A/N: WOW! It's been such a long time since I've last updated this thing! I totally forgot about it! Sorry to everybody that's been waiting .
On another note, it's time for some personal advertising Check out the new story I wrote called 'One Word Breaks a Promise'. I'm not sure if I should continue it or modify it to make it a one-shot.
Enjoy the second chapter
Chapter 2: Ceremony
Naruto sat in between Sasuke's uncle and Sakura's father while he impatiently watched the engagement ceremony take place. The pair being celebrated sat next to each other on one side of the stage as a vast number of different people came up to present their incredibly long and tedious speeches, one by one. Both of their faces were tinted with a light blush as Sakura smiled and tried her very hardest to suppress her persistent giggles. Every so often she would take a quick glance at the audience in the hopes of finding her 'rival in terms of love', Yamanaka Ino (who had come very close to becoming Sasuke's wife-to-be), just to see the look on her face. Of course, the mere thought of it would send another pack of giggles coming her way and she had to try that much harder to keep them from escaping her lips. The man next to her was much less giddy about the entire situation and he solemnly kept his eyes on the floor as the many speakers came up on the stage. If it had not been for the blonde boy in the front row of audience members who absorbed every ounce of his attention, the Uchiha would have been inevitably bored. Like Sakura, he would every so often look up from the ground to take hesitant glances at the blonde boy, but just as quickly as his eyes looked up, they would again find their way of getting back to the floor. Unbeknownst to Sasuke after the first couple of glances, a light blush spread across his face, which usually had a very pale and fair complexion.
Naruto sat impatiently slumped over in his seat, oblivious to Sasuke's eyes landing on him every few seconds. Sure, the grand hall was incredibly beautiful, what with it being grand and all, and he was very excited about his chance to be in it, but after an hour and a half of sitting down and listening to boring, albeit important and elite people presenting boring and extensive speeches, he had become inevitably bored. It couldn't have been expected of him and his restless soul to be able to sit still for so long without getting tired of it. He began to think that Sakura had made a grave mistake in choosing him as her escort and if he got up and decided to leave, it wouldn't be his fault. One and a half hours had already passed into the ceremony and Naruto had grown tired of looking at his reflection in the mahogany walls and the golden floor. After spending so much empty time in the grand hall, the grandeur eventually faded and now he was just waiting for the ceremony to be over so that he could get back to the Haruno mansion and actually move.
While Naruto sat fidgeting with his hands and trying his hardest not to fall asleep (Sakura had warned him earlier not to as it would be very rude and not befitting of a royal escort), the final speakers took their places at the front of the stage.
'Thank you to every one who has come,' Sakura said timidly to the audience, her hand raised and partially covering her smiling mouth while her eyes remained downcast, 'Today is very exciting for me and I am grateful for all of your encouragement.' After these words, she smiled and spared a quick glance in Ino's direction while the entire audience erupted in quiet applause.
'I do know that this event is very important and it is my honor to have been selected for this significant position. I will do my best to be a good wife and more importantly, a good mother.' Another wave of applause came from the audience and then it was Sasuke's turn to speak.
'Once again, thank you all for coming.' He said in an impressively loud and confident voice as he finally took his eyes off of the ground and looked towards the audience, 'This is a very significant event and the importance and expectations are well in my knowledge. I vow to do everything in my power to fulfill the role of being a good husband and more importantly a good parent. I look forward to our marriage and the happy life that is sure to follow.'
While he said the last sentence of his short speech, his eyes met Naruto's and turned a darker shade than onyx. They looked like they were pleading with him but all Naruto could do was sit still and stare back. It was as if Sasuke was urging him to say something, but no words escaped his lips.
The swapping of the rings followed, binding the two in a bond of consent before the commitment of marriage. A cage which contained two doves were brought to the stage and together the couple released the birds, which supposedly brought them good luck and fortune until the marriage. The two birds flew to the ceiling of the grand hall before escaping through the hall's open doors. Naruto smiled as he watched them fly and wondered if they were able to find their way out of the entire mansion after escaping the grand hall.
After these two symbolic rituals were over, the fifth Hokage came up to the stage once again.
'This concludes the ceremony!' she bellowed in a voice that seemed to shake the very walls. The audience once again erupted in applause accompanied by cheers and after the noise had faded, the Godaime once again spoke, 'Please feel free to make your way to the Reception Hall for free food and drink.'
The ceremony was over and now it was official: Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura were now formally engaged.
