Birthdays.
They were unsurprisingly a sore subject for both Naruto and Sasuke.
July approached quickly, as time flew by in shinobi villages, which meant Uchiha Sasuke would be turning twenty one. To her, it signified another year passing, and that was all.
It wasn't like she celebrated any of her birthdays properly after losing her family. Who else was around to care about her birth? She knew Naruto used to sit in his apartment and stare at the chipped drywall on his "special" day, because no one was going to acknowledge him either.
When they were on their journey around the world, they were so wrapped up in their adventure and relationship that they hardly paid attention to the date. However, now that they had time to relax…
"What are we doing for your birthday?" Naruto randomly asked as he looked up from his breakfast. Sasuke glanced down at the bowl that contained overly sweet colorful spheres that were soaked in an excessive amount of milk. How did he enjoy that sugary garbage?
"Oh, yeah. That is coming up." Sasuke replied unenthusiastically and took a small bite of her grilled tomato on toast.
'How the hell does she enjoy that crap?' Naruto blanched at her breakfast choice. He frowned and pointed his spoon at Sasuke. "It is, and we have to do something. We didn't celebrate it last year."
"We didn't celebrate your birthday either." Sasuke pointed out and Naruto appeared sheepish.
"I don't care about that."
"Neither do I."
Both ninja went quiet as they returned to their food. Sasuke seemed perfectly content with allowing it to remain awkwardly silent, but eventually Naruto stood up and slammed his hands down on the table.
"I'm going to make your birthday amazing this year!" He thrusted a finger at her with determination on his face. "It's going to be the best birthday you've ever had. You'll never forget it for as long as you live. Don't you dare say no!"
"I say no." Sasuke merely blinked at him.
"Sasuke…"
"You don't need to do anything for me."
"Nuh-uh, I love you, so I'm doing it."
That four letter word made Sasuke chew on the crust of her toast rapidly, almost like how a mouse would with cheese. Naruto snickered at the reaction.
"Whatever, I can't stop you anyway." Sasuke could not lie to herself, she was a little curious what he would plan for her birthday due to his boisterous declaration.
'I got nothing…'
'Typical.'
Naruto palms met the table once more, and his intense eyes locked onto Sasuke. In a flash, he crossed his fingers and created a large group of clones. Each one of them appeared dazed and confused, but their expressions brightened up at the sight of Sasuke.
Upon seeing the jutsu, Sasuke opened her mouth to speak before Naruto moved to her side and planted a big kiss right on her. She idly noted the taste of the unhealthy cereal. Before she could get into it, and she really wanted to, he pulled away.
"Love you!" He glanced over his shoulder and rushed out the front door without waiting for her to respond.
"Love you too." Sasuke felt compelled to say it, even if he was gone. Her fingers reached up to her lips and she smiled fondly. She loved that man.
Seconds later, her smile fell.
"Why are you all still here?" She glared at the clones.
"Um… well… we are copies of the original…"
"And?" Sasuke sat up straighter and looked down her regal nose at the large gathering of Naruto look-alikes.
"Do we get to kiss you goodbye? I-I mean technically you're our girlfriend too!" One of the clones asked with a stutter.
"Never. Clones are no fun at all, I'll wait for the original." Sasuke closed her eyes and sat back in her chair defiantly. Unknowingly, she parroted the words of the person who once tried to end their world.
"But-!"
"Leave."
The clones scurried away, off to do whatever it was Naruto created them for. They were fearful of how easily she could pop them.
They may look like Naruto, talk like Naruto, smell like Naruto, and feel like Naruto…
"But they aren't him." She spoke out loud to the empty apartment, before her head dropped. "I'm seriously talking to myself. I'm going insane in this village."
She needed a hobby…
"What do you give a woman that expects nothing and wants nothing?"
"Ah, women. One of life's greatest mysteries. I've never truly understood any of the ones I was with either."
Naruto's nose scrunched up, and he suspiciously looked over at the current Hokage. "How much experience do you have with women?"
"More than you think, but less than I imagine." Kakashi peered up from his laptop screen and gave Naruto a thumbs up.
"What the hell does that mean?"
"Pretty self-explanatory, but I suppose it could mean whatever you want it to mean."
"Ever since you became Hokage, you're turning into one of those old men that think they are wise… but they actually only speak bullshit."
"Rude. Do you want my help or not?"
"I need it. My clones all dispelled themselves because they couldn't find a good gift for Sasuke. I made a pretty bold claim that it'll be her best birthday ever."
"Typical."
"Yeah, Kurama said the same thing." Naruto threw his head back and blew out a loud sigh. "I'm not really good at birthday stuff. Not many people have given me a gift before, and I never really had anybody to celebrate it with."
Kakashi, who initially humored Naruto with the birthday talk because he wanted to slack off, felt a pang of regret when hearing that. He was hardly there for Naruto in his youth, at least not in the way Minato and Kushina would have loved for him to be. His personal trauma and poor lifestyle choices even stopped him from buying a small gift for Naruto as he grew up.
'Another thing I failed at.' Kakashi almost laughed. Whereas he was proud of Sasuke for confronting her past, he knew it was too past the point in his life to fix every mistake he's personally made.
