Chapter 289: 281. The Wedding Ceremony
"Enough!"
Tsunade furiously walks towards them.
Hmph…
Onoki and A stop in their tracks. They snort at each other and greet Tsunade.
"Princess Tsunade! Iwagakure is here to extend its regards!"
Onoki waves his hand and the shinobi beside him carries boxes of gifts towards Fugaku.
"Yōkoso"
Fugaku greets them and signals his men to carry the gifts.
"Hmph! Kumo won't also fall behind!"
A also signals his men to pass the gifts.
"This is a small gift from the Kumogakure to show our regards!"
Fugaku receives the gift with an awkward expression, but he maintains his calm demeanor.
He leads the group of Iwa and Kumo inside the venue.
Onoki and A turns towards each other with a frown.
The wedding ceremony is just an excuse. Their real aim is to test the waters. With their spies weeded out of the Konoha, they have no intel on the current strength of Konoha.
Back in the venue,
Kakashi is in a black kimono as he stands with Guy, Asuma, Yamato, Kurenai, Shizune, and Anko.
"Kakashi! What are you going to gif the couple?" Asuma and Kurenai walk towards him.
Asuma just arrived with the Sarutobi clan. With the death of Hiruzen, the responsibilities of the clan have fallen on his shoulders. His elder brother would help him with the clan matters from time to time.
"I am going to gift them Honeymoon tickets to Land of Noodles." Kakashi takes out an envelope from his pocket.
"That's so like you, Kakashi!" Kurenai and the rest of the group chuckle.
"Then what about you, Asuna? What is your gift? You are representing your clan so your gift will represent the prestige of your clan." Kakashi shakes his head as he is slightly displeased with the bothersome clan matters.
"My gift is the Monkey Fruit Wine from Mount Huaguo. This wine is specially brewed by the Monkey Sage and I got some courtesy of Monkey King Enma!"
Asuma fishes out a transparent gourd with a crystal clear wine.
Hmm…
"That sure is an extravagant gift!" Kakashi nods his head.
"What about you guy? Thought of any gift!" Kakashi and the rest of the group curiously stare at Guy.
"Of course! It took me a while to think of a gift that will symbolize the fiery passion of youth. Here it is!" Guy points towards a large gift box.
"Oh!" The rest of the group notices the giant box.
"What's inside of the box? What's your gift, Guy?" Shizune asks him.
"Hehe… First, I thought of gifting a pair of dumbbells and weights to Izuna. But given his fitness, I thought it wasn't enough since he must train quite hard to maintain his prowess. So, I bought the entire training set for him.
It cost me a hefty sum of money!"
Guy tearfully takes out a wallet from his pocket.
Eh!
The expression of the group turns strange as they stare at Guy.
"Looks like I have to hunt some wild animals for the rest of the month!" Guy bites his lips.
"…"
The rest of the group sweat drops at Guy's antics.
'Well! We can't expect more from this guy!" They shake their head and turn to Shizune.
"What's your gift, Shizune?" Kurenai curiously asks her.
"This!"
Shizune takes out a small bottle from her bag.
"And this is?"
"This is a special lotion from the Land of Medicine. I spent quite a lot of time there with lady Tsunade learning medicine. It is a special paste made of various rare herbs from the gardens of Land of the Medicine.
It will help one maintain a youthful appearance and nourish the skin!" Shizune hesitates for a while as she pockets the bottle.
'This is the only bottle I got from there. I could not think of a better gift, but still!'
She bites her lips in frustration.
"Anko! What's your gift?" Asuma turns towards Anko.
"Let me guess, it's a box of Dango!" Kurenai makes a guess.
"H… How?! How do you know? Am I that easy to read?" Anko has a shocked expression.
"…"
"Is there anything else besides Dango that comes to your mind?" Kurenai shakes her head.
"But Dango is the best!" Anko argues.
She has a box wrapped in gift packing in her hand.
"These are the Kamo Mitarashi Chayo Dango from the Land of Honey! I especially ordered them to be delivered here!"
