Sakura hated this.

She hated everything about this. Trapped in a wooden box being driven down a bumpy dirt road, headed to a strange land full of strangers. Just as she had for the past week. Her only comfort being her backpack full of her usual ninja tools and several books to entertain herself with. Across from her, laying on soft pillows was her sensei and Hokage, Lady Tsunade Senju, who looked no more comfortable being driven in her private carriage than Sakura did. Lady Tsunade had been occupying herself by reading reports sent to them by carrier bird in the night. Sakura had tried rereading her favorite romance novel to no avail before tossing it away. The 16 year old Chunin sighed as she readjusted herself on her pillow for the twelfth time that hour. No matter what she could do she just couldn't get comfortable, and Tsunade had taken notice. The both of them hadn't spoken since the last leg of their journey began this morning.

"Sakura?" Tsunade spoke up, putting away her scroll.

"Yes, my Lady?" Sakura replied.

"Is there something on your mind? You've been quiet all morning."

"It's nothing, my Lady." Sakura said politely as she could.

"Nothing? Are you sure?" Tsunade pressed.

"Yes, it's nothing. I'm just... nervous." Sakura admitted.

Tsunade nodded. "I understand. I want you to know how brave you are for doing this. The Alliance we make today could stop a war and save thousands. Tens of thousands."

"But marrying someone I haven't even met?"

"You will meet him." Tsunade said. "And you will get to know him. Better than any reports will be able to tell you. And then you will love him." She reassured. Sakura could hear the hollow ringing in her master's words. Oh sure, she had read the bingo book report on her betrothed to be. He was a skilled ninja with high stats in Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, and Sealing Jutsu. He was a Chunin like her, even if he was from a Minor Ninja Nation. And he had completed many A ranked missions. That told her he was capable for a Minor ninja, but how did that stack up compared to a Chunin from one of the Five Great Ninja Nations like Sakura was? He could have the skills of a Genin from the Sand for all that told her.

Then there were the letters written to them from her fiancé's mother. About how he was kind and brave and sweet and funny and any girl would be delighted to marry her boy. Like you could trust a mother to be objective of her first-born son. But that same woman had also approved of Sakura. Although no telling what exactly Lady Tsunade had told the mother in her letters. Nevertheless, here they were.

"But what if I don't end up loving him?" Sakura asked.

"Then you will love his children." Tsunade said as the road began to smooth out.

There was a quick knock on the walls of the carriage and one of their escorts leaned into the barred window to speak with them. "Lady Hokage, Sakura." Kakashi Hatake, Sakura's Jounin Sensei spoke. "We have arrived at the bridge. You may want to take a look at this."

Sakura thanks her former master and unlatched the wooden window bars obscuring their view of the outside. They both looked out and Sakura gasped. Down the hill from where they were Sakura could see a bright red bridge easily two miles long and as tall as Hokage Mountain back in her village. On one end of the bridge was a tiny village of little note, but on the other end was an island that looked to be a resort paradise. Three green mountains all scrunched together with the mountain closest to the red bridge being dotted with red houses and temples. It actually reminded Sakura of a Christmas tree. The only downside to the whole spectacle came when Sakura looked down at the sparkling blue waters below to see them constantly swirling and crashing into each other. Like the sea was at war with itself. Then she realized what she was seeing, which should have been obvious given the name of this land. The island was surrounded by whirlpools.

"Sakura." Tsunade smiled. "Welcome to the Hidden Whirlpool Village. Your new home."

Her words wiped away whatever joy Sakura was experiencing. To be reminded of the reason she was here. This wasn't going to be a vacation for her. This was the place where she would live for the rest of her days. Where she would be forced to marry a stranger named Naruto Uzumaki.

Cmartin-Panda Productions presents…

Arranged Marriage

Chapter 1: The Deal

The ride into town was uneventful. Border security had been notified of their arrival and had the bridge cleared of all civilians for them. The red bridge was just as impressive up close. Enough to make Sakura force herself to read a book. She hated looking at the architecture. She was trying to be upset, yet she couldn't help but be in awe of the towering red pillars, which made her even more grumpy. Only by reading could she keep her emotions in check rather than resorting to pouting like a little girl.

Once they reached the end of the bridge Sakura heard the clashing of cymbals and drums, the blowing of horns, and the roar of a crowd. She looked the window to see a sea of people had gathered to watch them arrive. Sakura could see confetti snowing from the rooftops of the many shaded red buildings. Men and women waved at her, children sat on the shoulders of their fathers, dogs barked at all the noise. Sakura felt compelled to give a little wave back. The crowd seemed to eat it up.

'This must be what it feels like to be a princess.' Sakura thought as their carriage road down main street.

After traveling half the length of the Leaf village, the carriage turned and stopped in front of what had to be the Hidden Whirlpool's equivalent of the Hokage Tower. Equivalent in that it looked like an exact replica. Except instead of the symbol for fire embroidered on the front, there was a red spiral design that Sakura had seen on the backs of every Jounin and Chunin ninja vest in the Leaf. And instead of the faces of the Hokage carved into the mountainside above the Tower, there was a palace carved into the rocks. It also had the Uzumaki Sigil displayed prominently on its front for all to see.

"Come on, Sakura." Tsunade said as the ANBU escorts opened the carriage doors. Out the stepped onto the limestone ground. Standing before them in beautiful yukatas was a beautiful woman with a bright smile and long blood red hair. To her left was a man in grey plate armor the hung down his torso with hair so yellow it reminded Sakura of the sun. The both of them stood close enough together that Sakura could tell they were husband and wife.

"Lady Tsunade!" The woman greeted like they were old friends. Not at all what Sakura was expecting. That could mean only one thing about her identity.

"Lady Kushina Uzumaki." Tsunade bowed slightly out of respect.

"And you must be Sakura." Kushina smiled. "You're a lot prettier than Lady Tsunade's description."

Sakura blushed. "Thank you, my Lady." She bowed.

"Oh don't be so formal." Lady Kushina waved off. "You will be my daughter-in-law. Please, call me Kushina or Mom."

The man standing next to Kushina chuckled at his wife's brazenness. Sakura took note of him and couldn't help but think he was familiar.

"Um, of course, Lady Kushina." Sakura said, still feeling nervous. If Kushina was upset that she hadn't gotten through to Sakura just yet she didn't show it. The woman had the kind of energy with her that Sakura would equate with a child. Bubbly optimism ready to overflow and spill everywhere.

"Oh, let me introduce my husband to you, Sakura. Lord Minato Namikaze. You can also call him Minato or Dad. Just don't call him Daddy." She joked.

A tiny little voice in Sakura's head said that she absolutely would call him daddy. Just not to his face. Not if Sakura had any shame left in her. The man was downright handsome, no question about it. His features were soft and angular. That same tiny little voice figured that if the son was half as handsome as his father this arranged marriage might not be so bad.

"And now here is my darling son Naruto." Kushina said as she waved her hand to the empty space of air standing to her right. "Which is what I would be saying if my idiot son were actually here." Her voice dropped into a growl and Sakura felt the temperature drop with it. This Lady Kushina, as laid back as she appeared, clearly had a temper. Minato was quick to jump to her side and try to calm her down.

"Yes, where is Naruto?" Tsunade asked. "He should have met us here."

"We apologize." Minato bowed. "We weren't expecting you to arrive for three more days. When we got word of your arrival the adults were all scrambling to get things ready and Naruto volunteered to entertain his younger cousins. We sent servants for him, but perhaps they could not find him."

"It is just as well." Kushina said. "If he wants to be so rude to his bride-to-be on the day he meets her, that is fine. I just hope you can forgive him, Sakura."

"And to the Hokage of the Leaf as well." Minato bowed deeply. "We are so sorry."

"It is alright." Tsunade said. "The fault is ours for arriving so quickly without notice. I didn't wish to risk it."

"I see. Then why don't you both come in for some tea and a late lunch. You both must be weary from your long travel." Minato offered.

"That sounds lovely." Tsunade accepted. Minato and Kushina then escorted them both not to the Tower like she expected but to the palace above. Which involved more stairs than Sakura ever thought she had climbed in her life. Minato apologized and claimed they were in the process of hiring a company to build an elevator of sorts, but that was of little comfort to Sakura's sore heels. After a week of sitting in the carriage to keep up appearances, Sakura was out of shape.

