busy one for Akitsu and him. "Thanks, to all of you, I'm glad you could make it."

"No problem Naruto-san, you saved me from myself, this was the least I could do," Minato said.

Congratulations… A soft voice whispered in the back of his mind.

Naruto's eyes widened in shock, Kurama? he called out to his old friend.

Silence was all he got in return.

Thinking it was simply a figment of his imagination he shook his head. Kurama was gone, there was no way that had been him.

"Are you alright Naruto-san?" Minato asked in concern.

Naruto fired his friend a reassuring smile, "Ya, no worries here. Anyways, I should get going, I wish to thank Akeno for everything."

"Fufufu, Matsu-tan's senses are tingling!" Matsu said as she grinned lasciviously at Naruto.

"They're always tingling," Naruto said with a dead-panned look on his face. "How were the hot springs? I imagine you'll be heading back there after the reception," Naruto asked.

Homura blushed profusely and even Minato with his new confidence had the good graces to look embarrassed. Matsu however had a rather wicked grin on her face, "Oh yes, we'll be heading back after the reception. This ceremony has re-ignited an inch I need Minatan to scratch!"

Naruto laughed and patted Minato on the shoulder, "Well, just be careful, you wouldn't want to impregnate them now would you?"

For some reason Homura's face turned an even deeper shade of red at that comment.

"Ah-ha, I'll try not to but Matsu won't let me use protection…" Minato trailed off.

"Of course not! I need to feel his hot sticky DNA flowing into me!" Matsu said as drool literally started dribbling from her mouth. "Homura-tan likes the feeling too right?" Matsu asked as she turned to the fire wielding Sekirei.

"Leave me out of this!" Homura shouted back in anger and embarrassment.

"That's not what you were saying last night," Matsu teased.

The look on Homura's face was one of total mortification.

Naruto laughed again, "Well I need to find Akitsu, I'll see you all at the reception," he said as he waved farewell and went off to find his new wife.

x~X~x

"It's finally just the two of us, Akitsu," Naruto said as he slowly closed the door behind them.

The two of them were in the honden, the building meant to house the body of the god. Akeno had suggested it to him during their planning stages. Since the shrine was dedicated to him and taken care of by a Priestess in service to him it only made sense that he be allowed to room in the main shrine itself.

Akeno had prepared the place for them. A large futon had been laid out in the middle of the shrine and to one side was a small table with two cushions. Just above the futon was the room's singular source of light, a small lamp that bathed the room in a soft glow.

It was late in the evening now and everyone had headed out. Minato and his Sekirei had headed back to the hot springs to finish their vacation while Naruto had a clone take Hanabi and the others back home.

The only one still at the shrine aside from them was Akeno who had taken it upon herself to stand vigil outside the building. He could sense her presence even now sitting in the seiza position just outside the main door.

Putting her out of his mind he turned his full attention to the only woman that would be on his mind tonight.

"Well Akitsu, what do you think of today?" Naruto asked as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Naruto-sama I…" Akitsu burrowed her head into his shoulder and wept, "Thank you."

Naruto smiled and rubbed her back. She said all she needed to say. The feelings in those words were enough. Akitsu never was one of many words, but the words she did say was enough.

"Well tonight's not over yet," Naruto said as he pulled Akitsu away from his shoulder and kissed her deeply.

"Yes Naruto-sama."

Naruto's hand worked its way across her back to the zipper of her dress. After undoing the zipper he quickly undid the knots in the strings and let the dress slowly slide down Akitsu's body. As it pooled around her feet Naruto couldn't help but admire, and notice, a peculiarity.

"Where are your panties?" Naruto asked curiously. He was certain that Hanabi had dressed her and there was no way she'd let Akitsu out with her having put them on.

"Ah, I took them off," Akitsu admitted.

"You took… when?" Naruto asked incredulously.

Akitsu blushed a little and shifted her feet, "On the way to the ceremony."

Naruto sighed and then let out a small laugh, "Well I think this is the first time you actually admitted to taking them off instead of saying you just forgot." Akitsu's blush grew a little more intense. Naruto hugged her tightly and kissed her, "My Akitsu is an exhibitionist, I should have known, you never 'forgot' any of those other times did you?"

