◊ (Events happened) ◊
∆ (Their House) ∆ - ¤ (Few Days Later, Mid May) ¤ - VP: Tenten
The other girls and I were ecstatic that we were finally getting married today, especially me. I, unlike them have been engaged for more than two years while it's barely been one for them. Neji seemed happy to finally have this day come, of course, being him, he didn't show it.
All the guys were in their tuxes looking quite handsome. The girls and I all grabbed the bags that had our dresses in them and ran off to the church. We arrived there to be devastated by the scene. The church was demolished for the most part; the remaining part was covered in blood from the poor defenseless people left there during the attack that were killed.
"We can't have the wedding here." Sakura said sighing.
"I'm not putting this off again. I'm too anxious that I might die if I don't get married today!" Ino screamed.
"I for one don't want to put it off any longer." I told them.
"Yeah, but what can we do? All those guests, where would they all go?" Hinata asked.
"We can do it traditional in the park." I suggested.
"Actually, that's a great idea Tenten." Ino said to me.
"It is spring after all. It's the perfect time of year to have an outdoor wedding." Sakura said. "With all the pretty trees, it fits our color code great!"
"No back to the house!" Ino said. We nodded and appeared back at the house. Sakura barraged in the house, everyone was there. Well everyone who was participating in the wedding.
"The church is ruined. We're having the wedding in park. Go out there and get it ready." Sakura yelled at them.
"Fine." Neji said walking out the door. "Be ready soon though. I won't leave but I don't like waiting."
"Don't you think I know that by know?" He shrugged and disappeared into the trees.
"What happened to the church?" Naruto asked Hinata getting close to her face.
"Leave her alone Naruto and just help." I said pushing him out the door.
"Oi dobe, let's go." Sasuke said grabbing him and jumping into the trees.
"Now, to prepare for this wedding." Ino said after all the guests had left to prepare the wedding in the forest.
"Yes, it's agreed that we need to hurry thought because nii-san will not hesitate to drag us there if we take too long." Hinata said quietly.
"Yeah, Neji is showing his impatience and waiting to marry me for the last two years with anger rather than excitement." I said.
"Sasuke is going insane, I'm telling you." Sakura said nodding.
"Shikamaru… never changes." We all laughed, nodding. She, of us all, had changed the least. I had changed a lot from my insecure younger self, but as of lately I had changed because of all the things that happened in regards to Neji.
Sakura had changed her thoughts of Sasuke completely around since the huge problem when she went to get him. I was extremely happy that Sakura finally got to be with him, she deserved it with how devoted she was to him, and how much she cared for him all along. For Ino, it was just a stage.
Hinata had changed a bit, for the worst or better I'm not sure. She doesn't stutter as much but she's horrified of Naruto most of the time. She's easily caught off guard by yelling, her senses are heightened because of genetics and he doesn't help. He taught her to stand up for herself, to some extent but then again she only listens because he said "Hinata listen to me, you're going to be less of a push over, stop mumbling and stop listening to whatever says to do." She does now a days but that's only because as his wife, she has to listen, well in her mind that is. If not for that, she wouldn't have. Naruto has changed her though.
We got on our dresses and did our hair. They, forcibly, put my hair down, and surprisingly it had a beautiful curl to it because of being in the buns and drying in that position. Sakura had her, now lengthened hair in curls that only went to her shoulders since she's only had about a year and a half to grow it out since Sasuke said he liked it better long. Ino and Hinata had decided they liked their hair how it is naturally and there wasn't much to do with it.
Their parents walked into the house. They looked at me. "I don't need your pity. I'm just happy knowing they're alive."
"Tenten-chan, maybe they'll come."
"Maybe, they could. But it's unlikely. Come on. I don't want to be on Neji's bad side during our wedding." I answered them. The girls and I all left as we went to the spot where we'd walk down a rose lines path.
Suddenly, a puff of smoke appeared and my far uncle, my dad's right hand man appeared. "Your dad's really sorry they wouldn't allow him to come but he sent me. I know it's not the same Tenten but…"
"Doesn't matter, I happy to have you here." I said with a smile.
