Chapter 25: Farewell, O Wanderer

"All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost."

-J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring

The day of the wedding was a pristine one and there were virtually no complaints from the many people that attended it. And there were many of them. Naruto had wanted every person that had ever made an impact in his life to be invited to the celebration, and he got his wish. The blond considered everyone he had ever met to be impactful and that was evidently shown in the gigantic number of wedding guests. Almost the entire population of shinobi in all of the Elemental Nations were present that day in Konoha. All of the Daimyo had been worried about an attack on other locations because of the fact that almost all of the warriors were in one place at one time, but then again, they had been invited to the wedding too. Plus, nobody wanted to face the wrath of the war hero for taking advantage of his fateful day, so in the end, the day was kept pristine.

That morning, Kurotsuchi was having difficulty on where exactly she needed to base her thoughts. There was such a great myriad of emotions she could not focus in on one of them, or even really three of them. There was fear, excitement, dread, happiness, worry, arousal, understanding, affection, and love all bundled up into a messy ball of addled insight. She had woken up early to ready herself for hours of preparation that were to be executed for the entirety of that long morning. Her bridesmaids were just as fussy as she had imagined they would be.

She was seated on a stool in a makeshift and temporary building that Yamato had made for them. A massive vanity was in front of her and her five maids were nodding, gawking, smirking, and groaning all at the same time. They were arrayed in identical, satin-red dresses. They were discussing every possible arrangement Kurotsuchi's hair could be fixed into and none of them had been satisfied with any of them so far. Her hair was currently displayed about on her shoulders in a messy form of ebony mesh.

Fumiko put her finger on her lips and trailed her other hand through her daughter's strands. "A ponytail would look kind of tacky, right? I mean who uses a ponytail for a wedding?" Kurotsuchi had decided on her mother to be the matron of honor. Considering she had virtually no female friends in Iwa because of her training and distaste of them for most of her life, she decided she needed to pick at least one lady from Iwa. And it was her mother and she would not wish for any alternative. She was surely important enough to be given such a worthy title. It was unconventional, but the dark-haired beauty never really liked traditional views on these kinds of matters. The other bridesmaids were all of Naruto's friends and recently, hers too. She was happy to say in the last several months, she had become familiar enough with all of them to easily grant them such crucial titles.

Sakura nodded as she heard Kurotsuchi's mother question the hairstyle. "You're right. It wouldn't work well at all. She has such lovely hair and it needs to be fully appreciated." The pink-haired woman turned to Ino. "Do you think a flower in her hair would look good?"

Ino set her chin in the palm of her hand in a dainty manner. "Yeah, it could. It would probably need to be red or yellow because that would match well with her eyes and hair. Orange would actually be better because it would go well with Naruto's suit. Should we straighten her hair then?"

Hinata raised her gentle voice. "No, I think that would be too plain. I know we decided for her make-up to be simple, but we don't want to make her hair too basic as well. I think we can still make it simple, but a bit more intricate at the same time."

Mei allowed her slender fingers to stroke the curtain of jet-black silk. "I agree with that. I think if we try to use some gemstones, then maybe that could give off a nice flair."

Ino scoffed in surprise at her fellow bridesmaid, ignoring the woman's obvious status. "Are you serious? That would look positively gaudy and it would totally clash with her personality! It's one of the first assets people will notice and there will be a lot of royalty at this wedding, so we need to make sure that everything looks as best as possible."

Mei snickered and brought up both hands in defense. The red-headed beauty was unused to being addressed in such a manner, but she actually did not mind it all that much. It was nice to be treated like everyone else for once. Plus, the Mizukage found Ino's audaciousness to be refreshing enough to satiate her appetite for entertainment. "Sorry, I was just putting it out there, my dear. We need to exhaust all of our options, after all."

Fumiko nodded decisively. "Mei-sama is right. There's nothing wrong with thinking about even the most ludicrous ideas because we never know what the final result will be."

Ino sighed and agreed. Sakura tilted her head and stared at her friend's reflection. "We haven't really asked what you would like to do, Kurotsuchi," Sakura observed. "Is there something you had in mind?"

The bride blinked and she shook her head as she was brought back to reality. Her mind had been all over the place and she had not been paying attention to her bridesmaids' banter at all. "Oh, what? Sorry, you mean my hair? Couldn't we just curl it?"

