Her Face
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy the wedding chapter.
Honeymoon Plans: Please feel free to weigh in on if you would prefer a full Honeymoon Chapter with all the stops or a brief innocently romantic Honeymoon Scene next time. Majority will rule.
Chapter 12
A month soon passes and Sasuke had to admit that it was a surreal day to say the least. His parents were getting married to day and he was actually going to be present for their wedding. He was going to be present at a wedding before he had even been born.
"Fugaku, did you get any sleep last night?" Minato asks his friend in concern.
"I couldn't sleep. We are having this wedding in the Forest of Death. It was the only place big enough to fit everyone who wanted to come. I can only hope that some beast doesn't eat one of our guests." Fugaku says.
Bags under his eyes were not something that he needed on his wedding day. Honestly, he sincerely had the worst luck. This was partially Sasuke's fault and his mother's fault though.
Sasuke had insisted that it would be better to have an open wedding. A wedding where anyone could come. It wouldn't matter whether or not they were an Uchiha or from outside the Clan. To make matters worse, somehow he had convinced Mikoto that such an arrangement was a good idea. Fugaku Uchiha had never stood a chance against the combined efforts of his future wife and son.
"No. Absolutely not." Fugaku stated as soon as he saw Mikoto give him THAT look.
She was doing that thing with her eyes again. The Uchiha Patriarch didn't know how she did it, but Mikoto possessed the most powerful Jutsu of them all. Forget the Tsukuyomi. It had nothing on the Bubble Eyes Jutsu.
Whenever that woman gave him that look, he knew that she was going to talk him into something. Something that he shouldn't allow himself to be talked into. Despite that fact, he fell for it every single time. It was rather frustrating to put it mildly.
"Fugaku, you haven't even heard what I'm about to say yet." Mikoto told him with a giggle.
"I don't have to. I know that look. You're about to talk me into doing something completely reckless and impulsive. Something that would be foolish and you're using those beautiful eyes of yours to trick me into agreeing." The ninja stated simply.
"Mmm am I really that predictable?" She asked slyly as she caressed his cheek and proceeded to kiss his ear and began to slowly work her way down his jaw.
"In this respect, you are." Fugaku informed her and Mikoto shook her head as she captured his lips with her own.
Fugaku knew that he was an idiot for falling for her seduction, but it was almost impossible not to. He considered himself a man with an exceptionally strong will, but even Fugaku Uchiha was vulnerable to the Big Three Vices.
"All I was going to say is that I think we should have an open wedding. We should invite people who aren't from our Clan to it. It might help to ease tensions between us and the rest of the village. What do you think?" She inquired as she unleashed the Bubble Eyes Jutsu.
"I think that you have been talking to Daisuke." He said with a sigh.
"Well of course, I have. He's our son. I can't believe that you told him that you told me!" Mikoto grumbled.
Fugaku merely shook his head in response. What more was there to really say about the matter? Their son from the future had traveled back in the past and wanted them to have a public wedding. That and her damn Bubble Eyes Jutsu made it impossible for him to say no.
"Oh alright. I'm not sure where we are going to find a place big enough to host everyone though." He said with a dramatic sigh.
Apparently, his father knew of a place that was big enough though. He couldn't believe that Kenji had actually suggested the Forest of Death. At first, he thought that his father had finally slid completely into insanity when he suggested such a thing. Now though, he reluctantly had to admit that the man had been right.
"Those bags are pretty dark. I can use a Genjutsu to hide them though, if you want." Daisuke offers.
"Well I guess that's why he's the Best Man and I'm not." Minato says with a chuckle.
"Well there is that and the fact that he's an Uchiha. I'm sorry, my friend. I'm testing the limits of my Clan's patience as is by having a public wedding. Choosing another Uchiha as my Best Man was an olive branch. I hope that you can understand that." Fugaku says.
Minato nods at him in understanding. Fugaku didn't really need to explain his reasoning. The blonde understood it perfectly and he would have done the same thing in his position.
"It's fine. I get it. Well let's hope the girls are having an easier time of it than you are." The future Hokage says with a wink.
Meanwhile the women were getting ready. Mikoto smiles as she looks at herself in the mirror. She was rather pleased with her wedding kimono to say the least.
It was an ivory cream color and made out of silk. The fabric certainly flattered her. The gown had a v shaped neckline and reached all the way to her ankles. Around the midsection there were likely hundreds of pearls sewn into in a floral pattern. The long sleeves made her feel rather elegant.
"I still think that you should wear your hair up." Tanya says.
"Oh I think that it looks quite pretty down though." Amaya chimes in.
Kushina shakes her head in amusement. She doubted that Fugaku would care one way or another how his bride wore her hair. Still it was amusing to see them debate the matter.