Soon enough they arrived in the main halls of the palace which was being assembled by servants into a feasting hall.

"Four cups of tea and a plate of sandwiches for our guests." Kushina ordered one of the servants who bowed before scurrying back to the kitchen. In the meantime, Sakura and Tsunade were invited to sit at the head of the table overlooking all the other rows of tables.

"Is this your house?" Sakura asked before she could stop herself.

Kushina just laughed. "Oh no. This is the Uzumaki Clan House. Used for meetings and formal celebrations. As you will see tonight."

"Tonight." Sakura repeated, dreading what was to come.

"Yes, tonight." Kushina smiled. "Right after we have a quick meeting with the clan elders we shall have a feast and announce your marriage."

"The elders?" Tsunade asked.

"Oh yes. I'm afraid they need some... convincing before agreeing to this marriage alliance. They want to make sure that Sakura is a worthy bride."

"Gotta love clan politics." Tsunade sighed.

"Nothing to worry about. They will try to convince me to reject you, but as the Clan Head I get the final say." Kushina waved off.

'Why did I agree to this...' Sakura thought.

'Your master asked you to save the Leaf.' Inner thought.

'I know, but I didn't think it would involve this.'

'Well you can hardly complain. Look at this place. These guys are loaded. You are marrying the son of a rich ninja clan equal to the Senju. Your kids will be the leaders of this clan.'

'But that's not what I want. Ideally, if I were to be married, it would be out of love, not money.'

'This is about Sasuke, isn't it?' Inner asked like it was obvious.

'No.' Sakura thought immediately.

'Yeah, sure.'

'It is not.' Sakura insisted.

'Well it doesn't matter now. Does it? We can't exactly back out now so we had better make the best of it.'

Sakura sighed heavily. 'I don't really have a choice, do I? Well, I just hope he'll treat me right...'

'His parents seem nice enough. How bad can he be?'

'Surprises can happen so don't jinx it.'

Sakura's mental conversation with herself was ended when a servant came up to whisper in Lady Kushina's ear.

"So that is where he was hiding." Kushina said aloud. "It seems my son was out sailing the entire time."

"Sailing?" Sakura asked.

"Wind sailing. He loves to ride the whirlpools in the bay." Kushina said as she stood up.

'The adventurous type. Nice.' Inner thought.

"Would you like to see the beach? It would be a perfect opportunity to show you the bay." Kushina offered.

"Umm...I'm not really dressed for that." Sakura said hesitantly.

"Well I don't expect you to go swimming." Kushina laughed. "The view is still very much worth the walk. And it is a long walk."

'Oh goodie...' Sakura thought.

"We'd love to see it." Tsunade said.

"Excellent." Kushina said just as Kakashi came into view.

"My Lady. My Lady. Master." Kakashi said as he bowed to their hosts and Lady Tsunade. It did not escape Sakura's notice that Kakashi called Minato his Master. Was Kakashi taught by Minato once?

"The carriage and the horses have been safely stored in the stables."

"Excellent timing, Kakashi. We were just about to visit the beach." Tsunade said.

"I shall accompany you then." Kakashi said.

"Please." Tsunade said as Kushina and Minato headed for the door.

The way to the bay turned out to be walking right around the mountain. Making Sakura forever grateful in the Ninja Academy instructors who taught her how to run along tree branches. Turning hours of hiking into a few short minutes of running. When they made it to the other side of the mountain, Sakura was once again blown away by the view. Nestled in between the three mountains was a forested valley with a scarce number of houses dotting the landscape. And to the right was a beach connecting the first mountain to the third. Laid with golden sand, colorful parasols, and a crowd of children cheering at someone out to sea.

"Ah, there he is." Kushina pointed out at the ocean far beyond the calm waves of the beach where the whirlpools dotted the water, forming an impassible barrier for any ship that swam close to the island. Sakura could just make out an orange sail with the Uzumaki sigil in the center. Except it wasn't a sail boat like Sakura had expected. She had never seen anything like it before. It was a tiny sail with one man standing on a board. It looked like he was gliding across the water's surface. His little ship sailed into the whirlpools.

"Is he nuts?! He'll get sucked in to that whirlpool!" Sakura exclaimed.

"No, he won't." Minato smiled. "Just watch."

The man turned his sail right into the whirlpool and his sail disappeared beneath the waves. Sakura was about to cry out again when the same sail zoomed out of the whirlpool from the other end. Launching the man into the air where his blond hair caught the sun. He landed perfectly into another whirlpool and leapt out of that one just as quickly. Like he was a marble and they were bowls. He finally gave Sakura's heart a rest and landed on the water before swerving around more whirlpools making pinpoint S turns. Finally, he had enough of showing off and turned towards the shore. Sakura caught the briefest flash of hand signs from the man and his sail shoot forward like it was fired from a cannon. The sail expanded like it would burst and the board was launched high into the air, but the man held on. His golden tan skin glistened in the sea spray.

'Woah...okay, he's hot.' Inner commented.

'Yes he is.' Sakura thought as the man crashed into the shore in front of the crowd of kids as old as her and as young as 3. He flipped end over end before stopping in a kneeling position like he meant to do it all along. His cousins cheered for him and laughed all the same.

'Oh my God...look at that body...' Inner drooled.

Sakura had to agree. The boy was rocking some hard muscles with tan skin and a tattoo on his belly of a swirl that looked like an intricate seal.

'I swear to God, me. If you don't accept this guy, I will mentally harass you until we die.' Inner threatened.

'He is handsome, sure, but that doesn't mean he is a nice guy.' Sakura thought as she watched him tussle the hair of one of his younger cousins.

'Then get ready, because you're about to meet him.'

"Naruto!" Kushina called out, turning all the attention on her. Naruto immediately looked up and Sakura could swear his eyes were as blue as the sea, same as his father. He also, strangely, had three whisker marks on each cheek. Were they scars? Birthmarks? Whatever they were, they worked on his face.

"Hey Mom. What's up?" Naruto asked before being popped on the head

"OW!" Naruto cried.

"Don't ow me! You said you would watch over the children. Yet here you are sailing around on the day you would meet your bride. Do you know how foolish you made us look when she arrived and you were not there to greet her or the Hokage?"

"Wait, that was today?! I thought they weren't coming for a few...more..." Naruto trailed off when he spotted Sakura.

Naruto looked at Sakura in amazement. She had vibrant pink hair that instantly reminded him of strawberry ice cream, her true figure was hidden behind her thick red vest, but he could instantly tell she didn't have much going on in the chest area. But the further down his eyes traveled, the more he could tell this girl was to his liking. She had fairly large hips that her spandex shorts clung to like glue, and legs that went on for days. He trailed back up to see her face. She had soft and fair facial features, but what really stood out was her broad forehead with a purple diamond mark in the middle. Then came to what really drew him in. Her emerald green eyes. Never before had he seen such a beautiful woman in his life. Just the mere sight of her made his heart flutter.

"Well hello." Naruto smiled, his tone changing to that of prince charming.

"Hello." Sakura greeted politely, bowing as she did so.

"So you are my bride-to-be?" Naruto asked. "Then I hit the jackpot."

"Excuse me?" Sakura asked, unsure what to think about his choice of words.

"I'm just saying. I lucked out. You are a knock out." Naruto said as he waved his hands over her.

"He means you're beautiful." Kushina clarified. "Sorry, he's not very good with words."

"Yeah. That's what I meant." Naruto said.

Sakura blushed. "Thank you, but in the future, try not to make it sound like I'm some sort of prize. It feels offensive."

"Oh, sorry." Naruto rubbed the back of his neck. "But you know. It kind of makes us both prizes to the other. And I have been told I am a catch."

"Son, modesty." Minato reminded.

"Right, right, sorry Dad." Naruto said.

"Please forgive him. He's...well...oh screw it. He's an idiot." Kushina sweat dropped.

"Kushina!" Minato said.

"Mom!" Naruto cried.

"It's fine." Sakura waved off, trying to avoid a family conflict.

Naruto looked over at her, extremely grateful that she stood up for him.

"Perhaps we adults can go inside and give these two some privacy." Tsunade suggested. "I was hoping to hash out the details of our alliance as soon as possible."

"Good idea." Minato agreed.