All five standing ladies blinked in silence. They individually exchanged glances with one another and felt the embarrassment of such an obvious solution cover them. Hinata was the first to comment: "That sounds good to me."

Fumiko giggled softly. "Yes, that would be quite nice."

Ino rubbed her temples and steeled her resolve. "All right. Let's curl it then! We still need to get her in the dress, so we don't have a ton of time."

Mei was already searching around for the necessary tools and was grinning happily at the fun prospect of treating the bride's gorgeous locks. Kurotsuchi swallowed and fastened on the image that was her reflection. She was going to be married soon and all of the ramifications were skirting along in the thickness of her mind. Her wedding day was surely going to be a memorable one.

There was something remarkable about the village of Konoha that many members of its society took for granted. It was adaptable. During the days of their original Hokage, old feuds and traditions were still ingrained deeply into the civilians and shinobi alike. As time passed, the people began to care and view others as more important than their simple and outdated ideology. Even in today's time, the people of Konoha were still grasping some dogmatic principles that were as ancient as they were foolish. There had been so much improvement as the years went by that the only event that could make them forget themselves was major destruction and a scapegoat to concentrate the hate towards. Unfortunately, due to Obito and by extension, Black Zetsu; the interference of the Kyūbi doomed the growing potential of the village.

The people had discarded the very existence of the boy they had deemed a monster and openly shunned him from their community. Despite this, the boy ended up doing the last thing anyone ever thought he would do. He loved them. He rose above the suffering and brought people together. The amazing quality the blond possessed was he made a person feel like even if there was no prophecy or some grand war, he would still have done what he did. He never needed all of that extra potential to make him act the way he always did, instead the young man loved the very people who had once glowered in his direction.

In a world based around complete fairness, the boy would have probably sought revenge on those who made him suffer and never forgive their cruel actions. He would have cut off ties with Sakura for leading him through strife and killed Sasuke for his betrayal. But Naruto never really believed in being fair because he knew justice and mercy went hand-in-hand. He forgave not for pragmatic reasons, but because he loved those people and knew forgiveness was what was best for them. If seeking revenge was ever best for a person, then all people who ever wronged another would have died long ago. And truly, mankind would have gone extinct by such a revelation.

It was for all these reasons Konoha adapted to the person who was Naruto Uzumaki and cherished his nature and leadership. A testament to their love was the grandeur and brilliance of his wedding. The young man had initially been worried about expenses but before he knew it, charitable funds from everyone including shopkeepers to feudal lords, were sent his way to cover the cost. He had been given so much money he had to deny certain gifts after only two weeks of unsolicited fundraising. He had more than enough to plan the wedding of his and Kurotsuchi's dreams.

Naruto had given the funds and the numerous responsibilities of his wedding plans to Kakashi and Shizune. The Hokage had plenty of matters on his plate already, but considering the sheer numbers and prestige of the wedding guests, he understood the significant disadvantage he would be placing on himself if he did nothing at all about the ceremony. He handled the more delicate matters concerning certain important figures and grander details, while Shizune basically handled everything else. Naruto had approached her formally to thank her for her help and bowed deeply then to properly express his gratitude. The sweet, older woman was extremely fidgety and flushed over his action and told him repeatedly she was simply doing her duty.

The traffic through the village was immense that day as thousands of people gathered about to reach the designated location of the wedding. By some genius insight, someone had proposed on using one of Konoha's largest training grounds as the wedding venue. So, most of the people gathered in the village then made their way over to the southern outskirts where an enormous glade was set in the trees. The glade was even required to be made larger and was promptly dealt with, courtesy of Yamato himself. The Wood Release user had also formed the temporary buildings for the ceremony's preparations and other structures necessary for the wedding. The late summer weather was a perfect umbrella for the outdoor venue and elevated the warm cheer of the day.

As the crowds that had accumulated from weeks of congregating filtered into the expansive glade, the two men standing on the edge of the field were gazing out upon the throng of people.

"I mean if it's this big for his wedding, can you imagine the size of his inauguration?" Yamato mused with disbelief.

Kakashi shrugged lazily and leaned against a tree trunk. He was garbed in his ceremonial, red-trimmed Kage robes and he still managed to look casual in them. "Yeah, I think I can. I'm starting to slightly regret my decision of aiding him."

Yamato folded his arms and glared at his friend incredulously. "Shouldn't you be out there showing face and meeting with royalty and all?"

