A/N: As promised, this chapter is a little different from the others (and the longest yet), but it was time to have these three ladies back together. We're about to embark on the second half of the story, in which these heroines find themselves wrapped into more of the 'adventure' part of 'adventure/romance'. Gotta tie up some plotlines! Don't worry though, there will still be plenty of romance, and more fluff to be had.


Chapter 11: Perspectives on a Wedding

In which Hana, Yuna, and Ayame ruminate over events at Naruto's wedding.


Hana, Yuna, and Ayame were lying on their backs staring up at the stars. It was late, but the village was bustling and alive hours after Naruto and Hinata's wedding. The three women were still flush with delight over the festivities, romanced by the whole affair. The wedding was spectacular. It was a perfect representation of the peacetime that settled over the world, and for one evening there was not a cloud of sorrow or loss. Many of the other guests went to an after party at some bar, continuing the revelry, but Hana, Yuna, and Ayame opted to slip off to a field together instead, recapping the entire night and letting the alcohol ease its way out of their bloodstreams.

"Can you believe it?" Ayame breathed. "Naruto is finally married."

"I feel like love was definitely in the air tonight," Hana said. "Did you see Sai and Ino holding hands?"

"They weren't the only ones. Yuna, your brother and Shizune were really working up the dancefloor," Ayame remarked.

"I didn't realize Raido had it in him," Yuna laughed. "But put a little alcohol in Shizune and she'll lose all inhibition. I guess you could say that about a lot of shinobi though...I saw Shikamaru get a little touchy-feely with the Kazekage's sister."

"Not to mention…Kakashi," Hana mused. "He's finally a taken man…"

"Seriously," Ayame agreed.

The talk of the evening, apart from the perfection of the ceremony, was the fact that the Hokage left the reception hand-in-hand with a woman.

"With Seika, of all people," Yuna said. "How suave does a man have to be to get someone who hates him to fall in love with him instead?"

Ayame giggled. "Lots of secret dates," she said knowingly.

Hana and Yuna sat up, staring at her. "What?!" they asked in unison.

"You knew?"

"And you didn't tell us?!"

"I was held in strict confidence!" Ayame replied, adding, "But they've been together for months."

Hana and Yuna laid back down in the grass in a huff.

"He made a good choice," Yuna said after a few moments. In the month or so leading up to the wedding, she had spent more time with Seika learning about the blacksmiths of the Hidden Mist. Seika told her about Kirigakure's history, stories of both violence and beauty. Yuna had heard horror stories about the village, but the way Seika spoke about her hometown made her yearn to visit.

"I think she's a good match for him," Ayame agreed. She'd witnessed their dates, and she appreciated just how much Seika could go toe-to-toe with Kakashi. It was like they understood each other on a deep level, and Ayame wished for the same in a future partner.

"Look at us," Hana observed. "Happy for the object of our Tsukuyomi to have found his own happiness."

"It's nice," Ayame commented, "just to be living life again. Not to be living in the shadows of our dreams."

This truth settled around them like contentment.

"How about you both?" Hana asked. "I didn't see either of you very much…there were so many people to catch up with."

"Ayame was on the dance floor for much of the night," Yuna stated. "Too many foreign shinobi wanted to dance with her!"

Hana giggled. "Is that so?"

"It's not my fault our ramen is world renowned," Ayame retorted. "I just happen to get to know a lot of the people who come through the restaurant."

"The men who come through the restaurant," Yuna corrected.

"Oh be quiet," Ayame replied, blushing nonetheless. She knew it was true.

"Did you have a favorite dancing partner?" Hana asked.

"Well…" she hesitated.

"Who?!" The other two asked together.

Ayame smiled to herself. It was time to share this secret, given that the other two she was charged with keeping were no longer secrets, either. Naruto was married, Kakashi was in a relationship, and it was time to tell her friends who the object of her affection was. "Iruka-sensei."

She could practically hear the jaws of her two friends drop.

"Since when have you had a thing for Iruka?!" Yuna demanded.

Ayame bit her lip and grinned, glad it was dark so that her friends couldn't watch her face turn scarlet. "You remember when he stopped coming to the restaurant? It started then."

"That was months ago!"

"When were you going to tell us?!"

Ayame rolled her eyes. "I'm telling you now, aren't I?"

"I knew you had a thing for guys with scars!" Yuna declared happily.

"So, did he ask you to dance? Or did you ask him?" Hana asked.

"Well…it was kind of Hinata's doing…"


Iruka stood next to Naruto, fussing with his haori. Naruto and Hinata were about to get their wedding portrait taken, and Iruka wanted to make sure everything was perfect.

