Wedding !

Day 430

It could have been just another day as the sun began to rise, but today was going to be a unique day for two people and especially for Sakura Haruno. Indeed, this was the last morning that Sakura would wake up as a girl with the name Haruno, for in the middle of the day her womanhood would change. Like many others before her, she was going to experience what many women cherished and dreamed of having : marriage. She was going to go from being a girl to a woman, but Sakura knew that she was one of the few who could say that it was not a marriage of reason or politics.

However, like many brides before her, Sakura was filled with questions. Early in the morning she had gotten up and headed to the Heiwa Wall : her favourite place for meditation and as usual she was sitting on the wall watching the city slowly waking up under the sun. But today, meditation was not the order of the day as she knew she didn't have the mind to do it. Sakura was no exception to the common rule of all girls in her situation, she was filled with doubts and questions as she was about to commit the rest of her life to this man.

Was this the right thing to do ? Would she be happy with him ? Did she really want to get married ? The questions were the most legitimate ones and even more so for the young cherry blossom who was thinking intensely to find the answers to the questions that were filling her head.

She loved Uchiha Madara, she had been sure of it for a few months now. She was happy to experience what she shared with this unique man, but she couldn't help but wonder if he loved her as much as she did. Madara, like the vast majority of men in the Sengoku era, did not express their attachment and love verbally. Therefore, he had never pronounced to her this simple phrase, but so desired by young women and especially considered as the ultimate proof of a man's feelings : 'I love you'.

Yet deep down she knew that he loved her. It remained to be seen how he himself defined love, but once again Sakura was left without an answer and she couldn't see herself saying that with this man. Although he had proven to her time and time again that he could be open to any kind of discussion. The cherry blossom had once again made the personal observation that she was alone and that no one was there to guide her, to comfort her or even to tell her that everything would be alright.

She wanted so much to have her mother with her on this unique day. To see her cry with joy because her dear daughter was getting married, to see her best friend Ino teasing her because she had finally found a man for her, to see her master encouraging her and probably threatening her future husband. This thought drew a small laugh from her as she imagined Tsunade Senju threatening Uchiha Madara.

— "Shouldn't you be preparing for the ceremony instead of being here ?" Ashina Uzumaki's voice said.

Sakura gasped at the old man's voice, she hadn't expected to find someone around here so early.

— "Ôhayo, Ashina-san."

— "I'm sorry I startled you," Ashina said before sitting down beside Sakura at the edge of the wall. "What are you thinking about ?"

— "Everything and nothing Ashina-san..."

— "Do you want to talk about it ?" Ashina asked, suspecting what the young woman was going through. He remembered only too well the state his daughter Mito had been in when the day of her wedding to Hashirama Senju came. This memory gripped his heart but he did not let it show. He had a lot of respect for this young woman who was about to live an important stage in her life and he didn't want to spoil this moment with his own memories.

— "Female fears Ashina-san, I wouldn't want to bore you with that," the rose said with a gentle smile.

— "I think I'd be in the same state as you if I knew I had to marry Madara... though I'd rather not even imagine...," the man added, wincing at having dared to say such a thing.

But this remark relaxed Sakura and she couldn't help but let a laugh escape her mouth.

— "It would obviously be something really incongruous to see you two married," Sakura teased happily.

— "Stop it, I'll have nightmares !" The old Uzumaki retorted with a half-amused, half-disgusted look on his face.

Sakura had come to appreciate this man as different from all those pompous clan leaders and politicians. Ashina was a simple, friendly and funny person... he reminded her a lot of Naruto. She thanked him inwardly for diverting her anxieties with this surreal moment before adding a little more seriously :

— "I wonder how Madara is doing."

She was worried about her future husband because they hadn't seen each other since the day before. Tradition dictated that Sakura had no choice but to sleep in separate rooms the night before, so she hadn't run into her beloved at daybreak.

— "Probably worse than you," Ashina replied, looking at the horizon.

— "Are you sure ?" The rose worried at this frank statement. She could hardly imagine the great Madara Uchiha being as distressed as she was and especially asking the same type of questions.

— "I still remember how I was before I married my late wife, I didn't know where to turn and I was just running around in circles," the man confessed with a touch of nostalgia in his voice. "So, to keep my mind occupied, I did what I was good at, I went to train."