'It's finally over!' Naruto sighed as he sprawled his body across his small bed with his arms and legs extended away from him.
After the engagement ceremony had been completed, Sakura had insisted that the both of them make their way to the reception hall to mingle with their friends and fellow villagers. After all, the day was one to celebrate and she refused to go home without speaking to some of her good friends. It was there that she spent another hour going through the routine of gathering any recent gossip and chatting among her friends (as well as making sure Ino knew that is was she that was going to be married to Sasuke and not her). During the course of this time, Naruto was forced to tag along, trailing behind as she moved to talk to different people. He had wondered where the Uchiha was and later discovered (after listening in on one of Sakura's conversations) that he had supposedly gone home to his mansion right after the ceremony.
When they had gotten home, Naruto had wished that he could just retire into his quarters for a well-deserved rest but this was unfortunately not the case. As soon as he had taken a step into his room, the doorbell rang and soon after that he heard Sakura calling his name. When he had made it to the door, he spotted Sakura there accompanied by a large bouquet of flowers.
'Sorry, Naru-chan,' she said, smiling, 'but could you take this pot of flowers into the sunroom?'
Of course, as her personal servant and helpful friend he had been happy to do so and carried the bouquet into the sunroom before returning to his room. Little did he know that he would have to carry ten more bouquets of flowers, five heavy pots of small trees and one cactus into the sunroom as well. These had all been congratulatory presents given to Sakura for her engagement by a number of her friends and as her personal servant (much less because of being her helpful friend), Naruto had to bring all of them to the sunroom one by one as they had been given and received by Sakura. She was also given one set of shogi, one pack of potato chips, three dog bones, medicine, a pair of sunglasses, one golden kunai, a set of training weights and a set of Hyuuga traditional robes that Naruto had to carry to the Haruno's enormous back room.
By this time the doorbell seemed to have stopped ringing so Naruto had retired from sitting by the front door and had returned to his room for a rest. He was completely worn out from all the walking and carrying back and forth that as he lay across the surface of his bed, his eyes seemed to close without his knowledge and he came to the verge of sleep. Unfortunately for him, right before he lost consciousness and drifted off to the land of dreams, the doorbell rang once again.
He got up lazily with closed eyes and with glacial speed walked to the front door. Before he opened it, he allowed himself a heavy sigh. He opened the door with closed eyes and muttered to whoever was there,
'Thank you for the gift, please leave it by the door.'
The person outside cleared his throat before muttering, 'May I please come inside?' in a voice so calm and collected that it could only come from one man.
Naruto snapped into full and alert consciousness and his eyes sprang open as soon as he recognized the other man's voice. He looked up to see Uchiha Sasuke in a black turtle neck, beige pants and long overcoat, smirking at him and for a brief moment, he looked into his onyx eyes. It was only for an instant but something had passed between them. It was as if they had entered their own universe, the noise of the outside world fading away, the only things existing were their own two bodies.
With his hand still on the diamond doorknob of the Haruno front door, Naruto looked down at the floor and stepped out of the doorway, succeeding in shattering the brief existence of their intimate universe.
'Please, come inside,' he said in a humble voice, 'I'll go upstairs and tell Ms. Haruno Sakura you're hear. Please wait in the sitting room.'
As he turned to go upstairs, the Uchiha halted him with his cool voice.
'Wait,' he said, causing Naruto to freeze in his place for about three seconds before turning around to face his temporary companion.
When he turned to take a look at the Uchiha, they once again made eye contact and their intimate universe was once again established.
The Uchiha outstretched his arm and offered Naruto his hand.
'Uchiha Sasuke,' he stated as Naruto slowly approached, 'Who might you be?'
'Uzumaki Naruto,' the servant boy said as he took his hand.
Though it had been the most insignificant and common form of physical contact, it did not fail to intensify the existence of their personal universe and the non-existence of all else. The light filtering into through the doorway, revealing small pieces of dust floating in the air was completely forgotten. All that remained was their inhaling and exhaling and the feeling of warmth between their hands.
'Uzumaki Naruto,' the Uchiha said slowly, 'Come with me.'
And with that, he led a surprised Naruto out of the Haruno mansion and closed the door behind them, hand in hand.
Take my hand...
...and never let it go
A/N: Yeah, so there's the second chapter. Hope you enjoyed it Sorry about the rushed feel of it. I have, like, no computer time with all my siblings and the rest. I think I might completely change this chapter, so please review and give me your thoughts :D