"This first cup, Sister and Brother-in-law offer to you both."
"May you two walk hand in hand through every season of life."
Tsunade stepped forward without hesitation for this first toast, along with Kawaki beside her.
"Thank you, Sister, Brother-in-law."
Nawaki and Misaki each raised their glasses, clinked them together, then linked arms and took a third of the cup.
Misaki, clearly not very tolerant of alcohol, flushed red after just one sip.
"Brother-in-law doesn't need to say much—just go ahead and give us a kid soon."
Kawaki still couldn't behave properly. After drinking, he smirked at Nawaki and raised his eyebrows suggestively.
'Hss~'
Without missing a beat, Tsunade pinched Kawaki's waist hard—he was paying the price for letting his mouth run unchecked.
It wasn't that Kawaki's words were inappropriate; it was just that when someone like him said it, everyone took it as teasing instead of genuine blessing.
Seeing Kawaki trying to act calm after gasping from the pinch, Misaki nearly burst into laughter.
Regardless of how others saw it, she had definitely received her brother-in-law's good wishes.
"For this second toast, I won't be giving anyone else the chance."
Orochimaru stood up holding Pakura's hand, looking perfectly self-assured.
"You think Teacher is impressive?"
Jiraiya pulled Makoto up without backing down either, as his senior—after all, how could an older brother lose out to a teacher?
If you couldn't match the closeness of actual siblings, surely you could stand above a teacher?
"Teacher, Big Bro."
"Me and Misaki will drink first as a sign of respect."
Nawaki quickly gave Misaki a look upon seeing this, and the two swiftly linked arms again, taking their second sip.
With Nawaki moving so fast, even the words on Orochimaru's lips were swallowed back in.
They exchanged glares with Jiraiya for several tense seconds, before both immediately turned their heads and forced bright smiles.
The blessings came slightly late but were absolutely necessary.
After finishing their drinks, all four sat down. Then Sakumo, Dai, and Shinryu's three families, totaling six people, all stood up together.
Clearly, they had planned this in advance.
No arguing, no competing—their blessings sounded almost rehearsed, but each word truly came from the hearts of elders.
Finally, the wine was finished. They switched cups, and Nawaki and Misaki refilled each other's glasses once again.
Ginji and Aoi Tsukigami stood straight, gripping their trays firmly.
"Big Brother Rope, Big Sister Misaki."
"We hope your future days are filled with warmth and sweetness, letting the flower of love bloom forever."
Minato and Kushina stood together, and this time, nobody rushed to join.
Still, over at a distant corner table, two men and a woman quietly raised their glasses.
"Thank you. You're next, okay?"
That was also Nawaki's genuine wish for his closest friends.
What followed were some polite formalities from important figures of various clans—this gathering had become quite the political stage, hadn't it?
Nawaki smiled politely and responded warmly to each guest. Before these people, he was no longer a naive boy.
Three cups of sake, shared in nine sips total. The San San Ku Do ritual—three sips, three times nine—was now complete.
Tsunade nudged Kawaki gently with her elbow, seeming even happier than if it were her own wedding.
Kawaki fully understood. After all, this was her own younger brother—blood runs thicker than water.
He also deeply grasped the beautiful meaning behind this threefold offering ceremony.
Influenced by ancient Chinese Yin-Yang philosophy, Japan has long considered odd numbers as symbols of Yang energy, bringing great fortune.
"The number 'three' represents 'heaven, earth, and humanity—and all things within the universe.'"
The number "nine" is the largest yang digit, representing supreme auspiciousness.
Thus, the ritual of "three cups, each shared in three sips" during a wedding symbolizes: invoking the heavens and earth as witnesses, paying homage to the Three Realms through ritual, binding their union—a vow to remain inseparable through life and death.
Thinking about it, Kawaki couldn't help but feel somewhat proud. Even in the Naruto world, hints of Chinese tradition remained.
"It's time to serve Grandma some tea."
Nawaki and Misaki placed their sake cups down and knelt before Mito.
"Tea is here."
Ginji and Aoi Tsukigami hurried swiftly, replacing the sake with tea and returning to stand beside the couple.
"Grandma."
With deep respect, Nawaki and Misaki raised the teacup over their heads.
"My good children, Grandma is very happy today."
Mito joyfully drank two cups of tea, each sip sweeter than the one before.
Once Nawaki and Misaki lifted their heads, she slowly pulled a large red envelope from behind her back.
"This is a little present from Grandma. I'll leave it to Misaki to keep."
Inside was half of Mito's remaining house deed—the remaining half was meant for Kushina.
Although Kushina wasn't her blood granddaughter, after all these years, the only gap between them was that of blood ties.
"Thank you, Grandma."
Misaki accepted it without hesitation—it was both Grandma's blessing and her gift; its value was secondary.
"Grandma, you're playing favorites."
Nawaki feigned a pout—after all, he *was* her real grandson.
"You're absolutely right."
"I am favoring her."
Mito saw through his act completely, giving him a look that clearly said, "What are you going to do about it?"
"Pfft~"
Seeing Nawaki rendered speechless, Misaki couldn't help laughing out loud.
"All right, get up now."
"There's still more drinking to do with the guests."
Standing up, Mito gently helped Nawaki and Misaki rise as the wedding festivities reached their final stages.
At this moment, Ginji and Aoi Tsukigami were finally freed from their serving duties. They quickly returned the trays and hurried back to their parents.
As Nawaki and Misaki walked forward, servants followed closely behind, carrying wine.
Moving from table to table to serve drinks wasn't the most comfortable experience, and judging by Misaki's increasingly flushed face, it was clear she was starting to feel the effects.
Luckily, being a Medical Ninja, Nawaki didn't have to worry too much about her health.
She had no trouble at the elders' table, but Minato, Lion, and the others—his longtime teasing friends—took the chance to pour him several extra rounds.
By the time he reached the corner, Nawaki's steps had grown slightly unsteady.
"Thank you all for coming to my wedding with Misaki."
This short chapter isn't over yet—there's more excitement ahead!
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Despite everything, Nawaki's repeated words still came out clearly.
"Congratulations newlyweds!"
"Congratulations, Brother Nawaki."
Suddenly, a glint appeared in Nawaki's eyes—could it be…?
He subtly circulated his chakra to clear his head slightly and looked again.
Before him stood two men and a woman smiling toward him. Their faces seemed unfamiliar.
But those voices and expressions—they could only belong to Nagato and the others.
"Thank you, thank you so much."
Too overwhelmed to speak, Nawaki longed to rush forward and embrace them tightly—but held back.
He emptied three cups in a row, his eyes already glistening with emotion.
Noticing Nawaki's unusual behavior, Misaki finally took notice of Nagato and his companions.
She studied them closely, recognizing them only after identifying Nagato.
"I don't recognize any of you, but thank you for coming to our wedding ceremony."
"I'll drink to that," Misaki said, her cheeks flushed as she drained her cup.
"Thank you, sister-in-law."
They spoke to her so naturally, just like they used to joke back in the old days.
"Are you leaving after the ceremony?"
It was a casual question from Nawaki, which everyone took as mere small talk.
"Mm, we still have some things to handle back home."
"Just sharing this one cup of sake was more than enough for us."
Yahiko smiled. They were already completely satisfied with this trip.
They got to attend Nawaki's wedding and saw many familiar faces.
Even though they couldn't truly reunite, they had no major regrets.
"Alright then. If fate allows, we shall meet again."
Nawaki walked off holding Misaki's hand, his other hand brushing lightly across the corner of his eye.
How could the bond between brothers ever be broken?
...
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