Title: Carnations

Author: Fenikkusu Ai

Rating: K

Fandom: Naruto

Characters: Ino, OC

Words: 698

Genre: Angst/Drama

Summary: Red was a serious color. It was the color of passion. Of life. Misaki wanted to wear the color at her wedding. Yamato x OC.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

"Did you have anything in mind, Misaki?"

Misaki didn't even have this day in mind. Nervously, she curled a long strand of her blonde hair around her finger. She had to say something. Unless, she wanted to keep her hair free, but Ino would be disappointed. Maybe her future husband would be too.

"Um, a braid."

Ino inspected her reflection in the mirror. "I would say a bun, but hey, it's your day! You can have whatever you want."

Her hairdresser's smile was big and bright. Almost plastic. A smile could mean so much except happiness. The Otogakure had taught her well.

Yet, she was reluctant to slide back into dark thoughts. She had to focus on her hair. Misaki tried in vain to relax. It was a day of pampering after all. And, a day of love. It was the day every girl dreamed of...

At that very moment, she was immersed in layers of cream lace as she suffered in her padded chair. Due to her lack of funds at the moment, Yamato himself had bought the dress. She couldn't help but feel guilty. Well, in a two short hours, everything each of them owned would belong to each other.

Misaki stared at her bare neck reflected in the glass for a moment. Ibiki had promised her a necklace from his grandmother, Ume, and Misaki well knew that Ibiki always kept his promises. For better or for worse.

The bride felt Ino's hands twist around in her hair. "People in ANBU just have something to them. An intensity. A mystery. You know what I mean?"

Leave it to Ino to talk about boys. But, Misaki knew what she meant. It was the darkness they carried. The hardships they were forced to endure...

Had it been that darkness that had attracted her to him? Was it like her own? Wait, he had been attracted to her first. If, opposites did indeed attract, would that make her a light in his darkness? It was all so confusing.

Misaki had never been good at relationships. Regarding her crush on Kabuto in the past, obviously her taste in men left something to be desired.

Still, she and Yamato had some things in common. Yamato had a family that he had never known, and Misaki's own family had been lost. It was Orochimaru of all people connected through them. Misaki had been taken by the serpentine man after the murder of her parents to be used as a spy, and Orochimaru abducted Yamato as a baby. Through a period of near lethal experimentation, Yamato had been gifted the wood release.

It was almost poetic that the two had found each other. Of course, it seemed that everyone else were silently watching what would happen next.

All things considered, maybe she was finally embracing her destiny without fear.

"I want carnations in my hair. In between the loops of the braid," she finally decided.

Ino nodded. "Oh, okay. What color do you want?"

What a question to ask. White would be appropriate, maybe even pink.

Her response shocked even herself. The reply that left her lips was, "red."

"Red? Is it Yamato's favorite color?"

Misaki felt a blush creep over her cheeks. "No. I want to wear it. Red is lucky."

"Yes. It symbolizes love too. Luck in love." Ino's gaze seemed to become farway.

Misaki wondered if she was dreaming about her own wedding. Misaki supposed that she would be there.

After Ino's handiwork was done, Misaki inspected her own reflection. The blossoms were as red as fire. It was what she wanted. Ghostly, funerary flowers were not appropriate here. She wasn't a lost girl here; she was a woman. A woman who would be married.

Red was a serious color. It was the color of passion. Of life.

Had her life truly been leading up to this? Was she finally being rewarded? Regardless, she had nothing to return to. Misaki's only choice was to move on.

Maybe she would even make it to that field of bliss that she had always wanted to lie in...

However, she wouldn't be lying in it alone.

She wondered what Yamato's favorite flower was.