"Tou-chan! It's fine!" Naruto told him, batting his hand away.

"It's not straight," Iruka replied. "You'll have these photos for the rest of your life, and you need to look like you've at least tried."

That was perhaps a little harsh, since Naruto looked very clean and well put together, but Iruka was taking his job very seriously in order to distract himself from the overwhelming significance of the day.

"Let Iruka-sensei be," Hinata told Naruto gently. "It's a big day for him as well."

"Just remember that I'll return the favor when you get married," Naruto said grumpily.

"That won't happen anytime soon," Iruka muttered.

"Oh yeah?" Naruto craned his head around the reception. "There are a bunch of people here who we could set you up with."

"Naruto!" Hinata reprimanded, ever so gently. "Iruka already has his eye on someone."

"Huh? Who?"

Hinata's pale eyes turned on Iruka, who had stiffened in nervousness as soon as she said his name. "He watches her the same way I watched you." She gave him a graceful smile, and Iruka knew she understood what it felt like to love someone from a distance.

Naruto's eyes softened, and he glanced from his wife to Iruka. "I don't tend to notice those kinds of things," he said in a moment of maturity. "Who is she?"

Iruka opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He didn't know why he was still reluctant to say her name aloud.

"Ichiraku Ayame," Hinata said for him, giggling like a child when Iruka blushed.

"Ayame?!" Naruto exclaimed, and loudly.

"Shhhh!" Iruka looked around, wondering if anyone had overheard. "She doesn't know."

"You and Ayame…" Naruto's face began to light up. "You'd never have to learn how to cook, and we'd get ramen when we came over for dinner, too!"

"She's going to teach me how to cook, actually."

Hinata laughed delightedly. "Then we'll look forward to all the home cooked meals you'll serve us when we visit."

"When are you going to ask her out?" Naruto asked.

"Ehhh…"

"Please tell me you have a plan!"

Iruka scratched the back of his head. "Not yet…?"

Naruto folded his arms in disapproval. "If you don't ask her before we're back from our honeymoon, I'm gonna ask her for you. Mark my words, Tou-chan."

They scanned the crowd and found Ayame. She was hopping around the dance floor with Ino and Sakura.

Hinata leaned over to Naruto and whispered something in his ear. He nodded, listened, nodded again, and grinned like a fool, his eyes crinkling closed as a small, guttural 'hehehe' emanated from his mouth. He looked more like a devious fox than ever.

Iruka missed the silent plotting that was happening behind his back. He was still watching Ayame. She was wearing a fluttering blue dress, and she'd let her hair down for the occasion. The song ended, and she paused to take a picture with the two women she was with. Her soft mauve lips curled up into a happy smile. She hadn't overdone her makeup, and her natural beauty shone. He liked that.

"Tou-chan, we need you!" Naruto called, and Iruka snapped out of his distraction. They smiled for the camera, took their photos, and then Naruto disappeared.

"Otou-san," Hinata began. "Would you share a dance with me?"

"What?" Iruka was caught off guard. "Shouldn't you dance with your father, Hinata?"

"I have two fathers now," came her excuse, and when she smiled at him, he couldn't tell her no.

Hinata led him to the dance floor, but the scar across his face flushed pink.

"I…don't know how to dance," he told her.

"None of us have really ever had a reason to learn how, have we?" she asked quietly, easing his nervousness. "I was taught though…part of my clan's formal education. How to use my byakugan, and how to present myself at formal gatherings. This song? It's called a foxtrot. It goes like this…"

Iruka followed her lead, staring at his feet. Slow, slow, quick, quick. Slow, slow, quick, quick.

"And you hold me…" she adjusted his arms, "…like this."

He tripped over his feet a couple of times, but he got the hang of it. Eventually, he smiled. He was having fun.

"You're a quick learner, sensei!" Hinata laughed. "I shouldn't be surprised. Are you ready to switch?"

"What?"

Suddenly, she let go of him, and Ayame was passed into his arms while Hinata left in Naruto's. Hinata winked at him.

"Oh!" Ayame exclaimed. And then she laughed. "When Naruto asked me to dance, I didn't realize I'd also get to dance with his father."

Iruka stumbled, barely managing to catch Ayame and right himself.

"Not a dancer either, Iruka-sensei?"

He finally managed to focus on the woman in his arms. "Well…" He'd just been taught, hadn't he? He took a deep breath and started to lead. Slow, slow, quick quick. Slow, slow, quick quick.