Kakashi sighed and stared up past the rim of his long hat at the thick, scattered clouds above him. "Probably, but I think I can manage to steal a few more minutes without it all getting too out of hand."

Yamato scoffed and his shoulders drooped with disappointment. He suddenly noticed a table nearby missing a chair adjacent to the open tent and quickly formed the necessary hand seals to create a wooden one in the empty spot. He placed his hands on his hips and exhaled slowly when his work was finished. "Well, I hope you realize you have a terrible work ethic. I'm the one here busting my ass all day and you're complaining about simply meeting people! Honestly, you're impossible."

Kakashi pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're worse than Shizune, you know that? I'm an introvert by nature and would much rather appreciate the beautiful day. Although, I should probably be grateful for your help." His eyes flicked over to his friend. "Thanks." Before Yamato could further complain, the Rokudaime Hokage left his comfy tree trunk and ventured out into the welcoming crowd.

Before the Hokage could wrap his head around his current stance, he was pulled into a group of people who clapped him on the back and regarded him warmly. From a distance away, Yamato shook his head with amusement and moved to check his handiwork.

In a nearby building, Naruto and his groomsmen were getting ready for the wedding. They were all arranged in identical, orange tuxedos that were trimmed in white. They were all wearing suit jackets, except for Naruto who was garbed in a matching vest. The blond was standing in front of a mirror and his best man, Sasuke, was staring at him with an entertained smirk. Naruto fastened his tie for the tenth time and unknotted it in frustration. "Have I ever mentioned how much I hate ties? Seriously, these things are the worst."

From across the room, Shikamaru called out with a dull inflection. "I couldn't agree with you more." He was straightening his own tie at a smaller mirror, his eyes straining in irritation.

Suddenly, Rock Lee slapped his palm upon the Nara's shoulder with such extreme force that Shikamaru winced. "Come now, Shikamaru! Today is the very epitome of youthfulness. Our cherished friend and future Hokage is getting married!" Long, exaggerated tears began to stream down the taijutsu master's face. "It's just so emotional! Are you not happy for our friends on this joyous day?"

Shikamaru simply rolled his eyes and worked on his tie in silence.

Killer B looked at the odd spectacle next to him and rapped to the groom. "Yo, Naruto! How much more time until the wedding is prime?"

Naruto had his tongue between his teeth as he finally had his tie placed where he needed it to be. "Pretty soon, Octo-pops. We got another hour, I believe. We should be going out and greeting the guests soon."

Shikamaru called out again to the blond. "You know; Kiba's still pretty upset you didn't make him one of the groomsman. And don't even get me started on Shino."

Naruto pursed his lips and raised his guilt-ridden voice. "I know! I told them I was sorry. I could only pick five guys and it felt like picking favorites. It took me like a month to make this decision."

Instead of furthering Naruto's guilt, Shikamaru simply smirked with amusement.

From the other side of the groom, Gaara stepped forward with a stoic expression. "How are you feeling about the ceremony, Naruto?"

The blond groom turned to his friend and blinked. After he processed the question, he grinned happily. "It's probably the best day of my life. Although, the day of my inauguration will definitely be a close second."

Sasuke picked up on where Gaara was going. "Are you nervous though?"

Naruto shook his head confidently. "Nope. As a matter of fact, I'm bursting with excitement!" The cheer in his blue eyes erased all doubt in the room.

Shikamaru, having finally straightened his tie, joined the other men by Naruto. "I'm not surprised. So, we heading out there, then?"

Naruto's eyes sharpened and with a quick motion, he turned towards the door that led out into the glade. "Yep! Let's go, gentlemen."

Naruto opened the door and the six men exited the makeshift building and strolled out upon the grassy field. Over the last couple of weeks, the blond had been greeting and conversing with many of the wedding guests as they had arrived into Konoha. Even though he knew every single person by name and face when he approached the massive crowd of people, he still felt an overwhelming wave of affection and emotion when he came into view. The crowd clapped and cheered when they saw the war hero, and the blond was in a dazed state of mind because of their love for him.

A young man with light-green eyes emerged from the great crowd and sprinted towards the groom with a cheerful smile. Naruto recognized him as he drew closer. "Kousei, glad you could make it," the blond said before the young jōnin embraced him with friendly sincerity.

Kousei chuckled and released his friend. His body was larger and his muscles more pronounced. He had grown. "Glad to be here, my friend. I just got in this morning." Gaara waved to Kousei from behind the tall figure of Naruto and the young man waved back. "I'm also glad you managed to find a woman who can match your unique personality."