The young woman smiled at the memory the Uzumaki was willing to share with her. She appreciated even more this man and the confidence he had in her to share such personal confidences.

— "I must admit, I'm not sure what to make of this day Ashina-san," Sakura conceded, looking down at her hands in apprehension.

The woman reminded his so much of his own daughter, but even though the situation was quite different, the patriarch was acting towards her as he would have done with Mito if the circumstances were similar to today.

— "Sakura-san...," he began in that paternalistic tone Sakura had never heard before.

— "Hai ?"

— "The only thing I can tell you is that you have this chance to have a love marriage and not a political one, so don't worry about it. It is so rare these days to see this kind of union."

As he said this, Ashina Uzumaki had this bitter regret that he had married his only daughter to that Senju. He wished he could go back in time and prevent this union.

— "Arigato Ashina-san."

The old man nodded silently and they both let a few more minutes pass, enjoying the sunrise over the city.

— "You should go home, the maids are probably looking for you to get ready," Ashina added before standing up.

— "What are you going to do ?" The rose asked out of curiosity.

— "Me ? I'm going to go kick that dung beetle Madara's ass to keep his mind occupied... See you later Sakura-san," Ashina said before disappearing into a Shunshin No Jutsu.

Sakura stayed on the wall for a few more minutes, inwardly thanking the man who had eased her heart a bit with his presence, advice and humor. It was then more confident that Sakura jumped from roof to roof in the direction of the Daimyô's house where Amaya, Hana and Hitomi were probably waiting for her.

No sooner had she arrived in the corridors of the estate than she heard Amaya's voice exclaiming :

— "Sakura-sama ! Where the hell have you been ? We've been looking for you everywhere !"

— "Gomen Amaya-san, I needed some fresh air," she added with a sorry look on her face for having worried her friends.

— "This is an important day for you and we have a lot of work to do, let's not dawdle !" The brunette said seriously before grabbing the rose's wrist and dragging her down the corridors.

Sakura had no choice but to comply with the actions of these women who suddenly seemed to have a specific mission : to sublimate her for the wedding ceremony. The atmosphere was peculiar and unlike anything she had ever experienced with these women, who now had one more woman among them : Hitomi.

No sooner had she entered the room intended for her preparation than Sakura found herself surrounded by Amaya, Hana and Hitomi who surrounded her so as to help her undress.

— "So Sakura-sama, not too nervous ?" Hana asked as she helped remove the rose's clothes.

Out of the corner of her eye Sakura could see the outfit she would have to wear. It was very traditional, but it was made to beautify the wearer no matter what her build. It was custom made and at first glance Sakura thought it looked pretty good. It was a pure white kimono with long sleeves that allowed her to hide her Fûinjutsu seals. It was accompanied by an over-kimono which normally would have been red, but it had been decided that it would be pale pink to evoke Sakura's hair. The whole thing was studded with gold thread embroidery. These details were a sign of the importance of the rank to which she would be placed. It couldn't have been any other way since she was going to be the future matriarch of one of the greatest clans in the world.

— "A little," Sakura whispered shyly as she stood fully naked before the three women.

— "Here Sakura-sama, your underwear," Amaya presented as she held out some very finely crafted lingerie.

It was nothing like regular underwear and as Sakura saw the pieces of fabric she couldn't help but blush. They were clearly meant to arouse desire in a man.

— "Uchiha-sama won't be able to resist you," Hitomi teased, wearing a lovely dress that had been made for her as a surrogate mother for the occasion.

— "Hitomi !" Sakura exclaimed, embarrassed that anyone would approach the subject so casually.

— "She's right, Sakura-sama," the younger girl said in turn.

— "Hana !"

— "They're teasing you, Madam," Amaya reassured with a soft smile on her lips.

It was obvious that Sakura was still struggling to feel comfortable with such matters and she couldn't think of anything better to say than to pout before pulling on the underwear presented in front of her.

— "Did you talk to him about it Sakura ?" Hitomi asked as she saw the bride-to-be's belly starting to round out slightly.

— "I plan to tell him tonight... as a wedding present," the cherry blossom announced calmly.

— "I don't think he could have asked for a better gift, an offspring," remarked Amaya, who had grabbed the white kimono with Hana.