He twirled her around, still too focused on getting the steps right to get truly flustered, but then the song changed, and something slow started playing. He let go of Ayame. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hinata standing next to the band, and he had a feeling this was all part of her plan. He shook his head and smiled at her audacity. He would never have expected this of shy little Hinata, but she, too, had grown up.

Before he could second guess himself, he held out his hand again. "Would you care to…?" They were already here, weren't they?

"Yes!" Ayame said, too quickly, and he couldn't help but smile at how endearing she was.

Iruka brought her closer, placing his other hand on her lower back. She smelled like citrus and lavender, and he suddenly felt very calm, despite his heavily beating heart. He hardly ever saw her outside of her chef's uniform at the restaurant, but she cleaned up nice. Really nice.

"You fit the father role well," she said, meeting his eyes with a fondness in her own.

"Thank you, Ayame." He didn't say more, but just watched her watching him as they swayed in time to the music.

The rest of the dance floor disappeared around them as time seemed to stretch while they held each other close. He wondered what she was thinking, and hoped he wasn't the worst partner she'd paired up with that night. He also hoped his breath didn't smell terrible. What was the last thing he'd eaten? Oh yeah, ramen. She couldn't find that too deplorable, right? But he still wished he'd thought to have popped a mint or some gum into his mouth after dinner.

They danced in a comfortable silence, each trying to slow their racing hearts and hoping the other wouldn't notice. Neither did.

The song ended, replaced by an upbeat tune. He saw Hinata and Naruto grinning at him like fools from the edge of the dance floor, both giving him a thumbs up.

"Thanks for the dance, Iruka."

"It was my pleasure, Ayame." He reluctantly let her go, giving her hand a soft squeeze before she disappeared again to say hello to one of the many individuals she knew. She glanced over her shoulder and gave him a last ravishing smile, and time once again seemed to slow down.

Iruka put his hands in his pockets and stood there, watching her, until Naruto tapped him on the shoulder.

"You're kind of taking up the dance floor, Tou-chan!"

Iruka snapped back to his senses, realizing that he was still standing in the middle of the dance floor, other people wiggling and moving to the music around him. "Oh! Sorry, Naruto. I didn't notice."

Hinata, still at Naruto's side, laughed at him, her closing as her smile grew. "You're cute, Iruka-sensei."

Iruka was quite sure his blush didn't leave his face for the rest of the night.


"So...Naruto and Hinata knew before we did, huh?" Yuna stated drily.

"I could totally see it," Hana said, ignoring Yuna's barb. "He's so patient. He's a good match for you."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Ayame retorted.

"That you're stubborn, just like me," Yuna laughed.

"That's not what I meant!" Hana cried, but Yuna had already moved on.

"Do you think he likes you?" she asked.

"Maybe," Ayame told them. "I feel like all the signs are there, but he hasn't made a move yet. A while ago, he told me there was a lady in his Tsukuyomi…she's someone in the village, too, and I feel like maybe he's not over her yet."

"Do you know who she is?"

"No. But the way he talked about her…it's clear he holds her in high regard, and I don't think he can let go of her so easily."

"Mmm…" Yuna agreed. "Maybe it's just harder for men. Genma is also fixated on something he saw in his Tsukuyomi. I think it really did a number on him."

"Yuna, did something happen tonight?" Hana asked. "You disappeared with him after they cut the cake."

Yuna stretched her arms above her head, thinking about what happened during her evening. She grinned as her stomach twisted with pleasure at the memories she was holding. "He wanted to go for a walk."

Ayame shifted and looked at her. "You're totally holding out on us. What happened?"

"Well…"


A finger tapped Yuna on the shoulder. She turned around, finding Genma behind her.

"Hey pipsqueak."

She smiled at him. In recent months, she'd gotten so used to him sneaking up on her that it hardly surprised her anymore. What did surprise her was how he looked. She felt the heat rise to her cheeks as she took him in. He didn't wear suits often, and today he was without his signature bandana. Instead, half of his hair was tied up out of his face in a small bun. It was a new hairstyle for him, and it highlighted his strong cheekbones. He practically looked like a model. The senbon, however, stayed put.

"You look nice," he told her. "Sorry I didn't join you guys before the ceremony. I got caught up with friends I haven't seen in a while."

"Yeah," she said. "Raido told me you were catching up with the Mizukage." Yuna glanced at a table across the way, where Tsunade, Mei, and Seika were talking over drinks. "She's really pretty."

Genma raised his eyebrows, surveying Yuna. "She's alright, if you like redheads."

Yuna laughed. "I thought you dated a redhead once."

