Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Flowers in the Sand ❯ Chapter 26

Awww… we're coming up on the end o' me story here, y'all! -sniff- Make me so sad… Anyways, no apologizing, Magby! Tis good of you to tell me these things. -offers cookies- And you'll find out in due time… muahahaha….

 

Chapter 26

 

Hinata sighed as she put the final touches on Safaia's hair. “Do you approve?” she asked the younger woman softly.

 

Safaia barely flicked her sapphire gaze at the looking glass propped against the wall in her temporary bedroom in the Inuzuka household. Her brown and gold streaked hair was pulled back and up, held in place with only two long silver ornamental sticks. Royal blue tassels decorated the upper ends of the sticks. Not a single hair was out of place. Neat and orderly- just like Neji. “It is lovely,” she murmured, but without out much emotion. “I am sure… Neji… will like it.”

 

The white-eyed woman glanced away. “As long as it is you, he will always like it,” she replied honestly.

 

Safaia managed a dry laugh. “I suppose that is true.” She stood up and brushed out imaginary wrinkles from her silver gown and walked over to where her over-robe hung on the wardrobe. She stopped in front of the pristine white garment and stared at it blankly for a long time.

 

Hinata absentmindedly rubbed the slight bulge of her belly. “We don't have much time,” she reminded her soon-to-be cousin-in-law. “Would you like some help finishing in dressing?”

 

The bride shook her head slightly. “My thanks, but I believe I can manage from here.” She turned toward Hinata with a sad sort of smile. “I appreciate all your assistance in helping me get ready.”

 

“Oh, it's no trouble,” Hinata smiled. “I'll finish getting Teiru ready and we'll meet you by the front door in ten minutes. Okay?”

 

Safaia nodded and watched silently as her friend stood and left the room, sliding the door shut behind her. Slowly she looked back at her robe.

 

This is it, Gobi. In another hour, I'll be married to Neji.

 

Baka girl! Gobi growled, pacing inside the walls of Safaia's mind. I still say you should have talked to the white-eyed one and asked him to release you! He will never be able to make you happy!

 

I told you before- I do not deserve happiness. It is enough for me to make someone else happy for once.

 

While making Gaara miserable, eh? Brilliant logic.

 

Oh, quiet. I will need your help in keeping my mind on what I'm supposed to say. I'm afraid I'll forget.

 

As well you should! Forget this whole mess and we'll head back to the forest. With those Akatsuki gone, we should be able to live in peace once more. If you will not mate with the one who is meant for you, then it is better that you do not mate at all!

 

Safaia closed her eyes tightly, fighting against the tears threatening to fill them. I must do this. I made a promise.

 

Gobi sighed and lay down inside her mind. However, one of her tails continued to swish around as if irritated. I will help you as I always have, dear one. But I still do not approve.

 

Neither do I. But I keep my promises.

 

Safaia glanced at her wardrobe. Without really thinking she opened it up and sorted through the various garments until she found one in particular. She pulled it out and lifted it up, her eyes growing bright with those unshed tears. It was a special gown, one she had helped design herself with Sakura and Hinata weeks ago, when her vision had first been restored. She had never worn it, having been saving it for a special occasion. That occasion was going to be now.

 

Neji ordered the silver gown you have on, Safaia, Gobi reminded her. If you do not wear it, he will be most displeased.

 

I do not care. If I cannot marry the man I love… at least I can wear the dress that I had wanted to wear for him when I saw him again.

 

Gobi whuffed as if smothering her approval of her host's rebellion. It's your day, girl. Wear what makes you happy.

 

Since nothing else this day will, Safaia finished sadly, slowly unzipping the silver gown.

 

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Neji was pacing. In any other situation, Naruto would've been on the floor in hysterics, but right now he allowed himself to stand and simply observe the usually-stoic Hyuuga stress out in plain view. After all, it was a rare treat. “Calm down, Neji. So she's a little late. It's no big deal.”

 

“She was told to be here at precisely two,” Neji replied hotly. “It is now quarter after. Where is she?”

 

Hinata coughed lightly as she walked up to her disgruntled cousin. “We're here,” she informed them. “Sorry about being late. A… uhh… erm… wardrobe… malfunction.”

