Uchiha Fugaku's wedding was held with great pomp.
After all, the Uchiha clan was still the strongest clan in Konoha.
All the major clans sent people to offer their congratulations. Even the Third Hokage sent someone with a gift. Of course, not the Shimura clan—Danzō's attitude toward the Uchiha was completely inherited from the Second Hokage. All he lacked was to say: "Wretched Uchiha, I'll finish off all your wedding food myself!"
Hah, that scene alone would've been a treat to watch.
Weddings in the shinobi world are held rather quickly.
There's generally a fixed set of rituals.
And today, Fugaku's wedding followed those same ceremonies: purification, recitation of blessings, the Three Libations ritual, vow exchange, ring exchange, offering of the sacred sakaki branches, and a toast by the families.
(T/N: The Three Libations ritual is a traditional practice, primarily found in ancient Greek and some modern Pagan traditions, involving the pouring of liquid offerings (libations) to deities or spirits.)
After that came the banquet, and the part where the bride and groom toasted the guests.
Gekko Chizan had been waiting precisely for this moment.
He stood off to the side with Pakura, waiting for Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Mikoto to arrive.
Pakura linked arms with Mikoto.
"Congratulations, Mikoto."
"Hehe, thanks, Pakura."
While the two beautiful women chatted and laughed, Gekko Chizan and Uchiha Fugaku were having a staring contest.
Their gazes were locked.
In the end, Gekko Chizan couldn't hold out and quickly looked away, sighing helplessly.
"I must be sick in the head, actually trying to outstare an Uchiha. I'm just asking for suffering."
Fugaku burst into hearty laughter. Clearly, winning this round made him quite happy.
"Here, this is the wedding gift I prepared for you."
"I'm telling you, it's a one-of-a-kind product. All of Konoha—no, even the Hokage doesn't have this honor!"
As he spoke, Gekko Chizan opened the box he had brought and took out two bottles wrapped in red cloth.
"What's this? Alcohol?"
"Why's it wrapped in cloth?"
Fugaku took one of the bottles, eyeing the red cloth-wrapped item curiously before tearing the cloth off.
And then he froze.
"This... what the hell is this???"
His voice was full of shock—and loud enough that it made the nearby guests turn their heads.
One after another, they too froze in place.
"Never seen this before, right? I'm telling you, this is snake wine I personally brewed for you."
"It's a major tonic! Guaranteed to make your married life blissful and passionate!"
"Don't worry, I processed all the snakes myself. Even though they're cobras, kraits, and vipers, and sound deadly... but do you know who I am?"
"I'm a disciple of the great Orochimaru-sama! Every one of these snakes has been treated by me—turning poison into medicine! Strengthening the body!"
"And most importantly, I caught all these snakes in sacred grounds. They're truly one-of-a-kind in the entire world!"
The three little ones standing behind Gekko Chizan instinctively took a step back. Honestly, the wine just looked… a bit shady.
Fugaku's mouth twitched wildly in disbelief.
Meanwhile, Gekko Chizan was beaming. He casually unwrapped the red cloth from the second bottle too.
"But that bottle still needs to soak for a while, so I also brought you this!"
"My own exclusive brew of medicinal wine!"
"Also a major tonic! Especially for kidney health! You'll be holding your baby in a year, guaranteed!"
"What do you say, Fugaku? Pretty good of me, right?"
"I'm telling you, when Minato gets married one day, I'm giving him a bottle too!"
Gekko Chizan had been in the spotlight lately, having completed several major missions. A lot of people recognized him.
Now seeing him in person, what could they say… well, he was certainly one-of-a-kind.
Everyone else gives flowers and money at weddings. This guy? He brings medicinal wine… How does his brain even work?
"I... really don't know how to thank you..."
Fugaku's hand, holding the wine bottle, was visibly trembling...
"Hahaha, with our relationship! If anything ever feels off with your body, come to me immediately—I'll make sure you get the best tonic!"
Gekko Chizan resisted the urge to grin, patting his chest in assurance.
At that, Fugaku could no longer hold it in.
"You bastard! I'm not weak!"
"I'm strong as hell! I don't need your wine! I'll have a baby next year just fine!"
His three-tomoe Sharingan instantly appeared and began spinning—clearly, Fugaku was getting heated.
"Aww? Come on, I meant well! I personally selected all the ingredients! I even caught the snakes myself!"
Gekko Chizan put on an innocent face. If Fugaku didn't know this guy well, he might've believed him.
"Hmph! You damn bastard! You totally did this on purpose!"
"Who the hell gives out medicinal wine at a wedding, and in front of everyone no less!"
"Hmph!!! Whatever! It's my wedding day, I'm not stooping to your level!"
"Mikoto, let's go. After we finish this guy's wine!"
Fugaku was seething—not because the wine was bad, but because this bastard dared to bring medicinal wine to a wedding!
Gekko Chizan saw Fugaku was leaving and quickly stuffed the wine bottle into his arms.
"Take it with you. It really works!"
Fugaku shot him a deadly glare, then marched off to toast other guests with two wine bottles in hand.
Pakura walked up beside Gekko Chizan, her small hand reaching to his waist and giving it a firm squeeze.
He yelped and jumped in place.
"Pakura, what the hell?!"
"That really hurt!"
"Where'd you learn that?!"
Gekko Chizan rubbed his side, looking at her in horror.
He seriously wondered if Pakura had been possessed. Why was she suddenly torturing him?
"Hmph. Tell me, who brings medicinal wine to a wedding?"
"You're seriously wicked."
Gekko Chizan chuckled sheepishly.
"What's wrong with medicinal wine? It's from the heart."
"I went all the way to Ryūchi Cave to catch those snakes—that's one of the Three Great Holy Lands! Just three snakes alone are priceless!"
Pakura rolled her eyes at him, utterly unimpressed.
"I think your gift is fake. You just wanted to mess with him."
"That little trick just now? Kushina and Mikoto taught me. Seems pretty effective."
"I should use it more often."
Gekko Chizan deflated instantly. With these three women, it was like a full-on play.
Kushina and Mikoto were already good friends, and now with Pakura joining the mix…
Yeah, life was going to get tougher.
"By the way, Pakura, what gift did you give Mikoto?"
"Cups. I got a full matching set."
"Hehe, not bad! As expected of you, Pakura."
"Hm? Why do you look so pervy? What's wrong with cups?"
"Think about it! I gave wine, you gave cups—so they'll be using your cups to drink my wine! Tsk tsk tsk, perfection!"
Pakura's eyes widened in shock.
She thought to herself: What the hell is wrong with this guy's brain? How does he even make that connection?!
Do all intelligence agents have messed-up brains???
Jiraiya: I...
Gekko Chizan: "What do you mean 'you'? You're the most unreliable one of all! You tell me about the Three Prohibitions of a ninja!"
...
A/N: The wedding was just a little interlude. Tomorrow, we return to the main plot.
The battle on Sunagakure's side wasn't over yet—it was just on hold for now. The fighting would continue.
Iwagakure had pulled back their forces, which meant next up was Kumogakure vs. Konoha!