Before I start with the fanfic, I have an important announcement to make. The English version of Hinata's character song is finally ready and up! MellorineGirl17 did an exceptional job as Hinata, giving a really heartbreaking performance. I highly suggest you give it a listen. The link is on my profile.

So… Is anybody else miffed that Konoha Hiden didn't get to describe the actual NaruHina wedding and the reception that followed afterwards? I know I am! And when I get miffed I write!

Actually, I've been meaning to write this for a while. Ever since I've laid my eyes on an excellent piece of fan-art by PixIV artist AIKA, I wanted to write a story about Sasuke taking pictures at Naruto's wedding and reflecting on it…

...but then Konoha Hiden came out and it was revealed that Sasuke was not seen at the wedding.

But I still wanted to write the story, and I still wanted it to be as canon-compliant as possible! Eventually I came up with... something else.

"Sukea" is actually from the official Naruto " Book Of Wind", the one-shot where Kakashi's face is finally revealed. He is supposed to be a reporter that tries to find out and take a picture of Kakashi's true face along with Team 7. Since "Sukea" in that story turns out to be (SPOILER!) Kakashi in disguise, and Kakashi is seen being present at the wedding, the "Sukea" in this fanfic is definitely NOT the same "Sukea" as in the "Book of Wind" even though they are supposed to be the same "character"!

Confused? Read further and it will all become clear.

Before I start, a bit of a warning: the typesetted manga that is making the rounds on the web actually miss-translated the name "Sukea" to "Shikaner". In fact "Shikaner" was how I was originally going to name the character in my fanfic, because well… that's what I thought the character was named.

See now how bad translations become memes and preservere?

Thankfully cacatuasulphureacitrinocristata set me straight! But just so you know, "Sukea" is actually the "Shikaner" character you saw on the Book of Wind miss-translation that is circulating the web. Again the "Sukea" in this fic is the same "paparazzi character" as in Naruto's "Book of Wind", but a different person.

Chronologically, the first chapter takes place a few hours before the final chapter of Konoha Hiden


'Thoughts'

"Dialogue"


Sukea held the camera in his hand and inspected it curiously. It was definitely lighter that what he expected. The last time he saw a camera it was in his teen years. Back then, he tried to see Kakashi's face, to at least catch a glimpse of it, and expose it for all the world to see. The camera back then was huge, you needed both hands to actually hold it, and it felt rather heavy…

...he prefered that camera, he knew how to use that camera. All he had to do, was go to a dark place, put a film in it, close the cap and it was ready to wind and go.

But this camera, this freaking camera, was a mystery! There were no caps, no films nothing! All it had was a few buttons and a screen at the back which was currently black. Nothing about this thing made any sense!

He pressed a button…Nothing…

He pressed another button... Still nothing!

Cold sweat started covering his body.

'How the hell am I supposed to use this thing?!'

Well, he better figure it out… very soon…

The wedding was about to start…

And he was supposed to be the photographer for crying out loud!


He didn't want to do this. He didn't want to even be here. He didn't think he even deserved to be here, after everything he had done. Not after he had wronged so many of the people that were going to be present.

But Kakashi was persistent. He kept badgering him to come back and attend the wedding, sending him hawk message after hawk message. No matter how much he had tried to cover his tracks, the hawks kept finding him and pestering him to come back. He chose to ignore the messages and use them to light up fires that warmed his cold nights in the desert. But then came a hawk message that he just couldn't ignore…

...it contained a picture of his first kiss

...He was back in Konoha in less than three days.

He quickly made his way to the Hokage building slammed open the door of Kakashi's office and very angrily inquired where he got that picture. The Sixth Hokage reminded him that he used to be in ANBU, and that he and Naruto were under surveillance at the time. His first kiss was a rather amusing incident that was caught by some very expertly hidden cameras and was secretly passed around the ANBU squad as a source of mirth and laughter…The Hokage kept a copy of the picture just in case he needed some leverage from him. He figured that now was the best time to use it.

