Chapter 16

Sakura

Two-hundred and twenty days in the past

Yanking her left hand back, Sakura covered her ears and winced. "Aiko, please! It's too early," she whined at her friend who was busy squealing and excitedly wringing her hands. As soon as she saw Sakura that morning, Aiko cornered her and snatched her hand. Genma had told her about Kakashi's little shopping trip in Suna, apparently.

"But I'm just so happy! It's so beautiful and perfect for you. You won't have to worry about it getting caught on things while working but it's still so lovely. He did such a good job." She clapped her hands in front of her chest, her grin looking painfully wide. "It's so exciting!"

Agreeing, a matching grin slid across Sakura's face too. "I know!" Maybe it was silly, but she hadn't been able to stop staring at it either. It was beautiful, but mostly, it just made it real. She was going to marry Kakashi.

He's mine.

It was bittersweet, knowing it would end all too soon, but in that moment all she allowed herself to feel was giddy excitement. She had gone to the temple and arranged things while he'd been away, so they'd be married in a month. Their requests for leave had already been approved, and that morning, Kakashi had casually mentioned looking at apartments while he was home that week. They didn't need to move, but the idea of starting their married life in the apartment she knew he'd lived in with Kazuki made her strangely happy. It, unlike their current apartment, was in the part of the original village that would survive Pain's attack.

"So, do you have a date set? Do you need any help with anything? Are you going with a traditional ceremony or a modern one?"

Sakura smiled at her friend as they headed towards the classrooms. "Yes, the end of the month. Traditional, just our closest friends—simple, small. And yes, I do need help." Sakura had considered inviting her parents, since they were ostensibly family, but they had only spoken once. Not having her mother there made her a little sad. "Would you be willing to help me get ready on the day? Since I don't have any female family and you're my best friend…"

Another ear splitting shriek assaulted Sakura's senses before her friend was hugging her tightly around her neck. "Yes! I'd love to!" Very suddenly and immediately Aiko sobered, leaning back to look her in the eyes. "I mean, it should be your mother or some other close family. But, since you don't have any here, I am honored that you'd ask me, Hana." Eyes watering, she let her forehead drop against Sakura's. "Neither of you do. But you should know, even if he doesn't realize it, Kakashi has friends that love him like family, and so do you."

Sniffling and blinking away the burn in her own eyes, Sakura hugged her friend back tightly. "I know. And hopefully, someday he'll understand too."

KSK

Two-hundred and twenty-one days into the past

Walking hand in hand towards the restaurant that had fast become a regular destination for them, Sakura noticed something about the street that she somehow hadn't before. It caught her so off guard, she stopped midstep, Kakashi barely managing not to trip as he looked back at her in confusion.

"Everything OK, Sakura?"

This street was part of the town that survived Pein's attack. In fact, the apartment they were going to let was only a block away.

How had she not noticed before?

"Um… yes. Everything is fine. Sorry, just… I think I know where we'll find our new place."

His eye widened slightly and he glanced around. "Hm. Not a bad location." They walked a little further until Hatsue waved, seeing them through the window. "Close to lunch?" When she nodded, he smiled. "Convenient. Do you want to check it out after we eat?"

She felt herself smile at the idea of apartment shopping with him. "Sure."

"Welcome, welcome, my favorite shinobi. Such a beautiful couple." He clapped a hand on each of their shoulders, broad smile firmly in place. "Now tell me, a lovely little rumor has reached my ears. Is it true? Will the pair of you be paying a visit to our temple very soon?"

Kakashi huffed and shook his head with amusement, glancing down at her. Still smiling, Sakura nodded, a blush coloring her cheeks. "Yes."

Hatsue beamed, waving them to a table. "Well, I am sorry for my son but so very happy for you, Kakashi." She heard Kakashi grumble something behind her as they followed Hatsue. "Let me help you celebrate. I have a very special something in my kitchen and a lovely bottle of sake to go with it. Eh? Maybe a little early for drinking, but you can take it with you." Seating them, his face darkened and he smiled knowingly. "Drink a little bit when you're home together later, eh? But not too much!"

