Sealed

Sealed

III



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Author: Ms. Trick



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Note: Reviews make my life. No seriously.



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Chapter 3



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Sakura gazed at the darkening sky as she and her team mates slowly made their way back to the Hokage tower. The streetlights flickered to life and Sakura tried to think of something to say that a) would get Naruto to stop brooding, b) Sasuke wouldn’t think was stupid, and c) would get them all comfortably talking again.



She hadn’t come up with much.



The pink-haired girl stared at the backs of the heads of the two boys walking slightly in front of her. She noticed with some annoyance that they both seemed to be mostly fine with one another--there was the usual underlying rivalry but that was nothing new. This lead her to morosely guess that she was causing the awkwardness.



Her eyes narrowed. Well! Maybe boys could get over problems by beating the shit out of each other but she was a young lady, damnit, and she needed a bit more sensitivity than that.



She sighed. It didn’t look like either of her team mates was going to be giving her much sympathy anytime soon. What awful grounds to start a marriage on, she thought dismally.



As Team 7 approached one of the entrances to the Hokage building, they encountered a familiar face leaving...well, a familiar pair of sunglasses leaving.



“Yo Shino!” Naruto called. Louder than necessary, Sakura thought irritably.



That explains why Shino’s so tall, Naruto thought, eying the boy’s father and noting the resemblances. Then his eyes fell on Shino’s mother and after a few seconds, Sakura realised he was staring and elbowed him.



“Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Aburame,” Sakura said cheerfully.



Shino and his father both nodded in response.



“Good evening there, Sakura-san,” Shino’s mother chirped.



Naruto still couldn’t stop looking from her to Shino and back again. Next to the two males, she couldn’t have appeared more out of place. She was short, barely coming up to her husband’s shoulder, and she had blonde hair that was held back by her pair of trademark Aburame sunglasses.



Well, that explains...nothing, Naruto thought, confounded. He looked at Sasuke for confirmation that this was not of the ordinary. But the manners Sasuke’s mother had ground into him prevented him from mimicking Naruto. Instead, he politely asked,



“Shino, who are you betrothed to?”



“Oh, Shino’s marrying a peach of a girl from an insect clan in Grass Country,” Mrs. Aburame chattered, mouth going a mile a minute. “We’re old family friends. She’s arriving at the end of this week, isn’t she, dear?” This last part was aimed at her husband.



“Hmm,” Shino’s father agreed with a nod.



“Well, we better be off! Absolutely tons of chores to take care of!” She laughed and pushed her stoic son ahead of her. “Good night all!” She called after them.



Naruto opened and closed his mouth a few times as the trio left them, walking down the lit street with Shino’s mother still talking.



“Come on. We’ll be late,” Sakura said.



Naruto turned and saw his two team mates entering the building. He rushed to catch up.



“That...was ridiculous,” Naruto muttered as they made their way up the stairs to Tsunade’s office. “How does someone like that become a ninja?”



“What, loud blondes?” Sasuke asked sarcastically. “I agree.”



“Hey! Bastard!” Naruto said, indignant.



Kotetsu shushed them from his position near the double doors.



Izumo stifled a yawn before saying, “Take a seat. The Hokage will be with you as soon as she can. Except for you,” he said, pointing at Sasuke. “She said you were to be sent right in.”



Several chairs had been placed along the walls of the hallway, creating a haphazard waiting room. Sakura sat down in one opposite Tsunade’s office and Naruto flopped next to her. Sasuke went through the door Kotetsu was holding open for him.



Tsunade looked up from her train wreck of a desk. There were scrolls splayed across its entire surface. Lists of family traditions were pinned to the wall along with a massive calendar for the spring season. Several days had already been marked. Sasuke noted absently that the Aburame wedding would be held later in the season.



When he fixed his attention to the Hokage, he paused for a minute, wondering why she appeared so...eager?



“Uchiha Sasuke, are you aware of the betrothal customs of your clan?”



Sasuke frowned, wondering why she would ask him that of all questions. She had access to all the Uchiha clan’s scrolls and she knew he knew that. The scrolls with all their jutsus and rituals had been moved into the Hokage’s custody for safekeeping after the destruction of his clan. Surely she wasn’t asking him to fill in any blanks. As it was, he remembered having witnessed only one Uchiha wedding in his childhood.



“I know many. Which one?” He responded shortly.



The Hokage leaned forward, resting her elbows on a rumpled scroll and cradling her face in her hands. Sasuke thought that position made her look far too much like a teenager for a woman of her status.



“Your first kiss becomes your destiny,” she said with a strange smile. She stuck her pinkie finger up. “And thus seals the betrothal.”



“Tch,” Sasuke said, clearly unimpressed by the idea. “Yes, I know that one. It was the key to an Uchiha engagement. I haven’t thought about it since I was very young.”