"That's my sister's girl." He said. "Now let's go." I nodded. I took his arm and I followed the other girls down the aisle. My uncle was wearing a tux, I was of course, wearing my wedding dress.
The girls and I all went to our fiancés-soon-to-be-husbands and stood by them. The guys smiles were plastered as plain as day. Even the infamous scowling duo of Neji and Sasuke were actually smiling in public rather than just with their girls.
"Tenten, you look so beautiful." Neji whispered gently in my ear. I blushed.
"Thank you Neji, it's finally time. Are you ready?" He shrugged.
"I don't know. What am I supposed to be ready for? I already love you with all my heart and have always protected you. I care for you when you need it even thought you do more of that for me than I for you but there isn't much different. I ready to start a new life, are you?" He asked.
Tsunade stepped up. "We are all here to join together these 8 people, 4 couples in Holy Matrimony. We have the girls soon to be formally known as Hoshi Tenten, Yamanaka Ino, Haruno Sakura, and Hyuuga Hinata, as well as their partners respectively Hyuuga Neji, Nara Shikamaru, Uchiha Sasuke, and Uzumaki Naruto. We are all here to see our friends, family, fellow ninja, and even for others, strangers get married. During the course of each of their lives they have all met with interesting results, their relationship starting out as teammates or acquaintances that we care about. Then it progressed years later to automatically an engagement for some of these kids who didn't really get a choice however, it's obvious that these people are in love with one another. Be it by accident or destiny as some would believe, they have all been in love with each from the beginning. They may have known this was coming, or dreamt it for some of them but we all know the love that they have for the one they are marrying. We also know that they are not merely all getting married but they are all part of each other's life in a tight weave. This marriage joins 4 couples and 8 friends for life and that's what we all need, friends bound happily to us, not by force." She said.
"When you love someone, you do not love them all the time in exactly the same way from moment to moment. It is an impossibility. It is even a lie to pretend to. Yet this is exactly what most of us demand. We have so little faith in the ebb and flow of life, of love, of relationships. We leap at the flow of the tide and resist in terror its ebb. We are afraid it will never return. We insist on permanency, on duration, on continuity, when the only continuity possible, in life as in love, is in growth, in fluidity &in freedom, in the sense that the dancers are free, barely touching as they pass, but partners in the same pattern.
The only real security is not in owning or possessing, not in demanding or expecting, not in hoping, even. Security in a relationship lies neither in looking back to what it was in nostalgia nor forward to what it might be in dread or anticipation, but in living in the present relationship, and accepting it as it is now. One must accept the security of the winged life, the ebb and flow of intermittency." She said (this was copied from the internet). "Now, boys, take the hands of the girls." Neji carefully took my shaking hands and slightly caressed them in his, relaxing me at his touch.
'Neji, Sasuke, Shikamaru, and Naruto, Do you intend to marry the woman whose hands you hold to be your lawful wedded wife; and do you pledge before God and man to love, honor, and protect her through sunshine and shadow alike; keeping yourself unto her alone until death shall separate you? If so, answer "I Do".'
"Yeah, duh!" Naruto yelled. Terrifying to death my poor soon-to-be cousin-in-law.
"I do." Shikamaru said sighing. Ino would have punched him or stepped on his toes had he said anything else. Something Hinata lacked the courage to do, she liked the kinder gentler apoach.
"Of course I do." Neji said looking at me with those beautiful eyes of his.
"I do." Sasuke said. You could tell restraining himself from kissing her while holding her hands. It was almost too funny to laugh but unless you were Naruto, you couldn't laugh at the wedding.
"Tenten, Sakura, Ino, and Hinata, Do you intend to take this man, whose hand you hold, to be your lawful wedded husband; and do you pledge before God and man to be to him a loving and true wife, through sunshine and shadow alike, keeping yourself unto him alone, until death shall separate you? If so, answer "I Do"
"Yes, I do." I said.
"Yeah, I do, forever." Sakura said quietly.
"I do." Hinata said shaking.
