The first few minutes after their kiss flew by. They received countless congratulations: from her teacher, her godfather, her brothers, their friends, the leaders of the different clans, the Suna delegation, acquaintances of both who were friends of one or the other… Her stomach was practically growling with hunger when, half an hour later, they were finally allowed to sit at the head table. She smiled as she watched her friends chatting and laughing while taking their seats at their own tables.
Kakashi's hand, which hadn't let go of hers for even a second, caressed the back of it gently, as if he couldn't bring himself to release it. Seina squeezed her husband's hand, god… her husband's hand, to let him know she was just as pleased and happy as he was. She raised an imperceptible barrier so they could talk without anyone eavesdropping. Kakashi noticed immediately and turned toward her.
"I can't believe we're married," she said, unable to contain her smile.
"Neither can I. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else right now but here."
"I love you, Kakashi Hatake," she sighed, leaning toward his ear so no one could even attempt to read her lips.
"And I love you, Seina Hatake."
She nearly jumped at hearing her new name. Kakashi chuckled softly at her reaction.
"How does it feel to go from being the leader of the Uzumaki clan to the leader of the Hatake clan?"
"Ask me again in a few months."
"By the way, you look beautiful," he smiled. "The white kimono was perfect on you, just like this one."
"I think I like this one better," she said, winking.
The kimono she wore now was the traditional Hatake clan garment. She would never again use her maiden name, even if it still felt a little strange right now. Seina Hatake. Who would have thought?
She watched as food was served to all their guests, themselves included, and how everyone began to eat, some laughing, some more serious. Not everyone present was among their friends or acquaintances. She knew some were there merely to attend their wedding out of pure protocol. Still, even they didn't dislike enjoying a banquet or free music.
In what felt like the blink of an eye, the meal was over and dessert arrived. Unlike modern western weddings from her old world, the newlyweds didn't cut the cake or rise to serve their guests. It wasn't frowned upon, but it wasn't the custom. Usually, the catering served the couple at their table first, and then the guests. So Seina remained seated, waiting for everyone to be served the slice of chocolate and vanilla cake they had chosen for their wedding.
"Have you seen Tsunade-sama?" Kakashi whispered in her ear. "Look."
She discreetly turned to look at her teacher and held back laughter when she saw she was already completely drunk. Just as she turned, Tsunade seemed to wobble in her seat beside Jiraiya, who seized the opportunity to "steady" her by grabbing her chest. Luckily for everyone, her teacher only smacked him so hard he fell flat on his back. She appreciated how restrained she had been, honestly.
"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune exclaimed.
Some laughed at the scene. She heard Naruto's loud laughter among the crowd. She was so euphoric she couldn't hold back her own chuckle. Beside her, Kakashi ate a piece of cake while smiling in amusement. They chatted about a bit of everything, careful not to touch on overly private topics since they both knew they were being observed. It was the worst disadvantage of having dozens of ninja guests: all of them were capable of spying from afar.
The best part came after the meal, when the tables were quickly cleared to make room for a dance floor. She knew Kakashi wasn't much into dancing or singing, but he danced with her as if they were the only ones on the makeshift floor. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the smiles of their friends and acquaintances, some eyes glistening with tears, and finally, the melancholic expression of her brother Naruto.
She knew that of everyone, he had been the most affected by learning about her and Kakashi. She was no longer Seina Uzumaki, and never would be again. For her brother, who had lost their parents the day he was born, it must have felt as if he had lost part of her too. Still, she knew sooner or later he would realize that practically nothing had changed. After all, they were still family and always would be. Kakashi raised an eyebrow in slight surprise when he saw Sasuke slip an arm around Naruto's shoulders in comfort.
She looked into Kakashi's eyes, reading in them all the things he wanted to tell her once they were alone. She suddenly raised her gaze, looking at someone over his head.
"Kakashi-sensei. It's my turn to dance with my sister."
"Naruto. Call me Kakashi. We're family now."
Naruto smiled, taking the hand her husband offered him.
"We were already family before."