"You two kids have fun, but keep it PG rated." Kushina stated. "For now..." She winked.

The two teens blushed as they watched the adults walk away, leaving them alone in an awkward silence.

"Hey Naruto, ya gonna go make out with your girlfriend?" One of his red headed cousins mocked.

"Shut up, Noa!" Naruto shouted.

Then one of his older, distant cousins came up to him. "What the Hell, Naruto! You never told me you were getting married! And who is this? What does she have that I don't?!" She shouted before adjusting her glasses.

"Karin, I already told you about this." Naruto sighed. "This is an arranged marriage to ally ourselves with the Hidden Leaf."

"But you said-"

"I said it would depend on how things went. I never had it set in stone."

"Um, I am sorry. Who are you?" Sakura asked.

"Karin Uzumaki. Naruto is my distant cousin." Karin said sourly. "Who are you?"

"Sakura Haruno. Naruto's...bride-to-be."

"Oh. Yeah. Of course you are." Karin protested, throwing her hands up in disdain.

"I'm sorry, were you two...close?" Sakura asked.

"Not close enough for that kind of relationship. She's had a crush on me since we were kids." Naruto informed. "She asked me out and I said maybe, depending on what would happen with this arrangement. That was before you came. Since then, she's been glued to me."

"You both slept together." One of the 14 years olds said slyly. Making both 16-year-olds blush.

"We were 12!" Naruto snapped. "It was a cousin sleepover!"

"And I thought that meant something to you!" Karin shrieked.

"Karin. We were kids. Come on."

"You know what?!" Karin snapped before slapping Naruto hard. "Piss off, asshole!" She shouted before storming off.

"Karin! Wait!" Naruto shouted along with a few other cousins.

Karin ignored Naruto and continued off at a dead sprint away from him.

Sakura sighed. "Well...this isn't off to a very good start..."

"I am so sorry about her. She is honestly a really nice girl once you get to know her."

"No, it's not that. I mean, I'm sure she is, but I can't help but feel like this is my fault..."

"No. You didn't do anything wrong. I shouldn't have led her on. I should have told her no."

Sakura nodded. "At least you own up to your mistakes. Come on, why don't we talk a walk."

"A long walk on the beach? How romantic." Naruto smiled.

Sakura smiled. "A walk anywhere, really. Just don't expect me to go swimming. I don't have my bathing suit unpacked yet."

"You can just swim in your underwear." A 17-year-old female cousin suggested, her hand covering her smirk.

"Yeah, no. Not happening." Sakura shot down immediately.

"Fine. Just don't say I was never looking out for you, cuz." The girl smirked.

"Kindra, please." Naruto nearly begged.

"Just looking out for you, cousin. You two have fun." Kindra winked before walking away.

"How many cousins do you have?" Sakura asked.

"We talking first cousins? 32." Naruto said automatically.

Sakura's eyes widened. "Holy cow... How many brothers and sisters does your mom have?!"

"Ten. Two of them don't actually have kids."

"Geez...and how many brothers and sisters do you have?"

"I have two 5 year old twin brothers and a 3 year old sister. Altair, Nagena, and Katinshi, respectively." Naruto answered.

"Aw, where are they? Can I meet them?"

"Sure, whatever you want. Hey squirts!" He shouted. The crowd of cousins parted and three little kids ran up to them.

The two tiny boys had blood red hair and whisker marks like their older brother, but one had blue eyes and the other had purple eyes. The little 3-year-old girl had the same blood red hair and purple eyes, like her mother, and whisker marks like her older brothers. She took one look at Sakura and hid behind her twin brothers, who looked over Sakura with curiosity.

"Oh my God! They're so cute!" Sakura gushed, making the boys look at her like they would one of their overly affectionate aunts. All the while, Katinshi clutched the back of their shirts even tighter.

Naruto chuckled. "Katinshi, it's okay, squirt. Sakura-chan here is going to be your new sister."

"You mean she's the one you're gonna marry, big bro?" The one with the blue eyes, Altair, asked.

"Her hair is pink." Nagena stated.

Sakura subconsciously started playing with her hair nervously. "Um...that's not a problem, is it?"

"No. He just likes to point out the obvious." Naruto chuckled before turning back to his siblings. "Yes, she will be your sister one day. That's if she agrees."

"We'll see. I still have to get to know you first." Sakura said.

"Aw, but don't you want to give little Katinshi a sister?" Naruto joked as he knelt beside her. "She's always wanted a big sister." He wrapped his arm around her and Katinshi found the courage to look up at Sakura with those big eyes of hers.

Sakura found herself caught between a rock and a hard place. All she knew of Naruto was that he seemed family oriented and was obviously the big brother not only to his siblings, but to his cousins as well. But she still needed more time to know him. But one look into those pleading eyes of Katinshi's and he felt her heart tug. She couldn't say no to that face, but she wasn't comfortable with saying yes.

"I'm kidding." Naruto smiled. "I wouldn't hold you hostage like that. My mother would smack me upside the head."

Sakura let out a sigh of relief. Then she smirked. "Maybe I'll do it for her."

"You could marry me then." One of Naruto's male cousins said. "Save you from marrying this loser. Plus we are all like siblings anyway."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "I came here because I agreed to an arranged marriage between myself and the eldest child of the head of the Uzumaki clan. I didn't travel all this way to enter a massive speed dating group. I'm here for one person and one person only. And that's Naruto."

"Yeah, so beat it. All of you. Sage knows all our parents are gonna want us cleaned and dressed for the big feast." Naruto commanded.

"Alright, fine. Geez..." The male cousin gave in. Soon, all of his cousins started walking in every direction away from them while his siblings remained by his side.

"You squirts want to look for seashells?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah!" The two boys cheered.

Katinshi managed a smile and ran after them. Leaving Naruto and Sakura to talk alone.

"So." Naruto said.

"Well...that was fun." Sakura sighed, relieved.

"Which part?"

"Getting mobbed by your cousins. Really wasn't expecting that."

"Ah yeah. They can be a handful. But we all grew up really close to each other. Hard not to when you live on an island." Naruto said.

"Oh don't worry, it was rather refreshing." Sakura smiled. "You see, I come from a small civilian clan and my family is small and spread apart."

"Really? What is that like?" Naruto asked.

"Boring, mostly. No cousins around to hang out with and I'm an only child. My dad is always working and my mom is a house wife. So the only friends I have are fellow Shinobi."

"Heh, well most everyone here is a shinobi in some fashion. Heck most people are related to the Uzumaki clan here."

"That doesn't surprise me. I've read a lot about the Uzumaki clan and them being descendants of the Senju clan."

"Oh yeah. That's a whole other thing. A lot of my clan elders thought his marriage would finally reunite the Uzumaki with the diminished Senju."

"Well, I'm not a Senju."

"Yeah. I glanced at your file. Not even a drop of Senju blood."

"As far as I know, Lady Tsunade is the last of the Senju and she never had children."

"Yes. There was talk about her marrying me. Yet instead she offered you."

"She can't have children anymore. She's too old, but don't say that in front of her."

"Noted. I'm not complaining though." Naruto said.

Sakura nodded. "She did however train me. She taught me everything she knows, including her legendary strength."

"Hmmm, that might be why my mother agreed to the match. By marrying into the family it will be expected that you teach our kids how to use her ninjutsu."

"No, you don't understand. She taught me to be a medic and essentially a walking hospital."

"And she didn't teach you any techniques that only she knows?" Naruto asked. Sakura thought about it for a moment and recalled one technique that Tsunade never taught anyone else. Not even Shizune, her ward. The technique that was taught to her by Tsunade's grandfather, the 1st Hokage.

"One or two." Sakura admitted.

"There you go." Naruto said as they walked along the beach. The boys started arguing over a rock and whether or not it was technically a seashell. While Katinshi found a tiny crab shell that contained an actual crab. She jumped back as it scurried away.

"But one of them I have to have her permission to teach other people. If she says no, then I'm sworn to secrecy. But I can teach it to my children if I wish."

"Well so far as I know it, ninja marriages between clans have largely been about one thing. Stealing the techniques from other clans. Which is why the dating pool around here largely consists of 2nd and 3rd cousins."