"What do you want me to do?" the desert wanderer asked.

"Simple, I want you to attend the wedding, observe, and assist Captain Yamato in case anything goes wrong."

"And if I say no?"

"Then I will show this picture to anyone who asks me why you weren't present."

The wandered was filled with cold unadulterated rage... He slammed his fist onto the Hokage's office.

"You're bluffing! You will never do such a thing because that would also affect Naruto!"

"Maybe… Maybe not. "

The sixth Hokage smiled widely behind his mask.

"You know SHE is also going to be there…"

That sentence was enough to make his anger fly away. He closed his eyes and formed a painful expression on his face.

"I am not ready to face her yet. Not after everything I've done to her."

"Aren't you a least bit curious to see how she is doing?"

"I am sure she is doing fine. She is not some weak woman."

Kakashi's smile grew wider.

"You know, Naruto's wedding is going to be big event. Lots of people are going to attend it. And a lot of people, single people would like to meet the world's strongest Kunoichi that punched a goddess and saved the world."

His face faltered… Kakashi got to him.

"There will be lots of people there that don't like me very much." he hurriedly explained "People I have fought and tried to kill. People I have severely wronged. Showing my face at the wedding isn't going to be such a good idea."

"Don't worry about it" said the sixth Hokage as he sat back on his chair.

"Nobody pays any attention to the photographer in weddings."


The long robe felt heavy. But it was the only piece of clothing that covered up his… condition.

He took another look on his reflection at the lake. His face was covered in white makeup with two vertical red lines on the eyes. He resisted the urge to scratch it.

His contact lenses were still in place, but they made his eyes twitch.

He put the camera in his pocket and touched his bleached-gray hair with the palm of his hand. It felt weird…

He took the camera back out and resisted the urge to smash it against a wall. He was beginning to get really irritated now...

'I look like an idiot, and I still don't have the slightest idea how I am supposed to use this thing!'

He saw a little girl staring at him.

"Mister! Are you a clown?"

'Well, I guess I really do look like one...'

"No, little missie, my name's Sukea, and I am the wedding photographer."

The little girl looked at Sukea's accursed device.

"Is this your camera?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"Can I play with it?"

'Oh, well, it's not like I will be able to use it anyways...'

"Sure, go ahead..."

Sukea handed the little girl the camera. He took a quick look at the label in the back, making a mental note to pay a visit to its makers in the near future and make them atone for their sins.

The little girl held it excitedly and pressed the top button for a few seconds. Her face lit up with joy as the camera turned itself on and displayed the control menu. After she played with the screen a bit, she opened the camera's shutter and pointed it at him.

"Smile mister! I want to take a picture of you!"

Sukea was flabbergasted.

"You figured out how to actually use this thing?"

The little girl gave him a big toothy grin.

"Of course I did! Mama says I'm smart! Don't you know how your camera works? It's yours."

"I just got it today" he explained "and I don't know what I am supposed to do with it."

"Would you like me to show you some stuff?"

"Yes…" Sukea huffed.

The little girl made a playful gesture.

"Pretty please with cherry on top?!"

"Please!" cried the photographer "I beg you!"

The little girl motioned him to come closer. Sukea crouched and leaned next to her. She pointed at the screen at two strange pictures at the bottom.

"If you touch this you make movies, and if you touch this you make pictures."

"You're supposed to touch the screen?!"

"Yes!" huffed the little girl whose expression morphed into that of a strict teacher..

She handed him back the camera.

"Try to take picture of me! Touch the pictures at the bottom!"

Sukea did so.

"You see me moving on the screen?"

"Yes."

"Touch the button on top!" said the little girl as she smiled widely for the camera.

The camera flashed and a satisfying 'click' sound was heard.

Flash! Click!

"You did it! Now to make a movie..."

As the little girl was about to explain, a voice was heard from a distance.

"Mirai! Stop bothering the photographer! He has a job to do!"

A lady with long wavy black hair came near and picked up the little girl.

"Mommy!"