Kakashi blinked, once again surprised, but then smiled genuinely when he saw his brother—his brother-in-law—truly meant it. Seina watched him walk away after giving her a brief kiss on the lips, heading toward his fellow jonin near the bar.
"Are you happy?" Naruto asked her mentally. She nodded. "That's enough for me."
The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur. She danced with all her friends and even with some people she barely knew by sight, who now approached her as she officially took on the role of leader at Kakashi's side. When the sun began to set and she knew it was time to bid farewell, she ran into Tsunade-sama, now much soberer thanks to Shizune's help. Since almost no one remained in the Hatake compound, she invited her into her house for tea in private while Kakashi saw off the last, closest guests.
"Seina. I know I congratulated you earlier, but now that I'm more clear-headed," the Hokage smiled playfully, "I'd like to repeat my congratulations. I know you both love each other, and that's the most important thing."
Her teacher looked out the grand kitchen window, from which she could see her new husband in the distance, talking with his brothers, Genma, Ensui, Guy, and Raido.
"Have I ever told you about Dan?" Tsunade-sama suddenly asked. Seina turned to look at her, blinking at the sad, serious expression on her face. "He was my boyfriend many years ago. We wanted to start a family once the war ended, but it never happened… He died before we could fulfil our dream. He wanted to be Hokage, you know? And look at me now… Sometimes I feel I stole his dream, other times I feel like I'm living for both of us. Becoming Hokage was also my little brother Nawaki's dream. In a way, that gives me strength to keep going. Your brother gave me the push I needed to return, but you have done the rest."
Tsunade-sama took her hand across the table, squeezing it in a way that painfully reminded her of visiting Andromeda, weeks after burying her daughter and son-in-law. The same serious, sad, melancholic, bitter face when thinking of the past, but the same determination to keep moving forward for the sake of those still alive. Like Teddy.
Over the years, Andromeda and she had become so close that she became the mother she had never had. Much more than Molly Weasley, whom she loved, but whose attention was always divided among her many children and grandchildren. Andromeda had welcomed her like no one else ever had. She had become her mother, her confidante, her teacher, her children's grandmother, and her unconditional, greatest support. Molly, despite her love, was sometimes incapable of showing such acceptance even to her own children.
And now here, sitting in the kitchen of her new home, she almost thought she saw Andromeda in Tsunade-sama's brown eyes.
"In the short time we've been together, you've become someone very special to me. You started as my apprentice, and now you've already surpassed me, just as a child should surpass their parents."
Seina jolted slightly in her seat when she realized Tsunade-sama was saying she appreciated her so much she could consider her a daughter. For the second time. This time, it didn't seem like she was joking, as she had in the hospital, but speaking from the heart.
"Shizune, you, and Naruto have become very precious to me. I just wanted you to know."
And before Seina could recover from her words, she stood, kissed her on the forehead, and left. Seina remained in her chair, watching out the window as she walked away with Shizune. Something about the interaction left her shaken. Perhaps remembering Andromeda, whom she had loved as a mother and lost so many years ago. But… for a moment, she had felt once again the sensation of being beside her mother. She blinked back tears and stood up.
"Are you okay?" Kakashi asked, entering the kitchen and leaning on the doorway.
"Yes. Too many emotions, maybe," she smiled.
She approached him, still in the Hatake ceremonial kimono, and wrapped her arms around his neck, accepting his embrace in return. She sharpened her hearing with magic, quickly realizing they were alone. They were the only ones for several hundred meters around.
"Where are the others?"
"I think they went off to continue the party with your other friends," Kakashi smiled, still maskless, his eyes shining. "I imagine they didn't want to stick around… for whatever might happen."
Seina chuckled. They had decided to perform the magical ritual before their wedding night, so there would be no intimacy until they reached Uzu. She looked out the kitchen window again, resting her head against Kakashi's chest, and saw the decorations still hanging.
"Shall we leave now?"
"Already?" he smiled mischievously. "I thought you'd say goodbye to your brothers before we left."
"Nah. I'll leave them a note." And she did.