The Hokage looked to Naruto who began to count the tiles on the ceiling because of his crushed spirit. "You know, your mother actually stressed about something like this before you were born."
Naruto's eyes lit up, revealing that the little orphan boy who was hungry for more details involving his family would never go away. "She did?!"
"Mhm. Although, it wasn't necessarily for a birthday. It had to do with her marriage to Minato-sensei." Kakashi leaned forward on his steepled hands, and a smile creased the thin fabric of his mask.
"Marriage?"
"Your parents were married hastily in secret, as there was too much happening in the world to focus on a large ceremony. Nowadays, a Kage marriage would be huge, but back then no one was eager to advertise a celebration on that scale."
"Did you go to their ceremony?" Naruto desperately hoped for more details.
"I did not. I believe Jiraiya was the only one to be there. Your father had no family, and your mother's clan… well we know what happened to the Uzumaki." Kakashi witnessed Naruto's excitement start to fizzle out.
"What does this have to do with a gift then?"
"Right, sorry. Your mother was not happy with missing out on what she called a 'fairy tale wedding', and she wanted there to be some proof that it actually happened." Kakashi chuckled to himself when he vaguely remembered Kushina yelling at Minato that they didn't even get a good picture together. "Her idea was to have a jeweler in our village create a symbol of their commitment and love."
"Jewelry? Shinobi don't usually wear much of that."
"We don't. Plenty of nobles and civilians do though, which is why we've always had those stores around. Unfortunately, your mother never got around to actually finishing the gift…"
"I know why, Kakashi-sensei. You don't need to explain that part." Naruto let it go unsaid, not at all eager to discuss her death. "What kind of jewelry was it?"
"Rings. A very gaudy pair of silver rings that contained a stone that was supposed to be a strange mix of yellow and red from what I remember. She showed Minato-sensei a picture, and he looked nervous. I don't think he loved the size or how flashy they were."
Naruto laughed, imagining the ridiculous set of rings. "I'm sure dad would have worn the ring anyway."
"Of course. Your father could never say no to her. One of the strongest shinobi in the world, and he would instantly fold under pressure from your mother." Kakashi reminisced fondly.
"But wait… these are rings for marriage. I was looking for a birthday gift. I'm not married to Sasuke."
"That's your end goal though, isn't it?"
"Eh?"
"Marriage. You do plan on spending the rest of your life with her, correct? Why wait?" Kakashi shrugged casually. "I've heard from Iruka that you brought it up to him. Might as well do something special, and what's more special than proposing on her birthday?"
Naruto's whisker-marked cheeks reddened instantly, and he waved his hands erratically, proving to Kakashi that he took after Kushina completely. "I don't know if Sasuke would wear a ring. I never figured out where to propose, and how to do it! What kind of ring do I have made? What if she says no?! What if-!"
"You'll be fine, I believe in you." Kakashi gave his iconic, now double, eye-smile as he cut Naruto's nervous rambling off. "It's amusing that you think Sasuke would tell you no. Naruto, what's that on the back of your shirt right now?"
Naruto blinked and tilted his head at Kakashi before he slowly responded. "An… Uchiha fan?" He wore the shirt Sasuke made for him often. The only bad thing was he had to deal with Kurama's death threats every single time he put it on.
"And how many non-Uchiha clan members do you think walked around with that proudly on their backs?"
"None?"
"Wrong. Those who married in to the family tended to wear clothing like that. This is true for every major clan in our village."
"S-So… what you're saying is…" Naruto's eyes widened at he started to put two and two together. He never thought of the implications of clothing!
"Sasuke has you wearing the crest of her family. For a woman who takes great pride in that despite all she's been through, I'm sure you can guess what her intentions are."
'This marriage nonsense makes no sense to me.'
'Sasuke is thinking about marrying me!'
'If you ever refer to yourself as Uchiha Naruto, I will eat you. That's my promise of a lifetime.'
Naruto ignored Kurama as his heart thumped in his ears. The idea of marriage excited him. Sure, not much would change in how they interacted with each other, but being able to call her his wife…
"I can give you the name of a popular jeweler in the village. He deals in specialized chakra metals and stones. He's been around since I was a kid. I'm sure you can fully customize whatever you'd want for Sasuke. Be warned, he's a bit of a… character." Kakashi offered while observing Naruto's reactions. He may have regrets, but Team Seven certainly wasn't one of them. That was his little overpowered dysfunctional family, and he loved them deeply.
"Kakashi-sensei, thank you. For the idea, for talking about my parents… for…"
"Anything for the future Hokage."
Naruto grinned wildly, very much like he did back when he was a twelve-year-old hyperactive knucklehead. "I'll be taking that hat soon, y'know."
"Please do, I am ready to retire. Who in their right mind would want to be Hokage?"
"I'm crazy."
"Oh, I know."
Boredom.
Sasuke was not the kind of person who would claim she became bored easily. There was always something to strive for, something to hate. Time used to pass without any thought from her.
Now? If Naruto wasn't around, time slowed to a grueling crawl.