— "I can't wait to see his little face," said Hana, who had been jumping up and down after Sakura had told her she was pregnant.

— "And so am I," Sakura nodded, running her hand over her belly with a soft smile on her lips. She was so looking forward to holding her child, a part of her soul and her future husband.

— "Raise your arms, Madame," Amaya asked, so that she could tie the kimono around the mother-to-be. It took two minutes to adjust the outfit so that Sakura was as comfortable as possible before putting on the pink over-kimono.

— "You're so beautiful Sakura," Hitomi said as she watched the young woman like a mother would watch her child.

— "Arigato."

— "Please sit down," Amaya asked before addressing the younger woman, "Hana I'll leave you to do the makeup."

— "Right away, Amaya-chan," the blonde girl enthused before asking some questions. "Do you think we should do something traditional ?"

Amaya looked carefully at Sakura's face and the colours of the outfit she was wearing. She thought for a moment before deciding:

— "Hmm, I think we'll change."

— "How ?"

— "Not white, Sakura doesn't have dark eyes like many women in Ta No Kuni, so it would be a shame to contrast her skin with her eyes."

— "So I accentuate her eyes ?" The young maid asked.

— "Yes, try an orange peel to brighten her skin evenly," Amaya said as she pulled Sakura's face free of all her hair so she could see the whole of her face.

Sakura was completely in unfamiliar territory and had no idea what the two women were talking about. She had never worn makeup in her life and the only time she had makeup on was because of a Hengen or because of these two maids. But she wasn't worried because she knew they would do something extraordinary for her.

— "What do you recommend for the eyes, Amaya-chan ?"

— "Pink... pale... yes, that'll do just fine," Amaya analyzed, as this seemed to be her first time with makeup.

And for almost an hour, Sakura gave herself over completely to these women and as time went by, she felt much more confident. Indeed, she was being made up, styled, and pampered in a way that she had never been pampered before. In addition, these three wonderful women had the right words, the right little touches to comfort and encourage her. She was surrounded by Hitomi who she could practically consider a mother, she had Hana who was the equivalent of a friend and she had Amaya who was close to a big sister. Thinking about this made Sakura want to cry with sadness and happiness at the same time. In fact her eyes began to moisten and glisten.

— "No tears !" Hana suddenly exclaimed, she had almost finished her makeup.

— "You'll have the luxury of crying tomorrow, child," Hitomi added, taking Sakura's hand in hers.

— "I know... but... it's just that I'm lucky to have you three..."

It was hard for Sakura, because as she looked at herself in the mirror she wished so badly that there were other faces in the place of these three women. But she couldn't let herself grieve over this lost future. She had to concentrate on the happiness she felt at the moment. She was happy to have them with her on this special day.

— "We're lucky to have you too, Sakura," Hitomi comforted with a gentle smile. "Now pull yourself together !" The forty-year-old ordered, knowing full well the torment the young woman was going through. "You can't appear before your future husband with tears in your eyes !"

— "Hai !"

So it was a smiling but stressed Sakura who got up and headed for the ceremony that would make her a woman, a wife and a matriarch.

This kind of ceremony was usually private and was reserved for close friends and family. In a way this suited Madara's wishes, as he did not wish to reveal his comeback to the world just yet. As a result, there were only about ten people who had been invited since neither Sakura nor Madara had any family present at the event.

Hitomi grabbed Sakura's arm and comforted her with a wide smile before walking beside her to the altar where the Daimyô was already in his official clothes talking with Madara. He was dressed in a traditional Sengoku era outfit, a Hakana, a sort of long skirt and breeches in the dark grays accompanied by a black jacket with his coat of arms clearly displayed : Uchiha.

The few guests bowed as they saw the bride approaching the altar. The atmosphere was completely different from what Sakura had experienced in her future. There was no music, no laughter, no shouting... instead, it was a quieter, more heartfelt wedding... much more intimate as only those who deserved to be there were present.

Sakura felt her heart race as she approached the man who was to become her husband. He had turned around and was looking at her in such a way that it threw her off balance, she blushed with embarrassment. In fact, she had the impression that he was undressing her with his eyes. She had never thought that one day she would meet a man who could look at her so lovingly. Her heart was beating so hard in her chest at that moment that she knew she was not making a mistake, she really loved this man and was ready to seal her fate with his.

