Sacrifice and Surrender

23: Celebrations

"Should we wait for Tobi to come back, do you think?" Sakura whispered anxiously to Hashirama, who shook his head.

"I speak for him. I'm still clan leader, after all," he said with an encouraging smile. "So don't be worried. This isn't a vote, it's just informing the clans. They can't deny the action, it's the law that we can't interfere with internal clan affairs." He paused. "Although, they can voice opposition."

Sakura gave him a little nod, feeling a bit deflated at the second half of his comments, and turned to look in the opposite direction. The clan leaders were sitting and talking amongst themselves. Inorou caught her eye and gave her a slight nod. At least in the last few months, he'd seemed to properly warm up to her, although he did still look at her with suspicion at times. Shikaru had warned her that Inorou was intuitive, and Sakura's lack of background and the sparse details about her had set off alarm bells in his head.

She looked at the empty seat beside her. Without Tobi there, she felt a little exposed. Sakura didn't need protection, but it was nice to know she had someone that would always have her back, and although she and Tobirama clashed at times, he was a steady figure in her life that she valued. She hoped he was okay and unharmed as he dealt with the last of the issues - at least for now - with the Kumo shinobi.

Madara and Shikaru, the ones who they had been waiting on, entered the room at last. Sakura smiled at them both. The man whom she was beginning to truly look at as a father, and the one who she loved with her whole heart. Madara took his seat across from her, giving her a look that for anyone else would have ended in a wink. But Madara was not the kind of man who often winked, if at all. Somehow the look implied everything he was thinking and it made her smile. Shikaru sat on the other empty seat beside her, putting a hand on her shoulder as he did.

"How are you?" Shikaru asked her.

"Good," she replied, looking over at him. "A little nervous," she admitted.

"Don't be," he said with a smile. "It's going to be fine."

Hashirama removed his Hokage hat, and placed it on the table, a sign the meeting was starting.

"Now that we're all here, shall we start?" He announced. "Shikaru?"

Shikaru nodded, gave her one last supportive look, and Sakura's fists clenched nervously on her thighs.

"Sorry for the short notice of the meeting," Shikaru apologised. "We wanted to spend the Rinne Festival in a joyful mood, but with the issues between us and Kumogakure, well, things got a little off-track."

"So what's the issue?" Sasuke Sarutobi asked.

"Is it okay to have this meeting without Tobirama?" Kou Inuzuka questioned.

"Tobirama is already aware of Shikaru's intent," Hashirama replied.

"This isn't a village issue," Shikaru said. "It's something personal for my clan, and is only being brought to the council to inform you."

"The suspense is killing us," Inorou said flatly.

There was a low chuckle around the table. Sakura looked at Shikaru who was also chuckling softly.

"It is also being brought to the council because it involved another high-ranking official in the village."

There was a definite shift in the interest in the room at that point. Shikaru continued.

"I wanted to inform the council that I, Shikaru Nara, leader of the Nara Clan, will hereby be adopting Lady Sakura as my daughter."

There was a brief silence where Sakura could only hear her heart pounding with nerves. What were they thinking? She glanced around but mostly saw confusion.