Kakashi did not allow her to take as many missions as humanly possible. He claimed it was good for her to relax and take it easy after the past few years of her life. Then he went on about peace, and how she'll "tank the precious Genin economy" by taking simple delivery requests despite being a Jōnin. He was a true bullshitter.
As she sat in Naruto's apartment, she felt stagnant. She loved him more than she loved herself, a thousand times over, but she did not want to become a person who merely kept a house in order for the rest of her life. She would go stir-crazy.
Sasuke wasn't sure what she'd do in the future, outside of being tethered to her lifeline, but anything was better than wasting away on the couch. She exited the apartment shortly after Naruto left to run around the village, and she hoped to find direction or a distraction. Maybe she'd train to clear her head.
Instead… she found…
"You know, you're a hard woman to approach. I follow you every time I catch sight of you."
"That's not weird at all."
"You never tried to stop me though."
"If it was an attempt on my life, you wouldn't have made it so obvious. You also would have failed miserably."
"Girly, you are difficult." Mitarashi Anko, the eccentric snake summoning Jōnin, puffed her cheeks up in a chipmunk-like fashion while pouting at Sasuke. The Uchiha was perturbed after being referred to as "girly".
"Do not call me that. What do you even want, stalker?"
Anko only grinned and threw her arm around Sasuke's shoulders. The physical contact was not something Sasuke enjoyed, but she couldn't be too surprised because of who she was interacting with. The same woman who once cut her boyfriend's cheek and proceeded to lick at his blood happily.
There will be no more "Naruto licking" as long as Sasuke still drew breath.
"I owe you big time, and I need a good way to show my appreciation. I'm really shit at these kinds of things though. I had to work up the courage to approach one of the strongest kunoichi ever." Anko sighed dramatically with the back of her hand pressed to her forehead.
"Remove your arm. Now." The cold command made Anko laugh, but she relented and backed off. "You don't owe me."
"I do. Look at this." Anko, who had absolutely zero shame in public, pulled on the neckline of her chainmail mesh-like shirt and slid it off her shoulder. There was not a bra strap to be seen, which told Sasuke all she needed to know about Anko's stance on underwear.
"Your curse mark." Sasuke replied dryly. Anko was a pivotal piece for resurrecting Orochimaru, which led to Sasuke getting the answers she wanted from the past Hokage.
"It's gone, because of you." Anko fixed her shirt quickly. For the first time since their conversation started, the snake summoner stopped smiling. "I was unconscious for practically the entire war, I've never felt more useless in my life. I would have been depressed, but then I noticed this. His filthy chakra was finally gone from my body. I almost had a heart attack on the spot."
Orochimaru's chakra being referred to as filthy was an understatement. Sasuke's sour expression started to disappear while she listened to Anko. They were similar in a sense, but she luckily escaped Orochimaru's control far sooner in life.
"I was finally free. That bastard ruined me, and I was labeled as a flight risk in the village until I gave it my all to become a Jōnin." Anko sounded bitter about her past, and Sasuke couldn't blame her. Being shunned by the very people they lived amongst was a common story in Konoha.
"Orochimaru has that kind of effect on people."
Anko let out a humorless laugh. "He does. I'm not going to harp on that scum for too long, but you were the one to get that mark off me."
"I'm also the one responsible for his revival. I… did not remove it for your benefit. Sorry." Surprisingly Sasuke hesitated to admit that and bowed her head slightly. She did not want Anko to feel indebted to her when her actions were purely selfish.
"You know what, your reasons really don't matter to me. What matters is that you did this. I owe you." Anko wasn't thrilled with Orochimaru's revival, but she took solace in knowing that he was fated to spend the rest of his days sitting in his creepy hideouts under constant supervision. Besides, the two strongest ninja in the world lived in her village. They would turn her old mentor to ash in an instant if he gave them a reason.
"Stop repeating that and stop following me. It's annoying." Sasuke's eyes twitched when Anko pulled her close again. The older woman seemed to enjoy grabbing her.
"N~o~p~e~!" Anko sang out and smiled in such a way that gave Sasuke some intense Naruto vibes. "You're stuck with me until I properly pay you back for this. Only way to get rid of me is by using your fancy eyes and teleporting me into the moon or something badass like that. I heard you're able to do that."
"You're not right in the head."
"None of us are. That's why we are called shinobi." Anko tapped Sasuke childishly on the nose and jumped back to put her hands on her wide hips. Sasuke was forced to witness how bouncy she was. "So! Let's hangout. We can call it a girls day or whatever. Don't worry, I know you have that cutie back at home. I won't try to steal you away from him for too long."
"I don't need anything from you." Sasuke was eternally stubborn, and she started to walk away.
"Oh really~? I can't interest you in a little daytime drinking? Maybe something… tomato infused?" Anko's grin was incredibly wide when she noticed how Sasuke stopped in her tracks.
Her Rinnegan sharply focused on Anko. How did she know?
"C'mon~ I know a really good bar that's open at this time. All on me." Anko was an incredibly bad influence.
On that day, Uchiha Sasuke finally made a new friend.
There were few places that Naruto felt out of his comfort zone, and he quickly discovered that a jewelry store was one of them. Outside of the few customers surprised at his arrival, he was ignored by the patrons who looked and smelled rich.