"And I promised myself never again." Genma grinned at her. Yuna was wearing a new dress in her favorite color, green. This one was sage, and it looked good on her. "You haven't dropped off your gift yet," he noted, taking a look at a gift bag on the table.

"No…I have. I forgot these were in the box with my gift for Naruto and Hinata. I made them from the same steel, but they're for someone else."

"Oh? Who?"

Yuna hesitated, picking up the pouch from the bag and twisting it around in her hands. "You, actually. I was going to give them to you before your next mission."

Genma shifted to get a better look at her. "You made me something?" He grinned again, flashing his teeth the way that made her heart melt. "Can I see it?"

Yuna handed him the pouch. She had done some leatherwork as well, and an intricate pattern worked its way around the edge of the front flap. She watched as he flipped the closure open. In a neat row were five brand new senbon. They were made using her new technique, the dendritic alloys with an abundance of hammering. There was a swirling pattern on the surface where the darker dendrites worked their way throughout the lighter colored steel.

"They're stronger than your standard senbon, but lighter in weight," she told him. "Freshly sharpened, too, so be careful."

"Damn, Yuna." His grin disappeared and was replaced by a much more intent look as he examined her work. "Thank you."

"Gotta make sure my favorite shinobi is outfitted well for battle."

"I thought Raido was your favorite shinobi?"

She shrugged. "Yes, well, who says I can't have two?"

Genma eyes settled on her, that serious look returning to his face. The song in the background changed from something upbeat with a catchy bass tune to a slow ballad.

"Hey…" he hesitated, like he was about to ask her a question, and Yuna hoped he might ask her to dance. She held her breath. "Weddings really aren't my thing. You want to go for a walk?"

She sighed. Genma was the disappointment of every woman who dreamed of a perfect wedding date. He had the looks, but seriously lacked the romance. "Sure."

They slipped away from the reception area and fell into step beside one another. The streets were quiet, all but for the music that was fading the further they got from the venue.

"So…what did you think of the ceremony?" Yuna asked.

"It was nice. Although I think I'd prefer something more intimate."

"Oh really?" she asked, intrigued. "You're considering your own wedding now? Since when did you decide you're husband material?"

He let out a wry laugh. "Yuna, you always know just how to cut me."

"I'm serious! You've never been interested in committing to any of the girls you date. You're talking like you'd actually consider settling down."

"Contrary to what you believe, I'd like to settle down eventually. I've been doing the shinobi thing for thirty-plus years…and it's not a life I want to live forever."

"Yeah, you're practically ancient when it comes to shinobi," she teased. "What changed?"

They walked in silence for a few moments while Genma chewed on his senbon. "My dream in the Infinite Tsukuyomi."

This admission made Yuna pause. "Oh," she said softly. This confused her a little bit. "Was it that mysterious woman you saw, the one you don't remember?" Her half-hearted attempt to make a joke did not land.

"No," he replied, utterly serious. "I had a son."

That was news, and Yuna realized just how significant this was. "You had a family…?"

He laughed. "You look so surprised. That was Raido's reaction, too."

"Well…I never knew that you wanted one."

"Honestly, Yuna? Neither did I. Until I saw it. And now, he's all I can think about."

Yuna let that sit for a while. "...You think it has to do with the lack of your own family?"

They paused on a footbridge over one of the brooks gurgling into the city. Genma leaned against the stone guardrail, watching the water flow underneath the bridge. "I think so. I think I've suppressed a lot of things about my parents throughout my lifetime, but I can't escape what I saw."

"I think you'd be a fun dad," she said, a soft smile gracing her face. "Does it have to be a boy though? What would you do if you had a girl instead?"

Genma's answer was immediate, tender, and wistful. "Love her exactly the same."

Yuna's breath caught, and her heart responded with a slow ache. The moonlight reflected off the water and onto Genma's face. He had a faraway look. In the past year, Genma had undergone a change right before her eyes. She wasn't used to him being soft hearted…in fact, she had never known him to be so unguarded and open with his feelings. In seeing it, in experiencing it, she realized just how much she loved him. She looked away, holding back an onslaught of emotions.

"Would they call me Auntie Yuna? Or do I get to be a godmother?"

"Auntie?" The surprise in Genma's voice made her blush.

"You don't think I'd made a good Auntie?" she demanded.

"Naw, you'd make a great one. But you want to be a mother, don't you?"

Yuna's heart skipped a beat, and then it started racing. What the hell was he implying?!

"Wow, I've never heard your heart do that before," he chuckled, turning towards her and absentmindedly picking up a strand of her hair. "Why does your heart race every time I'm near you?"