Naruto chuckled as well and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, more like I found a woman who can put up with my personality." His smile then became more soft and grateful. "Thanks, though. I'm happy to be with her."

At that moment, some more familiar faces neared the groom and made their presence known. There was Souji from Ame, the councilors from Kusa, the Frost Daimyo, Akatsuchi, the Raikage, Motoi, Mabui, Chojuro, and many others. Naruto had once questioned if he could ever grow bored of seeing so many happy faces he had become accustomed to over the years.

He had found the apparent answer rather quickly.

After Naruto had managed to give everyone their due pleasantries, he and his groomsmen neared the wedding altar. Onoki was already standing there behind his small podium, garbed in his ceremonial robes. When Naruto and Kurotsuchi had asked the Sandaime Tsuchikage to officiate their wedding, the old man had agreed without a second thought about it. The proud grin currently etched into his wrinkled face was also a testament to his feelings on the matter.

Naruto shook his hand and the old village leader acknowledged him with genuine interest. "This will be a fine day, my boy. I've never seen a greater turn out nor a brighter afternoon than this one. It's as if the very heavens are blessing the covenant you are making today."

Naruto beamed at his soon-to-be grandfather-in-law. "Well, that sounds nice. Although, I'm sure it would be a great day even if wasn't that bright."

The old man nodded at the bold statement. "I couldn't agree more."

After some more minutes and civilities were thrown about, the ceremony finally started. The colossal field was arranged into two sections. One section was for the actual wedding ceremony and the other was for the reception. The section for the ceremony was composed of two humongous columns split by one long walkway marked as the wedding aisle. The two columns of chairs were lined along by rows for a considerable distance in order to compensate for the imposing number of guests. Along the path of the walkway, a tasteful orange carpet had been rolled out. Long ropes of red flowers aligned the inward row of chairs next to the aisle. When everyone had been seated that day, there was scarcely an empty chair left in the vicinity.

Naruto, standing tall in his orange vest, stood on the stage and watched the long line of the wedding party approach him from down the line. Because the ceremony was outside and the field was level, the blond could barely make out the white frame of his bride at the end of the broad section. But he willed himself to stare at the front of the line so as not to break the inevitable moment. The second he saw his bride he wanted it to be filled with wonder and detail.

He got his wish.

Finally, the wedding music began. The wedding party started with the flower girl, Mitsue, who painted the orange carpet with a colorful arrangement of flower petals. The little girl was arrayed in a white dress, covered in flowers of various design and color. A delicate crown of flowers was placed upon her head and a happy smile placed on her lips as she roamed down the walkway. Behind her, Sasuke and Fumiko, the best man and matron of honor marched down the aisle. The entire wedding party were all dressed in identical suits and dresses, but Sasuke and Fumiko had matching roses pinned to their clothes to signify their status for the wedding. Next down the line was Shikamaru and Sakura, followed by Gaara and Mei. Rock Lee and Ino were behind them and the last couple was Killer B and Hinata.

When all of the wedding party were finally on the stage, Naruto's breath hitched as he saw the approaching two figures stop at the opposite end of the aisle, one in white and the other in red. The entire congregation were all looking at the bride. As Kurotsuchi began her advancement towards the stage, she turned to her father whose arm was linked with hers. His grin was broad and the bride could feel her heart swell with emotion.

Kurotsuchi faced forward towards the stage and her eyes were now only focused on the orange figure at the front. Even from afar, she could make out the blurry sparkle of his cerulean eyes. Her breath became shaky in her chest and she could feel tension shoot to her hands that grasped the orange and red bouquet.

Naruto allowed the natural energy of the day to sweep past him. Onoki had been right about how bright the afternoon was, but the aura of his bride shined past the sunlight with ease. Her very face, hardly concealed by her veil, glowed with illumination and beauty. There was a still moment of reflection for the blond as he was taken in by the mere admiration of his soon-to-be wife.

The bride mused on the splendor of her future husband. His innate confidence flooded the field and melted away her anxiety with profound brilliance, like a wax candle before a hot flame. She was engrossed by the white of his teeth that became increasingly brighter with every step she took.