"I understand that. The two largest clans we have is the Hyuga clan and the Uchiha clan. If one were to marry into the other, the one marrying into the other clan must have his or her Clan jutsus sealed away so the other clan doesn't steal it for their own."

"And if there is one clan that knows seals it is our own." Naruto said.

Sakura frowned. "I don't like the way you said that."

"Oh. I didn't mean anything by that. It's just what my clan is famous for." Naruto waved off.

"Oh, okay. For a minute there, you sounded like you were looking for someone to marry just for their jutsus."

"Me? No. I couldn't care less. A kunoichi, a civilian, noble or common it is all the same to me. I just hoped I would meet the right girl one day."

"And how do I stack up so far?" Sakura asked before sitting down in the sand.

Naruto looked down quickly to wonder if he could bounce quarters off her ass. "Hmmm? Well you are beautiful. That's a major plus. You are kind as far as I've seen. Also a major plus. Do you wind sail?"

"Uh, nope I never have. Not many places to do that."

"Well you have got to try it. I'll take you soon." Naruto said.

"Ehh...after seeing you earlier, I'd rather play it safe. Oh but I do like to snorkel."

"Well we've got plenty of spots to snorkel in. But what you saw was the advanced stuff. When I train you to wind sail we would stick closer to the shore."

"Oh...um... Screw it, I'll take a crack at it. Why not?" Sakura shrugged.

"You really mean it?" Naruto asked as he sat down as well.

"Sure. I'll try anything once."

Then Naruto thought of one question that would seal the deal for him. "Anything in particular you like to eat more than anything?"

"Food wise? Hmm..." Sakura mused as she thought about it.

"I personally love ramen. And the ramen here is said to be some of the best in the Land of Fire."

"Ramen is good for a quick lunch. We have a stand called Ichiraku's and it's really good, but I wouldn't say it's my favorite meal."

"How would it stack up to ours?"

Sakura chuckled. "Well I don't know unless I try it."

"Then we shall add that to your bucket list." Naruto declared.

"Alright then." Sakura smiled. "I'm mostly into healthy food, but I do like to indulge myself once it a while. I would have to say that my favorite is a 10oz ribeye steak, sautéed mushrooms, asparagus and a baked potato with butter and cheese...yum..."

"I'll have to try that myself. I think we have a steakhouse somewhere in town."

"Now that sounds like it would be a great first date." Sakura hinted.

"But what's really good here is the seafood."

That got Sakura's attention. "Seafood?"

"Oh yeah. Everything is caught around these islands and is served fresh from the boat to the plate." Naruto grinned widely.

"Do they have sushi?" Sakura's eyes sparkled.

"Do they have sushi. Oh boy, you obviously don't know that sushi is one of our mainstay dishes." Naruto grinned.

"You don't know that I absolutely love sushi." Sakura said.

"I do now." Naruto laughed.

"Shoot. My secrets." Sakura giggled.

They both shared a good laugh before taking a deep breath and calmed down.

"So how do I stand to your expectations?" Naruto asked.

'Grade A Boyfriend Material.' Inner thought.

'Just about.' Sakura thought back. "Well, you're not what I was expecting." Sakura said.

"What were you expecting?" Naruto asked.

"Less than what I've seen from you so far." Sakura smiled.

"Oh come on. How bad did you think I was?" Naruto pressed.

Sakura sighed. "Going by my experience, some scrawny punk who didn't know his ass from a hole in the ground."

Naruto snort and doubled over laughing. "The Hell does that mean?"

"Exactly how it sounds. Either that, or some fat and lazy rich boy with no goals for the future."

"Well as you can see I am not fat or lazy." Naruto said, showing off his body. "I am rich and I plan on leading my clan one day. Does that sound good to you?"

"Very good. I like a man who has his future planned out."

"Great. And what about you? What were your plans before you learned you were marrying some rich snob from the south?"

"Head Medic of the Leaf and run the hospital."

Naruto whistled. "Nice. The Leaf is famous for its medical knowledge."

"Do you have a hospital here? What am I saying. You gotta have one here." Sakura sweat dropped.

"Well..." Naruto stammered. "Define hospital."

Sakura looked up at him. "You don't have a hospital?"

"We definitely have a clinic." Naruto said.

"As many people that live here and all you have is a clinic?!" Sakura exclaimed in shock. "What if someone gets seriously sick? What if someone has an accident and is badly injured? What if a woman is in labor and has a complicated pregnancy? Where do those people go?"

"The clinic." Naruto said. "We don't all get sick at once. And we only have around 10,000 people living on the island."

"That's 10,000 people not getting the proper care they need if something serious happens."

"Well who would treat them? We don't have many doctors living with us. Or nurses."

"Naruto, if there is one thing I take very seriously, it's medicine. If this marriage goes well, I'll turn that clinic into a fully functional hospital. Mark my words."

"With your knowledge, that would be the most amazing thing you could do for us."

"Then consider it a promise." Sakura said seriously. "And if I have to, I will train doctors and nurses as well as medic ninja. A new era has come to this land Naruto. Your clan is going to be up to par with the rest of the world in terms of medicine."

Naruto could see that Sakura meant every word she said, dripping in passion from her career. She was going to do everything she said come hell or high water and Naruto could see it. This girl, no... this woman... Wouldn't be just the best thing to happen to him, but to his entire clan.

"That sounds awesome. As the heir to the Uzumaki clan you have my full support." Naruto declared.

Sakura smiled. "It won't be easy, and many people will have to learn to adjust, but it is doable."

"Good. And your first prime candidate is Karin." Naruto informed.

"That girl who gave us both attitude earlier?"

"She was my best friend growing up. Don't be too harsh on her." Naruto said. "But yes. She has an eye for medicine. She wants to be a doctor herself."

"Alright, but she'll have to understand that I won't be going easy on her."

"She also has a very unique Kekkei Genkai. Her and her mother."

"Unique in what way?"

"You'll see. I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise." Naruto smiled.

"Come on, just tell me." Sakura demanded playfully.

"Well, both Karin and her mother have unique healing chakra. In order to make use of it, someone has to bite them anywhere on their bodies."

Sakura looked at Naruto like he had three heads. "Define anywhere."

"Exactly what I said. Anywhere. And I mean anywhere."

"Uhh...okaaay... Yeah that's...definitely unusual."

"But it works. Believe me, I thought it was weird too, until one day I got really hurt and Karin's mother had me bite her arm and I was fully healed."

"Huh... Well, if it works then I'm not going to judge." Sakura shrugged.

"Cool. What about kids? I'd like to have maybe ten."

Sakura's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "Ten?!"

"Yeah. My parents had a small family. But all my aunts and uncles have alot of kids. And I have had to watch over many of my younger cousins a lot. So ten seems a good number for me."

"You expect me to push out 10 children? Do you know how painful that is for a woman to push out just one?"

"My mom and aunts all call it a blessing." Naruto said.

"When labor is over, yes, it is. Put it this way. Imagine someone putting your family jewels in a vice and pulling them up over your head from behind and back down."

"Well I think they have a seal for that." Naruto said, remembering when he accidentally stumbled upon his aunt in labor and saw the seal on her belly.

Sakura then raised an eyebrow. "That's news to me."

"It might be one of the pain seals we have developed. I broke my leg once and my uncle put the pain seal above my knee. I couldn't feel a thing. You could bang my toes with a hammer and I would have kept humming a tune."

"Huh...okay, I'm gonna have to research those. Possibly add them to my repertoire."

"My mom can teach you no problem. She's a seal master."

"I would love to learn from her." Sakura said.

"Cool, then we can set that up sometime."

"Well, there's another issue. If I'm working at the soon to be hospital, training doctors, nurses and medics, on top of taking care of patients day in and day out, and you're leading the clan, who's going to look after, raise and take care of ten kids?"

"Well we will have servants. And to be frank, I didn't expect my wife to have a job. For the longest time my mom didn't. She raised me and then when my Uncle Altair stepped down she became the Head of the Clan."

"Isn't your brother named Altair? Doesn't that get confusing?"

"It's a family name." Naruto shrugged.

Sakura shrugged. "Fair enough..." Then she smiled warmly. 'Maybe this won't be so bad.'

'You're already making plans with him. Sounds to me like you've already made up your mind.'