The Hokage had already given them her approval to depart, so they left Konoha with the hiraishin without further delay. She had teleported them to the outskirts, at the main dock, so he could have the full experience. She watched Kakashi, now in civilian clothes with a navy-blue silk scarf covering part of his face, leaning against one side of the boat near the bow, gazing at the horizon.
"When was the last time you travelled for pleasure?" she asked curiously.
"I'd say never…" he replied. Then he straightened and turned to look at her, taking her hand to pull her closer. "My parents died when I was very young, and your father had his own family. What was the point of traveling alone?"
"Well, it's never too late for a first time, especially if it's together."
Resting on his chest, looking into his eyes, she saw his gentle smile silently agree with her. He lowered the scarf to kiss her first on the forehead and then on the lips, wrapped in the privacy of her magic. They talked and kissed for a long while, watching the ocean carry them closer and closer to Uzushiogakure. They arrived at nightfall, their stomachs starting to growl with hunger. They disembarked at the main village port, lit by multiple streetlamps and the great light of the lighthouse.
Seina glanced briefly around, but 98% of her attention stayed on Kakashi. She saw him stare in amazement at the large port and the village that spread out just beyond. Even from the dock they could hear the bustling life of Uzu, as if it had never been destroyed. Kakashi turned to her as they left the grey stone port.
"What you've done here… It's impressive."
"And you haven't seen anything yet," she laughed, pulling him closer by the waist.
Kakashi wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and they entered the village like any other young couple. Seina nodded to some greetings and noticed the curious eyes on her husband, clearly wondering who he was and why he was so close to her.
"Do you want to have dinner in the village, or… would you rather go home?" she asked.
"It would be better if we had dinner first," he said, looking at her with intense eyes for a moment. Then he bent down to whisper in her ear. "Once I have you naked in front of me, I don't think I'll be able to let you go for several hours."
Her skin prickled beneath her short light-blue dress with short sleeves. Kakashi lifted his head again to keep looking at the village, but the breeze had exposed the faint smile at the corners of his lips. Seina didn't say anything or playfully punch him as she had done many times before. Kakashi wasn't joking this time.
As they walked in search of a restaurant for dinner, Seina counted the minutes until they could be alone again in the intimacy of their room. They sat at a small, private table in an open-air restaurant. Above her head, she noticed the wooden trellises that would someday be full of vines and had only been installed recently, like everything else. She smiled at the sight of the first small green leaves, as tiny as her village was now, and she knew they would soon grow just as Uzu was growing.
As soon as she raised her magic to give them privacy, Kakashi spoke. She didn't know if he had felt it or if he simply knew she was going to cast a magical barrier because he knew her so well. Either way, she couldn't help but smile.
"How long will the ritual last?" he asked, referring to the wedding ritual.
"Only a few minutes. I already sent one of my clones days ago to paint the runic circle, so it's ready and checked for any mistakes."
"I'm sure that's why," Kakashi laughed. She winked at him. "And what will we have to do?"
"I'll just need blood and some cotton or linen robes that won't interfere with the ritual. Although… since we'll be alone, we could do it naked."
"Mhmm…" he nodded with a smile. "Would something happen if…"
"…if we did it inside the ritual circle? No."
Seina, her sandaled foot brushing against her husband's, slowly slid it up to graze his calf and then his thigh. Kakashi looked at her with both eyes exposed, shining with desire, before going back to chewing his piece of meat as if nothing had happened. He finished the meal slowly, as though they weren't in any hurry, and then ate the slice of cake he had ordered. By the time they were ready to leave, she stood up with a shiver and already quite wet, something that didn't go unnoticed by Kakashi's prodigious nose.
"Here's the check," the waiter said, accepting the money from her husband. "I hope you have a good night."
"We surely will…"
Seina waited just a couple of seconds for him to put his wallet away before letting him take her by the waist.
"Shall we go?" he asked as they stepped out into the street.
"Don't you want to see the village?" she teased.
"Maybe tomorrow."
