152And because of that, I give you chapter two! Kora!
I DoIt was springtime, and cherry blossoms were at bloom.
It was also the due date where the Uchihas are to arrive at the Uzumaki estate for the wedding preparations.
It was agreed that the Uchiha clan were to stay there until the wedding that was due after the first month, so it was no wonder that the castle was kept busy for the arrangements of their arrival.
"Naruto! Naruto! Naruto wa doko da!?" Umino Iruka shrilled, catching the attentions of the servants who were busy arranging the wood printings.
"Anou-sa… I think he's by the pond watching the carps, Umino-sama." One of them replied.
Naruto's uncle gave out a slight nod in thanks, before dashing out towards the garden to look for his nephew,
As he finally reached the pond, gasping for breath, there indeed he was as the castle servant had described.
He was bent over the edge of the fishpond, gazing intently at the carps that were softly nibbling his fingers, which he had dipped beneath the waters. He had a thoughtful look upon his lovely face, eyes blank in wonder.
"Iruka-nii'chan." Naruto called out without as much as a look in his direction.
He knew for a fact that Naruto regarded him more like an older brother than anything else. They both knew what the other was feeling, knew where they are and if they were in trouble.
They just simply love each other's company.
Iruka silently approached the young oji, kneeling beside the younger boy and patiently waited for his next words.
"…I'm scared…" he muttered, lifting up his fingers and watched as each droplets of water fell back from the pond, emitting rings that widens and disappearing as soon as it first appeared.
Iruka just couldn't help but give out a small smile.
Naruto was, in so many ways, a rather open and honest person. He'd tell without any embarrassment how he feels. Admitting his weaknesses and not feeling any regrets nor embarrassment.
These were one of his traits that Iruka loves about his nephew.
" I guess, I'm still quite happy of how things run in my life that I'm still not ready for any changes," Naruto continued, drying his fingers with the sleeves of his kimono. He then looked at his uncle directly in the eye.
There, Iruka saw the boy's struggling with his inner turmoil, like of a man struggling in the battlefield for his motherland. He cast the blonde boy a sad smile, knowing quite too well what the young man was going through.
He had been in his position one time in his life, and it was in quite fortunate circumstances that he had been able to escape from a lifetime of commitment.
And it was due to that fortunate circumstance that Naruto came to existence…
"I know Naruto, I know," Iruka murmured, placing a comforting hand above his shoulder," But some things are bound to change. There are things that you can't just let it stay the way it was. Even though this would seem quite difficult, there are times that you have to sacrifice the things you love for the sake of others…" he gave the boy a light hug, offering a small smile. "But I don't think the Uchihas would be the kind of people to suck the living day lights out of you. If they did, there's always your uncle Iruka to save you!"
Naruto gave out a genuine smile.
"Ah, jii-chan! You forgot that it's Uzumaki Naruto their dealing with!" He exclaimed obnoxiously, pointing at himself profoundly with his thumb. All traces of worry long gone from his youthful face. "I could handle them myself! I tell you, your looking at the person who's to be the future top dog of the whole country!" He gave out his trademark vulpine grin, and Iruka couldn't help but laugh.
Naruto followed suite, and it was then soon after that they fell in silence once more.
It was also then moments later when Iruka suddenly remembered…
"Oh my gawd! I completely forgot why I'm here for! Come, Naruto! You must get for your fiance's arrival!" he hurriedly grabbed him by the wrist, dragging him along as the brunette began scurrying back inside the palace.
"Gah! Slow down, Iruka-jii'san!" Naruto begged, at the same time almost toppling over a stranded rock.
"No—time—for that!" he panted, turning round a hallway, "They'll—be here—in half—an—hour!"
His uncle slid open one particular fusumu (sliding door), which happens to be the room he was to be prepared.
Domestic servants immediately flocked over the blonde, dragging him in the middle of the room.
"O-oy! Ch-chotto matte!" Naruto sputtered as the women began taking off his kimono.
"Ja'ne, Naruto-kun! I'll be seeing you downstairs!" Iruka waved happily, before sliding the door shut.
He had left him to his horrid doom.
"Ah—! Traitor! Come back here!" Naruto howled, his voice muffled as he was being drowned by a horde of giggling domestic servants.
Three words:
Iruka is evil…
"Is he already getting ready, Iruka?" Toru asked as his brother-in-law entered the living room.
"Ah," he nodded," They're fixing him right now."
"Good! Good!" he exclaimed, giving out an obnoxious toothy grin. " I'm quite positive that the moment the Uchiha's son sees my child, he'll have no hesitation into marrying him! Ahahahahahaha!"