'Naruto is an angel, a smoking hot and filthy rich angel with a heart of gold, but I haven't fallen for him yet. In due time, Inner. In due time...'

"So do you have any other questions about this place? You are gonna be living here for the foreseeable future."

"Yes, actually. I want to see where I'm staying and where I'm going to be sleeping." Sakura smiled.

"Well my mom wanted you to sleep with me."

Sakura instantly blanched over. "Uhhhh... we're gonna have to talk about that. I only just met you and no offense to you or your family, but I'm not sleeping with you just yet."

"Sorry, I meant in my room. In different beds." Naruto said.

"Little less concerning, but again I've only just met you. I would be more comfortable sleeping in my own room for now if it's not too much trouble."

Naruto sighed. "I can try, but the elders and my mother are the ones who have the final say. Technically, from what I know of arranged marriages, you don't have a say in the matter. They were going to have us sleep in the same bed but I talked my mother into having two separate beds."

Sakura sighed in defeat. "Alright...it's fine then. I'll learn to adjust."

"You don't have to worry about a thing, Sakura-chan." Naruto assured.

"I know... It's just...this is a massive change for me and I'm...a little scared is all, I guess."

"Would you believe that I am scared too?"

"You are? How?"

"Can I be completely open with you for a moment and not have you be mad?" Naruto asked.

"Go for it." Sakura nodded.

"You are beautiful and amazingly hot. Seriously, you are a woman that I would dream about night and day." Naruto said hesitantly.

Sakura blushed hard. "Wh-wha?"

Naruto nodded. "I don't even care if you don't have a large chest. That doesn't bother me. I'm just afraid that I'm going to do something that crosses a line and I don't wanna do anything to upset you or make you uncomfortable."

Sakura froze in place. 'He…doesn't care that my chest is small?' She thought.

"I don't know about you. But I think this could work. And I would love to try it with you." Naruto smiled.

"One question first." Sakura spoke up. "The comment you made about my chest...that was kinda crossing a line a bit, but it was a very sweet thing. But I'm curious about what you think about...my forehead..."

"Your forehead?"

Sakura nodded and began to dread the worst.

"It's as cute and charming as the rest of your face. What about it?"

Sakura looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "What...did you just say...?"

"That your forehead was cute and charming. Don't tell me you've never been told that before."

Sakura couldn't believe what she just heard. "No... it's my most hated feature... I was always teased and made fun of because of how big it is..."

"Really? I was always teased for my whiskers."

"Yeah, I have a question about that but...you really think that about my forehead...?"

"Of course. Everything about you is beautiful. I swear to the Sage."

Without even thinking twice about it, Sakura leaned over and pecked him on the cheek, right on his middle whisker, and then retreated back as gracefully as a pixie. Naruto just blushed and held his cheek. "What was that for?"

Sakura realized what she had done and her face immediately burned hot as her face turned beet red. She smiled before turning away. "I-it...that was a thank you... Don't overthink it. That was just...really sweet of you to say that."

"Well I meant every word of that, ya know." Naruto grinned, still touching the spot where she had kissed him.

"I know...that's why I thanked you."

"Anytime." Naruto said before another thought occurred to him. "Have you had much experience with dating? Because I would think you would have had a few at least."

Sakura put a finger on her chin to make it look like she was thinking. "Hmm...dating... Oh that must be that thing where a guy asks a girl he likes and thinks she's pretty to take her out for the time of her life while trying to juggle being a Shinobi and a medic. Yeah, nope. You're the first."

"Well, I can't say I'm new to it." Naruto admitted.

"Oh really? Dated Karin much?" Sakura asked.

"No, not Karin. There were two other girls that are barely related to my clan."

"I thought you said the only dating pool consists of your cousins." Sakura said.

"Yes, what I'm saying is that they are so distantly related that they might as well not be. They're like...I dunno, 9th or 10th cousins."

"Should I be jealous?" Sakura smirked.

"Nah. One was shallow, the other was more interested in getting a perfect tan."

"I can see why she dated you then." Sakura said, noting his tan skin you could only get from spending half your life outdoors and the other half at the beach.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked.

"You are tan?"

"Oh, that. Yeah, I spend a lot of time outside. Not necessarily the beach. If I'm not taking care of my cousins, I'm helping out at the market, community outreach to the elders and seniors, watching my kid brothers and sister, or I'm training with my dad."

"Is that right? Don't you go on missions though? Your file said you had a decent amount of A ranked missions under your belt."

"Eh...that can count as part of my training, really."

"What do you mean?"

"Half of those A ranked missions are just me escorting my mom to some other world leader for a meeting. The other half are times I helped create a seal on behalf of my clan. All except one time when I had a run in with a member of the Akatsuki."

Sakura gasped loudly. "You faced a member of the Akatsuki?!"

"Yep. Blond dude with tongues on his hands. I ran into him on the way home from an escort mission. The guy used explosives. And I am not talking some tiny paper bombs. I am talking about how he leveled a hundred acres of forest. I couldn't even get close."

Sakura's eyes went wide. "You...fought Deidera?!" She gasped.

"If you can call it a fight. I survived against him."

"Were you hurt?"

"I got singed, but I made it back home in one piece." Naruto smiled. "Those Akatsuki guys are no joke."

"No they're not. I faced a few myself."

"Which ones?"

"For instance, Deidera's partner. Sasori."

"Sasori? The puppet master?"

Sakura nodded before lifting up the left side of her shirt to reveal a very nasty scar. "The very same... I nearly died that day, but with the help of an old woman named Chiyo, I killed him."

Naruto went wide eyed. "You killed a member of the Akatsuki?"

Sakura nodded again before putting her shirt back down. "If you read my file, it should be in it."

"I didn't read your file entirely."

"Oh..." Sakura said.

"But you read mine, so I guess I gotta read it now." Naruto chuckled. "Anyone who can kill an Akatsuki member is sure to be a ninja worth fearing."

"You better believe it." Sakura smirked. "I was trained by Lady Tsunade after all."

"Would love to see you in action." Naruto smiled eagerly before coming up with an idea. "Hey! How about we spar?"

Sakura smiled. "Sure. After the trip here, I'm stiff as a board."

She stood up and brushed the sand off of her clothes.

"Just to warn you, I'm not going to hold-WOAH!" Naruto exclaimed before barely dodging a punch from Sakura that seemingly came out of nowhere. She slammed her fist into the ground, which cracked and splintered the ground beneath the sand. The ground buckled to reveal a massive 100ft crater where he once stood, sending a fountain of sand into the air.

Naruto's eyes and mouth were so wide open, it was like someone had kicked him directly in his family jewels. 'This chick is gonna kill me...'

Sakura charged through the cloud of sand at lightning speed. "Not done! CHAA!"

'Shit! She's too close!' Naruto thought as he tried to bring up a defense to block. 'She's so fast I almost didn't see her.'

Sakura's punch made direct contact with his defense. It was a big mistake Naruto made.

Or so Sakura thought.

When she kicked up that massive cloud of sand, Naruto had left her sight by a mere second, which was more than enough time for the blond to create a Shadow Clone. As soon as her attack landed, Naruto vanished into a cloud of white smoke and was gone.

'A Shadow Clone?' Sakura thought before skidding to a halt.

Her thoughts were cut short when a hand grabbed her ankle. She only had time to look down and see it was sticking out of the sand before it pulled her under.

The next thing anyone knew, Naruto was standing over Sakura who was buried up to her neck in the beach.

"Wow, Sakura-chan. You're insanely strong. If I had blocked that punch, I would've been big time hurt." Naruto praised.

"You're not bad yourself. When did you manage to hide in the sand?" Sakura praised.

"Right after your first big punch." Naruto smirked.

'Of course.' Sakura thought. All that sand she threw up. It would be easy to slip into the ground and replace yourself with a clone. A shadow clone no less. It wasn't every 16-year-old who could pull that technique off.

"How did you learn the Shadow Clone technique? That's an advanced Jutsu." Sakura asked.

"My father taught it to me. He said I could make much use out of it." Naruto said as he made the hand sign of the rat and shot Sakura out of her sand trap.

"WAAA!" Sakura cried out at the sudden jolt out of the sand.

"Gotcha!" Naruto cried as he grabbed her out of the air.

Sakura opened her eyes to see that Naruto had caught her and was holding her in a bridal carry, which made her blush.