For his part, Madara, who may have had a few questions about this engagement, had none left. The fact that he'd had a friendly fight with Ashina in the morning had already helped him not to worry unnecessarily, but seeing Sakura so beautifully dressed coming towards him, her eyes shining with emotion, convinced the Uchiha that he wasn't making a mistake. It was time for him to take this step in his life and he was doing it of his own volition, not to meet the demands of the clan.

Hitomi introduced Sakura to the dark-haired man before stepping aside for the ceremony to begin. Madara then gently took hold of his fiancée's hand. He slowly and gently stroked her hand with his thumb. Somehow he wanted her to know that he was ready to become her husband and that he wanted her by his side.

He then turned to the Daimyô who was to officiate as master of ceremonies. It was a great honour to be united by a person of his status. Rarely did a Daimyô celebrate this kind of ceremony and when it did it was for members of the very highest nobility.

— "No one to witness your union Uchiha-dono ?" Hashuba asked, looking at the bride and groom.

— "No," Madara answered softly, but with a slightly closed look.

— "You need someone to represent you," added the Daimyô, who was annoyed by this breach of protocol.

— "I unfortunately have no one," Madara added.

There was silence for a few seconds before movement occurred and Madara saw someone standing to his right. He turned his head in the person's direction and recognized Ashina Uzumaki.

— "I will testify for him," the old man said to the Daimyô.

The Uchiha did not say a word, but he did nod his thanks to the old man for agreeing to take on this role.

The wedding ceremony could then begin, and it took place according to several rites during which the couple had to purify themselves and promise each other in various ways fidelity and love for the rest of their lives.

At that time, the bride did not choose the rings to be exchanged, as the groom was responsible for providing them. She was then presented with a beautiful gold ring which she placed on Madara's left ring finger and he smiled fondly. When it was her turn to hold out her left hand, Sakura was overwhelmed by the beauty of the ring that Madara was slowly sliding down her finger. The jewel was splendid, very delicate and above all the symbol of the Uchiha clan was represented by a subtle assembly of precious stones on the gold ring.

After nearly half an hour of ritual, Hashuba Shôta pronounced the sentence that concluded this ceremony :

— "You are now husband and wife."

Then Madara bowed to Sakura and placed his lips gently on her lips in a gentle kiss.

She was now Sakura Uchiha.

Day 431

It had been a very trying day, and very emotional. But they were officially married : Sakura was now an Uchiha. True, she hadn't married the man she'd always thought would be his wife, but strangely enough, the thought hadn't crossed her mind. As much as she might miss her family and friends from time to time, and especially on this day of intense joy, she hadn't thought about Sasuke Uchiha since she had realized her feelings for Madara. Even though she knew that Sasuke had been a part of her life and that she had loved him in some way, Sakura had all but forgotten about Sasuke.

After all, Madara had introduced her to love in all its definitions. She'd discovered what it felt like to be loved and inevitably, the love she felt for the Uchiha was nothing like what she'd thought she felt in the past. This was a whole new level and she could tell today, as she had taken her vows only hours earlier, that it was Madara she saw her life with. She wanted to walk by his side, she had chosen him for what he totally was, with his bright sides as well as his shadows.

The couple went to their flats to celebrate their wedding in private as it was past midnight. Madara was silent and took advantage of the newfound calm to sort out his own emotions. He could never have imagined that he would ever find love, and he couldn't help but think of his beloved mother's words : * When you find it, you'll understand. *

So yes, he knew he had made the right choice in Sakura. She was everything he'd been looking for without ever having defined it before. And while the ceremony was necessary for Sakura to be officially recognized as his wife, Madara had considered her as such for much longer. But protocol demanded it, and even though he was Madara Uchiha, he couldn't change common ways of thinking with a snap of his fingers.

As he closed the door to their rooms behind them, the dark-haired man couldn't help but breathe loudly :

— "Finally this day ends, I have nothing against protocol stories, but it bores me rather quickly," he confided, looking at the young woman who became his wife.

— "Is this how the day ends Madara ? Don't you want to celebrate your wedding with your wife ?" The rose asked mischievously.