“But you agree to abide by it?” She said, her smile showing teeth now.



This wasn’t helping Sasuke’s bad mood in the least. He sighed irritably.



“Ye--” He stopped himself dead and his eyes widened as he remembered just who his first kiss was.



Was she really...? Was the Hokage really serious?



“Understood,” she said. Suddenly she was back to being the calm and shrewd leader of his village again, marking down something on a piece of paper on her desk.



Sasuke was so shocked all he could do was gape at her for several seconds.



“You...I’m...no. You...you’re making me marry...Naruto!?” He stuttered out in a complete contrast to his usual cool manner.



This is a joke, he thought. This is a joke. He imagined Naruto in red lipstick and a wedding dress. And then imagined waking up every morning to that loudmouth’s voice and his grinning face. He shook his head.



“No,” he said simply, folding his arms like a stubborn child.



Tsunade settled herself for fight, ignoring the worry in the back of her mind. This was one of the few marriages that she needed to work. Because Naruto was difficult--his options were the most limited of his age group thanks to the abundance of first and second hand prejudices against him. Even the tolerant adults of the village were reluctant to go as far as to accept the Kyuubi-vessel into their family.



But Sasuke had no family. And it wasn’t hard to see that Sasuke would blatantly refuse to marry regardless of whom she chose for him. Not to mention, he was the only one she could fully trust to watch the blonde’s back--they were team mates after all.



Now all she had to do was get them to become something more. She put on her game face.



“Think of it as a business partnership. No children will be expected, clearly. But,” Tsunade said, preparing for a gamble, “Should you want to continue your line, I suppose we could break years of Uchiha tradition and find you some nice homey girl for you to have babies with.”



Sasuke paused at this suggestion and silently weighed the options she’d presented him.



The Uchiha clan had been massive, the biggest in Konoha, rivalled only by the Hyuuga. No one could expect him to revive it in its entirety. That was ridiculous. His thoughts turned dark as Itachi made his presence known. Sasuke frowned and decided hands down that he wouldn’t have children until he killed Itachi. He wouldn’t offer his brother any more victims.



Sasuke miserably thought of the last time he encountered his brother. He wasn’t even close to killing Itachi. But until he was, could he put up with a girl too ecstatic to be his wife to speak properly?



Ugh, Sasuke thought. I’d kill her. Or worse, Itachi would.



So, no. But he could put up with his team mate for a few more months. Or years if it came to it.



Tsunade gnawed her lip behind her folded hands as she watched him think. If this didn’t work, Naruto wouldn’t marry. Whatever happened, she decided, she would not under any circumstances tell Naruto he had been left out again. She’d make something up--oh, you can’t get married now, you have to train to be the next Hok--



“Fine,” Sasuke said resignedly, slicing through Tsunade’s thoughts. “I’ll...marry Naruto.”



Tsunade had to stop herself from letting out a very un-Hokage like whoop of joy. Instead she merely smiled and said, “Good idea. I mean, what better way to keep tabs on your rival?”



“And no offspring are expected from my marriage?”



“You’re twelve. We’ll discuss that later,” she deadpanned, rising from her chair to walk him to her door. “So, you won’t have to kiss Naruto at all after the wedding...”



She paused with her hand on the doorknob, that smile returning to her face.



“...if, y’know, you really don’t want to,” she added, pushing him out the open door.



Her tone of voice caused Sasuke to stumble on his way out. The image of Naruto in the dress and swooning in his arms came back to him and his eye twitched.



The hallway had filled with a few others while Sasuke was absent, but he barely acknowledged the arrival of Lee, who had seated himself next to Sakura, though it did register in the back of his mind that Lee was without his crutch.



They all gave Sasuke odd looks at his less that graceful exit. Behind him, Tsunade greeted and ushered in the Akimichi family along with a curvy girl and her parents, who were wearing headbands from the Hidden Village of Mist.



Naruto grinned and opened his mouth to volley questions at his dark-haired team mate but Sasuke took one look at Naruto, turned a surprising shade of red, and was down the hallway before the blonde could get a word out.



Lee, Sakura, and Naruto both stared curiously after him, question marks hovering over their heads.



“What was that!?” Naruto asked incredulously, turning to face the pink-haired girl.



Sakura shrugged. Then her eyes landed on something behind him and she gasped. Naruto turned again and his eyes widened.



“Where did you come from?” He sputtered out, pointing at the hallway’s two newest arrivals.



Sakura stood up and took a defensive stance. Lee stood too but a small pain started in his shin, reminding him that he had to treat it gingerly.



With her hands on her hips and her massive fan on her back, Temari sighed exasperatedly.



“Sit down. We’re not here to fight. Besides, last time I checked you weren’t much of a threat anyway,” she said with her usual arrogance.