The groom smelled the sweet air that filtered through his nostrils and flowed out of his fresh lungs. The tenderness of his future wife's frame was permanently ingrained into his mind, like a hand-drawn picture that was carefully sketched upon an earthy scroll. He was fixated on the gentle rhythm of her pace that naturally moved with the melodic flow of the music.

She thought about how masculine he appeared to be with his perfect posture. His hands were together at the front of his waist and his huge smile was unwavering. His very power could shake the foundations of the earth, but he almost always chose to be kind and carefree rather than violent. She could see the affection illustrated in his eyes and she sensed a copious amount of acceptance there.

He thought about how feminine she was with the dancer-like impression she imposed upon him. Her hair was curled loosely into ebony tresses that hung along her shoulders. A lovely orange Gerbera daisy was placed over her ear and Naruto could not help but beam at seeing it. Her thin veil could not contain the intensity of her fine, porcelain features. Even beyond such gentleness, he was aware of the strength she exuded almost carelessly. Her lithe figure told of powerful abilities and graceful, water-like fervor.

Kurotsuchi drew closer.

Her heart raced and her face flushed with the rope of flowers surrounding her. Naruto's intelligent persona reached out to her and briskly flared her soul. She could sense the ferocious passion of his love and there was a faint sheen of perspiration on her skin as his body came into clear view.

Naruto awaited with patience.

He knew her charm transcended any worldly pleasure and he would battle against any foe to have that very charisma directed towards him. He would give her all of himself and was prepared to accept her purity as the most precious gift he would receive. Her smooth love was sharp and flexible in its essence and he cherished it with the proper amount of concentration.

She reflected on the details of his rare soul and the intricacies of his superb character. She then felt the presence of her father kiss her cheek and leave her to walk up the wooden stairs alone.

He ruminated on the fabrication of her demeanor and her flawless attitude towards the unknown. He gazed upon her final steps and drank in the fullness of everything she was.

Her steps quickened as she yearned to be next to him.

His mind readied for her lovely presence.

She was so beautiful.

He was so handsome.

She loved him.

He loved her.

They met there on the stage.

Their hands intertwined and held their hearts there.

The couple faced Onoki and the elderly man began. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…"

During the oration, Kurotsuchi turned at an extremely minute angle and whispered carefully over her breath. "I just had to let you choose orange, didn't I?"

Naruto tried not to look away from the Tsuchikage and somehow managed to match her level of volume. "I could say the same thing about your choice of red."

Her whisper grew slightly louder. "You're just lucky it turned out OK."

His eyes gleamed. "I'm lucky to have you."

Kurotsuchi felt heat rush to her eyes and was about to reciprocate his kindly gesture, when Onoki's exasperated gaze peered over the edge of his book at her. She clamped her mouth but a small smile escaped. Naruto had a similar expression on his face.

Onoki slightly shook his head at their antics but never faltered in his speech.

When the time came to exchange their written vows, Kurotsuchi was the first to speak. She pulled a small scroll from the inside of her bouquet and she kept a gentle smile as she read: "Naruto, I have come to understand many things about the world these past couple of years. I thought I knew of things that were far larger than I could ever conceive. I was so lost in my thinking and never bothered to think about the more basic or more important matters that life has. After I met you, I began to question my views and recognize where I was in this bizarre world. I realized I never loved myself and I needed to accomplish that before I could truly love you. Once I finally accepted and loved who I was, I diverted my passion and intentions to you." She could hear some sniffling in the crowd but she continued without any of it distracting her. "You've always been kind and loving to me and I wish to always humbly welcome your feelings. I promise to give all of myself and never give you anything else. I will remain by your side and never leave it because of how much I cherish your very existence. Thank you for choosing me. I love you, Naruto."

Naruto's exuberance almost blinded her then. There was an unspeakable joy in his expression and she was touched by who he was. Even if the days where she grew sick of his idiosyncrasies came or the ones where she was altogether frustrated with him approached, she would never stop loving him because her love was founded in something beyond emotion and circumstantial happiness.

Onoki then beckoned Naruto to read his vows. The blond fished a scrap of paper from his vest pocket and he grinned as he read: "Kurotsuchi, I'm truly a fortunate man. Not only will I be fulfilling my dream of becoming Hokage soon, but I have also been blessed by the presence of your hand. Luckily, I've been writing a lot these past few years so my words will hopefully be good enough to impress everyone here today." A general laugh emitted from the crowd then.