 

Neji looked like he wanted to panic, but ingrained coolness prevented him. “Wardrobe… malfunction? What happened?”

 

Naruto stepped in. “Don't worry about it. She's here and we're ready to roll.” He lifted his red and white Hokage hat and placed it on his head. He looked over at Sakura and nodded. “Everyone's here, so we might as well do this.”

 

Naruto, as Hokage, had offered to perform the marriage ceremony for Neji and Safaia, hoping that it might make things a bit easier on Safaia, who was still withdrawn and quiet around her friends. He even offered to do it in the nearby Konoha forest, so that she'd feel more at home. She gratefully accepted his offer and Neji was satisfied as well.

 

Hinata was Safaia's official witness, as Kiba was Neji's. Neji had originally asked Lee to stand for him, but Lee was still pissed at him for some reason he couldn't currently comprehend and had thus refused. It still rankled him that Lee was so upset with him and he didn't know why. He pushed it to the side of his mind as Kiba knelt next him, looking extremely spiffy in a red dress shirt and black pants. Hinata knelt on the other side of Naruto, and was demurely clothed in a lavender dress, which set off her white eyes nicely. The slight swell of her pregnancy was evident in the straight lines of the dress, which, of course, had Kiba grinning like an idiot every time he looked at his wife.

 

Only their close friends- the “Rookie Nine,” their families, and their former sensei- were invited and were currently kneeling facing the Hokage and the small wedding party. Neji looked over his friends and realized that neither Lee nor Tenten were there. Gui-sensei was there, next to Kakashi, who was looking rather bored at something Gui had just said to him, but otherwise his team was AWOL.

 

A delighted squeal announced the arrival of Teiru, dressed in a frilly light blue dress and her brown hair pulled back in a small twist, held with a flowery comb and a small basket of flowers in her little hands. She skipped out of the trees behind the last line of kneeling guests and came to a sudden stop. Her eyes went wide and her face flushed as she realized everyone was looking at her with varying degrees of amused smiles.

 

She blinked her white eyes several times. Spotting her mother and father, she let out a whimper. “Daddeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!” she wailed as she dropped her basket of flowers and flew toward her father. She completely bypassed Neji and proceeded to glomp her father in a tearful squeeze.

 

Kiba chuckled, which prompted everyone else to relax a bit more. “It's all right, baby girl,” he told her quietly. “Just stay here by me, okay?”

 

Teiru sniffled and clung to her father's red shirt. “'Kay, Daddy,” she whispered, softer than even her mother's.

 

A slight movement turned everyone's attention from the adorable cherub in Kiba's arms to the silent figure now entering the clearing. The gathering bowed toward her to honor the arrival of the bride.

 

Neji's breath caught. That's not the dress I ordered for her… but still… she's breathtaking.

 

Safaia had, indeed, not worn the silver gown she had originally worn earlier. Now she was garbed in a sparkling sapphire garment, which set off her eyes tremendously. She wore the white over-robe over the dress and the overall effect was stunning.

 

Naruto wanted to hit Neji over the head and point out to him that Safaia was practically wearing Gaara's Kazekage colors as she married Neji, but managed to refrain from the urge. Instead he watched mutely as Neji stood and took Safaia's hand to help her to kneel.

 

The Hokage cleared his throat once they were settled. “Friends…” he began.

 

“Stop that!” Giggle.

 

A multitude of heads turned to the right, looking into the forest in the direction of the feminine giggling. No one could see the source, but the voice…

 

A naughty squeal. “We can't,” the delicate voice breathed, although by the tone of her voice, it was obvious she was only giving token protests.

 

“We can,” a deeper, more serious voice replied. A male. Somehow, though, it seemed to lack the same suggestive tone as the female. “I will prove it.”

 

More mischievous giggling. “I believe you,” she told him, “but we need to wait. We're getting married this afternoon- can't you hold off until tonight?”

 

“Does it appear that I am able to wait?”

 

Several members of the audience were now speculating amongst themselves. Obviously a lovers' tryst, but who? No one knew of anyone getting married later that afternoon. Neji was staring off in the direction of the voices, a sense of niggling familiarity poking his usually intelligent brain.