Sakura suddenly grew self-conscious and she looked away with a frown. Lee’s gaze was unreadable and fixed on the boy next to Temari.



“Hey! Don’t be mean to Sakura-chan!” Naruto yelled angrily, leaping up to stand at her side.



“That’s right!” Lee yelled too, his attitude returning after the initial shock.



Kotetsu stiffened and Izumo’s hand drifted to his kunai pouch. They were not about to permit a scuffle directly outside the Hokage’s office.



“We are here for a peace treaty. This isn’t appropriate,” the fifth member of their little gathering said solemnly, his arms crossed in front of him.



Temari started and then closed her eyes with a smile. “Of course, you’re right, Gaara,” she said, conceding.



She set her large fan against the wall and sat down in one of the empty chairs. She crossed her legs, looking like she owned the hallway.



Sakura studied her for a minute, noticing that the Sand kunoichi wasn’t regarding her brother with the same terror Sakura remembered from before. What had changed?



Tsunade’s two door guards relaxed. Naruto and Sakura also retook their seats but Gaara chose to remain standing. His eyes locked with Lee’s and the two just stared at each other. Gaara was surprised to find little to no hostility emanated from the other boy.



“So...you’re here for a peace treaty?” Sakura inquired, trying to interrupt the awkward staring with polite conversation. Not that talking was any less awkward; the last time she had spoken directly to Temari had been when they had first met and Sakura had brashly accused her and her brothers of trespassing.



Temari folded her arms and Sakura noted the other girl’s cleavage with some jealousy.



“Well, technically we’re here as the peace treaty,” she said, smile playing on her lips.



Just then the doors to the Hokage office opened and Kotetsu stepped aside to let the two families exit. Tsunade allowed herself to breathe a little as she watched Chouji chat amiably to his new fiancée--at least that pairing had been easy. She followed them with her eyes for a second before steeling herself for the next two marriages. Then she turned.



“You four,” she said and then indicated her office with her thumb.



“Huh? Four of us?” Sakura asked, confused.



“Naruto, you’ll be afterwards,” Tsunade said before disappearing back through the doors.



Naruto hmphed and slid down into his chair. Temari and Gaara rose and followed obediently. Sakura got to her feet, Lee at her side. She didn’t miss the hope in his eyes. And while she’d rather marry him than Gaara, she had an uncomfortable inkling that that wouldn’t be the case.



When the four of them were situated in a semicircle around her desk, Tsunade decided to just get to the point. She glanced at the rising moon briefly.



“In case you haven’t guessed already...Sakura, you are to marry Gaara, and Lee, you are to marry Temari.”



The reactions were almost comical enough to make Tsunade laugh.



Gaara looked sidelong at Sakura, who had gone pale. Lee appeared blatantly distraught that he wouldn’t be marrying the pink-haired girl. And Temari took one look at Lee’s eyebrows and said a very firm, “No.”



“As you know,” Tsunade said, ploughing ahead. “Suna and Konoha’s recent history is rocky. Your marriages are part of the new negotiation that should, if all goes well, keep peace between our two nations for a few years.”



The four genin managed to hold their tongues for all of 0.3 seconds before they all started talking at once.



“B-but, Tsunade-sama--”

“No.”

“Hokage-sama, I don’t think--”

“...”



Their voices (sans Gaara’s) were clambering higher in an attempt to be heard. Tsunade was drumming her manicured nails into the desk. She twitched, her patience finally run out.



“ALL RIGHT!” She yelled. “SAKURA WILL MARRY TEMARI AND LEE WILL MARRY GAARA!”



There was a stunned silence as the foursome incredulously considered the do-si-do. Then, to their horror, the Hokage smiled.



“Yes, I think that’ll work. It’ll be better if Lee marries Gaara anyway. And Temari, you’ll become a Haruno,” she said with some measure of satisfaction.



Gaara gave the Hokage a strange look. What was she thinking, pairing him with someone he had very nearly killed? He hadn’t missed how Lee walked a little bit more stiffly now.



“I’m not a lesbian,” Temari finally said.



“Don’t have to be,” Tsunade retorted before scribbling something down definitively on a piece of paper.



She looked up to find the genin eying their new partners sulkily.



Sakura hadn’t impressed Temari much before but anything had to be better than that vision of herself in green spandex. Still, this was not who Temari had wanted to marry.



Sakura tried to smile politely but Inner Sakura kept hollering that this girl was Gaara’s sister. And reminders of Temari’s ruthless actions when fighting TenTen in the chuunin exam kept the smile from growing much.



Lee’s eyes were lowered in disappointment and resignation. Tsunade’s heart constricted when she looked at him. His bravery and determination had caused her to reserve a soft spot for him. But she had met with Gaara in a recent negotiation and he had surprised her by quietly requesting to speak to the shinobi he had critically injured during the Chuunin Exam.