Sukea tried to smile at the woman as best as he could. He closed his eyes and tried to imitate the toothy grin that the little girl displayed a little while back. He wasn't used to smiling.

"It's all right ma'am. I don't mind at all. Oh and… Mirai?"

"Yes?"

"You are going to grow to become a great sensei in the future!"

Little Mirai blushed.

"Thank you mister!"

The woman gave her a motherly hug and smiled sweetly at her. Sukea vaguely remembered a time when his own mother did the same to him… before…

"Uncle Buggy is here!" said Mirai's mother "Shall we go see him?"

"Yay! Uncle Buggy!" cheered little Mirai.

And with that, the woman and the girl went to meet the other guests.

He was alone once more.


Flash! Click!

He experimented with the camera for a little bit. He decided to just take pictures, and not try to take any videos…

... he wasn't sure if he would be able to handle it.

He pointed it at the Cherry-Blossoms and he took a picture.

Flash! Click!

He looked at the resulting picture on the screen.

'I think I am getting the hang of this, finally!'

He decided to go near the crowd of guests. He vaguely saw her in the distance, staring longingly at the sky. He thought she looked beautiful.

'I wonder what she is thinking about...'

He pointed the camera at her.

Flash! Click!


He heard a loud cheer from the crowd as the groom and his "father" approached the shrine's waiting room. As Sukea slowly approached the groom to take his picture, he noticed that the cheer had turned to laughter. He went closer to find out the cause of it.

He stared disbelievingly as the groom's "Father" was trying to push the groom towards the shrine while the groom tried to get behind him and did his best to stay put.

"Dammit Naruto! Move! We're supposed to head into the waiting room before the bride arrives!"

"I can't Iruka-sensei!" said the groom, dressed in traditional Shinto wedding attire "My body won't move itself!"

"I don't believe you are having second thoughts NOW of all times!"

"I AM NOT HAVING SECOND THOUGHTS! I REALLY WANT TO MARRY HINATA!"

"THEN, WHAT IS IT YOU IDIOT?"

"THE HAPPINESS! IT OVERWHELMS ME! IF I TAKE ANOTHER STEP I FEEL LIKE I WILL PASS OUT FROM IT!"

Sukea heard a collective facepalm from the audience. He then saw a man with black glasses making a gesture pointing at the groom. A swarm of insects flew from his sleeve, surrounded the groom and lifted him up from the ground allowing his "father" to push him more easily. Naruto fainted.

"Yay!" a little girl's voice cheered from the audience "Uncle Buggy does it again!"

"I had to do this Mirai-chan! Why? The reason is because I don't want my precious sister Hinata to walk into such a scene…"

The man with the black glasses adjusted them on his face and followed the, now unconscious, groom and his "father" inside the shrine's waiting room.

"Honestly Hinata passing out from happiness I can believe…" said a dog owner disbelievingly as he followed them inside the waiting room "But Naruto?"

She proceeded to head inside the altar as well to give the groom some first aid and wake him up before the bride arrived. She made her exit a few moments later along with the three men who took the groom there.

"You think he is going to be all right on his own in there?"

"He is going to be fine." she said "I calmed him down somewhat."

"How did you do it?"

"I told him to look up at the Hokage monument and think of how proud his father would be if he saw him."

"You know, I can't believe this actually worked."

"Well, I happen to know Naruto a bit better than you."

"Touche"

Flash! Click!


The bride arrived shortly afterwards dressed in a traditional white Kimono. The head of the Hyuga clan held her hand and smiled as he walked her into the shrine's waiting room to meet her beloved groom.

Sukea looked at the bride disbelievingly. She was absolutely beautiful, but that's not what defied his belief.

Part of the reason he chose to ignore the wedding invitations while he wandered in the desert was that he was afraid, that she would be the one getting married to groom. He honestly believed that she would choose to forget him and marry his best friend instead. He thought that they would choose to heal each other's hearts, move on and leave him behind.

...It was with great shock and, he hated to admit, with great relief, that he opened up one of the discarded wedding invitations and saw that her name was not it.