She gulped. "Why do you listen so intently to my heart?"

He pulled the senbon from his mouth and took a step closer. "Because you're not normally nervous around me. Why do I make you anxious, Yuna?"

Yuna felt her heart begin to rise to her throat. "It's not anxiety…" she said breathlessly. Although the closer he got, the faster her heart started racing.

"What is it, then?" he asked softly, brushing the back of his fingers across her cheek.

Yuna inhaled at the sensation of his touch. She closed her eyes. She couldn't answer him, not with words, at least.

She turned her head into his hand, letting him caress her. She felt his thumb run gently across her lower lip, and she opened her eyes to meet his. His gaze flickered, and then, like the perfect fit of two magnets coming together, he brought his lips to hers. A smoldering warmth spread through her at the feeling of his mouth. After a moment's warm pressure on her lips, he pulled away, but she caught his neck to keep him from escaping.

"If you're going to kiss me, Genma, then kiss me."

He didn't need any more coaxing.

Making out with Genma was an experience, Yuna would later reflect. Slow and steady, it was clear that he was savoring every touch of their lips, every movement of their tongues, and every one of her physical responses, both external and internal. The man knew how to use his mouth, and there was latent power behind his tongue. Go figure. It left her body tingling with pleasure. She wrapped her arms around him, releasing his messy bun and intertwining her fingers through his hair. With a firm grip, she elicited a soft groan from him, and she smiled. He would be turned on by his hair. He was always a little vain about it.

Genma lifted her up and set her on the stone wall. His kisses ventured beyond her lips, tracing a path along her neck, jaw, and the sensitive area just below her ear. One hand drifted across her lower back, pressing her to him, while the other made its way up her thigh, pushing the boundaries of her skirt.

Yuna felt the sensation everywhere. His touch sent bolts of lightning down her skin. She took his face in her hands and pulled his lips back to hers. All she wanted was to memorize what kissing him was like. Slow and steady, there was no rush, no impetus to move further, only to enjoy the moment they were in.

"Wow," she said when they broke apart. Her body ached for more of him. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that."

He grinned. "Since you were fourteen?"

"Fourteen year-old me would be dying if she knew this was in her future. I gave up on you though, for a long time. You broke my heart. You told me you would never be interested."

"Yeah, well, can't a man admit that he was wrong?"

She let out a laugh and brushed back a strand of his hair, combing her fingers through his locks. "So, am I going to become another forgettable woman after I become the mother of your kids?"

"Yuna, don't joke." The serious look was back in his eyes. "You'd never be forgettable. And I'm not just kissing you because I want you to be the mother of my children."

"Then why are you kissing me?" She wanted to hear it from him.

"Because for the first time in my life, there's a woman I absolutely want to pursue. She's someone who would remember me for who I am, not what I've done. She holds my legacy and will pass it on, kids or no."

Yuna smiled at him, feeling for a moment like she was caught in the Infinite Tsukuyomi once more, but this version of Genma was one hundred percent real, and she realized with some amount of satisfaction, he was asking to be hers. "She'll hold it with care."

He grinned and placed another series of slow and soft kisses on her lips. She let out a happy sigh.

"Genma…"

"Yeah, Yuna?"

"Please don't break my heart again."

"I don't plan on it, pipsqueak."


By this point, Hana and Ayame were both sitting up and staring at Yuna. Their barrage of questions came rapid-fire.

"He kissed you?!"

"I told you he'd go in for a full on make-out sesh!" Ayame cried. "How could you just hold all this in and listen to me talking about dancing with Iruka?"

"Did he really say he wanted you to be the mother of his children?"

"How long do you think he's had a thing for you?!"

"What about your brother...do you think Raido knows?"

And finally, "So, are you guys officially dating?"

"We didn't talk about it," Yuna admitted. "We just kinda made out on the bridge. Umm..." She blushed, "for a really long time."

"You didn't talk about it?!" Ayame screeched. "I was hoping you'd at least be going steady by the time you locked lips, like Hana and Yamato."

"I wouldn't say we're going steady," Hana said, twisting her face in confusion.

"Oh, come on!" Yuna cried. "You spent most of the night with him! Aren't you going on a date later this week?"

"Yes...but...well...we haven't had a lot of time to figure things out...not since he accidentally stayed over."

Yuna and Ayame laughed at this. "Accidentally," they said together, teasing her.

"I'm serious!" Hana said. "Tonight was the first time I've seen him since then. His missions have kept him busy."

"Did he at least get to meet your grandmother?" Yuna asked, tilting her head to look at the girl.