"Alright, ladies! Let's get going. We don't want Mikoto to be late for her own wedding." The red head says with a smile.
The other women quickly agree and head off. Mikoto smiles as she walks down the aisle. They had managed to make a clearing in the Forest of Death. It was not more of a meadow at least in this section.
A red carpet had been laid out on the forest floor and there were hundreds of chairs and dozens of tables scattered around. The chairs were white and all the cloths were gold. Not to mention there were more colorful lanterns lightning up the night sky than she cared to count at the moment.
"Beautiful" She whispers under her breathe as she watches the flower girls begin to throw dozens of wild flowers into the crowd.
They were two local girls from the village. Rin and Kurenai. The young ninjas looked so cute in their ruby red kimonos, tossing about their flowers. It was a good omen, she decides.
Obito was walking alongside them. He was an Uchiha. The boy was their ring barer. She could think of no greater symbolism than having two young village girls and one young Uchiha boy walking side by side down a wedding aisle. It gave her hope for the future.
"They're so cute!" Mikoto hears someone say from the crowd and soon enough similar observations were made.
There were wildflowers everywhere. She was almost certain that was Aiya's doing. Her primary chakra type was Earth. That was rare for an Uchiha, but it certainly did come in handy at times like this.
The stars were bright and the Moon was full. The lanterns only added to the beautiful scene. She could see fireflies flittering off in the distance and hear the sounds of crickets. For one night at least, it wasn't a Forest of Death. It was a Forest of Life.
An alter had been made out of several pine tree's bark. There were many flowers woven into it. It was rather primitive, but beautiful at the same time.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the Union of Fugaku Uchiha and Mikoto. If there is anyone who objects to this match, speak now or forever hold your peace." Sarutobi says.
Sasuke was surprised at first to learn that the Third Hokage was going to be the preacher for the wedding, but he supposed it made sense. He certainly held a lot of legal power and what better way to reassure the villagers that the Uchiha Clan wasn't a threat? Having the Hokage host their wedding could only be a good thing, really.
Mikoto smiles as she glances at Fugaku;. He was wearing a matching ivory cream male dress kimono. White wasn't really a color she associated with him, but she rather liked the way that his broad shoulders filled it out and for once, he didn't look so serious in public. (Normally, she only saw him relaxed when they were alone and usually locked in the throws of passion.)
"You look beautiful, Mikoto!" Tsuki meows up at her favored human.
"Thank you, Tsuki." Mikoto says with a giggle as she leans down to pat the cat's head before returning her attention to Fugaku.
Fugaku shakes his head in amusement. Cats really didn't care what you thought of them. They apparently didn't think much of interrupting even a wedding.
Sasuke smiles as he watches the wedding. He still couldn't believe that he was attending his parents' wedding, but he was. He couldn't help but wonder what Itachi would have thought of the entire thing.
"Well I see that there are no objections." The Third says, smiling kindly.
He would have been watching Sarutobi like a hawk, Sasuke decides. That grandfatherly smile could hide a lot. He wasn't entirely certain that Sarutobi was truly his ally or not. So he knew he had to tread lightly around the elderly Hokage.
"The couple would like to exchange their vows before we proceed further with the ceremony." Sarutobi says with a smile.
Fugaku smiles and takes Mikoto's hands in his. This was the woman that he loved completely and who drove him to the brink of insanity on a daily basis. This was also the woman who would become the mother of his children. With that in mind, he proceeds confidently.
"Mikoto, I love you. I think that I always did. I just thought that you would be better off with someone who had less blood on their hands. Someone who hadn't experienced the horrors of the war. I was wrong though. You don't need me to protect you. You can protect yourself and you were the one who saved me, not the other way around. I can't tell you how happy I was when you accepted my proposal. I love you." He says with a smile.
"Me-ow! M-eow!" Tsuki says as she sniffles.
Minato blinks as he looks down at the Ninja Cat. It seemed that even Ninja Cats sometimes cried at weddings. Who knew? Well he supposed that you learned something new every day.
"Fugaku, I love you as well. You're wrong though. You saved me. When I was a Genin, you saved me from three Chunins who were picking a fight with me because of my eyes. You've looked after me, ever since. I love your strength and determination. I love the way that you look at me. The way you kiss me and the way you hold me. That's why I want to spend the rest of my life with you." She tells him with a smile of her own.
"THE POWER OF YOUTH AND LOVE IS SO BEAU-TIFUL!" Guy shouts from the crowd as he begins to sob loudly.
Mikoto and Fugaku rub the back of their heads sheepishly. That was disturbing. The two ninjas decide that they couldn't really be angry with Guy. He was just a child, after all.
"Right. That's right, Guy. Well those vows were beautiful." Sarutobi says awkwardly as he tries to steer them back towards a proper ceremony.
"Thank you." Fugaku and Mikoto whisper to the Third Hokage.