Gulp…
Anko gulps her saliva as drool leaks from her mouth.
'I want a bite! Just one!'
"This foodie!"
The group shakes their head and turns to Kurenai.
"Kurenai? What's your gift?" Shizune curiously asks her.
Up till now, most of the gifts reflect the personality of the person gifting them. So, she is curious to see Kurenai's gift.
"My gift! It's nothing fancy! It's a matching pair of Kimonos for the couples that I commissioned in Land of Bear!"
"Oh! That came as a surprise. But it matches with your personality!" Shizune smiles and teases her.
"Oh! Looks like you folks came prepared!" Kushina walks towards the group.
"Kushina Sensei!" The group straightens up.
Haha…
"There is no need to be formal with me!" She chuckles.
"Izuna is the youngest among your generation, but he is the first one to get settled! What about you lot? You guys have any plan for marriage!" Kushina teases the group.
Emm…
The faces of the group turn red from embarrassment.
"Asuma, Kurenai! How long are you guys going to be secretive about your relationship? Just marry already!" Kushina turns towards Kurenai.
"Eh! Kushina-Sensei! It's not like this. We just…" Kurenai is flustered to hear Kushina.
Haha…
"Alright! Alright! I got it!" Kushina then turns to Kakashi.
"All of you have hidden your relationship pretty well! But not as well as Kakashi!" Kushina chuckles.
"Kakashi!" The rest of the group turns to Kakashi.
"Me!" Kakashi points towards himself.
"Who else?!" Kushina rolls her eyes.
She takes out a picture and passes it to the rest of the group.
"Look! This is the dream girl of Kakashi! The secret lover affair of Kakashi!"
"That picture!" Kakashi is shocked to see the picture. He hurriedly inspects his pockets and storage.
"It's not there!" He sighs helplessly.
"Izuna-kun is the one who gave this picture to me and talked about Kakashi's secret love story." Kushina flashes the picture of a girl.
"She is Hanare from the Land of Keys. Such long-distance love!" Kushina shakes her head.
"If not a certain someone afraid of political incidents, this girl would be present here attending this marriage ceremony with us!"
"It's not like that Kushina Nii-san! Let me explain!" Kakashi tries to sort the situation.
"Let it be!" Kushina waves her hand.
"I don't want to hear any of your excuses!"
"Broom-haired Nii-san is a bad guy! He breaks the heart of a poor girl!" Ayaka tip-toes to them.
"Yes, my Ayaka-chan is right!"
Kushina pulls Ayaka into her embrace and bear hugs her.
"Kushina-san!" Hanna walks over with Hanabi in tow.
"Oh, Hanna-san! Let's talk about Naruto and Hinata!" She pulls Hanna and walks towards another corner.
"Hmph… Broom-hair Nii-san, you baddy!" Ayaka snorts and dashes away.
Sigh…
Kakashi has a bitter expression on his face as he stares at the back of Ayaka, unable to express his emotions.
Pfft…
The rest of the group burst out in laughter.
"You deserved it for what you did, Kakashi!" Guy pats his shoulder.
Haah…
'How can I explain to this bunch? Anything I would say will be useless!" Kakashi shakes his head in melancholy.
-------------
Inside the dressing room,
"It's about time!" Aiko enters the room and signals to Izuna and Mei.
Mei is dressed in a white 'uchihkake' with a blue floral pattern. There is a white headdress on her head. She is holding a small folding fan with the Terumi clan symbol imprinted on it.
Izuna is dressed in a black kimono with the white Uchiha symbol embroidered on it.
He is staring out of the window at the vast patch of sky.
'This is the happiest moment of my two short lives!"
"Let's go!"
Mei clasps his hand.
"Everyone is waiting for us!" She has a brilliant smile on her face.
"Yes, let's take our first step towards a new future!"
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
ForgottenLife
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Chapter 290: 282. The Wedding Ceremony Part-2
Both Mei and Izuna walk out of the dressing room while holding hands.