Hana sighed. "Oh, he did. And I think she really made an impression…I'm not sure if it was a good one."

"Really?" Ayame asked. "What old lady wouldn't love him right off the bat? He's so old fashioned."

"There's a lot I don't know about him yet…" Hana admitted, thinking back on her night. She reached her hand up to touch a new necklace that hung around her neck, nervously playing with the pendant.

"But his character can't be questioned," Ayame said. "He's a good man. A little weird, but a good man."

"So how did it go with your grandmother?" Yuna asked.

"Well, you know Obaa-san. She can be…"

"Blunt?"

"Harsh?"

"...She speaks her mind," Hana finished. "And I have no idea what she said to him."


Hana was helping her grandmother find a seat at the reception when she saw Tenzo across the lawn. They made eye contact, and simultaneously, their smiles grew.

"So," Hana's grandmother said, noticing her granddaughter's subtle smile, "When am I going to meet this man made of wood?"

"He's not a puppet, Obaa-san."

Her grandmother sighed, her eyes shifting to the Kazekage and his siblings from afar. "Of course not…in the world of shinobi, puppets are made of human flesh, and men are made of wood. How could I forget?"

Hana rolled her eyes at her grandmother's sarcasm. Her grandmother was not fond of shinobi, despite the protection they provided for the village. Basic soldiers were one thing, but devising creative ways in which to destroy and reconstruct human flesh was where she drew the line. She believed that no human should have the capability to play with life and death the way some shinobi did.

"Yamato isn't one of the scary ones," Hana told her.

"Have you considered that he's killed people?" her grandmother replied evenly.

"I have," she said, refusing to give her grandmother another reason to dislike Tenzo before she'd even met him.

"And you're okay with it?"

Her grandmother was pressing her, she knew. But Hana had no doubts about Tenzo. "How about I go and get him, and you can determine for yourself just how much of a threat you think he is."

She left her grandmother's side and made her way over to Tenzo, who was still standing across the way. His eyes appraised her, and she blushed under his gaze.

"You look like a rose bush," he said. Indeed, Hana was wearing a new dress for the wedding, a floral print with various shades of pink. Paired with her brown hair, she reminded him of the romantic plant.

"…Is that a good thing?"

In response to her question, he stretched out his palm. Slowly, a twist of a tendril sprung forth, curling into delicate wooden petals that fanned out into a fully blooming rose. He handed it to her.

"No thorns," he said, smiling wide. "It's a good thing."

"No thorns that you know of," she said pointedly, taking the rose from him. "I still have time to surprise you."

One of Tenzo's favorite things about Hana were these hidden aspects of her personality. She was shy, introverted, and socially averse to those she didn't know, but when she was comfortable, her true personality shone. He treasured this.

"It's nice to finally see you," he said. "It has been longer than I would have liked."

"Me too," Hana replied. "I'm glad you were able to get back in time for the wedding."

"Yes…but not in time to find something new to wear." He looked down at himself, tugging on the sleeves of his brown jacket.

She laughed. "If I'm a rose, you're an oak tree. You look nice, Tenzo."

"Thank you, Hana."

She bit her lip. She desperately wanted to spend time with him, to let their relationship continue to take root, but another task currently took precedence. "So, my grandmother is here tonight. Would you like to meet her?"

His deep eyes settled on her. "Lead the way," he said gently.

Hana brought him to where her grandmother was sitting and made the proper introductions.

"Yamato, this is my grandmother, Kame. Obaa-san, this is the man I've been telling you so much about."

"Oh?" Kame asked, distracted by the onions in her bowl of ramen. She was not particularly fond of the vegetable. She looked up to him. "So you're the shinobi that holds my granddaughter's heart hostage. You're far more handsome than I thought you'd be."

Hana felt the blood rise to her cheeks, and she gaped at her grandmother, wide-eyed. "Obaa-san!"

"Ahh," Yamato said, giving them both an embarrassed smile. "If she's being held hostage, she's quite willing."

Hana's cheeks flushed even more. "Y-y-yamato!" she stuttered.

Kame only cackled. "Oh, I like you," she told him, a sparkle in her eye. "You seem like the type that will finally crack her shell."

"Obaa-san!" Hana cried.

"Hana," her grandmother chided, "if you're going to stand there and get flustered, maybe this conversation isn't for you. Why don't you let me have some time with this man you've so desperately wanted me to meet. Go find your old grandmother a slice of cake or something."

Hana turned to Yamato, completely appalled by her grandmother's words, but Yamato just gave her an encouraging nod.

"It will be fine," he told her, giving her a confident smile.