Naruto paused and then continued after the laughter had subsided. "Even if my writing was inadequate, however, I would still wish to express my most intimate feelings to you. I have been changed by your power and grace, and I hope to continue to grow with you. I cannot imagine a future without you because to do so would be to imagine a future without a refined me. You have given me the best of yourself and from this day forth, I promise to give you my very best. I cannot promise I will not ever hurt you or will always love you unconditionally because I am a flawed human." There was more sniffling in the crowd this time around, particularly among the female guests. "But I can promise I will seek the knowledge of the world in order to know what is best for you and attempt to give whatever that may be. I also promise to remain loyal to you and help carry both of us through our marriage. You will always be mine and I will always will be yours. With every fiber of my soul and being, I give myself to you. I love you, Kurotsuchi.

Teardrops flowed down Kurotsuchi's cheeks and she wanted to throw away tradition and passionately kiss the blond right then and there; royalty be damned! But for the respect of the congregation she was able to hold herself together.

It was at that moment, Onoki slammed his book and with a great and jubilant outcry he exclaimed: "I now pronounce you husband and wife! You may kiss the bride!"

Naruto flipped over her veil and locked his lips with hers in the symbolic gesture of commitment and true love. Yelping and cheering roared from the crowd as the immense congregation celebrated the esteemed couple. Onoki's voice still managed to rise over the cheering as he introduced their status. "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Naruto and Kurotsuchi, husband and wife!"

With that cue, the bride and groom ran down the long aisle as more flower petals rained upon them. Music floated around them as the couple found themselves wrapped in a flurry of petals and charming affection. They swam through the cheers and were ever grateful for the many people that affected their lives. They were now one person joined together before the world and they would never forget it. They counted their blessings and were elated by their findings. The shaking trees sang with the throng of guests and the world turned with them.

They were now married.

As the day waned, the reception began and flowed into the twilight. A great open tent was erected in the other section of the field with a plethora of tables and chairs strewn about from inside and outside the canopy.

The reception proved to be as pleasant as the ceremony itself. Sasuke's speech was short and sweet and left many of the females in the audience weeping. Fumiko's speech was equally emotional and Naruto could not help but tear up a little at her sincere words. The dancing ensued after that and a wonderful orchestra accommodated the dancers of the night. Kurotsuchi and Naruto showcased their dancing skills and everyone was left in awe at their grand prowess. At one point during the dancing, Rock Lee had grown too familiar with the drinking bar and slumped across the dance floor with drunken grace. He easily upstaged the treasured married couple and they had trouble containing their laughter from his absurdity.

When the wedding cake was cut by the married couple, Naruto had quickly launched a piece of cake into his wife's face without warning. He had been waiting his whole life to do that and Kurotsuchi was more than happy to give him her own piece. His throat tasted like frosting for many days after that.

Eventually, the night darkened and the married couple's departure was imminent. The Frost Daimyo had granted them a week at the finest hot spring resort of his country for their honeymoon, free of charge, much to their ineffective protest. Kakashi had previously told Naruto of how the means of transportation would be handled by an interesting individual. Naruto found out who that was when a familiar old man approached the couple with a wooden wagon. The elderly man they had once saved on a bridge on their way to Takigakure flashed a toothy grin at the married couple. Naruto had laughed heartily then.

Fumiko and Kitsuchi managed to give their regards to their daughter and son-in-law. Kitsuchi guffawed cheerily from his belly. "Have fun you two! If your lives together are half as prosperous as this wedding was, then you two will be just fine."

Naruto embraced his father-in-law. "Thanks, Tou-chan." He did not even bother to ask for permission concerning Kitsuchi's new name. They were both fine with it. "I'll be sure to take great care of her. I promise you that!"

Fumiko nodded as she stepped in with a devilish grin. "Of course you will. Be sure to enjoy your honeymoon. Don't overdo yourself in the bedroom." Kurotsuchi's face was heating up from irritation and Naruto's from embarrassment. "Make sure you two rest enough. I expect a lot of grandchildren from the two of you, so be sure to-"

Kurotsuchi interrupted her mother with a hug. "Thanks, Mother. We'll take care of it."

Fumiko wrapped her arms around her daughter and could feel her eyes tear up. "Yes, good. Well, then..." She broke then and cried into her daughter's shoulder. "I'll miss you, sweetie."

"I know, Mother," said Kurotsuchi. "I'll miss you too."

With that, Fumiko backed away from her daughter before she became even more of a hot mess.

