Disclaimer: Kishimoto. Not me.
Ino's First Wedding
Summary: "I'm going to find my husband at the Ninja Academy!" Ino declared.
The blonde girl ran her round fingers down her cousin's kimono, blue eyes wide, in awe of the silky material, the beautiful patterns. Her cousin sat in front of a mirror, and some of her friends were artfully doing her hair.
"How do I look, Ino?" the bride asked, catching the young girl's eyes in the mirror.
"Beautiful!" Ino said loudly.
The door opened quietly and Ino's mother walked in, fawning over the bride.
"I remember my wedding day," she said wistfully, "it was the best day of my life."
Ino stared at her wonderful, beautiful mother's shining face. "The best day?" Ino gasped.
One of the bride's friends added, "A girl's wedding will always be the best day of her life."
The bride nodded to herself in the mirror. "I can believe it," she said, "I've never been happier."
Ino's small hands curled into fists, and she screwed up her eyes as they welled with pre-tantrum tears. "I wanna get married!"
The women in the room laughed, smiling down at the child. Ino's mother began stroking through the girl's short blond hair.
"You will get married one day," her mother cooed, "you are so pretty."
"And you're entering the Ninja Academy in a few months," the bride's friend said mischievously, "the best men are always shinobi." The other friends quickly jumped in.
"Oh, their muscles."
"The stamina." This was said with a wink.
"The chivalry!"
"Their mystery, their strength."
"You know all about the wonders of shinobi husbands, don't you," the bride teased Ino's mother. The women erupted into a fit of giggles.
Ino, who had previously been looking forward to joining the academy to meet friends, especially outside of the Yamanaka, Akimichi, and Nara clans, now saw the academy in a whole different light.
"I'm going to find my husband at the Ninja Academy!" she declared.
The wedding the followed was a happy affair. Ino watched her mother holding her father's hand, the two looking content and relaxed. She noticed the bride's friends flirting with the groom's- smiling sweetly, engaging them in conversation, leaning forward and listening attentively. Her father was in such a good mood he let her have a sip of his sake, which she promptly spit out in disgust. Ino's mother berated him afterwards, but was in too much of a good mood to make a fuss.
Ino decided that weddings were her favorite events. Even better than her birthdays, which said a lot. It was a celebration of love, something the Yamanaka's celebrated with enthusiasm. Ino wanted to be as happy as her mother and her cousin, and set herself the mission of finding herself a husband who could bring her that happiness.
A/N: I was going to try to spread out the things I have written and not post them all at once, but I have zero impulse control. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I think that these girl's have really been shaped by the environment they grow up in. Next up: Classroom Musings which does not follow one particular girl, but provides glimpses of them all in the beginning of their academy days through the eyes of Iruka, the sweetheart. Please review!