"I do." Ino said. You could tell she was going to cry. I wanted to cry too. Shikamaru needed to do something. He leaned over next to her ear, saying something to her and she visably calmed down. He shrugged and leaned back to his original posture with a calm demeanor. It was time for the vows.
Grooms, repeat after me:
I, your name, take you, her name, to be my wife,
to have and to hold, from this day forward,
for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer,
in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish,
excluding all others,
as long as we both shall live.
With God as my witness,
I give you my pledge.
Brides, repeat after me:
I, your name, take you, his name, to be my husband,
to have and to hold, from this day forward,
for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer,
in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish,
excluding all others,
as long as we both shall live.
With God as my witness,
I give you my pledge.
We all repeated it with no problems except for Naruto who she had to actually repeat it with his name, and Hinata's, but he got it right then. They had done something similar to that in the 1st Chuunin Exam we took together.
Finally, it was time for the rings. "You have chosen to seal you vows by the giving and receiving of rings. The ring forms a perfect circle, without a beginning or an end, and is thereby a symbol of eternity and signifies the duration of the commitment you are making. The gold of which the rings are made signify the purity and value of the relationship into which you enter. Let us now exchange these rings. Grooms and Brides, You have the privilege of placing this ring on the other person's finger in virtue of the exclusive covenant relationship into which you now enter. Repeat after me: I give you this ring, as a symbol of my vow, and with all that I am, and with all that I have, I will honor you." She said. We all repeated, and surprisingly even Naruto could manage that.
"Guys, you may kiss your brides. And with these marriages, I, Tsunade, Hokage of Konoha, pass my job to Uzumaki Naruto after the initiate ceremony. By new heiress Uzumaki Hinata's orders Hyuuga Neji, with guidance from Hyuuga Tenten is freed from his mark. Along with this now, as Hokage, I give to you all, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Hyuuga; Mr. and Mrs. Uzumaki, Mr. and Mrs. Nara and Mr. and Mrs. Uchiha." With this, Neji smiled leaning in and kissing me, his arms gently resting on my back pulling me to him and we all broke for air. Neji, still holding me close to him.
Everyone was clapping happily, or crying as this all had happened so fast while it seemed that we've been waiting for it to happen, and now it's over. "Finally with this we have also joined all these great clans and families together with these marriages for future peace through these loved ones." Tsunade said, finishing up the wedding.
The guys and guests set up a lot of tables and we all sat down. After all the food that we had made was set out and served Naruto climbed on the table, terrifying Hinata. "Hey everyone, guess what! The Genin you all met 4 years ago aren't children anymore. We're married and are mature ninjas."
"Well some of us." Sasuke said. Naruto tripped on the table.
"Neji." I said. He fell right on top of Hinata.
"Can't you not make of a fool of yourself or hurt my cousin for once?" Neji said sighing staring at the two. "Even after you're married these things still happen. Sad."
I walked up beside him and shook my head. "Sorry Naruto but for a ninja you truly are sure clumsy."
"I'm really sorry Hina-chan. I kind of tripped on the table. Did I hurt you?" Her face was bright red, as she shook her head. "I'm glad." He hugged her tight.
"Naruto-kun, are you alright?" She asked.
"Yeah I'm fine Hinata. I'm made worse falls than that. I'm sorry that I used you to break my fall though." He said helping her to her feet. She nodded.
I sat down at the table and rested my head on Neji's shoulder. He wrapped his arm around my back. "Tenten, are you ready for what all comes now?" He whispered gently in my ear as my hair flew with the wind behind me.
"I'm never feared what comes next and I'm not starting now. But you'll stay with me what ever happens, right?"
"That's what I promised when I married you, right?" He said leaning toward me, as my lips met with his. It was just as it had always been, the first time. We were engaged before our first kiss, which may sound weird to others, but here in Konoha, it's quite normal.
"Yeah. So don't leave me, ever." I whispered quietly to him.
"Never." He said holding me close to his side. "It's been a long time since then, hasn't it?"
"Maybe, maybe not. Sometimes it feels like yesterday, sometimes it seems like forever." I answered.
"I agree but now you're mine." He said.