Kakashi helped him by pointing him in the right direction, but when he got there and was surrounded by diamonds the size of a damn eyeball…
'Can I afford any of this?' Naruto was in awe of the diamond ring that sat in a showcase display. He subconsciously reached for his trusty toad-shaped wallet. No matter how old he became, that wallet would always be used.
'You're considered the world's savior. How do you not have enough money?'
'You think they paid me a lot for that? Saving the world tax doesn't exist, y'know.'
'You apes confuse me.'
'Yeah yeah, keep talking you gigantic chakra beast…'
"That one might be out of your price range." A rather snooty elderly bald man looked down his rimmed glasses at the villages hero. He stood behind the counter of the jewelry store, dressed in a clean black suit with a neatly pinned elegant name tag on the lapel.
"Oi, you don't know my price range… Hirito." Naruto squinted at the name on his suit jacket and responded indignantly.
"Ahem." The store owner tapped on the top of the glass case which revealed a price for the ring Naruto was previously staring at.
"Oh… uh… that's a lot." Naruto couldn't believe his apartment cost less than that ring!
"Just as I thought." Hirito shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. "Now, I know who you are, and I appreciate all you've done for us… but I don't appreciate non-paying customers in my establishment gawking at my brilliant pieces."
"Great, a snobby bastard…" Naruto muttered under his breath, and he realized this is what Kakashi meant by calling the jeweler a "character".
"What was that?"
"Nothing."
"Hmm." Hirito hummed and appraised Naruto critically for a few moments. Naruto was briefly reminded of Kabuto, they gave off the same cocky energy. "What is it you're here for?"
"I want to have jewelry made for my girlfriend." Naruto got straight to the point.
"Something made? That is quite expensive. Chakra metal and stones that can handle abuse from you shinobi does not come cheap." Hirito felt the need to bring up finances again, especially because of Naruto's reaction to the diamond ring.
"I may not be able to afford that monster," Naruto pointed at the display case for a moment before frowning at the man "but I will spend anything I have to for what I want. It has to be special."
"What is the occasion?" Hirito only slightly regretted his initial reaction towards Naruto. Clearly he was serious.
"Originally a birthday gift, but now it's for something more important. I want to ask my girlfriend to marry me." He whispered the last part to Hirito, as if Sasuke was around to hear him.
"I see. You want an engagement ring. They are used for marriage proposals, although they are quite uncommon in shinobi villages. Your lot tends to rush ceremonies and skip all the flair. It's been around twenty years since I've been sought out by a shinobi for marriage purposes."
Naruto nodded, but he really only focused on the word 'engagement'. He could not stop smiling about it.
"Usually there is a wedding ring presented at the actual ceremony. One that is simpler in design, but no less expensive." Hiroto explained to the now extremely focused ninja.
"Two different rings? No way! I'll be lucky if she even wears one." Naruto's comment caused Hiroto to let out a sound that was as close to a laugh that he'd get from the man.
"Old tradition that isn't exclusive to shinobi does not need to be followed, besides it is your marriage. The ring, or rings, would be your choice." Hiroto pointed to the glass below him. "You immediately were drawn to the biggest diamond in my store, but everybody enjoys jewelry tailored to their tastes. Describe your partners taste to me."
"Sasuke is a little complicated." Naruto laughed to himself as he spoke. "I've never seen her wear jewelry. She doesn't care about expensive things, and she doesn't really care how she's seen by others. But I don't want anything super cheap, y'know? It has to look amazing. Oh, I should mention, she'd need a pretty strong ring to deal with the lightning chakra she covers her hand in. If that's possible." Naruto finished sheepishly.
"From that rather messy description, a lot of my pieces would not suit her. Perhaps not even a diamond at all. I tend to sell those to individuals who would be showing it off at any possible occasion for vanities sake. They are mesmerizing, but only for those with an eye for them."
"Yeah, I can't imagine her with that fat rock on her finger." Naruto insulted the giant hunk of diamond again, which made Hirito's brow twitch.
"A diamond… is not a mere rock. We truly have our work cut out ahead of us. The cost for my jewelry creation services begins at-"
Naruto took his toad themed wallet out and slapped it onto the showcase display with a grin. "Doesn't matter. Let's do this."
Hirito stared at Naruto for a moment and his mind flashed back to a certain redhead woman that performed the same exact action so many years ago. Albeit with a normal wallet. Naruto's smile and face were practically a spitting image of hers.
"I have to tend to other customers first. It will probably take a while."
"I can wait. Believe me, I have all day."
"What a joy." Hirito eyed Gama-chan distastefully. He very much doubted the bloated toad wallet could hold enough for his fine craftsmanship.
"When I become Hokage, I'll be sure to tell everyone how you're the best jeweler in the Elemental Nations. Think of all the business you'll be getting. I have so many friends from outside the village that would love stuff like this." Naruto knew how these type of prideful, borderline arrogant, people worked. He played into that perfectly.
"… Give me half an hour and I can close up early to help you."
'Gotcha~!' Naruto tried to hold back a smirk.