"It will be fine!" Kame repeated with a wave of her hand as her mortified granddaughter walked away, looking a little lost.

Kame now scrutinized the shinobi in front of her. Mild-mannered, it seemed. Polite. The way he dressed suggested he was old-fashioned, and Hana told her that he was a stickler for rules. Still, he had a sense of humor, which meant he wasn't all dry. That would be important for Hana.

Hana and her grandmother exchanged letters often, and Hana had written to Kame all about hitting the Hokage over the head and being assigned to work on the neighborhood project with Yamato. Based on her descriptions of Yamato's prowess over building residential homes alone, Kame had known that her granddaughter was smitten, long before Yamato asked her on a date.

Letter after letter arrived with descriptions of the dates he took her on, filled with the minute type of details that only her granddaughter would care to put in ink. The particular type of archway he had built into the tower on their first date. How he preferred nuts and fruit over cheese and meats. His eye for colors, particularly in that he thought she looked good in rose pink, which Kame completely agreed with. Apparently even the way he smelled was not too small a detail to write about.

However, when Kame arrived in Konoha on her last visit and found her granddaughter rather tight-lipped about the infamous wood-user, she assumed that Yamato had broken Hana's heart, and Hana had a hard time convincing her that it was more complicated than that.

Worse, another letter arrived out of the blue in which Hana gushed about him once more, but her granddaughter's change in heart made Kame wary.

"So, Yamato-san," Kame began, scrutinizing him. "What are your intentions with my granddaughter?"

Yamato froze, his smile fading from his face. Kame's demeanor had shifted in Hana's absence. Is this...an interrogation? he wondered.

"I won't repeat myself again," she said brusquely.

Yamato frowned, but he guessed the woman's concern was not born out of animosity towards him, but rather care for her granddaughter. They had that in common. He spoke carefully. "I…am very fond of Hana. She's unlike any woman I've ever met before, and I can assure you that I only have the best of intentions for her."

Kame's intense gaze never left his face. "You've certainly swept her off her feet. Are you going to let her fall?"

Yamato opened his mouth to say 'no,' but closed it again, wondering if that was something he could promise. Instead, he said, "I care about your granddaughter, and deeply. I don't wish to see her hurt."

Kame lifted her head and narrowed her eyes. "But you have reservations," she observed.

Yamato watched the old woman carefully. If he didn't know any better, he'd have thought her a kunoichi, to be able to see into his inner conflict as quickly as she had. If she was this perceptive, he needed to be honest. "I'm afraid that I will only be a burden to her."

"I see…" Kame leaned forward on her cane. "You don't understand. I'm surprised, given she's told me much about the kinship you have with your teammates."

Yamato frowned. "Understand what?"

Kame sighed again. "In friendships, we share one another's loads. In partnerships, we take on each other's pain. You have a burden that you carry, but you're not yet willing to let someone else carry it with you."

Yamato turned and looked with longing towards Hana. She was speaking with her friends, and she looked beautiful. "With Hana," he began, "I feel as if I've stumbled across a beautiful rose...but I wonder if plucking it is worse than letting it continue to grow on the vine." He paused before adding, "I am a large burden."

Kame watched with keen interest the way that Yamato gazed at her granddaughter. "If left on the vine, this rose will whither and fade. That, or she'll be plucked by one with far less appreciation for who she is."

"I'm not so sure," Yamato told her, shaking his head. "I'm not certain that others could walk by this rose and miss how stunning she is."

Kame smiled, her hard eyes finally softening. She was beginning to see firsthand how Hana had fallen so deeply in love with this man. "Trust me," she said, "many will. It takes a special someone to see all the beauty and strength a rose has to offer." Kame glanced towards Hana. "Especially this one. Many only see her as a common flower, but she's far more than that. I get the feeling you see it, too.

"A piece of advice," she continued. "One cannot sit on a fence forever, with one foot on the left and the other foot on the right. You need to make a decision, Yamato-san. My granddaughter deserves to be loved. Without reservation. Do you understand?"

His large, almond eyes lifted slowly to meet hers. He held her gaze for a long time before he could speak. "Yes."

"Good. My granddaughter is no stranger to suffering. I doubt even yours could be too great for her to shy away. She might not look it, but she's known and journeyed through deep pain, as have I. She's lost parents, I've lost children. We both understand that if you love something, you'll always be afraid to lose it, but we can't let that fear keep us from caring for the people we love in the first place.

"Hana has a strength inside of her that would surprise most people. She's not the frail, delicate thing she appears to be, but so many people can only see that in her. Don't be one of those people, Yamato-san. The rosebush is not so fragile as it seems. This variety is quite resilient."