He winked and elbowed Kakashi before leaving them alone, his boisterous laughter following him away and back into the kitchen. Judging by the blush covering the slice of his exposed face and the way he tugged his mask higher, Kakashi was uncomfortable with the implications. Sakura chuckled, covering her red cheeks with her hands.

"I wonder who could have told him. I only told Aiko this morning." When he looked at her, tipping his head to the side in question, she flattened her hands on the table for him to take. "I didn't tell anyone while you were gone. It was nice to keep it to myself and think about it when I missed you."

He huffed. "Probably someone from the temple, then. I've seen the shrine maidens here before. They gossip as much as anyone else."

"Hm. Well I don't mind that he knows." She smirked. "We could have a little sake tonight though, if you wanted."

He dropped his forehead to her hands, his voice filled with annoyed sarcasm. "But not too much."

Holding back another chuckle at his expense, Sakura suddenly remembered something. "You know, I seem to recall you offering to take me on an island getaway the first time we came here."

He glanced up at her, scoffing. "Did I? That sounds expensive. Couldn't have been me."

Sakura tsk'd, pulling her hands back and huffing in faux irritation, barely able to suppress the grin in the face of his smirk. "You did. But if you don't want to, I suppose it's not too late to take Hatsue up on his offer to visit his son…"

"Tch." He snatched her hands back. "It's definitely too late for that." When she gave in, smiling smugly at him, he let out an exaggerated sigh. "If it means that much to you, I suppose it could be fun. We'll have a whole month to ourselves after all." He hummed thoughtfully. "They're mostly mountainous islands… I bet there are several hot springs and I do enjoy a nice onsen."

Sakura bit her lip. "Especially if they have private springs." Seeing their gracious host approaching from the kitchen, she smirked at the somewhat dazed look on Kakashi's face. "Better save the sake for our trip."

He swallowed thickly and opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by the arrival of their lunch. "My son brought me two of the most beautiful tuna this morning. Maguro sashimi, fresh from the ocean." He set their food down in front of them and, noticing them start to object to what was normally a rather expensive dish, waved his hands dismissively. "Please. For me, eat it. I am happy today."

His gaze sobered slightly as he clapped a hand on Kakashi's shoulder, lowering his voice so only they could hear. "You have been coming in here for years, Kakashi. Always alone and so dour and quiet. I admit I am especially pleased to see you settled and happy." Choking himself up, he glanced at the ceiling, his other hand on his heart. "You shinobi, always coming in and out of here, sometimes never to return—throwing your lives away to protect the village and the land of Fire. It fills my old heart with joy when one of you manages to grab hold of some happiness, no matter how fleeting it may be."

Moved by his speech, Sakura smiled up at him, her jaw clenched to hold in any excessive outburst. He had no idea how fleeting. Then again, serving shinobi for so many years as he'd said, maybe he did. When he looked down at her, she took his offered hand, squeezing it gently in both of hers before he hurried off.

Kakashi cleared his throat, muttered something about 'sentimental old men' and took a bite of his tuna. Sakura felt the tension leave her—replaced with affection for him—as she picked up her chopsticks and started eating as well. It was a rare treat and as delicious as she expected. Kakashi pulled her from her moment of flavor bliss with a huff as he slammed his chopsticks down on the table.

"Fuck." He shook his head, staring at his plate, affectionate amusement lighting his eye. "This is Otoro. At least a whole mission's pay. We'll have to invite him to the ceremony, won't we?"

Sakura swallowed and laughed, stretching her feet across to prop them next to his hip on his side. "I doubt that's why he's treating us, but I think that would be nice, yes."

Kakashi smiled at her before tucking back into his tuna.

KSK

"Look, they've got a place available." Sakura pulled Kakashi along by his hand around the familiar apartment building. She hadn't had any idea when Kakashi moved there, but had always assumed it was where he'd lived with his wife. Seeing his apartment was empty with a 'for rent' sign in the window, she was certain. "Let's see if the landlord is around."