 

He stood up and faced the trees, Safaia appearing to be utterly confused. He lifted his hand in a familiar seal. “Byakkugan!”

 

His specialized gaze traveled in the direction of the voices and he soon found his target: a man, dressed in flowing robes, entwined and lying partially on top of a woman… a woman with two buns on top of her head and her arms around his shoulders as if…

 

Neji's eyes snapped wide open in horror. Naruto noticed this and was immediately worried. “Neji? What is it? Who is it?”

 

“It's… Tenten…” he whispered hoarsely. “And… Gaara.”

 

Literally, everyone gasped.

 

“Tenten?” Hinata squeaked. “And Gaara?”

 

Gui started spouting some nonsense about “eternal youthful love” and how “his little Tenten” had finally grown up. Kakashi hit him in the face with his book (which he had hidden inside his Jounin vest) to shut him up.

 

Neji's hands were clenched into fists now. He was holding back something- that much was certain. “They… they're…”

 

A furious, bone-chilling howl sent shivers down everyone's spines. They turned as one to see Safaia, now changed to Gobi, bristling in anger, her five tails lashing out so viciously they were creating strong gusts. Those gathered in the clearing now braced themselves against the onslaught of wind.

 

Neji reached over and grabbed a kunai from Kiba's equipment pack (which he had worn only out of habit) and as one, the man and the dog disappeared into the trees, heading for the couple.

 

Naruto tossed his Hokage hat at Sakura, who managed to catch it despite holding Kohaku in her arms. “Kiba, Shikamaru, Chouji! Let's go!”

 

The three Jounins nodded and immediately joined him to follow their friends.

 

Temari shook her head as her husband disappeared with the others. “I didn't see this coming.”

 

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“This is awkward.”

 

“I know, but it's our last chance.” Tenten offered a weak grin. “If this doesn't work, I could always move to Suna and offer my talents to your shinobi.”

 

Gaara narrowed his eyes down at her. It was weird, half-lying on top of another person like this. Especially someone he felt absolutely nothing for, except friendship. “Suna would likely assassinate me first for even attempting something as asinine as this. Why did I allow you to talk me into this?”

 

“Because you love Safaia and I love Neji. We can't let them just toss us aside like that.”

 

A soft ringing alerted them and Tenten looked up at her makeshift alarm. “They're coming. You sure you can do this?”

 

Gaara closed his eyes. “If I have to.”

 

“Thanks,” she said, her voice as dry as Suna in summer. “Nothing like forcing a man to pretend he likes me.”

 

He blushed slightly, shocking her. She was pretty sure the man had never been embarrassed in his life. “I… am not sure if I can do this right. I have never…”

 

Tenten stared in astonishment. “You've never kissed anyone? Ever?”

 

“That would be correct.”

 

A rustling alerted both of them. Tenten, unable to think of anything else, pulled Gaara down and proceeded to kiss him full on the lips. Gaara, surprised more than anything else, simply let her. He didn't know what else to do- what did Shikamaru do when Temari kissed him? Ugh… do not think about that…

 

Abruptly, Gaara was flung onto his back, a kunai at his throat. He had left his gourd in the village, knowing that it would be difficult enough to pull this off without the sand trying to stop anyone trying to touch him. He stared coldly up into the white eyes of a seriously pissed-off Neji.

 

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a huge white animal- and it had Tenten pinned to the ground like a helpless meal. It growled at the poor girl.

 

Gaara pried his eyes away from Neji's to stare in horror at the white dog baring lethal fangs mere inches from Tenten's face. Realization dawned. Oh, shit… that's Safaia! She's changed to Gobi! She'll kill her!

 

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

 

ACK! DON'T KILL MEEEE!! I tried to keep Gaara in character as much as possible- remember: the man is in LOVE. Men do foolish things when they're in love. We've all seen it. Gaara of the Desert, I would like to think, would be no different. Besides- he's had 10 years to learn to live without that evil, hateful raccoon inside his head. One would think he's loosened up a bit. Not much. Just a little. Hence his swearing and contraction use at the end there. If you don't like it, fine. You won't get another chapter until NEXT weekend! But if you like it… you might just get one tomorrow. Bwahahahahaha!!