She used her chakra to land right next to the circle of runes at the same time Kakashi leaned down at lightning speed to devour her mouth. Seina moaned when one of his hands lifted her dress and slipped inside her tiny knickers. She felt a finger sink into her, but it wasn't enough, so she jumped onto his hips. Kakashi didn't flinch under her weight. He removed his hand from behind her neck, which he had been using to hold her in place, and tore her dress off in one swift motion. Seina took the opportunity to pull away from his lips, remove her bra, and pull his shirt up.
She felt his erection beneath her own sex. She brought him closer to her with the silk scarf so she could kiss him again, rubbing her most intimate parts and eliciting a moan from him. She took the scarf away, throwing it far away, as they stood panting face to face.
"I want to come with you inside me," she whispered, stopping his masculine hand that was giving her pleasure.
Kakashi grabbed her hips with one of his hands, wet with her own fluids, and laid her on the floor. He kicked off his sandals with his feet. Seina didn't wait a second for him to take off his trousers himself. She knelt before him, kissing his muscular, almost hairless chest, going lower and lower and lower... She took his trousers and underwear, wanting to see him naked. Kakashi let her do it, looking at her with his skin bristling with pleasure, his eyes fixed on her and his breathing somewhat ragged. His penis bounced against his stomach, fully erect and pink. She couldn't help but lick it as she stood up, removing the last piece of clothing she was wearing and throwing it away.
They removed their earrings and anything else that might interrupt the ritual. She took out a pair of silver daggers she had enchanted for days and showed him where he had to bleed. He cut his palm, then squeezed it to bleed onto the runes. She entered the circle at the same time as Kakashi.
"Now repeat after me: coniunctae, duae animae liberae, in sanguine, corpore et anima coninguntur."
"Coniunctae, duae animae liberae, in sanguine, corpore et anima coninguntur."
Seina raised her wounded hand and Kakashi did the same. His Latin, despite not understanding what she was saying, had been impeccable. Just as she expected from a ninja of his calibre. As soon as their bleeding hands touched, the runes that had begun to glow as soon as they put their blood on them shone golden and began to swirl around them like a whirlwind. Seina felt the connection at the same time as Kakashi gasped in surprise.
She felt as if a thin but firm thread was coming out of her soul and connecting her to Kakashi. She felt Kakashi's deep and complex feelings, his hope and happiness, a small glimpse of concern that he might lose her, his surprise and wonder at sensing her, his carnal desire and excitement to make love to her, but above all, his love. It was as unfathomable as the ocean, as vast as the sky, and as strong as the earth. If she had had a single doubt about whether he loved her... it had vanished.
"Is that how you felt when I used my magic to show you that I loved you?" she asked, her voice choked and tears in her eyes.
"Yes."
Her husband's whispering voice gazed at her as if seeing her for the first time, savouring a union that far surpassed any ordinary wedding. Seina touched his chest with one hand and cradled his face with the other. Kakashi raised a hand, closing his eyes and cupping her hand on his face as if it were the most precious thing in the world. She felt his lips on her palm. As he sank into her emotions, Seina gazed at him naked before her.
His greyish hair, his pale skin illuminated by a waning moon, his muscles defined and proportioned like a Michelangelo statue. Kakashi must have sensed her desire, her love, because his burning eyes rested on her again. He took a slow step towards her, closing the few centimetres that separated them, and kissed her. It was a slow but deep kiss, their tongues intertwining as Seina hugged his neck and lost track of time in his arms, which held her tightly against him.
He picked her up, demonstrating his strength as if it were nothing, and carried her to the bed just a few metres away. He laid her down on the bed, practically in darkness, and gazed at her, placing his arms on either side of her head.
"I love you."
"I know..."' she whispered, caressing his beautiful masculine face. "I feel so loved by you."
She felt it inside and saw the surprise on his face when he heard her. Seina had only told him what she felt. The truth. Apparently Kakashi needed to hear it because a hidden part of him was relieved, as if he had slightly doubted that she knew and felt that he truly loved her. How could she doubt it? How could she not see it? Kakashi had been looking at her with love in his eyes for years.
"Kiss me, Kakashi, and make love to me."
Kakashi closed his eyes and kissed her again. The first of many.