Kakashi followed, a strange look in his eye, but did not object. The landlady, it turned out, lived in the downstairs corner apartment. She was a middle aged woman with a kind face, and led them upstairs right away. She lived with her son, who did the maintenance work and was eager to see the empty place filled.

As they made their way up the stairs, she asked them the usual questions about themselves. "Both shinobi then?"

"Mmhm. Although I mainly work at the hospital, training the new medics. He'll be gone for days at a time, but I don't go on missions often."

The landlady gave her a polite smile."That'll be nice, dear. If you're ever lonely for dinner you can come down and eat with me. My son works a late shift at the corner store when he's not helping around here." As she unlocked the unit, she peered between them, smiling knowingly. "Are you two married?" She glanced down at Sakura's left hand. "That's a lovely ring, dear."

Huffing a shy laugh, bringing her hand up to look at it herself, she leaned slightly into Kakashi. "Not yet. We're getting married next month."

"Oh, how lovely."

Blushing, she glanced up at Kakashi to find the top of his cheek pink too. Reaching for his hand, they followed into the apartment that would be their home.

"The bathroom is just through here to the left. The second door here is a small closet. It's got a tub and a shower. The toilets' next door after. At the end of the hall is the larger of the two bedrooms, the rest is to the right." They stepped through into the main living area, Sakura immediately wandering towards the balcony. "It's 90,000 ryō a month and usually no pets but summons are alright so long as they're not too large or uh…" She wrinkled her nose, clearly trying to think of a polite way to say what she was thinking. "Particularly slimy or pungent."

Sakura thought immediately of the slug summons she shared with Lady Tsunade in her own time and chuckled. "His are all dogs and well behaved, but I won't be summoning mine here unless there was an emergency. Lady Katsuyu is a slug."

The landlady chuckled, looking apologetic. "I'm sure she is very useful to you. Well, I think I'll let you two look around for a while. Come find me downstairs when you're done, alright?"

Once they were alone, Kakashi followed her out to the balcony—which stretched the length of the apartment, with doors to both bedrooms. "I didn't know you had a summons?"

Opening the door to the large bedroom, Sakura pursed her lips. "Well, I did… Lady Katsuyu is Tsunade's summons, but I made a contract with her too. But I don't think a future contract would hold here in the past. I'm not sure how that would work."

"The giant, healing slug. Definitely useful, definitely slimy." He looked around. "Summons contracts are made in blood, so I wonder if she'd come if you called her…" He slid open the closet. "It's a good thing you bought more clothes, this closet is twice the size of the one we're using right now."

"We'll need more furniture." Grinning and excited at the prospect of making the empty apartment their home, Sakura pulled him back to the main living area. "We can get a kotatsu and a bigger couch." She pointed at the wall with the door they'd just come through.

He grabbed her, pulling her against his chest. "Whatever you want. How about an Icha Icha Paradise poster, right there over the couch?"

She guffawed, smacking his chest. "No way."

Sliding his mask down, he kissed her, the amused grin not faltering. "No?"

"No. But maybe in our bedroom. We don't need that in here for guests."

"Hm. Fair. What should we do with the second room?"

Heart aching all of a sudden, Sakura pressed the side of her face against his chest so he wouldn't see. "I don't know… I'm sure we'll think of something." It would be Kazuki's room. Not for the first time, Sakura squeezed her eyes shut and prayed desperately that she would see him again.

"Do you like it?" He kissed the top of her head and walked them around the room.

"I do. Can we afford it?" Can you afford it without me?

He scoffed. "Easily. I don't know if you know this about me, but I am exceedingly cheap." She snorted. "I've been working since I was six and living well under my means the whole time. I'll cover the rent, you fill it up with whatever you want."

"Ok. Let's go find the landlady and tell her we'll take it then." She grinned up at him, forgetting her earlier sadness and tugging him down for a kiss.

KSK

Two-hundred and thirty days into the past

Sakura could admit to herself that she was maybe going a little overboard, but this was important to her. Someday—sooner than she cared to think about—she would be gone and all her husband and son would have of her would be the mark she left on their home. So whenever she wasn't working, she organized and decorated and furnished.