Instead, the name on the invitation read "Hinata Hyuga".

'Hinata who?! Who was she?!'

He vaguely remembered a girl with short black hair at the back of the class who was the only girl that didn't cheer for him when he was sparring with Naruto and… that was it! He didn't really know her. He never even talked to her.

He knew that she was somehow special to the Groom. When the Infinite Tsukuyomi manifested and she got caught in it, the groom somehow felt it and went after her, nearly falling into the Tsukuyomi's influence himself. He had to actively hold him back from running to her… So she was definitely important to him.

But what happened between them… and the history they shared… how they eventually became a couple… it was all a mystery.

'Come to think of it… I hardly know anything about anybody here...'

Oh, he knew the groom, her, and Kakashi but the rest of the crowd? Who were those people?! What were they all doing here?

He distinctly remembered fighting Rock Lee, and he remembered fighting Gaara and Killer Bee, but he didn't know anything about them other than that he clashed with them. He remembered fighting alongside a lot of those people during the Great War but other than that… nothing.

'Am I really that out of touch with the rest of the world?'

Solemnly, he raised his camera at the bride, and took pictures of her as she walked inside the shrine's waiting room. The head of the Hyuga clan gave her a warm smile as he allowed her to walk inside to finally go near the man she loves.

Flash! Click!


While the groom and the bride were inside the waiting room and were having the ritual explained to them, the bride's father, the leader of the Hyuga clan, approached the crowd and made an announcement.

"This is going to be a closed and private ceremony attended only by the bride and the groom's immediate family. Umino Iruka will be allowed attend as the groom's father surrogate but the rest of you, with the exception of the photographer, are kindly requested to head back to the reception and wait until the end of the ceremony."

As he saw the rest of the guests head back into the wedding reception, Sukea saw the Hyuga Clan leader point his hand at him and gesturing for him to get closer.

"I want to have a word with you…"

"What is it?"

"I can't allow you to go inside the shrine."

"Why not?"

The Hyuga Clan leader looked at him with a stern expression.

"You've never witnessed a Shinto wedding ritual before, have you?"

Sukea shook his head.

"No, actually this is my first time."

The Hyuga Clan leader sighed as he tried to explain the situation to the photographer.

"The Shinto wedding ritual requires those who participate in the wedding ceremony to go through a purification rite."

"And…?"

"The rite involves kneeling down and symbolically washing your hands."

Sukea looked at his right arm dejectedly.

"Oh…"

"Kakashi has informed me of the… particularities of your mission. I owe you my life so I won't inform anyone here about your true identity and I will do my best to protect it. But I am painfully aware of your history and past. I really can't allow you to get inside the shrine without the purification rite. Kami knows if anyone needs to do it, it's you."

Sukea nodded in agreement.

"I understand. But I will still need to take pictures."

The Hyuga smiled.

"The shrine has big windows and really thin walls. You will still be able to cover everything. Now if you excuse me, I have to attend my daughter's marriage."

Sukea smiled faintly.

"Thank you."

He watched as the leader of the Hyuga clan took his younger daughter's hand and stepped inside the waiting room. A few minutes later the bride and the groom stepped outside. They were practically beaming.

He pointed the camera at them.

Flash! Click!

He followed them from a distance.


No awards for guessing who "Sukea" actually is in this fanfic!

So, why did I choose to have Sasuke dress up as the fake paparazzi from the "Book of Wind"?

The reason I did this will become apparent in the next chapter when he will actually interact with Naruto and Sakura.

Sasuke's bad relationship with modern technology is well documented in "Gaiden", and I couldn't resist making fun of it!

The scene with Mirai is actually based on something my daughter did when she was seven. She found my digital camera, and played around with it for a while. Five minutes later she was taking pictures left and right even managing to use some of the camera's more advanced features such as the flash and the zoom. I didn't guide her, she figured it all out instinctively on her own…

...she really is precious!

The next chapter will have the wedding ceremony and some NaruHina fluff!