Mitsue then ran up to them before they departed and hugged her surrogate parents. "I'll miss you two. Come back soon, OK? I want to move into that nice house Yamato made for us soon!" Naruto grinned brightly and ruffled Mitsue's chestnut hair. Kurotsuchi kissed her cheek and promised they would not be gone long.

Kurotsuchi jumped into the back of the wagon and cheerfully threw the bouquet into the crowd. A certain swift, pink-haired kunoichi caught the flowers and immediately eyed the handsome man standing next to her. Sasuke smiled lovingly as he kissed the woman of his dreams.

The congregation shouted their happy farewells as the wagon trudged past the field and away from the village. The couple held each other close in the back of the wagon and listened to the gleeful whistling of the old man as the stars shared their brilliance with them.

When they reached the main road, Kurotsuchi looked up from the chest of the man that was now her husband. "I don't ever want to forget this moment, Naruto. Please, don't ever let me forget it."

Naruto kissed her brow. "I don't think I could ever let myself forget it, so I'm sure I can do the same for you."

Kurotsuchi was certain.

She was certain she loved this man and would never stop loving him. Love was her choice to make every single day and she would always choose him. She would always choose to seek what was best for him. Knowing he would reciprocate those feelings was the greatest revelation of them all. "Isn't it funny how the world works, Naruto? It pushes and pulls all it wants and somehow it manages to fit the best of moments in the time where you most need them."

Naruto nodded as he admired the stars' gift. "I know. I feel like I'm always thinking about what I'm thankful for. When I do that, I can't help but feel good and positive. It's like a breath of fresh air every time I dwell on the wonderful parts of life. I think that's what it's all about, you know? We need to increase the wonderful parts as much as we can and think on them. It's all right to acknowledge the bad stuff, I suppose, but I never want to stop counting the good things."

Kurotsuchi had opened his collar and fingered the orange coral necklace Mitsue had gifted him. "I like that. I'll keep counting, then." Her pink eyes shone brighter than any star that night and Naruto could not stop his admiration. "I'll always count you, hero."

Kurotsuchi sank into his lips and dressed herself in their mutual love. She thought on their future in that pristine moment. She imagined her and him with Mitsue in the comfy house Yamato had built for them where they lived in the harmony of their little family. Kurotsuchi would become pregnant and birth their first child. They would allow their family to expand and bask in the wonder of their connection. They would advance beyond strife and remember to forgive when necessary. Naruto would become the greatest Hokage ever and bring the world far into the future of peace. She would always be by his side until death eventually tore them apart. But, even after that, their constant desire for what was best for the other would transcend even death. They would continue on past history and into the great power that ascended all beings called Love.

The world celebrated with the married couple as the wagon took them away. They wandered into the night and into their dreams. The trees danced for them and the shadows of the earth bowed before their mighty love. They had gone far and would continue to move forward along the way of their lives.

They never stopped wandering. The trees never stopped dancing and the world never stopped existing. The warmth never stopped surging. The light would never stop reflecting. The certainty never stopped developing. The search for meaning never stopped advancing. Their love never stopped.

Naruto and Kurotsuchi were one.

And they just kept counting.

THE END

And with that, it's done. I've loved sharing this wonderful experience with all of you. It feels wonderful to sum it all up in one final chapter that contains the gist of my themes and purposes. I hope my work has resonated and brought some truth to all of you. My goal from the beginning was to inform and reveal that which I find to be important facets of life. Of course, you're welcome to disagree, but I believe these things to be objective, regardless if you don't adhere to them.

I would personally like to thank all of you for aiding me along this journey and continuing to encourage me. I would specifically like to thank all of those who reviewed, especially Tyrannitor. Your helpful reviews and advice have greatly impacted this story and I am ever in your debt, my friend. Because of him, this story was made even better than I could ever imagine. Check out his story: Pain, Hunger and Betrayal. Simply put, it's one of the best stories I've ever read. He is surely a better writer than me and his abilities humble me greatly.

I plan to keep writing more stories with different pairings as time goes on. They will be Narutoverse-centered and AU-centered because I enjoy writing both. After my current AU story is finished, I'll switch to another Narutoverse story. I plan to keep doing this pattern. Of course, that's always subject to change as human nature tends to do.

Thank you all again for your help. Hopefully, I'll see you guys in the future. I wish you all the best and hope you can all find love in this crazy, fantastic world.

Take care.

-CM