Thankfully, Kakashi didn't seem to mind. When he was home, they picked out new furniture. They stayed up late drinking sake and putting things together. As soon as they got their new, larger bed put together, they didn't even get the sheets on before it was christened.

"Pass me that, would you?"

Kakashi pointed at the screwdriver on the floor beside her. Both of her hands were occupied holding the bookshelf that they were currently working on together, as were his. "Kakashi…" He looked up from where he was focusing to see her bland glare. "With what hand?"

Glancing around, realizing that if either one of them let go it would fall apart, Kakashi swore. "Couldn't have chosen a simpler shelf. No. Had to be this complicated monstrosity."

She huffed. "It's more visually interesting. You're supposed to be a genius, and I'm pretty damn smart too. I didn't think putting it together would be at all difficult."

With a frustrated sigh, Kakashi glared at the offending bookshelf and then at the unhelpful directions on the floor beside them. "We need an extra set of hands… or teeth." Pressing his forearms along the section he was bracing, Kakashi formed a hand sign and bit down on his thumb, smearing blood on the wood panel nearest him.

"Gross."

He only laughed at her disgusted face as Pakkun appeared beside them. "Hey boss, what do you…" The small pug took them both in and sighed. "I don't think furniture assembly was part of our contract, Kakashi."

Kakashi's laugh was tense. "Yeah well, I need your help or this whole impossible thing will come down on top of us. Could you please bring me that?" He nodded towards the screwdriver.

Pakkun laughed, trotting to the tool. "It should be fine then. The pair of you are good at managing impossible things. He grabbed the tool in his mouth and brought it to Kakashi, ignoring their shared incredulity. "So, this the new love nest?"

Sakura choked, desperately hoping he wasn't in the habit of faking sleep when he was around. "Yes." Trying to banish the burning blush, she shook her head and grunted as Kakashi braced his section with his arms and chest as he screwed in his side, shifting some of the weight to her. "It's nice isn't it?"

Sniffing around, Pakkun nodded. "Bigger." He wandered away from them, inspecting every corner. Eventually, he came to a door and nosed it open, glancing back at them before stepping out into the hall. "I'm going to find your bed and take a nap. Next time you can't reach a tool, use your toes."

Both realizing at the same time that they could have easily done that without bothering him, their eyes met and they both started laughing. "It was practically right by my foot!" Sakura dropped her forehead to the metal bar in front of her face. "I'm sorry this is so difficult."

Kakashi scooted around to her side, kissing her before attacking the screws there. "It's OK. You're right. It will be nice once we're done." He looked up at the shelf and then back at her, a wistful something in his eye. "I like looking around and seeing things you've chosen… having memories like this one. Now, move your hand, it's in my way."

She did as he asked, feeling the blush coming back as she thought about all the times Pakkun spent the afternoon napping on their couch. "You don't think he…"

Kakashi shook his head. "I honestly don't want to know. We're better off not thinking about it too hard. But that nice bed you got for them is definitely staying out here."

KSK

Two-hundred and thirty-three days into the past

Sakura inspected the persimmons carefully. Kakashi didn't care for the sweet fruit, though she loved them. But he was gone, on his last mission before their month of leave, so it didn't matter what he liked. She was getting them, along with a couple of bottles of cheap sake and other good drinking snacks. Aiko was coming over that night for a girls night.

Tossing the fruit into her basket she tugged her jacket tighter around herself. She had just turned to head to another stall when a familiar head of pink hair and boisterous laugh stopped her in her tracks. Dad.

"Hana-san! How nice to run into you today. I've been hoping we'd see you again."

She couldn't help but mirror his smile. "Kizashi-san." Her mother poked her head around her husband's broad shoulders, smiling too. "And Mebuki-san. Hello again."

"Are you busy this lovely winter afternoon, cousin? Our daughter is at the Academy and we were taking a nice child free stroll through town and thinking about lunch. Would you care to join us?"

"Um…" Anxious about what she might reveal if she spent time with them, but missing them badly, especially so close to getting married, Sakura glanced at her mother. Mebuki nodded encouragingly.