Iruka and Kana gave out a large sweatdrop.
Thumping of running feet was suddenly heard, before the door was slid open.
"My lord," said the messenger, "The Uchihas has arrived!"
"Tell the guards to rile up the gates!" He ordered the man, who nodded and rushed to do his bidding.
He then turned to the brunette.
"Iruka-san, would you be so kind as to guide our guests to the reception room?"
"Certainly." Iruka gave a slight bow, before exiting the room for the entrance hall. Both Uzumakis followed suite, heading straight for the reception room.
"Koi, tell me—when will the others be coming over?" Kana asked after a while as they continued to walk through the hallway.
Toru looked at her with confused eyes as he detected the slight tone of worry in her voice.
"First thing in the morning, why?"
An uncertain look suddenly took form on her face.
"I don't know…" she muttered, "Demo, I don't think it's such a good idea for them to be spending time here with the Uchihas, especially with Naru-chan's cousin, Kyuubi coming long with them…"
"Oh c'mon Kana—"
"You do know Kyuubi's heavy attraction to the boy, don't you?"
"Well, yeah…he particularly tries to kiss Naruto every chance he gets when they were little—"
"Chodo-desu!" Kana cut him off," So imagine what the boy would feel if he finds out that his longtime crush was getting engaged! It'll wrench his heart!" she exclaimed emotionally, raising her hand to her forehead for tragically effects.
Toru sweatdropped at the over exaggerating display.
"Don't worry to much about it, Kana. He's grown up to be a fine young man. He could take it. Besides, he can't marry a close relative now, can he?" he laughed good-naturedly, before entering the reception room ahead of her.
"I do hope you're right…" she muttered, before following her husband inside.
"I personally don't see the point."
Uchiha Sasuke grumbled in annoyance as he watched the landscape from the window of their carriage.
"Why do I have to be the one to marry? Why can't it be aniki instead? He's the older one…" he pointed a finger at his at the smirking figure beside him.
His father Kenjiro gave out a tired sigh.
They were over with this a hundred of times before…
"Sasuke, I told you…it has to be you since your brother decided to be an ANBU. He can't fully take the responsibilities as a head so you have to take over. Besides, the Uzumakis have been a close friend of mine and an arranged marriage would further strengthen the chi defenses and our relationship between them."
'Oh gee, I feel honored.' The youngest member thought sarcastically, crossing his arms against his chest. "Then why is he here then? I thought he was on a 'busy' schedule?" Sasuke sneered, once more his forefinger pointing accusingly at his older brother.
"I took the day off just to see your wedding day, little brother. Don't you feel even a little bit grateful?" Itachi drawled, a taunting smirk etched over his face.
"Urusai was, teme…this is all your fault I'm in this mess in the first place!" he gnarled, elbowing him harshly by the stomach.
"Oof—!"
A satisfied grin formed on his handsome face.
"That's better."
"Hn. So this is what it is, isn't it? We'll see about that…" Itachi scowled, cracking his knuckles.
"Bring it on."
And so, a wrestling match ensued.
"Boys! Boys! Stop it! You're acting like children!" their mother scolded, which was completely ignored by the two.
"Yeah! Punch him in the right—no left! Aw, that's gotta hurt!" the head Uchiha yelled, flailing his arms frantically as he watched on.
Konoe sweatdropped.
"What kind of a role model are you!?" She shrilled, hitting his husband by the head.
"Itai!"
"Hey look! They're opening the gates!"
A loud whining sound was heard as the large wooden door began to open up quite slowly.
The carriage began to move, along with the other carriages behind them that held the other members of the Uchiha clan.
"Why are all the people here beautiful…?" Itachi asked in interest as the carriage entered Uzumaki grounds, looking over at the men and women arranging the flowers of the large garden.
Their mother gave out a chuckle.
"The Uzumaki clan are well-known for their radiant aura and features," Konoe explained," It has something to do with their ancestral god, Kyuubi which he himself was an admirable creature."
""So that means, no doubt, that the prince himself's quite a beauty, right?" Itachi asked with earnest, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Sodesu. In fact, he's very mu—Kenjiro, stop ogling at the women!"
She hit him quite hard on his already sore head.
"ITAI!" The Uchiha yelled, touching the lump that had formed on his other lump.
"Hmph! That'll teach you…" she grumbled bitterly, crossing her arms and turning to the other side away from his husband.
The carriages halted upon the entrance, and one by one they began to hop off.
"Yo!" Kenjiro's brother-in-law, Hatake Kakashi waved as he climbed down from the other carriage, joining them upon the bottom of the stairs.