"Wow. All that strength and you're still light as a feather." Naruto said.

"So? That's not a problem is it?"

"Oh yes. I am actually a chubby chaser. This marriage is off." Naruto said sarcastically.

"Oh ha ha." Sakura smirked.

Naruto let her down just as his brothers ran up to them.

"Naruto, look look!" Altair shouted, holding up some sea shells.

"Cool, nice haul squirts." Naruto praised.

"Katinshi found some too." Nagena said, pointing at their younger sister who found a beautiful blue rock.

"Oh wow... Can I see?" Sakura asked.

Katinshi shied away from her, still very unsure of this newcomer.

"Go on, Katinshi. You can show it to her." Naruto smiled, making the whole beach seem brighter.

With her brother's encouragement she faced Sakura and held out the blue stone.

"Ooh...it's so pretty. Do you know what this is?" Sakura asked

Katinshi shook her head.

"This is blue Opel. This rock is worth a fair amount of money. You should hold onto that rock."

"No way." Naruto said as he tried to get a good look at the stone. He eyed the rock in question and sure enough, Sakura was right.

The pink haired medic handed the opal back to the little girl and closed her palm.

"Where did you find that?" Naruto asked.

"On the beach." Katinshi said.

Naruto sweat dropped. "Where on the beach?"

Katinshi shrugged. "By the water."

Naruto sighed.

"She found it over there." Altair said and pointed to a sandy tide pool in the distance.

"A tide pool!" Sakura beamed. "There are all sorts of cool animals in there usually."

"That's right. But I am afraid we won't have time to show you." Naruto said as he noticed the servant in red running towards them.

"We don't?" Sakura asked before she noticed the same person.

"I'm afraid so. You see that look on his face?"

"Yeah. What about it?"

"That's the face of a servant who has been sent to tell the children of the clan leader they need to stop playing and head back inside."

Sakura sighed. "So I guess it's time to see if the elders approve of me, huh?"

"Yeah. They are most likely going to bring up your low birth. Just don't yell at them or look too offended and my mother will handle the rest."

Sakura nodded just as the man in question caught up to them.

"My Lord. Your mother asks that you take your siblings and your bride-to-be to the mansion in order to clean up for dinner." The servant said.

"Sounds good." Naruto nodded. "Tell our mother we are on our way."

"At once." The servant bowed before turning and heading back Lady Kushina.

"Alright, squirts. You heard him. Go wash up." Naruto ordered.

"Alright. Nagena and Altair said as one. They then ran towards the ocean but were caught by the collar by Naruto.

"In the bathroom." Naruto clarified.

"Awe, come on, big bro..." Altair protested.

"Nope. I'm not getting blamed when you show up at the feast with seaweed in your hair." Naruto said firmly.

"But bathes suck. This is more fun." Nagena stated.

"This isn't a debate." Naruto said. "Now march."

The two boys frowned before heading to the mansion while Katinshi stayed by Naruto's side.

Naruto looked down at his little sister. "What's up, Kat? You want a lift?"

Katinshi nodded and reached up to Naruto for him to pick her up. He quickly obliged, hoisting her up onto his shoulders. "Ready, Kat? We're gonna go fast."

Kat nodded into Naruto's hair and held on tight to his neck.

"Sakura-chan, take my hand."

"Huh? What for?" Sakura asked.

"Just trust me."

Sakura was a little hesitant, but complied and took Naruto's hand into hers. The next thing that happened was the view of the beach quickly turned into one of the many bathrooms in the mansion in the blink of an eye.

"What the? A teleportation jutsu?" Sakura asked.

"My father's jutsu that he taught to me."

"Your father's...wait, now I recognize him! He's the Yellow Flash!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Yup, he is." Naruto beamed before setting Katinshi down.

"He is a famous war hero from the Leaf. What is he doing here?" Sakura asked.

Naruto sighed as he started filling up the tub. "I'm surprised you know of him like that. The majority of the Leaf call him and my mom traitors for leaving the Leaf and coming here."

"Traitor? He is retired." Sakura said.

"But he wasn't at the time."

"That's what my history books told me. After the war the Yellow Flash hung up his headband and retired as a ninja. He moved to a faraway village and raised a family."

"Then your textbooks are wrong."

"Are you sure he is the real Yellow Flash and not his twin?"

"My dad was an only child and an orphan..." Naruto sighed. "I don't want to talk about that anymore. If you wanna know more, ask that Kakashi guy. He was one of my dad's students."

Sakura went wide eyed as Naruto led Katinshi into the bath.

"Woah...I never knew..." Sakura breathed out.

"It's not something we care to mention. I have to bathe Katinshi." Naruto said before creating a single Shadow Clone. "My clone will take you to another bathroom if you prefer."

"Please." Sakura said.

Naruto nodded before helping Katinshi get out of her bathing suit.

"Right this way." Clone Naruto said before leading Sakura out.

Sakura let the clone lead her down the hallway. She noticed the house was built in a traditional Japanese style as all the major ninja clans in the Leaf were. They took a left down the hall and entered a guest bedroom.

"This place is huge..." Sakura said in awe.

"It is pretty cozy." Naruto's clone said.

"You call this cozy? This bedroom is three times the size of mine back home."

"Really? Do you live in a shoebox?"

"Compared to this I do. It's just a 2 bedroom apartment."

"Well as the boss always says. It pays to be rich."

"That just made you sound pretentious." Sakura frowned.

"Well it does." The clone said as he opened the door to the private bathroom. "It should have towels and soap. Everything you could need. I'll have the servants bring you a spare set of clothes. You need anything, just ask them. But be polite."

"Actually, I have all my clothes right here." Sakura said before pulling out a storage scroll. "Including a nice outfit I picked for...wait, is this a formal dinner?"

"Well yeah. This is to celebrate the alliance between Whirlpool and Leaf."

"So dress formal. Gotcha. I have the perfect thing. Now, if you'll excuse me..."

The clone nodded before exploding into a puff of smoke.

Sakura unrolled her scroll on the bed and looked for the seal for her dress wear.

Once found, she unsealed it and 5 outfits. "Hmm...which one do I want..."

'Go for the red one.' Inner said.

Sakura held up the red dress in question. It was a form fitting number with a split bottom that came just below her knees and showed off a good deal of cleavage. "No, this isn't appropriate for something like this."

'What about the purple one?'

"That's the dress I wore for Kakashi-sensei's wedding to Shizune. This won't work either. And the black one is funeral wear...so the blue one or the pink one..."

Sakura looked at the blue dress. It was a form fitting dress with the skirt coming down to just above her knees, but the pink one was a lot more modest. No cleavage, shin length flowing skirt and a short, white shawl. "This one." She decided.

Sakura packed the other outfits back in her scroll and unsealed another seal that contained her underwear. Since this was a strapless dress, she just took a fresh pair of panties and stockings. She took out a pair of pink dress shoes with 4 inch heels to go with her dress and headed into the bathroom.

'I would have gone with the red one.' Inner said.

'This is a formal dinner with the heads of the Uzumaki clan. I'm not going to make myself look like a classy slut.' Sakura said firmly before closing the bathroom door.

After a short while later, Naruto and his siblings were bathed and dressed in their formal wear and were now waiting on Sakura to finish up.

In that moment, Kushina and Tsunade entered the foyer.

"Kids, go wait in the living room." Kushina ordered.

"Okay, mom." Altair and Nagena said before escorting their younger sister away.

"I'll go get Sakura." Tsunade said before going upstairs.

"And you come with me." Kushina said to her eldest son.

"Huh? What did I do?" Naruto asked.

"Nothing. You need to come with me to the meeting hall."

"Oh right." Naruto said as they started walking.

"So how do you like her so far?" Kushina asked.

"She seems really cool. I definitely like her." Naruto admitted.

"Good. How does she feel about you?"

"I think she likes me too. She hasn't been acting fake or anything."

"Good, good. Maybe I'll be a grandmother after all." Kushina smirked.

"As if that was ever in doubt." Naruto sweat dropped.

"Why do you think I had three more babies? I wanted to increase my chances." Kushina smiled. "And I didn't want you to feel alone."

"Yeah. I'm sure having three kids was all to my benefit. Having three little squirts to take care of." Naruto said.