Talk no Jutsu was still his strongest technique.
"What'd you do after that?!"
"I told him that anything he tried was useless before these eyes."
"God, you're dramatic. I love it. I really hope he was pissing himself in fear, the stupid bastard. Here, let's toast to his first death!"
Sasuke had a small smile on her face while she sat with Anko at the small table of a mostly unpopulated bar.
The reason behind the lack of drinkers was simple… it was noon on a weekday. The perfect time for drinking, as Anko claimed.
Sasuke was surprised at how much alcohol Anko could down. Naturally, Sasuke did not attempt to match her, because she wasn't exactly trying to blackout with anyone that wasn't Naruto. Sasuke's head was hardly fuzzy from the moderate amount of liquor she consumed.
During their conversation, she learned that Anko was very easy to talk to, yet again showing similarities to Naruto. She said what was on her mind, even if it was extremely crass. She was unapologetically herself.
Sasuke supposed she didn't hate that.
"Give me the word and I'll be your partner in crime to hunt that trash down again." Anko smiled brightly at her and Sasuke raised her drink.
"Sure." She downed the contents of the cup and felt a strong burn as it flowed down her throat. All shinobi had a vice, and she may have found hers.
"Soooo~ let's talk about something super serious. Sex life, how is it with a guy that can make so many clones? Are you into that or is it like cheat-?!"
Anko's inappropriate question was cut off by the bars door being pushed open loudly. The bar owner only grimaced as he noticed that another loud individual was going to be populating his establishment. However, the woman practically funded every bar in the village with her business alone. The loud clack of her heels smacked against the hardwood floors of the bar, and the few occupants stared at her with various degrees of interest.
"There goes my good time." Sasuke mumbled under her breath.
"Tsunade-sama~! Come have a drink!" Anko was clearly in good spirits.
The blonde woman scanned the area, seeing her fellow daytime drunks, before inevitably zeroing in on Anko and Sasuke at a small table in the back of the room. She marched over to them with as much grace as a past Hokage would possess and quirked an eyebrow at the duo. "Not your usual company, is it?"
Anko only laughed and waved her hand dismissively. "Nope, but we are basically best friends now. Sasuke told me about how scared Orochimaru was before she cut him into tiny snake pieces, and I realized how much I need her in my life."
Tsunade deadpanned at the topic of discussion being her former teammates death. "Lovely."
"Sit down, sit down. I'll order us something special." Anko shot out of her seat to grab more of the dangerous liquid. She wobbled a little bit as she moved, clearly affected by the heavy amount of alcohol that easily put Sasuke's consumption to shame.
The two powerhouse women sat up straight at the table. Sasuke fought off whatever buzz she had from the alcohol to stare down the woman who clearly did not favor her.
Sasuke knew there were multiple reasons for that. Some were valid.
"Sasuke."
"Senju."
Tsunade's composure slipped at the way she was addressed. Only one other shinobi called her that with the same amount of contempt before.
Right as the air surrounding the table became tense, Anko returned and placed a large blue colored bottle down between them. She put her hands on her hips proudly. "This is the good stuff." Anko told them and seated herself at Sasuke's side. They both faced Tsunade now.
"It's a bit too much for a little girl." Tsunade offhandedly commented.
"What?" The audacity of being referred to in such a manner took Sasuke by surprise.
"You heard me. I've been drinking since before you were a thought in your mother's head. Anko is someone I see in these bars right after she gets her mission pay… you are not." Tsunade leaned forward, her lips pulled up in a smirk.
"Ladies, ladies… there's a lot of titty power at this table… let's just relax." Anko's attempt at placating the situation was ignored.
"You're mistakenly implying I can't handle alcohol. It's not my first time drinking." Sasuke's glare was scathing. Her ego was being damaged.
"I'm implying you can't handle this. It will have you on your ass after only two shots max."
"I know you're playing me."
"Am I?"
Sasuke briefly scanned the label of the bottle… and her rigid expression almost fell at the absurd alcohol content percentage. That was way more than anything she's had in her life.
"Scared, little Uchiha?"
Sasuke had to remind herself that Naruto truly loved Tsunade. "You wish, old hag." The insult made the Godaime Hokage narrow her eyes.
"Does this have anything to do with some sort of centuries old Senju and Uchiha rivalry thing? I'm out of the loop." Anko questioned them both while leaning against Sasuke's shoulder.
"No," Tsunade started and reached for the bottle "I simply think my favorite pain in the ass can do better."
"Naruto…" Anko blinked at the way Tsunade described him.
"He's family. Besides Shizune and Sakura, he's all I got. I'm not impressed with her."
"I have no reason to gain your approval. I love him and that's all that matters to me." Sasuke spit back. She did not realize that it was one of the first times she's verbalized that to someone outside of her extremely small social circle. Aka, Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi.
"Whatever you say." Tsunade poured a tall shot glass of clear liquid for herself with a small smile on her face that she tried to force away.
'This is a bad decision.' Sasuke told herself mentally, knowing her limits. She couldn't match Tsunade, who was essentially a high functioning alcoholic.