Their wedding will be held in a Shinto Ceremony Fashion, according to the Uchiha tradition. Mei desired to hold the wedding in a Christian fashion, so they opted for two wedding ceremonies.
They will hold the Shinto wedding ceremony in the Uchiha clan and the Christian Wedding in the Kirigakure.
Both of them reach the venue for the wedding. They walk towards the wedding altar present in the center of the venue.
The pair of Itachi, Izumi and Shisui, Yugao are already waiting there.
"Looks like we are the last one to arrive." Izuna smiles as both of them stand beside the other couples.
An elderly Uchiha man in priest garbs is standing to the right of the altar.
Hmm…
Suddenly, Izuna senses an unfamiliar gaze on him. The gaze feels like someone is trying to peer through his secrets.
He turns around and notices a woman with long brown hair and light-colored eyes walks. The woman has pale skin and is dressed in a Shrine Maiden outfit.
The woman has the appearance and bearing of a standard Miko.
But what's peculiar is her eyes. She has violet, ornate pupils which are glowing with a purplish hue.
Hmm…
Izuna secretly activates his Sharingan and inspects her eyes.
'These are…'
His eyes widen in surprise as he notices various strange runes in her eyes.
'I have never seen these runes before.'
The woman's gaze lingers on him before she turns her head away.
Shoom…
Her eyes return to normal.
"Is there any problem, Miroku?" Kushina asks her.
"No. Everything is fine!" Miroku shakes her head as she throws a last glance at Izuna.
Kushina carefully leads the shrine maiden towards the wedding altar. The Miko stands on the left side of the wedding altar.
"She is?!"
Izuna questioningly turns to Kushina.
"Oh! I almost forgot to introduce her." Kushina shakes her head.
"She is Miroku, a high priestess from the Land of Demons."
Kushina introduces her to Izuna.
"The Uzumaki clan has friendly relations with the Land of Demons. A few centuries ago, the founder of our Uzumaki clan, Kenshiro-sama lent a helping hand to the Land of Demons to seal a very powerful demon."
She walks towards Izuna and murmurs.
"During my childhood, Miroku once visited our Uzumaki clan with her guardian. However, shortly after I moved to Konoha and Uzushiogakure was destroyed. I never got an opportunity to meet her again."
Kushina sighs in melancholy.
"Fortunately, this wedding ceremony provided me an excuse to unite with her and invite her as a Miko for the wedding." Kushina turns towards Miroku.
"It's nice to meet you, Miroku-san!" Izuna politely greets her.
"It's nice to meet you, too!" Miroku slightly nods her head.
After the introductions, Kushina returns to her place as the ceremony starts.
The ceremony starts with the rite of purification. The elderly Uchiha priest offers prayer and calls the attention of the benevolent spirits.
Next, the Miko prays to Kami to offer good luck, happiness, and protection to the couples.
The couples are standing in the center of the venue, right in front of the wedding altar.
The rest of the family members are standing right behind them as they offer their prayers to God for couples' happiness.
Next, the elderly priest announces the start of the san-san-Ku-do ceremony or the three-three-nin-times. It reflects the three oaths taken three times. In this ceremony where the bride and the groom share three nuptial cups of sake.
The sake is poured in three cups of increasing sizes. The elderly priest pours the sake into the smallest cup and offers it to Izuna.
Izuna takes a sip from the cup and passes it to Mei, who takes a sip of the remaining sake. Next, the priest pours the sake into the slightly bigger cup and offers it to Mei first.
Mei takes a sip of the sake and passes the rest to Izuna. Izuna down the remaining sake in one sip.
The priest pours the last cup of sake and offers it to Izuna, who empties half of it in one sip and offers the rest to Mei. This ritual symbolizes sharing joys and sorrows as a married couple.
Next up, the couple walks in front of the altar and faces each other as they vow to each other.
Izuna stares into Mei's deep green eyes as various emotions erupt in his heart as he slowly parts his lips.