"Didn't know Neji, I've always been yours since day 1."
"I thought you didn't believe it destiny." He responded.
"I don't, but I can't remember a time when you haven't been part of my life, and you've owned me a long time."
"You might not own me like the country says I owe you, but Ten, I am forever yours." I smiled.
"I'm glad. You're mine too."
We all had stuff to do today before we left for our honeymoons. I had to watch be Neji released from his seal. Naruto had his inauguration. Hinata had her work with the seal and Naruto's inauguration. Sasuke and Sakura had to straighten things out with Tsunade about his freedom from his charges. Shikamaru and Ino had some minor things to do with their clans since their marriage was completely illegal technically.
¤ (Hyuuga Clan) ¤
Hand and Hand, Neji and I walked over to the Hyuuga Clan where we would be living on occasion and be for the majority of our daytime hours to rule them. A girl walked up to us and noticing us. She bowed gracefully. Neji was in shock. I let go of his hand.
"You don't have to. Everyone's equal now. Hinata-chan and Neji-kun will make sure of it. I'll… make sure of it. There's no need to bow. We're all friends and family. Alright." She was amazed. I could sense she was a branch member, I could sense her pain, her seal wasn't visible but since I saw his, I could sense these things.
"Hai… Hyuuga…-sama." I started laughing, tripping backward. To be caught by Neji. I looked up; his brows said what's so funny?
"It's the first time someone's called me that. It's new for me." He set me up right on my feet and wrapped his arms around me securely.
"What she said." Neji replied to the girl. She nodded, walking off. My light pink dress was not a typical one, it didn't have a train because the girls and I thought it was troublesome. It was like a fancy dress but the guys figured it would be easier that way when we talked about it before we went shopping.
We went into the main room; there was a chair. Hinata walked over to me, I took her hand and I followed her over to two chairs beside her father's seat, and Naruto's. Neji seated himself in the chair, in the middle of the room. Hinata stood directly in front of Neji, her father directly behind Neji and Naruto stood behind Hinata, with his hands on her shoulders.
Words were said to Neji. Hinata turned to me. "You promise to protect the Hyuuga Clan now and forever, correct?"
"I promise on my own life. I'd never let anything happen to them if I had a chance to stop." Hinata nodded.
"I do as well." Neji said.
"Then commence." Hinata's and her father's hand snapped up. "Release." Neji's body slumped to the ground, and his forehead protector fell from his head, revealing his forehead, empty. I walked over to him. "Complete." The said, arms snapping down. Hinata collapsed into Naruto's arms. He picked her up gently. I walked over to Neji. I was about to touch him.
"Let him recover for a while." Hiashi said to us. I nodded. I rested my hands on his. Using a jutsu to take him to his bedroom, as well as with me. I sat on the start of bed as I watched him sleep peacefully. I swung my feet off the end of the bed, as I played with the hem of my dress. His head was resting silently and comfortably on my lap. My thumb gently caressed the area of the skin where the seal once was, healing it better. There was a white mark, a scar I guess it was like but not exactly.
"You're free, like I promised." I said to myself.
"Thank you." He said opening his eyes slightly.
"You're welcome Neji. You're free now." I said with a huge smile. I found myself wanting to laugh at how Lee-like I had made that sound.
He chuckled. I nodded. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply. "Does it hurt?" I asked, concerned.
"No, it doesn't. It really messed up my entire system. Rewiring my brain, it kind of twitches from having lost so many nerve endings and having that seal gone, but the small bit of pain is worth it to be free."
"Yeah, your wings aren't that use to flying but I'll help you keep going." He nodded.
"You know what; I don't think someone has ever been happy for me in my life. Not as genuinely as you do. It's a nice feeling, to know someone's happy for me." He reached up his hand as it met my cheek; his eyes remained closed.
There was a knock at the door. "Neji, Tenten, may I enter?" It was Hiashi.
"Yes you may," I said. He walked in to see Neji seemed asleep, he having returned his arm to his side. "He's awake." I nodded. Neji opened his eyes gently but I could feel them tense slightly. There was pain, but not as much as there use to, obviously.
