As The Leaf Turns

Twelve: And the Leaf Rolls On

Another wedding and the village Hokage was now a lot quieter and less likely to fly into a rage and destroy furniture.
Who would have believed that Tsunade and Jiraiya had been dating sporadically over the years, other than Shizune and Naruto that is?
Sakura was too confused by the actions of her mentor to realize that other couples had also formed while she was not paying attention.
She was sitting opposite Ino and Hinata in the coffee shop, sipping tea and allowing her mind to wander when the conversation across the table shifted from the last mission and finally caught her ear.
“So, when did he ask you?” Ino said, leaning closer and giggling like the young girl she had been.
“Well, it was really funny. He was just, um, I’m not sure of the term, Ino. When he has just finished, you know and is catching his breath?” Hinata said, her eyes looking up to the ceiling as she tried to convey her description.
“Hinata-honey, there isn’t really a term for what he is, but we’ll just call it post-orgasmic bliss. I call it building up steam for the next go. So, he asked you right after?” she said.
“Well, not really. He was just laying there, staring at me, and I was wondering if I had gotten some on my face. You know it was that time of the month, so we didn’t really. Anyway, he smiles all funny, you know how Kiba is.” And again her eyes wandered, and Sakura had now caught up with them.
“You and Kiba are having sex?!” she blurted.
Hinata looked at her with an oddly calm expression and only said, “For some time. Haven’t you and Lee?” and Sakura blanched before her cheeks turned a very odd color making her hair seem nearly white.
“Oh. Anyway, he smiled and said something like, ‘I give up. You are just too perfect to fight it’ and I was ready to kill him after I kissed him silly. He pushed me back and reached down to where his jacket landed on the floor and pulls out the box. And then he gets up and kneels next to the bed and takes my hand. I have fantasized about being proposed to by Kiba for a long time, but I never thought we’d be naked when he finally got up the courage. It was almost embarrassing. How will I tell my grandchildren about it some day?”
“That’s simple. You just say, ‘now, kids, Granny wasn’t always an old lady, she was once a young and sexy girl and just to prove it’s so, let me tell you how Grampa proposed to me.’ Like that.” And both, Hinata and Sakura laughed at the over exaggerated voice Ino used in her example.
“Ino, you are so funny.” Hinata said, holding her sides as she tried to stop her giggles.
“Well, I don’t get to be any longer. I got to get home. I promised Sasuke and Naruto dinner if they watched Hayate for two hours and it is about up. So, I had better get home. See, you two next week, okay?” she said pushing up from the table and downing her coffee.
“Yes, next week. Bye, Ino.” Hinata called before turning back to Sakura. “Um, Sakura. I’m sorry if I embarrassed you before.” She said.
Sakura looked back from watching Ino leave and caught her words. “Oh, no Hinata. It’s okay. I just. You know, wanted to wait. I haven’t really had much experience with dating, wasting so many years fawning over something that I would never have, and all. I didn’t want to jump into something like that. It’s not that I am embarrassed, just that I didn’t know about you and Kiba. I’m sorry.”
“For what? I wasn’t bothered. Kiba and I have been together for over a year, you and Lee have only been officially dating for what, six months now?” Hinata said.
“No, actually we have been going out for a year. In fact it will be a year next week. That’s why I love September so much. Tell me something, what about Naruto. Didn’t you used to have a thing for him?” Sakura said, wondering how this girl was the same shy shrinking violet that they had grown up with.
“Oh, that. Well, about the time Ino and Genma tricked Kiba and I into realizing what we had for each other, Naruto and I had a long talk. See, he only has eyes for one special person, and no one could have hopes of getting more than a couple of hours from him. I told him that I had wanted him since we were kids and he explained that he knew and tried to keep me away without hurting me until I could get over it. It wasn’t like he was gloating, just that he saw it for the childish crush it was and cared enough not to hurt me. He had felt that and didn’t want to make anyone else unhappy.”
Sakura knew what Hinata was referring to and was honest enough to look down and blush at the memory of the twelve-year-old blond calling out to her and her heartless rejection. She had known how Naruto felt and had not given him the same consideration that he had given Hinata. It was a sore spot that she had tried for years to rectify and Naruto had assured her that he was okay with it. But, she felt the guilt and would live with it.
“I know how that feels, too.” Was her only answer to the Hyuuga girl.
“Of course you do, Sakura. Everyone feels rejection in their life. Do you understand about Naruto and Sasuke, now?” Hinata asked. Sakura looked up and Hinata could see that she had once more found an area that the pink haired medic was behind in her gossip.
“Naruto and Sasuke. They moved in together to share the rent and they are going to raise that baby that is being born by the girl they brought back. What else is there to know?” she asked. Hinata sighed heavily before she began. This would take the rest of the afternoon by her estimation and she had wanted to go to the park and watch Kiba and the dogs train. They were going to take out the new puppies today, too.
“Sakura what do you know about gay men and their relationships? Particularly in the Village.” She began and Sakura stared at her. Being a medic did teach you about many of the human needs and bodily functions. Being the second highest ranked medic under Shizune and Tsunade, Sakura had dealt with many ‘strains’ to body parts when missions were completed and celebration of success became excess.
“In this village?” she asked wondering if Hinata were looking for that information.
“Like for instance, Kakashi and Iruka? Neji and Shikamaru? Izumo and Kotetsu? And let’s not forget the subjects of this talk, Naruto and Sasuke? All of these are well established couples, though from what Ino says, the last were a little slow on the uptake.”
Sakura stared blankly as her brain caught up and that remnant of her childhood nemesis, ‘Inner Sakura’ began to show its ugly oversized forehead.
“Oh. My. Fucking. God! Naruto and Sasuke are GAY!?” she said, her mouth working on its own.
“Welcome to the present day, Sakura. Now, don’t fall behind again. I hate to have anyone miss out on the really great gossip. Now, it started on the mission they came back from, and . . . . .” Hinata continued to fill her friend in and Sakura began to look more like her former self, taking in the juicy stuff starting with the mysterious girl with Kankurou and continuing with Ino finding them both covered with hickeys, nearly naked on the morning of her baby’s delivery two months before.