"He's talked constantly about seeing you again. He doesn't have much family anymore so he was very excited to meet you."

Sighing, giving in to what she wanted, even if it might not be a good idea, Sakura accepted. "Alright. I'd love to join you."

"Wonderful! We were thinking about heading over to Hatsue-san's for what his son brought over this morning. Does that sound alright to you?"

Sakura chuckled. "Kakashi and I are regulars there ourselves. That would be fine."

Mebuki rolled her eyes as they started walking together, her husband laughing again. "Kizashi has known Hatsue-san for years. We don't make it over here often anymore so they always spend half our visit catching up."

Her father dropped an arm around her shoulders. "That's where we were headed when we first met you, actually."

Reminded of how she had run away when they'd met, Sakura looked up apologetically. "We'd just been… I should apologize actually. It was incredibly rude of me to have run off like that."

He waved his free hand. "I'm sure it was a shock to meet us. I'm sorry about your mother. My mother, your aunt, passed away about four years ago, my father long before that. Mebuki was right, I don't have much family left so I am glad to know you."

Smiling sadly, Sakura nodded. "It's good I decided to come back to Konoha then. So, how did you meet Hatsue-san?"

He sighed, happy to change the subject. "I worked for him when I was younger. Went out to the islands for a couple of years when I was eighteen to fish. Running the fresh catch back and forth was a true test of my manliness." He laughed. "I was never as fit as I was then."

Covering her mouth, Sakura chuckled, remembering her mother mentioning more than once how trim her father was when they met. She had more than once suggested he take up fishing again. As if reading her mind, Mebuki spoke up.

"That's when we met. I keep trying to get him to go back to work for him for a season but he complains that he's too old." She smiled, accepting a kiss on her cheek from her husband.

"I am too old. It's a grueling run, my love. He's lucky he's got so many healthy sons and grandsons."

Watching her parents—quite a bit younger than she could clearly remember them—flirting and teasing warmed her heart. They would be the same way in twelve years, even if her mother sometimes lost her temper with her father's unending joviality. It was a little bittersweet. She would not get that with Kakashi.

If she was lucky, at the end of her time travel she would wake up in the future and he would still want her. Smiling as her mother playfully batted her father's hand away, Sakura hoped she would be lucky.

"Kizashi!" Hatsue threw open the door of his restaurant, a now familiar broad smile on his aged face. When he saw Sakura, he clapped his hands. "Ah, you've found Hana-san!"

"She's my cousin, if you can believe it."

The old fishmonger nodded. "I did wonder about the hair. Will Kakashi be joining us, Hana-san?"

She shook her head. "No. He's on a mission."

Hatsue shrugged. "Ah well. I'll see him soon. I'm assuming this will be his last for a while?" Ushering them into the restaurant and to a table, he turned to Kizashi and Mebuki. "They're getting married, did she tell you?"

Blushing, Sakura slid into her seat as her unknowing parents exclaimed over the news. "No, how wonderful!"

Her mother looked pensive. "Kakashi… that's the nice boy that introduced us when we met, right? With the mask and silver hair?"

"Yes."

Hatsue propped his hands on his hips and smiled down at them. "He's been a regular of mine for years. A good kid. Heh." He shook his head. "They're having a ceremony at the shrine, two weeks from today, then he's taking her to one of the islands near home. My nephew runs a beautiful onsen, perfect for a romantic stop. He's got a special honeymoon package. Nothing better this time of year. You let me know and I'll tell him you're coming, eh? Special family and friends discount, alright?"

Kakashi had already mentioned wanting to stay at a hot spring. "That sounds wonderful, Hatsue-san. Thank-you. Maybe in three weeks?"

Positively beaming, the old man patted a hand on her shoulders. "Good, good. You let Hatsue set it all up for you, alright? Eh? Just like your lunch, hey—" He stood back, winking at Kizashi. "I'll go get you all something really nice, okay?"

Watching him go, Mebuki rested her cheek on her hand, smiling fondly. "He really is such a kind hearted man."