“All right, it’s decided. Off with you, we’ll discuss the logistics of the weddings sometime in the next few days. In the meantime, Temari and Gaara, you will both accompany your fiancés as members of their respective teams. And you may tell the two ninja standing guard outside that they can take a break.”



Taking this as the dismissal it was, they grumpily made their way out. Tsunade swirled her bottle of sake and grimaced when she found it empty.



By the time Naruto was allowed in to see her, Tsunade was so stressed that all she said was, “Naruto, you’re marrying Sasuke, now get out or I won’t let you become Hokage,” before the unsuspecting boy was shoved back out into the hallway.



Tsunade sat back down and sank her head tiredly onto her desk. Not for the first time that day, she worried if she was going about this properly. She wondered if she was any good at being Hokage. Her eyes settled pensively on the full moon glowing outside her window.



She shook her head and rubbed her eyes, telling herself that self-pity solved nothing. Doubt was her real problem at this point. She sat back up and told herself to keep trucking. She still had a few more things to take care of before the end of the night. She had to get in contact with Kakashi and tell him to monitor Sasuke. The Uchiha temper was hot right now; something might happen.



Of course, to get in contact with Kakashi, Tsunade would have to first get Shizune...which she would do as soon as a short eyesore of a ninja stopped banging against her door, hollering, “Is this what the bastard meant about low priority?!”



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It was days like these that Orochimaru was sorely tempted to kill everybody he laid eyes on, but of course that was counterproductive.



Sasuke’s fierce anger earlier had caused the seal to flare, prompting Orochimaru to gleefully send out the four still active members of the Sound Five. And these were supposedly his best men.



“So why have you returned empty-handed?” He asked, his voice low and too calm to indicate anything other than a barely restrained fury.



“Sasuke-kun was not in a favourable position by the time we arrived,” Kidoumaru said cautiously, his head bowed and all four arms folded demurely.



Tayuya swore an actual column of steam rose from Orochimaru’s head. She flinched a little when he spoke again. Jiroubou breathed slowly, hands splayed on the floor.



“You weren’t sent to have a heart-to-heart with him. All you had to do was engage and then defeat him in a fight. Surely even you could have done that.”



A wave of pain wracked Orochimaru’s body. He covered a wince with a sneer. In the corner, Kabuto eyed him knowingly.



“I will have to transfer into another body for now,” the snake sannin continued, trying not to fist his hands. Kabuto had managed to heal his arms to the point where he had the very basic of motions--but this didn’t ease the searing pain any.



The four ancillary ninja lowered their heads, if possible, a little further as their failure washed through them. Sakon snarled at the floor. None noticed Orochimaru’s moment of weakness, or at least they pretended not to.



“There’s a piece of information that will be of interest to you, Orochimaru-sama. Sasuke-kun and a large number of other Konoha ninja have been betrothed for the purpose of the village’s prosperity,” Kidoumaru continued, braving one last comment.



Orochimaru paused, this fact distracting him from the pain for a few seconds. Sasuke’s engagement wouldn’t interfere with his plans too much; he doubted the boy would get too attached to anyone very quickly. In fact, this held a handful of new possibilities--and Orochimaru planned on exploiting them all. Before his thoughts could inspect this topic much more, another bolt of pain shot through his arms.



“I don’t have to say that I will not tolerate failure a second time,” he snarled. “Get out of my sight.”



The four left, their spirits disgruntled and their moods foul. They didn’t like not completing their mission any more than their master did.



Kabuto approached the throne-like chair guardedly. He noted the blood beginning to seep through the bandages.



“Orochimaru-sama, we have many bodies prepared,” he said, hands open. “You can even use mine.”



Orochimaru had squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his teeth to hold back the howl threatening to tear out of him.



“It must be Sasuke-kun,” he grunted out. “Do you know how long I’ve been waiting?”



Kabuto saw red. “I’m declaring a state of emergency!” He said forcefully, his eyes flashing. “The Third’s technique was stronger than expected.”



Orochimaru sneered again as memories of that fight returned to taunt him. The feeling of life seeping out of his arms and leaving them numb still played a key role in his nightmares.



“If we don’t transfer now, you might lose everything! Is that all right?!” Kabuto hollered.



“Lose everything?” Orochimaru hissed.



Kabuto took a deep breath before continuing. “We have the best people prepared. Please, leave everything to me.”



With that, the medic-nin turned and determinedly stalked out of the room, offhandedly remembering to check on Kimimaro soon.



Orochimaru breathed raggedly and ignored the twin puddles of blood gathering next to his chair.



“When you come back,” he said, trying not to wheeze, “I have a new assignment for you.”



Kabuto absorbed these words as he made his way through the icy stone halls towards the dungeons.



Miles away, Sasuke slept fitfully, foxes and snakes running through his dreams.



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