"Do you Fugaku Uchiha take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold? To love, honor, and cherish for all of your days? To forsake all others and to support each other in good times and in bad…until death do you part?" Sarutobi inquires.
Fugaku smiles as he holds his bride's hand. For him, he had never even thought about marrying another woman. At twenty-five, she wasn't the first woman that he had courted. However, she was the only one that he had ever loved.
"I do. Forever and always." He says as he smiles at his future wife.
The Third Hokage rubs his eyes a bit, before continuing. It was a truly beautiful, if slightly bizarre ceremony. They had crying Ninja Cats and were in the Forest of Death and yet, it was still like something out of a fairytale.
"Do you Mikoto Uchiha take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold? To love, honor, and cherish for all of your days? To forsake all others and to support each other in good times and in bad…until death do you part?" Sarutobi asks.
"I do. Forever and always." She replies, echoing her lover's earlier words.
Sarutobi smiles and then glances at Daisuke. He still wasn't entirely certain that he trusted the boy, but at the moment it was a beautiful day. Mikoto and Fugaku didn't seem to be in on whatever the boy was planning and now, that was enough.
"Then by the power vested in my by Leaf Village and the Fire Nation, I pronounce thee man and wife. You may kiss the bride." The Hokage says.
Fugaku didn't need to be told twice. Before Sasuke realized what was happening, his father was kissing his mother. He was REALLY kissing his mother.
"That's my boy!" Kenji calls out gleefully.
Mikoto smiles and wraps her arms around her new husband's neck. She didn't seem to mind the aggressive public display of affection, if anything she was being even more outrageous than he was! Sasuke blinks and honestly didn't know how to react to that disturbing image.
"Kenji Uchiha! This is your son's wedding! Show a little sense of decorum." Aiya chastises him.
The rest of the guests did though. There were loud rounds of applause and even some catcalls. The catcalls made Mikoto blush and the couple broke apart. Though Sasuke notes with no small amount of satisfaction that his father's Death Glare silenced the worst of the catcallers.
"Oh come on. Our boy is only getting married once. It's our right to embarrass him." He says smugly, but he quickly shuts up once he notices the Death Glare.
Sasuke makes mental note to ask his father for tips on his own Death Glare. It seemed that Fugaku's was more effective than his own.
Maybe, he could find a way to get his glare to work on Naruto in the future. That would be nice. That was one blonde who just didn't know when to quit.
"Time to throw the bouquet!" Mikoto says with a giggle as she grabs her beautiful bouquet of long stemmed, red roses and tosses the flowers high into the air.
Sasuke watches in amusement as the women all made a mad dash towards the flowers. It seemed that women really took this bouquet tradition seriously. He was suddenly very relieved not to be a single female. The competition for those flowers was vicious.
"Women do tend to get a little carried away about such things." Sakumo whispers to Sasuke.
Sasuke could only nod in agreement. When the smoke cleared, it was Kushina who emerged victorious. Well on second thought, maybe there really was something to this tradition.
The young Uchiha didn't know when exactly Naruto's parents had married, but it was likely relatively soon. The flowers might be right, after all.
"Well I suppose it's time to throw the garter belt." Fugaku says as he gestures for his wife to sit down.
Mikoto smiles and does so. It didn't take long for her lover to remove the lacy fabric from her leg. It was a bit embarrassing to listen to some of the whistles, but that didn't bother her.
She was now married to the man she loved. Nothing could bother her today. Not even the fact that she still didn't know why her son had returned to the past. (Mikoto was going to find out why sooner or later, but not today.)
"Here we go!" The Uchiha Patriarch says as he flings it into the crowd.
Thankfully, the Garter Belt Battle was significantly less severe than the Bouquet Battle. Minato caught it with relative ease and Sasuke notices his parents give the other couple knowing looks.
Attending your own parents' wedding was a very surreal experience. He half expected that any moment now he would wake up and discover that it was all just a dream. Despite that thought, he never did.
"Time to cut the cake! Well one of them!" Aiya's voice rings out.
Mikoto blinks as the older ninja leads them to a very large beautiful white cake that was easily as big as she was. The culinary masterpiece had frosting Uchiha Fans and Leaf Symbols on it. Well Aiya had certainly went all out on this one.
"It almost seems a shame to cut it." She muses.
"Yes, it does. We have to though. My mother would never forgive us, if we let her cake go to waste. Stand back, My Love." He says.
Mikoto blinks, but wisely stands back. When Fugaku Uchiha told you to stand back, you had better listened. She had learned that lesson years ago.
"Demon Wind Shuriken!" He yells as the metallic weapon goes flying straight into the cake, neatly slicing it up into manageable pieces.