"Exactly. Now when the meeting starts I want you to let me do the talking. When they ask how you feel about the marriage just tell them what you just told me. Don't shout at any of them and we will be sinking out teeth into Chef Mango's honey roasted boar soon enough."

"Mmmm...he makes damn good boar."

"Exactly. With the mushroom duxelles. Sweet Sage I can taste it now." Kushina's mouth watered.

"I hope this gets over quick. And tomorrow, I'm taking Sakura-chan to our favorite Ramen place."

"Already planning your first date?" Kushina smiled. "Good man. She'll love it there. Or we will have to call off the marriage."

"She wants to try our ramen. She talked about a ramen stand back in the Leaf that she said was really good. Does the name...want was it... Ichiraku's. Does that ring a bell?"

"It doesn't. It must have opened up after your father and I left the Leaf."

"Oh..." Naruto sighed before remembering something. "She knows the truth, by the way... I told her."

Kushina sighed but nodded. "Your father and I told you never to tell anyone unless you absolutely trust this person. Am I right in assuming that you trust her?"

"I mean. She seems like a good person. You approved of her."

"But do you trust her?" Kushina pressed.

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "She hasn't kept any secrets from me."

"That you know of." Kushina said. "I trust Lady Tsunade. And she vouches for Sakura. But she could just as easily be a spy for the Leaf."

"Do you honestly believe that?" Naruto asked.

"It would be foolish not to entertain that idea." Kushina said.

"I don't think she is."

"I pray you are right. But we must convince the elders as well."

"Did you read her file at all?"

"I did. Why?"

"She told me she took out Sasori."

Kushina nodded. "She did. It is part of the reason I agreed to this match. She could easily be the most powerful kunoichi of her generation."

"I agree. She even showed me her scar from the battle. It's still fresh so it must have happened recently."

"Yes, what is your point?"

"I'm just clarifying because I haven't had the chance to read her file myself."

"I told you to read it." Kushina said

"I have to had time. I'm sorry, but between looking after the squirts and training all of my cousins and everything else I've been so busy that I didn't get a chance to read it."

"I'm sure. Now come on. The elders await." Kushina said as she took his arm in hers so that he may escort her inside.

Naruto nodded and led her mother into the council chambers. It was a large room with a very high ceiling. Sitting in a semi-circle were half a dozen elders who were looking over various files.

Out of the whole room, Naruto spotted two very familiar faces and smiled. "Hey Granny. Hey Gramps."

The elders looked up and the two that Naruto called out to smiled. "Hello, Naruto." His grandmother smiled. "How are you doing? Keeping busy?"

"Oh you know me. Never a moments rest." Naruto grinned.

"Oh you should take it easier. You are still young. You'll work yourself into an early grave." His grandmother said.

"Nah, I'll be fine." Naruto waved off.

"As stubborn as your mother." His grandfather chuckled. "Well, you two have a seat. We'll begin as soon as Tsunade and your bride to be are here."

"Right." Naruto said as he took his seat on the highest podium next to his mother.

"So Naruto. How do you like this girl?" His grandmother asked.

"I like her. She is fun, super nice, and she can hold her own in a fight. You would like her." Naruto smiled.

"Good to hear." His grandmother smiled before the doors opened.

In stepped Lady Tsunade in her full Hokage garb complete with the famous red brimmed hat. By her side was Sakura wearing a beautiful pink dress that had Naruto smiling at how beautiful she was. Walking behind both of them was Kakashi in his ANBU gear All the chatter ceased for the two women to sit at the table before the clan elders and Kushina.

"Lady Hokage. May I formally welcome you to the Hidden Whirlpool Village." Kushina greeted.

Tsunade bowed. "Thank you, Lady Kushina. Allow me to introduce you to my most skilled apprentice and one of my prized Kunoichi, Sakura Haruno."

Sakura took it as her cue to stand up and bow before the court. "It is an honor, Lady Kushina."

"The honor is ours, Sakura. Please be seated."

Sakura took her seat and noticed Naruto seated beside his mother. He was wearing a formal kimono in his clan's style. He filled out the robes well. All broad shoulders. She could see him as the head of the clan one day.

Kushina stood up to address the room. "So, my elders. The item for discussion today. The Village Hidden in the Leafs has asked us to ally with them once again in their time of crisis. To that end, Lady Tsunade Senju has traveled here to gift my son a bride so that they may seal this alliance in matrimony. I have exchanged letters with Lady Senju and this marriage has my approval and my son's approval. What say you, Clan Elders?"

The elders erupted in muttering and whispering. Until one bearded old man stood up.

"This offering is an insult to our clan and our nation! The Hidden Leaf did not stand with us in our hour of need after we kept faith for generations. Now in forgiveness they offer us a low born kunoichi to marry our clan heir? We should send them both back before we waste the room in our guest beds."

"Peace, Natomi." Another old man spoke up. "The Leaf elders who broke faith with us are disposed of power. Less we forget how Lady Tsunade was one of our most vocal supporters after our nation's darkest hour. An alliance now could be beneficial to us and our children."

"Then what of the girl? A nobody they send us." Natomi spat.

"Patience, Natomi. This girl has talent. Her file is very extensive. Many eye opening deeds by a girl so young." One elder spoke. "Assisted in the assassination of Zabuza Momochi, one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist. Assisted in the defense of the Hidden Leaf against the Hidden Sand Village and Orochimaru with his Sound Ninja. Assisted and killed Sasori of the Red Sand, a known agent to the Akatsuki. Trained personally by Lady Senju herself and is one of the best medical ninjas in the world. 23 A rank missions, 7 S Rank missions and a glowing service record. She is impressive, but her low class upbringing is concerning.

"The Leaf would not spare us even a daughter of the Inuzuka clan. Yet they expect an alliance. Humpf." An elder lady scoffed.

"We should send her back and demand a daughter of the Sarutobi or the Nara." Another lady scoffed.

"Elders please." Tsunade jumped in. "The Sarutobi and Nara clans do not have a daughter like Sakura Haruno. Not even the Hyuga or the Uchiha could compare. She is from a civilian clan yes, but she has risen to stand at my side all by herself. She has no Kekkei Genkai yet she killed one of the Akatsuki who even our Uchiha fear. She mastered medical arts that my ward Shizune could not attempt even though she is twenty years her senior. She has risen up as one of the Konoha 11, the Leaf's most exceptional generation of ninja not seen in 30 years. She would be an invaluable asset to your village and to your clan. I wager she could even bring the Hidden Whirlpool up as the next beacon of medical knowledge just as I once did in the Leaf."

There was a muttering of agreement from the elders. Even Natomi seemed intrigued.

"Let me say something, please." Naruto spoke up.

"Naruto." Kushina said but Naruto raised his hand.

"Please mother." Naruto said. Kushina nodded.

"I have only known Sakura for less than a few hours, but...she is by far one of the best women I have met so far. I'm willing to give her a chance and I hope that, if she is willing, Sakura-chan will give me a chance as well." Naruto smiled at her. "I really like what I've seen of her so far. In terms of brute strength, she put me into a corner when we spared on the beach. So I beg you, please accept her. If you do, it would make me the happiest man in the world. No regrets."

"Naruto." Natomi spoke. "You have been the most selfless man we have seen in a very long time. You give so much to others without even asking anything in return. And now, here you are, asking us for a favor. The first time you have ever asked for anything from us. If she really means that much to you, then I shall consider it."

There were more mutters of agreement.

"Very well. If there are no more naysayers, we shall accept the marriage." Kushina said.

The elders muttered amongst themselves for a moment before Kushina's father stood up. "It is unanimous. Us elders have agreed to allow this marriage." He spoke before looking at Sakura. "Miss Haruno. Upon the both of you reaching your 18th birthday, you two shall be wed in our presence. Before such time, you will remain here with us. You will learn our ways and reach out to the people of the Hidden Whirlpool. Your Shinobi status will be transferred under the command of Lady Kushina, depending on the results of a placement exam. At which time, you will no longer wear the mark of the Leaf, but the mark of the Uzumaki clan. Your status as a medic will be instated immediately as a doctor for one of our surrounding clinics until we can come up with a better system. It was originally our request to have you bed with Naruto upon our approval of you, but by the request of Lady Kushina, you shall share the same room with him until you two are comfortable with one another. You and Naruto may pursue your relationship in whichever manner befits you both. You will also be taught our laws as well. Consider your stay to be a test to prove your loyalty to us. If we find that you do not meet our expectations, you will be sent back to your home village and the alliance between us and the Leaf will terminate without a chance to revive it. If you reject the marriage, the alliance will be voided and you will be removed from our village. Do you accept these terms?"