"It's okay to say no, I wouldn't think any less of you. That's impossible." Tsunade's mockery should have been brushed off by Sasuke, but perhaps there truly was some Senju resentment in her blood.
"Fill it up." Sasuke pushed her shot glass forward, and Anko laughed at her side.
"Don't worry girly, I'll hold your hair back when you're puking later. That's what best friends are for." Anko pat Sasuke on the back for support.
Sasuke activated her Sharingan, she wanted to burn Tsunade's defeated face into her memory.
The Uchiha clan were capable of anything and everything after all.
Hirito lost his hair gracefully as he aged, but if he encountered Naruto earlier in his life, he would have lost it far sooner.
"Oops…"
"Y-You… how many times do I have to tell you not to overload the stone with your chakra?! It causes imperfections! Now I'll have to fix it properly when you're done."
"Sorry, sorry. I never had to transfer chakra to something like this before. I have a lot of chakra, y'know." That was a major understatement and Kurama sighed deeply from within the seal.
'Naruto, scale back your chakra output considerably. Only the smallest drop of it has to leak into the gemstone. Think back to when you created those little miniature Rasenshuriken during the war and how much control that required. You're being too hasty.'
'Got it. This is always a little hard…' Naruto closed his eyes and held a blood-red ruby in his palm. Slowly, he curled his fingers around it and started to transfer chakra at a far more controlled pace.
Hirito watched him in curious silence. Considering how his clientele mostly consisted of civilians, it became rare to witness shinobi transferring their chakra into his finest gems. It tended to be overlooked, but he offered that as a part of his services to ensure a piece was truly one of a kind. It also allowed shinobi to sense the chakra inside of the jewelry, if they possessed the capability to do so.
Naruto soon opened his hand up and revealed the stone with no outward differences. The blood-red ruby was his ideal choice for Sasuke's ring. It naturally reminded him of her Sharingan first and foremost. That eye has been a part of her identity ever since she proudly showed it off to him all those years ago. The signature crest of her clan that shared the same color, alongside her birthstone, were other factors for his choice. The color red definitely complimented her appearance too. The small amount of red lipstick she used always stood out, and he loved that matching lingerie set that she wore sometimes…
'The old man is speaking to you. Stop thinking with your reproductive organ and get that stupid look off your face.' Kurama's grumbles cut right into his thoughts.
'That's just my face!'
"Excuse me…" Hirito cleared his throat loudly, confused over the blush that adorned Naruto's face. "I asked if you were done?"
"Yeah! Sorry it took a bit, I didn't want to blow it up or something by accident." Naruto rushed to explain and handed the stone over. Hirito grimaced at the small cracks that were visible only to a trained eye.
"I should charge you more for this."
"But…"
"I won't. I'm a stickler for jewelry craftsmanship, but I'll overlook it because your case is special. Marriage is sacred to me." Hirito may not have smiled at him, but that didn't stop Naruto from grinning.
"I wouldn't say a stickler, you're more of a hard-ass."
"You're as charismatic as the rumors say." Hirito responded sarcastically. "Now we have to decide on the rings shank, and I'll give you a ring sizer set that your partner can try on."
"The rings what now?"
"The part that goes around the finger." Hirito explained slowly like he was speaking to a child.
"Oh, the circle thingy."
"Yes, the circle thingy." Hirito took a deep breath and laid out a wide array of ring bands for Naruto to pick from. "Now, only certain ones can be engraved if you plan on doing so, and prices vary due to the quality of the chakra metal."
Naruto patted the toad-shaped wallet that stared Hirito down like it was his own personal tormentor. "I got this."
"Yes… the toad."
Hirito could not wait to get this man out of his establishment.
The Uchiha clan was proven to not be capable of anything and everything…
Even the strongest the clan ever produced, that being Sasuke, could not hold a candle to the unstoppable alcohol consuming machine known as Tsunade.
As they began drinking, Sasuke was ready to call it after the second shot as Tsunade predicted, but the arrogance on the blonde woman's face infuriated her just enough into continuing.
Which led to the one-sided drinking contest going off the rails.
It was hours later, with many drinks being downed and Tsunade's ability to polish off shot glasses of borderline toxic waste proved to be unrivaled. Sasuke despised how she had to steel her own resolve to consume more.
Tsunade continued to radiate smugness, which lit a fire inside Sasuke.
Although, that could have been the liquor. Sasuke had no idea, nor could she process it.
Her brain was jumbled, her vision hazy, and she felt like a hot mess. The few onlookers in the bar supported Tsunade, because she was a champion for such things. Many bets were placed on who would give in first, with Anko being the only person to believe in Sasuke.
"You can give up now." Tsunade told her with only a minuscule hint of color on her cheeks. In contrast, Sasuke's face was totally flushed. Her usual disinterested expression was morphed into a drunken stupor.
"Ne… never…" Sasuke stuttered as she fought unconsciousness off. Why was she so tired? Anko gave her a big grin from across the table.
Or was she next to her? Behind her? She wasn't sure. Sasuke's Sharingan spun hypnotically as if that would help her.
"If you keep it up, you'll blackout. I don't need to explain how awful you'll feel after you wake up." Tsunade looked at the several empty bottles around them. She was impressed that Sasuke lasted so long.