Now it was Sasuke's turn to be stunned. He had once used that blade against Haku. The young Uchiha had found it inside his house one day and decided to use it on his missions. He had no idea that it had apparently, once belonged to his father.
"Such a clever husband, I have." Mikoto says with a smile as she picks up two slices of the cake.
"Yes, you do." Fugaku says smugly.
"Clever, but foolish. You really shouldn't let your guard down like that." She says smugly as she smooshes a piece of cake into his face.
Sasuke could only gape at his mother. Oh boy. This wouldn't end well. He couldn't imagine Fugaku Uchiha responding well to such a display, especially not in public. He had a reputation to uphold.
His fears were unfounded though. Fugaku quickly responds in kind and it didn't take long for a food fight to break out. Children and adults alike joined in.
"TAKE THAT, KAKASHI!" Obito says as he hurls some cake at his rival.
"You are such an idiot." Kakashi replies as he sets up a mini catapult made out of silverware to return Obito's fire.
"Mine now!" Shisui says as he Flickers over to some cake and stuffs a piece in his mouth before flickering over to join the other Uchiha children.
Aiya groans. That is NOT how she planned to have her cake used at her son's wedding. All her hard work was ruined.
"Oh don't look so glum, My Love. Everyone adores your cake." Kenji says as he kisses her cheek.
"I meant for them to eat it. I didn't mean for them to use it as a weapon." She grumbles.
"Well there is absolutely no reason why the two usages need be mutually exclusive." He informs her and with that he tosses some cake at his wife.
She feels herself twitch. Oh he was going to pay for that! It was time to fight fire with fire! With that in mind she hurls some cake right back at him.
Fugaku shakes his head in amusement as he heads off to dance with his new wife. He shoots a smile at his Best Man/Son as he does so. Well this wasn't exactly how he had imagined his wedding go, but he supposed that there was no real reason to complain. It was just cake.
"Maybe this will help humanize our Clan in the eyes of other villagers." Mikoto whispers as they begin to sway to the classical music that was now playing in the background.
"Maybe. I suppose anything is possible, especially now that we are married and our son is watching our First Dance." Fugaku whispers back to her.
Meanwhile back in the present, Hinata couldn't help but feel incredibly awkward. She had told her friends and the Hokage about what she saw last month. She had told them almost immediately afterwards and she still couldn't quite process it.
"He really called you his sister?" Sakura asks Hinata.
"Yes, he did. Sakura, I wouldn't lie about something like this. The timelines are conv-erging. This is too im-portant to make things up." The bluenette stammers out nervously.
Sakura sighs and nods. Hinata was definitely one of the most honest people that she knew. It was still hard for her to wrap her head around though.
She could understand Sasuke not choosing her. Well almost, but Hinata didn't make any sense. The two of them hadn't even said two words to each other in this dimension.
"I guess it makes sense in a weird way. Remember when we got trapped in that other world? The one where everything was flipped? Your parents were dead and mine were alive? Neji was a pervert. Kiba liked cats. Sasuke was a flirt. Hinata was…aggressive?" The blonde reminds Sakura.
"Yeah. I remember. Why?" Sakura replies as they were all eating lunch on the Hyuga Grounds.
"Well they were together there. He called her kitten. I guess it makes sense. Maybe it would have happened, without the Massacre. Maybe he's less of a bastard and Hinata is really nice. Why wouldn't he like her?" Naruto asks.
Hinata feels her face burn scarlet red. She had always hated how easily she blushed, but especially now. It was just really embarrassing.
That and she couldn't picture Sasuke Uchiha using the word kitten. Ever. This was particularly true as it pertained to endearments. (Actually, the bluenette was having a hard time picturing him using ANY endearments, let alone kitten).
"I guess that's true. Well good luck, Hinata. You're going to need it. Sasuke's not exactly the easiest guy to understand." Sakura says with a sigh.
"Thank you, Sakura." She replies.
Hinata wasn't even really sure what to say. According to Itachi, she was engaged to Sasuke in this new timeline. The fact that Sasuke had given her this necklace and kissed her cheek implied that it was a lovematch.
She barely knew him though. Well at least in this timeline, Hinata knew him. Then again, that might not matter. Sasuke could be a completely different person by the time the timelines intersected. It was all just so horribly confusing.
"How long do you guys think that Kakashi Sensei can keep this a secret from the rest of the village?" The blue eyed ninja asks.
"Not long. The rest of the village is already suspicious. More and more people are seeing things. It's only a matter of time before the truth comes out and then it's going to be complete and utter…" Sakura begins to reply, but then thinks better of it.
It was obvious what she was going to say. The pink haired woman didn't need to jinx them further. Nope. She wasn't going to do.
"Chaos." Hinata whispers and Sakura winces, once she hears that word leave the other woman's mouth.
"Hinata, you shouldn't have said that. You really shouldn't have said that." She groans.