“*Achoo* Damn dust.” Sasuke said, as Naruto moved the cloth over their table and set down a plate of Takoyaki.
“Are you sure you aren’t sick? You have been sneezing for over an hour.” The blond said as he sat next to his friend.
“I’m fine. I don’t get sick, Dobe. I have too perfect of Chakra control to allow it. Now, what did you want to tell me?” Sasuke said, eyeing his favorite treat for the perfect piece.
“I said Meichan and Idate got along good but I don’t see any sparks. I wonder if we might be looking in the wrong places for him. I really would like to see him happy, and I know he likes running and stuff, but he isn’t really happy.”
“Tsunade and Jirochu were talking about his training. She thinks he is still Chuunin material. I think they were working out a way to have him come and take the next exam. But, he needs a team to train with. I am going to talk to her tomorrow, when they get back.” Sasuke said, choosing his piece and stabbing it with the small pick. He placed it on his tongue and bit into it with great relish. Naruto grinned.
“The way to your heart is definitely through your stomach, Sasuke.” He said, taking the piece that the brunet had disdained.
“Only with Takoyaki, Dobe. Try to get me to eat anything else sweet and you’ll see.”
“How about something tangy and salty?” Naruto asked blinking innocently.
“Yep, I like that. Nothing like some crisp potato chips,” he said, glaring at Naruto from the corner of his eyes.
“Yeah, that’s what I was talking about.” Naruto said, chewing his food carefully. “Hey Sasuke?” he spoke over the remains of the bite.
“Hnn.” Sasuke responded looking over the platter once more.
“You ever get the feeling someone is talking about you?” Naruto asked and the Uchiha turned and looked around the room.
“All the time, Dobe. All the time.” He admitted.
“Hey! We haven’t talked about names. It is important to name a baby just right. What do you want to call him, Sasuke?” Naruto asked his exuberance being hard not to absorb.
“Name him? I hadn’t thought about it. I wonder what is a good name.”
“Well, he is an Uzumaki/Uchiha, so lets avoid names that start with that sound. I don’t like when kids get stuck with names that sound too much like their family name. How about Hikaru?” Naruto suggested.
“Hmm, it means light. I don’t know. I understand why Iruka and Kakashi named their baby Hebichani, and I am not against it, but I don’t want to explain too much to him until he is older. Let’s avoid names that sound too much like Orochimaru. I was thinking, of something that will tell him how much we wanted him. What about Tanomoshii?” Sasuke suggested.
“Hmmm, that is a mouthful. If we name him that I won’t be able to call him by it all the time. But, it’s a good name. He is the Promise that has us so Hopeful. I like it. But lets call him a nickname around the house, okay?” the blond said, smiling up hopefully.
“Whatever. You come up with it, though. You’re the one who is always calling people by funny names. I swear if you ever call Lee by his actual name, he will probably pass out. And you have been calling strangers brother since I met you.”
“And don’t forget Granny Tsunade.” The blond said, smiling mischievously.