"Mei Terumi, the woman I love,
I am about to marry,
No matter what your health situation is,
No matter the circumstances,
I will forever love you,
Respect you,
Console you,
Look after you,
Protect you,
Until death do us part,
This, I swear to you,
With Kami as my witness."
Mei's eyes turn watery as she quickly wipes them.
'Mother! I will finally marry the person I love.'
Next up, Mei turns towards Izuna as she stares into his deep black eyes. Her lips slowly parts as he vows.
"Izuna Uchiha, the man I love,
The man I am about to marry,
Be it in the peaceful times,
Or during Sickness,
I will forever love you,
Respect you,
Comfort you,
Look after you,
I will forever stand by your side,
Until death do us apart,
This, I swear to you,
With Kami as my witness."
Mei closes her eyes as various memories of her time spent with Izuna flash through her mind.
She lovingly gazes at Izuna, who returns her gaze with a charming smile.
Sniff… sniff…
"Can you see this, Miko! Our Mei has finally found her soulmate." Fuji wipes his tears as he dotingly stares at Mei.
Akira and Aiko have smiles on their faces as they witness Izuna and Mei holding hands.
"This idiot son of mine has finally fulfilled his promise!" Aiko tears up.
"Here, Mom!" Ayaka passes a handkerchief to her.
Aiko wipes her tears and turns to Ayaka.
"Someday, I will have to see you marry off someone else!" she sighs to herself.
"No! I won't leave Onii-chan's side. He is the only person I love!" Ayaka tightly clenches her fists.
"Silly girl!"
Aiko shakes her head.
For this wedding, Minato acted as the 'Best-Man' for Izuna, while Kushina acted as the 'Bridesmaid' for Mei.
Izuna holds Mei's hand as they walk towards their family members to receive their blessings.
Both of them leave shortly, to get changed for the celebratory meal.
"Cheers!"
Various clan leaders offer their congratulations to Fugaku, Akira, and Yagami for the occasion.
They have a cup of sake in their hand as they occasionally burst into laughter.
The environment is full of happiness, colorfulness, and festivity.
A group of Anbus dressed as performers walk to the front of people. Each of them holds a violin in their hand as they play a melodious tune.
"Wonderful!"
The clan leaders and even Onoki and A are surprised to hear the harmonious tone as it perfectly fits the cheerful environment.
Izuna and Mei have changed into a more casual attire as they return.
"Congratulation, brat!" Tsunade walks towards him with a cup of sake in her hand.
"Thank you, Tsunade!" Izuna scratches in slight embarrassment.
"Look at you acting all shy!" Tsunade rolls her eyes.
Tiing… tiing…
The notes of music flow in their air and pull the attention of Mei and Tsunade.
La la la la la la
You call out to me from somewhere within my fragile soul
Your voice like fantasy, telling me to keep on dreaming
I can't stop these tears from flowing, or the ache inside my heart
But on the other side of sadness, I know I'll find you waiting there
La la la la la la
Mei and Tsunade hum to the tune as Tsunade feels nostalgic.
"What's this song?"
Mei turns to Izuna in excitement.
Last time, he proposed to her with a similar song and now again during their wedding.
"It's Itsumo Nando Demo (Always with Me). It's a love song. I wrote it especially for this occasion."
Izuna shamelessly takes the credit.
'I won't get sued in this word for taking the song.' (A/N:- Please don't sue me.)
La la la la la la
Mei and Tsunade hum the song as Kushina also joins them.
"What a pleasant song! Izuna, are you the one who wrote this?" She asks him.
"Yes!" Izuna nods his thick face.
"Alright!" More and more ladies join them, even Yugao, and Izumi also join the group.
Feeling slightly awkward, Izuna slightly leaves the group. He grabs a cup of sake and walks to a corner and silently stares at the sky.
A pair of white dove takes flight in the sky.
"What a lovely pair of doves? They symbolize peace, love, feminity, hope, and…"
A feminine voice falls in Izuna's ears.
"DEATH!"
CREATORS' THOUGHTS
ForgottenLife
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