On the night before the wedding, Konoha had never been so quiet.
It was the kind of quiet before a storm, when everyone held their breath and waited for dawn.
The girls had all gone home early. Hinata sat in her room, looking over and over at the wedding dress hanging on its rack, touching it again and again.
Ino tossed and turned in bed. Beside her pillow lay the bouquet she would carry tomorrow, its petals already counted several times.
Kurenai leaned by the window, gazing at the moon, while Konan sat beside her folding the last few paper flowers.
Chinatsu, Akari, and Akane squeezed onto one bed, none of them able to sleep.
Nami was still working overtime, unfinished paperwork spread across her desk.
Nine women, the same night, the same moon.
After waiting so long, this day had finally come.
Genya's close friends had started making a fuss days ago.
Clutching a video camera he had gotten from who knew where, Naruto stationed himself outside the Hokage Building and played street reporter.
Sasuke followed beside him, hands in his pockets and expression blank, but he did not leave, either.
Naruto's filming technique was brutally crude. Whenever he spotted someone he knew, he shoved the lens right in their face.
"Come on, say a few words to wish him well! Hurry up! I'm recording!"
He cornered Shikamaru at the entrance to the Training Ground. Fresh back from a mission, Shikamaru looked completely dazed and muttered, "What a drag."
After a moment's thought, he added something.
"Genya, congratulations on your wedding."
Naruto said that was not enough and demanded a couple more lines.
Shikamaru sighed and grew a little more serious.
"Treat them well. Otherwise..."
The camera wobbled as Naruto cut in.
"Otherwise what?"
Shikamaru had already left.
Choji