The apartment was loud before Naruto had even stepped out of the shower.
“Oi, Kiba, don’t knock down his ramen stash!” came Choji’s voice, half-laughing, half-panicked.
“Man, how does one guy even eat this much? I swear this is a fire hazard,” Kiba muttered, pulling aside a stack of instant ramen cups.
“Ramen has spiritual value for Naruto,” Shino said, arms crossed, standing stiffly near the doorway like a guardian bug.
Lee was already in the middle of setting up the drinks—glasses of Jojo-brand soft drinks, the carbonated kind that popped in your mouth with bubbles that changed flavors.
Naruto didn’t drink alcohol, and they respected that.
Sort of.
Kiba had tried to sneak in a little sake, but Shino had confiscated it.
“To Naruto’s youth!” Lee cried, lifting his glass.
“May this new chapter be full of passion, growth, and eternal love!”
“To youth!” Kiba echoed, clinking his glass.
“To BBQ,” Choji mumbled, following suit with a nod.
The bathroom door opened with a hiss of steam.
Naruto stepped out, hair damp, towel slung over his neck.
He was shirtless, still drying his arms when he saw the gathering.
“Huh?” he blinked.
“What the hell—what time is it?”
“It’s still early,” Kiba said, grinning.
“But it’s your wedding day. You didn’t think we’d just let you stumble into it without a send-off, did you?”
“I thought you guys would show up at the ceremony, not… like this.” Naruto rubbed the back of his neck, half embarrassed, half touched.
“Thanks, though.”
“You better sit down, man,” Kiba said, tossing him a glass.
“Got some world-class tips for you.”
Naruto caught it, confused.
“Tips?”
“Wedding night stuff,” Kiba said with a wolfish grin.
“Listen—first of all, you gotta look cool when you open the door to your shared room. Walk in like a lion. Don’t trip over the futon like I did that one time at the bathhouse.”
“You’ve never been on a date, Kiba,” Shino stated flatly.
“I’ve been on a few almost-dates, okay? Shut up.”
Lee was nodding too enthusiastically.
“It is important to maintain perfect breath control! During moments of heightened romantic tension, focus on your chakra flow through the lungs!”
Naruto blinked.
“What does that even mean?”
“Just… focus on breathing. In through the nose, out through the passion,” Lee said, very seriously.
“I’m not sure that’s helpful,” Naruto muttered, sipping his soda.
“My clan prepared this for you. It contains a traditional wedding blessing from our elders. Also, I added a few beetle oils for calming anxiety. Use sparingly.”
“Uh, thanks, Shino.”
Choji leaned over and handed him a neatly folded paper.
“Here. A free one-month coupon for unlimited Akimichi BBQ. Only valid with you and your wife.”
Naruto’s eyes widened.
“Whoa. You serious?”
Choji nodded.
“Weddings are a big deal. Thought you’d need it.”
“Man, thanks.” Naruto held the coupon like it was sacred scripture.
“Sasuke might not like BBQ, though.”
“She doesn’t have to eat, just bring her with you. The deal only applies to couples.”
Before anyone could make another toast, the door opened again—this time to a sharp knock and the sound of a sigh.
Shikamaru stood at the threshold, carrying a bag in one hand and looking like he hadn’t slept.
“Alright. This is a drag, but the Hokage told me to deliver this.”
“Hey, Shikamaru!” Naruto greeted him with a big grin.
“Come to crash the party?”
“More like get you dressed before you show up in your pajamas.”
He handed over the bag with a grunt.
Naruto opened it and pulled out a neatly folded traditional wedding outfit.
The black outer yukata was made from fine silken fabric, detailed with gold thread that shimmered subtly in the light.
The sleeves were slightly wide, the hems embroidered with cloud patterns.
Beneath it was a white underlayer, stiff and formal.
The sash was deep crimson, symbolizing vitality and strength, tied with a golden thread, meant to bring luck in marriage.
A pair of white tabi socks and lacquered zōri sandals completed the outfit, along with a formal hakama skirt of black and gray vertical stripes.
“Whoa,” Naruto said, blinking.
“This is… this is fancy.”
“It’s traditional,” Shikamaru said.
“The same style the old clans used. The Uzumaki clan crest is sewn into the inside lining.”
Everyone went quiet for a moment.
Naruto held the fabric tighter.
“…Thanks.”
“No thanks needed. Let’s just get this over with,” Shikamaru muttered, stepping in and rolling up his sleeves.
“Kiba, Choji—don’t just stand around like scarecrows. Help me get him dressed.”
The next half hour was chaos. The source of this chapter is g.com.
Kiba kept messing up the folds.
Choji was trying not to wrinkle the hakama.
Lee was shouting motivational quotes while trying to tie the sash with “extra passion.” Shino eventually had to step in and adjust everything with quiet precision.
Naruto stood in the middle of the room, arms out like a training dummy, his expression somewhere between amused and panicked.
“This is tighter than I thought,” he muttered as Shikamaru adjusted the collar.
“You’ll get used to it. Ceremony’s only a few hours. After that, you can change.”
Naruto looked down at himself once they were done.
He almost didn’t recognize the guy in the mirror.
Clean lines.
Poised shoulders.
No bandages.
No dirt on his cheeks.
No orange anywhere.
Just black, red, gold—and a new beginning.
“…Whoa,” he muttered.
“I look like… someone else.”
“You look like a man,” Shino said simply.
“You look like someone who’s about to start a family,” Choji added with a grin.
“You look like a dashing hero from a love drama!” Lee cried, tears shining in his eyes.
“A true romantic warrior!”
“You look like an idiot who’s about to pass out if he doesn’t stop fidgeting,” Shikamaru added.
Naruto laughed, finally relaxing.
“Thanks, guys. Really.”
He looked around—at the faces that had stood beside him through childhood, battle, heartbreak, and victory.
This was his family.
Even if they bickered.
Even if they were weird.
“Alright,” he said, rolling his shoulders.
“Let’s go.”
Kiba slung an arm over his shoulder.
“Ready to be the first one of us to tie the knot?”
Naruto grinned.
“Ready as I’ll ever be.”
Outside, the sun was rising over the village, warm and bright.
And Naruto Uzumaki was walking into it—not as a boy chasing a dream, but as a man stepping into something real.