The brunette raised an eyebrow at the young woman's proposal, oh yes he loved her. Sakura was the perfect woman for him, she was talented in many ways and over time she had proven to be a particularly delightful lover. A toothy grin stretched across the man's face as he approached his wife like a feline on its prey.

— "What do you have to offer me Sakura ?" Madara asked as he grabbed her waist with one hand and lifted her chin with the other to gently place his lips on hers. The kiss quickly ignited between the two and as they struggled to separate and catch their breath, Sakura laughed lightly.

— "Lucky for you we've had plenty of practice in the past to make this day end on the best of terms."

The man laughed back at the remark before they both let go of the passion that consumed them each time they embraced.

Once they were content and fulfilled with each other, Sakura had snuggled up against her husband's bare chest while he held her tightly against him. They were happy and fulfilled but Sakura felt she had to tell him the truth about her condition. After thinking about it, she realized that there was no better time to do it.

— "Madara ?"

— "Hmm ?"

— "I have to tell you something," she said, slowly caressing the contours of the brunette's muscles.

— "What do you have to say to me Sakura at this late hour of the day ?" He suddenly asked, more worried than he wanted to show. After all, when Sakura started her sentences this way it was to talk about something important.

— "I didn't give you a wedding present," Sakura stated in a calm yet serious voice.

— "A gift ?" The dark-haired man was surprised and didn't understand what she was getting at. He was even rather puzzled by this custom she seemed to be referring to.

— "It's been a few weeks since I've had to tell you, but we've been busy between the end of the war, the expansion of the city and the preparation of our wedding. And we haven't really had time to discuss what we're going to do next."

— "Do you really want us to talk about what happens next ?" The dark-haired man asked again.

— "In a way, yes, I would like us to talk about what we're going to do, since in a few months we won't be two, but three," she announced, not really knowing how to broach the subject of her pregnancy.

The two of them were now in a sitting position and the man looked at her perplexed, he was frankly wondering if his wife had not abused the sake during the banquet in honour of their marriage. Yet he was sure that he had not seen her drink any alcohol all evening. He was even wondering if he was the one who was drunk or perhaps asleep and that this surreal conversation was just a trick of his mind.

— "Three ?" He repeated anyway as Sakura gently grabbed his hands and placed them palm down on his lower abdomen.

— "Yes... the three of us Madara."

She hadn't taken her eyes off Madara as she made her moves to observe his reaction.

Madara had let the young woman take his hands and place them on her naked body and as his brain processed the phrase, "The three of us, Madara," he immediately understood what she was trying to get him to admit.

His heart began to beat wildly : was this possible ? Of course it was, he thought inwardly, she and he had been intimate for weeks but they had never discussed children. Meeting Sakura and learning to love her, the idea of perpetuating his offspring had obviously crossed his mind but they were in the middle of a world war. They were not yet married and above all they had never spoken of it.

Through his contact with the young woman, he had understood that she was not like all the women of his time and that she was certainly not willing to give birth at all costs to meet the demands that society imposed on the female condition. Madara was prepared to wait until she decided on her own to bear his children. But with what she was just telling him, it completely overturned everything he had imagined, but it made him even happier.

He couldn't stop the smile from stretching across his face, and when Sakura saw him smile, she immediately felt relieved.

— "Are you sure about this Sakura ?"

— "Yes, I am carrying our child and it goes back to the destruction of Uzushio."

— "Why didn't you tell me then ? I would never have let you come into battle with me if..."

— "But I didn't know that at the time. I thought my body was not ready to conceive a life. I didn't know that until we got back," Sakura interrupted to put things in perspective.

The man looked at the young woman and his brain was racing:

— "You knew before I left for Kumo, didn't you ?"

— "Yes, I didn't want to burden your mind with it. I knew there were things you had to do and you wouldn't have been focused enough if I had told you the truth then."

— "Hn !" Was all he said at the mention of this truth. Sakura knew him well and he only liked her more.

— "Are you angry with me for hiding this from you ?" The young woman asked anyway, worried that her husband would blame her for this little secret.

In response, Madara, who had taken his hands from his wife's belly, brought his face close to hers and kissed her passionately.

— "You make me the happiest of men Sakura and it doesn't matter if this child is a girl or a boy, you are the woman I want to sire my offspring."