"Ah, let me help you Naruto-sama," Akitsu said as she quickly changed the subject and began to undress him.

Naruto just laughed and allowed his Sekirei to remove his clothes. Akitsu was just too cute when she flustered like this. He would have to find other ways to throw her off guard.

With his clothes removed he picked Akitsu up and carried her to the futon. He gently set her down on the soft covering, taking the time to allow his eyes to drink the amazing view of her naked body.

"Naruto-sama," Akitsu whispered as she reached up to his face. Pulling him down to her she kissed him passionately.

Returning the kiss with equal fervor he slipped his tongue into her mouth. Their tongues danced around one another as they deepened the kiss. Naruto's hands glided across her skin as they headed for her glorious mounds. Taking both of them in his hands he began to play with them roughly. He knew what Akitsu liked already from previous interactions. Akitsu didn't like to be teased, she liked to be dominated. It wasn't that she enjoyed being tied up or otherwise restricted, but she loved it when Naruto took control and simply devoured everything her body had to offer.

Knowing this it didn't take long for Naruto to stoke the fire deep within her. The battling of tongues within her mouth and rough treatment of her breasts quickly pushed her to the limit. Wanting to finish her off explosively Naruto waited until she was right at the peak before he slammed his entire length into her.

That was all it took, in that single instant Akitsu let out a cry of ecstasy as she was pushed over the edge. Her walls clamped tightly around Naruto as she reached her limit. Liquid gushed out from between her legs. She held onto him tightly, not wanting to let him go, as she body trembled and twitched with pleasure.

"You really are beautiful, Akitsu," Naruto said softly as he stared deeply into her eyes.

Naruto didn't know if Akitsu's face was flushed from the compliment or from the exertion but her eyes sparkled with happiness, "Thank you," Akitsu said happily.

"Are you ready?"

Akitsu didn't say anything; she just captured his mouth a second time.

Taking that as his queue to resume, he returned the kiss just as passionately. His hands went back to her breasts, although this time a little more gently as he began to play with the more sensitive areas.

Naruto's hips began to move, slowly at first, but gradually picking up speed. She was damp and slick from her recent climax, there was no resistance at all as she accepted him completely. It wasn't long before his hips became nothing more than a blur to the untrained eye.

He could feel the pressure building within him just as he could feel the heat building within his new wife. He was almost at the edge, they both were. Akitsu wrapped her legs around Naruto's waist and embraced him tightly, her head arched backwards as waves of pleasured overwhelmed her mind.

Akitsu let out a cry as a second release ripped through her body. She clamped down around Naruto like an iron vice, trapping him deep within her.

That was the last bit of stimulus he needed. With a loud groan Naruto released himself deep within her body.

There was a special reason Naruto had chosen today of all days to marry Akitsu. As odd as it sounded he kept track of all of his Sekirei's cycles. He knew when they were on their periods, and when they were ovulating.

Today was that day for Akitsu. Today was the day that a new fertile egg was released into her womb.

And it was that newly released egg his seed hungrily sought as it flooded into her womb. It was surrounded and bombarded from all sides until one lucky soldier found its way through.

And in that instant the spark of life lit up within Akitsu.

Author's Note: Yes, I know I left a lot out of the wedding but I decided to do a merging of Western and Traditional Japanese with a bit of Kuramaism added in for spice. There's also the whole aspect that I didn't want the chapter to drag on. I tried to include the important aspects of the wedding ceremony, the san-san-kudo, the exchange of rings, the citation of the passage, the sharing of ramen, etc.,

And as for Akeno, those that figure out who she is, everything will make sense. Although her personality is off, I'm attributing that to the fact that she never met 'her' when she was younger. And no, Akeno is not a Sekirei, for those of you that caught that little tidbit.

And yes! Akitsu is pregnant! No one else aside from Hanabi is so far, just those two at the moment.

The next chapter gets us back to the plot! But that'll be a bit as I need to finish Chapter 40 first (Ya, that's where I am at at the moment, 500k words and Chapter 40). So in the mean time, bask in the warmth that was the past three chapters.