Now that the subject had been brought up, Sakura suddenly felt anxious again. Would it be alright to invite them? She hadn't planned to, but then she hadn't really planned to see them again on purpose. They weren't totally avoidable of course, and Sakura knew her parents had seen her and Kakashi several times around town. So far as she knew, they had never gotten too close, not until after she was gone at least. But now that they were all here, and she had the chance, she really did want her parents at her marriage ceremony, even if they didn't know who she really was to them.

"Um… I'm sorry. I know this is sudden, and this is only the second time we've met but…" Sakura bit her lip, anxiously glancing between them. "Would you like to come to our ceremony? Neither of us have any other family, and I'd really like it if you would come. I know it's last minute so you might not be free but—"

Clasping her fluttering hands with his much larger ones, her father gave her one of his rare, quiet happy smiles. "Of course we'll be there, Hana-san."

Sakura smiled shyly back, glancing at her mother who shared her husband's expression. "Well, thank you."

"Do you have a Shiromuku, dear?"

"Oh…" Blinking at the change in subject, Sakura sat back into her seat. "I'll be renting one. They're hundreds of thousands of ryō after all, and I don't need my own."

Mebuki nodded, understanding, before sharing a look with her husband. It was the kind of look that held entire conversations. Sakura sat forward, knowing from experience that they were discussing something important.

Finally, her father turned to her, a serious but open smile on his face. "Hana-san, now… you don't have to accept—" He held up a hand, and guessing where he was going, Sakura's breath caught. "You won't offend us. It's your wedding and like you said, we've only met twice. But… also as you said, we are family. I'd like to offer you to wear the Shiromuku that's been passed down in our family. Your aunt wore it, your grandmother wore it, and her mother. If she had been married here, I'm sure your mother would have worn it too." He nodded to Mebuki. "My wife wore it as well when we married, since she didn't have her own either."

Sakura bit viciously on the inside of her cheeks to keep from bursting into tears. When she was a girl, she had always known she would wear the Shiromuku her mother had worn when she grew up and got married.

But so much of that dream had changed. She wasn't marrying Sasuke, for a start. Not wearing the family bridal kimono was just another thing that had changed. There had been a brief moment when she'd mourned this, but she was a fearsome kunoichi marrying the man she loved more than she thought possible, in the wrong time. It had been easy to get over.

Now that it was being offered to her, all of the emotions attached to it came flooding back. She would not cry over a kimono. Especially not in public. Fearsome kunoichi did not cry over such silliness.

"Oh—" She was not as fearsome as she imagined, apparently. Immediately wiping her face of the few stray tears, Sakura smiled up at them. "I'm sorry… you'd really let me wear it?"

Her father patted her arm. "Of course. If your mother were alive and here, it would have been passed to her when your aunt died. It is for the women of our family, and that includes you, Hana-san."

"Actually," her mother interjected, "we have your aunt's custom-made Katsura as well. You get your hair from her family, dear. She refused the traditional black wig and had a pink one made. I didn't use that of course…" She laughed softly, gesturing at her brown hair. "But I think she would like it if you used it. When our Sakura was born with her pink hair, she said she hoped she'd wear it. I think she was disappointed her younger sister never used it as it had caused quite a stink when she'd demanded the custom. 'It needs to be worn again so I can rub my father's nose in it in the afterlife.'" Mebuki chuckled again. "She was such a funny woman. I wish you could have met her."

Sakura smiled fondly. She didn't remember her grandmother, having been only two when she died, but she'd grown up hearing stories about her. She would be honored to wear the headpiece, and she said so.

"Good. It's settled. We'll have it brought over to your place later today." Her father glanced over her head and rubbed his hands together. "For now, let's enjoy Hatsue's fine cooking!"

A/N In case anyone was wondering, a Shiromuku is the heavy, white elaborate bridal kimono worn for traditional Japanease Shinto weddings. The Katsura is the heavy wigs they wear. I watched several videos of Japanease women going through the prep process for this and let me just say, it looks exhausting. Apparently it is common to rent these things now days but some people still have ones passed down. Also I will be posting a picture of a floor plan for the apartment that they let on my tumblr, badadder1.