"It seems we have found favor in your parents' eyes, both you… and I." Neji seemed confused. He brought his hand out from behind his back, a bird was sitting on it. "Once you left, it appeared. There is one on your windowsill as well I see." I turned around and put my hand out. The bird jumped to my ring finger, beside the ring as I had offered it my left hand, foolishly.
"What do the birds mean?"
"Your father, like Neji share that how they always saw themselves as birds, and your father has, through these birds, contacted you in a way of saying, you too are free. My wife brought trained birds to contact those in the house, while your mother like them to be wild, she would call them from the yard. She too is contacting us through the birds, she too wished to see your father freed from his curse but died before she could do anything to help, and couldn't have. But you have succeeded Tenten, bringing favor that I've never had with the branch family and his parents as well as him, himself."
"Thank you." I said with a gentle smile. He turned around and left. Letting the bird fly onto my opposite hand, landing on my ring finger as well. "Neji is free now too." I told the bird.
"Do you really think they did?" He asked.
"Their souls are free now, if they choose to use their time in the afterlife to contact us through the birds they loved so much, then who are we to deny it." Neji struggled to sit up. I helped him, leaning against the wall that the bed rested against now.
The bird on my ring finger jumped, landing on my head. I laughed. Neji stared on me. The other bird flew to land on his head. Neji's face fell into a glare at me. I could sense his pain. I raised my hand. "What are you doing?" He asked.
"Sh…" I said. I filled my hand with a lot of chakra and smacked it as hard as I could muster to his forehead. He braced himself for impact, closing his eyes but he noticed… as it should. There was no more pain, and the scar was healed.
He touched his head. "How."
"After all these years, you should know. I can heal both your physical and emotional pain." I said leaning over, kissing his now seal-free head. He touched it again. I smiled, leaning against him.
"We'll leave later, alright." I nodded. I rested my head on his chest.
Neji soon fell asleep. I readjusted him in the bed. I left the room to check on Hinata. I knocked on the door. "Who's there?"
"It's me. Tenten." I said, replying just as vaguely to Naruto.
He opened the door. I walked in to sit beside Hinata on the bed. "How is Nii-san, is he well?"
"Yeah, minor aches from the seal being disconnected but I took care of them." Naruto broke out into laughter. I struggled to keep from knocking him out before his honeymoon or inauguration but I wanted to badly. "What!" I yelled at him.
"You have a bird on your head." I looked at the window, the bird was still there, on my head.
"Hai there is a bird on your head." Hinata said.
"I know. Your father said that the it's meant to represent Neji's parents' blessing." Hinata smiled. She understood the minds of those of the branch house and the significance of birds.
"So Neji's a free bird now, and his parents, as birds are happy for him." Naruto said jumping up.
"Sure, but they aren't birds. His parents sent birds as a sign that they're proud. Neji has one sitting on his head too. We just ignore them sitting on our heads." I responded.
"I'm happy that you have his parents' blessing Tenten. Neji is asleep then, I presume."
"Yeah, he's tired." I replied.
"I saw what you did for the girl, the one who over respected you." I nodded. "It's very nice of you."
"And hilarious how you almost fell over laughing. Hyuuga Tenten. It does fit though." I shrugged. Naruto was just being stupid again.
"Well we're leaving tonight. And you?" I asked.
"Tomorrow afternoon, after he finishes things." I nodded.
"Stupid people not letting me leave." Naruto said crossing his arms as he sat in his tux with his legs crossed as he did when he was 12. He hasn't changed as much as one would think.
"It's alright Naruto. It's a half a days travel regardless. We can't transfer all the way there anyway. We'll walk for the afternoon, then appear." He nodded.
"I still don't want to be held up. Can't they do anything on their own?" Naruto asked.
"You, as hokage need to take care of these people. It's your job, not theirs to take care of themselves."
"Yeah, yeah, Oba-san never did nothing and we all turned out fine." I shrugged and left them to return to my sleeping, now-husband. I smiled. He's my husband. I am Hyuuga Tenten. It does sound good; Naruto's right, who knew?
