(so i totes used replies from here for inspiration. ♥)
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Under the Rokudaime's rule Konoha extended its peaceful influence far afield, to countries she had never even heard of in her childhood, who most civilians her age had never heard of, too concerned with threats closer to home.
Tsunade might have been pushing seventy, but she was still strong and their country had so many allies, nothing much stopped her successor, her student, and that man they both called "husband" from wandering off -- Naruto to sign treaties, Sasuke to guard him, and Sakura... ah, an advisor, she called herself, but every time she came back Tsunade was waiting with tea heating up and a chuckle already building in her throat.
"Master!" Sakura said brightly when she walked in that afternoon, hair a bleached shade of rose, skin tanned dark and faint white lines at the corner of her eyes like she'd spent all that time in the sun glaring at something. She sat when Tsunade waved her toward her chair, grinning like she wanted to bite.
"So how did it go?"
"Do you remember how sad it was that I couldn't marry Naruto in Konoha without being Sasuke's widow first? Well, it turns out I had a lot of free time during this trip..."
In other words, her line of inquiry had been a big bust.
"So on the way back I got thinking about Konoha laws! It says something like 'until their first spouse has died,' doesn't it? But I bet it doesn't say anything about it being invalidated if said spouse was revived afterwards."
Tsunade smothered her laughter in her cup of tea. "I think Uchiha might object."
Sakura let out a long, fake sigh. "I think he might, too. Selfish of him, huhn. I knew I should have waited a little longer to fix him last time. Oh well, I'm sure there'll be other assassins."
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The first time had been almost fifteen years ago, as Tsunade sent her chosen successor on his first solo diplomatic mission. Some lost valley in the mountains, well past the farthest reaches of Wind Country. Sakura had heard of their polyandrous habits and immediately -- blushing, but determined -- started campaigning to be allowed to go with. Their first and second children had been old enough to stay at their grandparents' for a couple of months then; Tsunade had given her permission and Team Seven had jauntily marched off.
When they came back Naruto was frowning, Sasuke so blank-faced it was a wonder he still bothered to breathe, and Sakura trailing her own metaphorical little raincloud.
It turned out their habit of marrying one woman to several men had been born from damaged reproductive abilities, due to being locked away in their same little valley for the last couple of centuries. The men allied in bands of three or four -- good -- and bartered, schemed, and fought others for possession of their women. And then, once "married", they locked them up so they wouldn't get knocked up by some other brotherhood. Which was so far past not good, Sakura had no words for it. She'd been livid all the way home.
"So... No marriage then?" Shizune had ventured.
Sakura had let loose a torrent of recriminations that boiled down to 'I would rather become a nun than support that mindset by getting married there', which was the end of it -- the end of mentioning that particular little trip, at least.
+
The next couple of countries had laws similar to those home, so there was no extra-curricular eloping. But the one after that was over the ocean, an ancient country, hot and lazily powerful, and while most of the leaders over there were kings, there were some queens and princesses who did more with the title than simply being the spouse of. And in deference to them, a woman could have more than one recognized, legally sanctioned lover.
OH MY GOD THIS IS NOT A FICLET. part 1 of...3? 4?
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Under the Rokudaime's rule Konoha extended its peaceful influence far afield, to countries she had never even heard of in her childhood, who most civilians her age had never heard of, too concerned with threats closer to home.
Tsunade might have been pushing seventy, but she was still strong and their country had so many allies, nothing much stopped her successor, her student, and that man they both called "husband" from wandering off -- Naruto to sign treaties, Sasuke to guard him, and Sakura... ah, an advisor, she called herself, but every time she came back Tsunade was waiting with tea heating up and a chuckle already building in her throat.
"Master!" Sakura said brightly when she walked in that afternoon, hair a bleached shade of rose, skin tanned dark and faint white lines at the corner of her eyes like she'd spent all that time in the sun glaring at something. She sat when Tsunade waved her toward her chair, grinning like she wanted to bite.
"So how did it go?"
"Do you remember how sad it was that I couldn't marry Naruto in Konoha without being Sasuke's widow first? Well, it turns out I had a lot of free time during this trip..."
In other words, her line of inquiry had been a big bust.
"So on the way back I got thinking about Konoha laws! It says something like 'until their first spouse has died,' doesn't it? But I bet it doesn't say anything about it being invalidated if said spouse was revived afterwards."
Tsunade smothered her laughter in her cup of tea. "I think Uchiha might object."
Sakura let out a long, fake sigh. "I think he might, too. Selfish of him, huhn. I knew I should have waited a little longer to fix him last time. Oh well, I'm sure there'll be other assassins."
+
The first time had been almost fifteen years ago, as Tsunade sent her chosen successor on his first solo diplomatic mission. Some lost valley in the mountains, well past the farthest reaches of Wind Country. Sakura had heard of their polyandrous habits and immediately -- blushing, but determined -- started campaigning to be allowed to go with. Their first and second children had been old enough to stay at their grandparents' for a couple of months then; Tsunade had given her permission and Team Seven had jauntily marched off.
When they came back Naruto was frowning, Sasuke so blank-faced it was a wonder he still bothered to breathe, and Sakura trailing her own metaphorical little raincloud.
It turned out their habit of marrying one woman to several men had been born from damaged reproductive abilities, due to being locked away in their same little valley for the last couple of centuries. The men allied in bands of three or four -- good -- and bartered, schemed, and fought others for possession of their women. And then, once "married", they locked them up so they wouldn't get knocked up by some other brotherhood. Which was so far past not good, Sakura had no words for it. She'd been livid all the way home.
"So... No marriage then?" Shizune had ventured.
Sakura had let loose a torrent of recriminations that boiled down to 'I would rather become a nun than support that mindset by getting married there', which was the end of it -- the end of mentioning that particular little trip, at least.
+
The next couple of countries had laws similar to those home, so there was no extra-curricular eloping. But the one after that was over the ocean, an ancient country, hot and lazily powerful, and while most of the leaders over there were kings, there were some queens and princesses who did more with the title than simply being the spouse of. And in deference to them, a woman could have more than one recognized, legally sanctioned lover.
There was this one last hurdle, though...