"Try me…" Sasuke's fingers grabbed a glass by the rim and put it in front of Tsunade.
"I guess that fool rubbed off on you. You don't know when to quit for your own sake." Tsunade's reference to Naruto was not missed even in Sasuke's drunken state.
"Naruto doesn't love quitters." Sasuke poorly attempted to intimidate Tsunade with a glare.
"Very true." Tsunade's words were accompanied by her smiling genuinely. "Keep making him happy. He deserves it and somehow you do that better than anyone else." The ex-Hokage poured Sasuke another drink.
Sasuke made a face at Tsunade, not fully grasping what she was saying, before she spotted a half full shot glass. "More…"
"You're pushing your luck."
"Hag."
"Okay." Tsunade shrugged and filled it completely. She wanted to cut her a break, but Sasuke had to open her mouth. "I'll go first." Tsunade lifted her own glass and like a magic trick, the alcohol disappeared in a split second.
Sasuke wondered when Tsunade made a clone of herself and had her drink as well. Regardless, she shakily raised her own shot and threw it back with extreme difficulty. Her body shuddered from the alcoholic burn.
"Done…"
Anko cheered, the bar cheered, and Sasuke felt the entire world spin around her. Her eyes felt so heavy, her body too. Maybe a nap would help. A small rest. A little…
Tsunade had the esteemed privilege of watching Sasuke's head drop to the table with a faint thud. She was out cold.
"Winnerrrrr~!" Anko giggled and pointed in Tsunade's direction. The bar erupted in chatter, leaving the owner annoyed from the obnoxious scene that played out. Hashirama's granddaughter stood up and stretched for a moment before she moved to Sasuke's side.
"Anko, I'll take her home. You're not in any position to do so." Tsunade lifted Sasuke with ease and threw the woman over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
"I'll comeeee~!" Anko was all smiles as she stood up shakily and almost tripped over her own feet at the same time. "Do you need directions because… I'm like… not able to be a ninja right now…"
"No. I was the one who paid that apartment off for Naruto in the first place. I know where it is." Tsunade's skill and alcohol tolerance was on full display as she parted the room of drunks easily. It did not take long for them to exit the bar, and the sun outside only just began to set. They spent hours in there.
"Hehe! Woahhh~ everything's spinning and bright." Anko commented and dropped to her knees in the street. Tsunade observed her actions with a grimace.
"I'm not carrying you."
"Awwwwhhh!"
Tsunade ignored the dejected moan while she walked. She did not want to hop on rooftops because of Sasuke's current state, which meant she was forced to walk among everyone in the village. She chuckled to herself when realizing how much embarrassing gossip that would cause, and Tsunade felt Sasuke deserved it.
It was revenge for what she put Naruto through in the past. Was that petty for a woman her age? Sure, but Tsunade didn't give a shit.
Naruto didn't have a godmother, a big sister, or even a grandmother for that matter. She wasn't sure exactly which role she fell into, but Tsunade was more than happy to take up any mantle and look out for him.
As they walked, Anko abruptly face-planted onto the pavement next to her, and Tsunade sighed when she realized there was no one alive that could truly keep up with her drinking habits.
It was hard being a retired Hokage and fully functioning alcoholic.
Naruto's apartment was not at all far from the jewelry store. Seasoned shinobi were able to reach their destinations in no time, and Naruto was unmatched in the speed department. He could get there faster than most people could blink if he tried.
Yet, he purposefully dragged his feet as he made his way back.
He had to get a proper sizing for Sasuke's ring and there was no easy way to do so without her asking questions. That would ruin the surprise factor completely. He thought about waiting until she slept, but he wasn't willing to take the risk of her waking up and spotting him fiddling around with a bunch of differently sized rings.
He also considered telling her to put on a blindfold as part of some "super-secret Rinnegan training exercise" and quickly taking her measurement…
Fortunately, it seemed some higher power took pity on Naruto, because as he entered his apartment after a long walk home, he sensed several chakra signatures. The Jinchūriki gawked at the scene before him. Sasuke was passed out on their couch, her mouth open slightly as she slept in a very uncomfortable position. One of her legs hung from the couch at an awkward angle, as did her lone arm. Her other leg was bent strangely, and her black top was unbuttoned, revealing a bright red bra underneath.
Naruto was bewildered, and when he looked to the older woman who sat in a plush chair next to the couch, he wasn't sure what to say.
Tsunade glanced up from the large bag of chips she helped herself to from Naruto's kitchen and gave him a lazy wave. "Welcome home."
"Granny, can you explain this?"
"Your girlfriend's not quite a lightweight, but she needs more experience if she wants to keep up with me. She knocked out about forty minutes ago." Tsunade shrugged nonchalantly and continued to eat.
"I'm so lost. Why did Sasuke drink with you? When did this happen?" Naruto walked over to Sasuke and picked her leg up to try and make her more comfortable.
"Ask the woman who claims she's Sasuke's new best friend. She's currently sleeping in your bedroom. I couldn't stop her." Tsunade responded and watched in amusement as Naruto hurriedly rushed to his room.