Conflict riddled Yamato's face, but Kame was well past the age of being concerned with possible offense. He needed to hear the truth. She motioned for her granddaughter to come back, and Hana hopped up quickly, rushing back to the table with a slice of cake.

"It was nice to meet you, Yamato," Kame dismissed.

Hana walked him away from the table, but she noticed that a change had come over him. He was pensive. "I'm so sorry you got caught alone," she told him. "She can be…a lot."

"She's only harsh because she loves you," Tenzo said.

Hana's eyes went wide. "What did she tell you?!"

Tenzo laughed, half distracted while still mulling over Kame's words. "You don't need to worry about what she told me."

"Are you sure?"

He glanced at her, waiting a moment too long to answer. "I'm sure." He changed the subject. "When do you take your grandmother home?"

"Next week. She'll be with me for a little while longer."

"More time to enjoy her company then," he said drily. "But I was hoping to have some time alone with you."

"We can make that happen," she said quietly. "But don't let Obaa-san fool you…she just enjoys making people scared of her."

"I'm not scared of her," Tenzo said. "I'm just afraid of mangling a rose."

"What?" Hana asked, confusion washing across her face.

He smiled, trying to push the conversation from his mind. "Nothing," he said. "Come with me." Tenzo led her around a corner, away from prying eyes. "I have something I want to give you." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a chain with a small wooden charm. This pendant, too, was shaped like a blossoming rose.

"What is it?" she asked.

"It's a locket." He opened it. Inside was a seed. "If you ever find yourself in trouble, swallow this. If something happens, I'll know where to find you. It's my way of keeping you safe while I'm gone."

She took the necklace in her hands. The locket was crafted with extreme precision and care, just like everything else Tenzo did. "Thank you," she said. "It's lovely." It was a reminder that Tenzo was always nearby, even if they weren't spending as much time together as she would have hoped.

"Here," he said, unclasping it. Hana turned around and lifted her hair, feeling Tenzo's fingers brush against her skin as he deftly fastened the locket around her neck.

She looked down at it, twisting it between her fingers. "Why a rose?" she asked.

"Because, Hana, you're far more than a walnut."

Hana turned back to him and met his eyes, lost for words at this gesture. "Tenzo..." she said quietly. "I..."

He smiled, and then tilted her chin up and gave her a small, gentle kiss on the lips. "Keep that seed," he whispered, "and I'll guarantee your safety."

She wanted more of this, more of his physical affection, but he did not kiss her again and only pulled her into a tight embrace.

"I wish I could keep you safe," she said, her voice muffled by his lapel.

He laughed, his body shaking against hers while they held one another. "My current mission doesn't pose any physical harm." He paused, growing serious once more. "But it will be telling. I hope to have more answers for you when all is said and done."

"What kind of answers?" she asked.

"I might be able to tell you about me."

Hana put her ear to his chest and sighed, listening to his heartbeat. I already know enough, she thought. He was human, he had a beating heart, and she loved him. That was all she needed. Perhaps one day she would need to know that he loved her, too, but for now, she could wait until Tenzo found the answers he was looking for.


The girls remained quiet when Hana finished her story.

"Can I see the locket?" Ayame asked quietly. Hana unclasped it and passed it to her.

Yuna leaned over to look at it, too. "Wow," she breathed. "He's so skilled. It's beautiful, Hana."

"I know," she said, taking it back from Ayame and replacing it around her neck. "But it's kind of an ominous gesture, don't you think?"

"I think it's sweet he just wants to know that you're safe," Ayame replied. But the more she thought about it, the more the magic of the evening began to fade, replaced once again by the reality of the world they lived in. "I see what you mean though..."

"I feel it, too," Yuna lamented, thinking about the chakra blades that Genma and Raido were trying so hard to combat. "Tonight was almost too perfect. It's easy to forget what we've lived through with nights like this."

The three fell into silence. They listened to the chirping frogs, the rustle of the breeze through the trees, and they watched shooting stars pepper the sky with streaks of silver. The night was perfect, but it was coming to an end.

Finally, Ayame asked the question they were all thinking. "How long do you think it will last?"

She was referring to the peace they all dreamed of, but they dared not yet hope in one that would last the rest of their lifetimes.

"I'm not sure." Hana reached out to find her friends' hands. She clasped them tightly. "But whatever happens, whether in life, or in love, we'll always stick together, right?"

"Of course," Yuna said confidently. "And that's a promise."

"Always," Ayame added quietly, speaking this single word like a wish and a prayer.