He looked around, giving out a loud whistle that was rather impressive considering he had a mask covering almost his entire face.
"Nice place," he commented, his uncovered left eye darting to and fro. "Hate to admit it, but their garden's better than ours."
"Sodane…" Konoe muttered, eyeing the chrysanthemums beside the tulips. "I really must ask them about those chrysanthemums. I'd like to have them in my garden as well."
Their attentions were immediately caught as a voice called them upon the top of the stoned castle stairs.
"Irashaii-shimasu!" Iruka greeted merrily, smiling as he trudged down to meet them.
"Watashi wa Umino, Iruka desu. The Uzumaki clan's uji-no-kami and the head wife's older brother. I'll be just leading you all to the reception room where they are probably waiting. So if you'll just follow me, I'll—" he was suddenly cut off from mid sentence as a silver-haired man appeared in front of him and took hold of both his hands.
"Are?" Iruka blinked.
"Yo!" Kakashi greeted happily, eyes curved jovially. " I'm Hatake, Kakashi. Uchiha clan's uji-no-kami and the head's wife's older brother. Wanna hook up?"
Sasuke stared as a bewildered look formed on the brunette's face, rolling his eyes at his uncle.
"Great. He's being taken over by his perverted side again…" he mumbled, kicking out a random rock.
Unfortunately, that rock had hit Itachi straight in the head. (Talk about being an ANBU…)
"Teme…you're testing my patience!"
And another round of wrestling ensued. Using great wrestling techniques from their favorite WWE Smackdown wrestlers like the Undertaker and Eddy Guerrero. Which was rather confusing thought considering the fact that WWE wrestling was not yet invented on the year 1898.
So Kenjiro continued with his ogling, Konoe kept staring at the flowers, the two Uchiha brothers were still beating the crap out of each other, and their uncle Kakashi kept hitting on poor dear Iruka.
So it wouldn't be a wonder if the Uzumakis would just rot right there in the reception room from all the waiting until their remains would get blown off with the wind.
A while later…
"Anou-saa we really should get going" Iruka begged quite desperately as he tried to keep a hold on to his clothes that Kakashi seem to be trying to remove.
Sasuke and Itachi had long ago grew tired of their wrestling match and had settled into a game of rock, paper, scissors.
"Yes, I think we should." Konoe replied bitterly as she dragged his husband along who looks like he was about to faint from all the blood lose from his nosebleed.
Iruka nodded happily.
"Follow me, then!" He chirped in huge relief, before ushering them inside the castle.
Iruka slid the doors open to the living room, only to be met by a pair of Uzumakis dozed off right on the floor.
Apparently, Toru had been sitting behind the tokonoma and had accidentally knocked off the ikebana from his sleep.
Kana simply slept upon his lap, giving out a purr like a cat in contentment.
Iruka sweatdropped at the sight, before thinking quickly and gave out a loud cough.
"Ahem!"
"Wh-Whu?"
The couple gave out a start, rubbing off the sleepiness from their eyes as they tried to think clearly.
"The Uchihas are here, Toru-san. Nee-san." Iruka informed, showing them said guests.
It took a while for that tad bit information to sink unto their sleepy heads.
"Oh…Oh!"
They hurriedly scrambled up to their feet, Toru fixing up his haori coat while his wife arranged up the tokonoma.
"Please, excuse us for the rude display. We must've drifted off for a while." The head Uzumaki apologized, repeatedly bowing down at them.
"Truly we apologized." His wife chimed in, joining his husband.
"No harm done, really!" Kenjiro said good-naturedly. " It's probably our fault anyway for keeping you waiting."
"Sodesu. We've got quite a good look on your garden. If you don't mind, I'd love to have a tip or two."
Kana blushed with pleasure at the compliment.
"I'd love too!" she replied happily, " pray sit down, you must all be tired from your long trip." She indicated upon the pillows laid down upon the straw-matted floor.
They gladly took the offer, Kakashi making sure he was seated beside one certain brunette chuunin.
The head Uchiha gave a look around.
"So where 'is' your son, Toru-san?" he asked curiously.
Said person gave out a smile.
"He'll be down in a minute. He's still bein—oh! I think I hear him now!"
And indeed, running footsteps were heard before the door was suddenly slid open.
"Sorry to keep you waiting!"
TBC…
Yeah, I named Naruto's causin Kyuubi. You'll know why sooner or later. grins syly
Uji-no-kami's like a priest responsible over religious rites and holds secular power.
Next chapter: The Gathering