"I do." Sakura said.

The elder man smiled. "Then we welcome you to our home."

Sakura smiled. Her gaze met Naruto who was also smiling. This felt right.

"Then the celebration is on!" Lady Kushina declared. "We shall feast and dance and drink till the sun rises again."

"Agreed. There is a honey roasted pork calling my name." Natomi said before putting away his paperwork.

That got Sakura's attention. "Honey roasted what now?"

"We will find out." Tsunade said. Looking more relieved than she had in months.

Hours later, the feast died down. Sakura had never eaten so much food or tasted so much wine in her life. Which wasn't saying much with the wine, but Lady Tsunade had insisted. Sakura managed to escape from her alcoholic master just as her mind started to sway. She found herself on the dance floor and had either impressed everyone with her sick moves or had made an utter fool of herself. Either way, nobody seemed to care. They were focused on having their own fun. Sakura then met up with Naruto and danced with him and his siblings until he put them to bed. Sakura danced with several of Naruto's cousins before he came back to dance some more. Now it was past three in the morning and Sakura was dead tired and being led by Naruto to her room.

"Sweet Sage your family knows how to party." Sakura smiled as she walked in zigzags down the hall.

"Yeah, we're an energetic bunch." Naruto chuckled.

"Ino would have loved this...boy did she miss out."

"Who is Ino?" Naruto asked.

"My best friend growing up. She's like a sister to me."

"Oh really? You should invite her to visit. I'm sure she would love it here."

"Can I do that?"

"Sure. I mean I would have to get the okay from my mom. But you could."

"Oh that would be fantastic." Sakura beamed.

"Yep. Another day though. I am gonna sleep like a log tonight." Naruto said as he led Sakura to their bedroom.

"Agreed...my feet are killing me. What was I thinking wearing heels?"

"I don't know, and I never got to tell you this, but when I saw you walk in through those doors into the council chamber, my jaw nearly hit the floor you looked so beautiful."

"You charmer you. Were you this sweet to all your girlfriends or am I just lucky?"

"Oh, you are definitely lucky. You won the jackpot, remember?" Naruto smirked.

"Oh, I did, did I? I don't remember saying that." Sakura smirked.

"You totally did." Naruto joked.

"Prove it."

"Oh hey, we're here." Naruto said as he opened the doors to his bedroom.

As soon as Sakura saw his room, her jaw nearly hit the floor. His bedroom was huge! It had to be at least 200 square feet and it was the first time she got a really good look at it. On one side of the room, there were two identical dressers against the wall that could fit many clothes. Next to that was a door that she assumed was a closet. Above the dressers was a massive 65 inch TV mounted on the wall. Near the corner to the right of the dressers was a door that led to Naruto's bathroom that she had been in previously. Directly in front of her was a large window that had a view of the town and beach below and looked out towards the large bridge she crossed to get here. Opposite the dressers were two full size beds, one had a canopy and curtains that she assumed was hers. It was meant so she could have her privacy if she needed it.

"Woah! This is your room?!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Nope." Naruto grinned. "It's our room."

Now Sakura was feeling like she just hit the jackpot. Now she didn't have to worry about tripping over her furniture like she did in her old bedroom, which was so small it might as well have been a walk in closet compared to this.

"So this is real. We are engaged. In two years we will be married." Sakura said aloud.

"Yup." Naruto nodded.

The reality of the situation was hitting her like a ton of bricks. She was getting married in two years to a man that she had just met a little more than 12 hours ago. Despite the short time she has known Naruto, it all seemed right. He was a kind and happy man with a heart of gold and from what she was told by the elders, he put others needs before his own. As rich as he is and he still cared more about others well-being than his own.

'Where has this man been all my life...' She thought before walking in.

'Over here in Whirlpool. But now so are you.' Inner thought.

"Did you leave behind any boyfriend's or anything?" Naruto asked.

"What? No." Sakura said.

"Did you even date anyone?" Naruto asked, now very curious.

Sakura sighed. "I never have. Not from lack of trying mind you."

"What? Are the men in your village gay or something? Because if I had lived there, I would have been after you in a heartbeat."

Sakura blushed. "Well that's just how it played out. Now I am really tired."

"Yeah I hear you. But first I need to show you where you can put your clothes." Naruto informed. "The dresser facing your bed is yours and you can make full use of the walk-in closet." He said before opening said closet.

Once again, Sakura was wide eyed. The walk in closet was huge just like the rest of this house. One side of the closet had all of Naruto's stuff, but on the other side, it was bare. This closet was what most women dreamed of.

As she inspected it, she did see something hanging on her side of the closet. It was a bag meant for a dress. When she opened it, she gasped. It was a gorgeous wedding dress that looked out of date compared to fashion standards these days. "Oh my God..."

"Ah, I see you found your dress." Naruto smiled. "It's a family heirloom going back to my great grandmother. It was hers, then my grandmother's and then my mom's. And now, you'll get to use it and pass it down to our daughter."

"Wow..." Sakura gasped.

"Supposedly, not sure how accurate this is, but it is said that it was once Lady Mito's. You would know her as the first Hokage's wife."

Sakura went wide eyed. "Are you serious?" She said, holding the dress out at arm's length. She should be wearing gloves and be delivering this dress to a museum.

"Like I said, I don't know if it was actually hers or not. But it is believed that it is. Since she was once an Uzumaki, it's kept in the clan."

"Want a minute. Lady Tsunade's grandfather was the First Hokage. So...that means..."

"She's related to the Uzumaki clan by blood. Yup." Naruto confirmed.

"Woah..." Sakura breathed out before she carefully put the dress back in the bag.

"Come on. I'll give you a proper tour of the bathroom." Naruto said before heading to the bathroom and Sakura following. Once she saw it, she recognized some of it, but didn't get a chance to really see it. There was a old ceramic coated cast iron tub on feet with a curtain surrounding it in the forefront.

"There is also a shower right over here." Naruto said before pulling back a curtain to the shower stall. It was a stone shower that had enough space for two people. "And over here is the toilet." He added and pointed to a space in the wall with another curtain revealing a toilet.

"Big on privacy I see." Sakura mused with relief.

"Well, there weren't any curtains before you came. We put those up by my request so you wouldn't feel so exposed."

"You really are a gentleman aren't you?"

"Is that a bad thing?" Naruto asked.

Sakura slapped his arm. "Of course not you goof."

Naruto just laughed. "Mind you, there is no lock on the door."

Sakura shrugged. "No big deal. Everything has curtains so you can be in here if you need to be and there won't be an issue."

"Okay good."

"Now...bed before I pass out."

"Aren't you going to change first?" Naruto asked.

"Oh right. Yeah, I'll be out in a minute."

Naruto nodded before leaving the bathroom and closing the door behind him, letting Sakura get changed into her sleep wear.

After a few minutes, Sakura came back out wearing pink pajamas with a flower pattern all over.

"Pink is really your color, you know that?" Naruto smiled.

"That's the same thing Ino said." Sakura giggled before pulling back the covers on her bed.

Naruto smiled before stripping off his robe and pants until only his boxers remained.

Sakura blushed and had to avert her gaze. Damn he was hot.

Naruto then fell into bed. "Goodnight, Sakura-chan."

"Goodnight, Naruto." Sakura smiled before closing her canopy curtains and relaxing into bed. The moment her head touched the pillow, she passed out.

Author's Note from Panda: Yes, we know that we have other stories we need to update. Perhaps we all have to resign ourselves that our page will just have many stories. Some would say too many. Like me. But here we are. This story is different though. In all our other stories there is an overarching conflict usually. Or at least a new threat each chapter. This story however will be pure fluff. No wars, no alien invasions, it is all gonna be smooth sailing for Sakura as she adjusts to life in her new home with her future husband. We hope you enjoy it. Tell us what you thought and suggest to us chapter ideas if you have any. We have over five prewritten chapters, but we always love hearing new ideas from you guys.