It only took a mere fifteen seconds for him to return with a giant blush. "Why is the weird snake lady passed out on my bed with no shirt on. She's only wearing panties!"
"I'm surprised she's wearing anything at all. That woman doesn't give a damn about modesty." Tsunade did not give Naruto the answers he was looking for.
Naruto wanted an actual explanation, but that was quickly forgotten as his face lit up. He reached into his hip pouch and pulled out a pathetically deflated toad wallet. That poor thing was tossed onto the table before he fiddled with a silver set of metal rings. Naruto rushed over to Sasuke and kneeled by her side to gently grasp her ring finger.
"What are you doing?" Tsunade could tell it was for a ring, but she felt the need to ask.
"I need her size for a special gift I'm having made. I think I'm going to ask her to marry me." Naruto looked over at Tsunade and dropped that bombshell. To her credit, the older blonde only appeared stunned for a moment.
"You sure I can't convince you to give Sakura a chance?"
"Tsunade…"
"I'm obviously joking." Tsunade rolled her eyes before she stared at Sasuke's sleeping form. "I don't know how you did it."
"How I did what?" Naruto asked as he finally found a ring size that fit his girlfriend perfectly.
"How you managed to peel away every layer of that cold Uchiha abrasiveness and get to the woman who can't hide how much she loves you. It's adorable how she tries to act composed but cracks the second you're brought up." Tsunade's words flustered Naruto and caused him to avoid eye contact, which she also found cute.
"I guess by never giving up. That's my go to answer for everything."
"Too many of Jiraiya's traits rubbed off on you."
"Only the good ones, y'know." They both shared a laugh at that, and Naruto soon pocketed the rings. He also fixed Sasuke's arm to lay against her chest instead of dangling weakly.
"She'll say yes."
"You think so?"
"I'd bet my life on it."
"No more betting on my relationship, we've been over this."
"Let me have this one."
Naruto huffed and threw a blanket over his soulmate. He knew she was going to feel terrible when she woke up and fully anticipated having to help her handle that. "Can't you do some special medical ninjutsu to get the alcohol out of her system?"
"Maybe, but I won't."
"C'mon Granny, you love me. Do it for me…" Naruto pleaded to her with his hands in a prayer position.
"I do. It's a shame that you insist on calling out my age, so I won't be working my magic. Besides, it'll be a good lesson for her. Next time she'll know her limits and not act as brainless as you." Tsunade stood up and dusted off her clothes before she bent over to put her hand on Sasuke's forehead. A bright green glow coated Tsunade's palm, and Naruto saw Sasuke slowly close her mouth and sleep with a more relaxed expression.
"That looks like medical ninja magic to me."
"I'll take a little pity on her. She'll get a better sleep after this, but I fear for what you'll have to deal with if she has to run to the bathroom during the night."
"Gee, thanks." Naruto flatly delivered gratitude made Tsunade laugh. She made her way over to the kneeling Naruto and bent down again. This time she placed her lips gently against his forehead. It was a pure expression of her love.
"I'm very proud of the man you've become, Naruto." She smiled sweetly at him as she pulled away.
Naruto kept his eyes low, he was embarrassed and felt like a little kid again. It was nostalgic and made his body warm up in the best way possible. Before he could genuinely thank her, Tsunade was already headed to the door. Once she got there, she threw a mocking smirk his way.
"Anko's your problem too. That's some more revenge for calling me granny all these years."
"What?! Since when did you become so vengeful? Is it because your old age?!"
"Sorry can't hear you, the doors closing. Oh noooo…" Tsunade took her leave, which left Naruto alone with two drunks and his thoughts to keep him company.
'I say we burn that Uchiha shirt you're wearing and blame it on Sasuke. She'll never know the truth.'
'Great idea.'
'You've finally come to your senses.'
'Y'know, if Sasuke and I have kids they'll have Uchiha blood.'
'What are you implying?'
'You'll love them. Hehe, you'll technically end up caring about someone from her clan.' Naruto teased cheekily.
'I will not.'
'Definitely will.'
'Not.'
'Will!'
'You manage to become more infuriating as you age. Which shouldn't be possible.'
'It's one of my many charms.'
A/N: Hey, hey, hey people! Sorry for the long delay, but good news is I'm already 2.1k words into the next chapter as I'm posting this one :) My drive for writing dips a lot these days but then I see your reviews that this story STILL gets and I'm like damn, I gotta set more free time aside for female Sasuke.
You're all amazing. Besides the obvious bots that want me to pay them for "artwork" or whatever bullshit is plaguing reviews. Kinda tempted to make an AO3 account and cross post this story to avoid the nonsense with this old ass site (it's older than I am by a year!).
To my knowledge the concept of engagement/wedding rings is not a common thing in the series. Sasuke actually gives Sakura a ring in Boruto/the novels so I wanted to incorporate something like that here. As far as we know, Naruto just went up to Hinata and said hey, let's get married. He's just like me fr.
Next chapter is Sasuke's birthday shenanigans and the proposal which I will do my best to make cute. Then we get on to the things I know some of you are excited about, like the wedding and next generation stuff *wink wink*.
Thanks for reading~!