Lee sat with Gai at the Ramen stand and they shared the events of their week.
“Gai-sensei? Have you ever considered getting married?” Lee asked.
“Has your youthful exuberance overcome you, my favorite, but don’t tell Neji and Tenten that, student?” Gai responded avoiding the question for a bit.
“Oh, no. I just wondered when I will know if that is what I want. I thought I would just feel the need to marry Sakura after we had dated for a while. But I am unsure.” Lee admitted.
“I see. Well, perhaps you should speak with Asuma on this subject. He has been married twice now.” Gai admitted not liking to shirk his self-imposed responsibilities, but having no experience to draw from.
He hadn’t even had a very involved relationship as yet, hard as he had tried.
His only close experience so far, had been the ill-fated attention from Tonbo, and the man had been strangely avoiding him since he got out of the hospital. Gai had wondered how the man ended up there, as he hadn’t been on a mission for a week before. He vowed to ask the man the next time he saw him.
Now, not to be misunderstood, he had been out with a few friends. But so far had kept it casual until he was sure of his true and honest feelings about the whole thing.
He was not the type to give himself over to something unless he was sure about it, so he continued to spend his free time either alone or in groups with the various unmarried Jounin he knew.
Lee had quite possibly gotten more experience on this subject at his young age than his own teacher, but Gai was not about to give him faulty advice out of false pride, so he was willing to send his favorite, but don’t tell Neji or Tenten, student to Asuma to make sure that Lee got the best advice.
Actually, Gai was beginning to think that he might have a talk with the big man, too.

:::Sorry this one kinda sucks green pond scum. I hate transitional chapters. The Timeline was kinda devoid in here and I want to develop some relationships for a bit. I mean stuff happens, but it was in the other story, like Tsunade’s wedding and Choji moving in with Gaara. Well, Tenten in the next and maybe some more Kakashi/Iruka. But this was sort of eh.

Vashta – Don’t worry about the reaction of the parents of this village, they are only human. And remember that they have a hard existence. Most parents only want what is best for their children, and sometimes I wish my own mother had been a little more vocal about my choices. I can’t complain, because I am the kind of mother that has learned to wait and pick up the pieces when they break things, and wipe their faces when they fall down. I like knowing that they can take the falls and get back up on their own. They only come running now when they really need me.

:::Anyone watch episode #163 this week. Did we not see a spark of something between Sagi-sama and Chishima??? Mmmm, future Yaoi if neither one of them dies or is found guilty of treason or something, eh?

Next chapter is Take a chance – fall in love
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