21 The Wedding

Malaria kept standing there in a daze. For the first time in these few days he's been in the shinobi-world he felt relief from the mosquitoes for at least two full seconds! What a heavenly feeling, he never knew there was such a method to alleviate the itch!

"Yamana-chan, did I ever mention that your beauty is the greatest of Konoha? You're a flower just starting to bloom, and I'm but a firefly in awe of the moon's reflection in the waters that is your beauty." Malaria immediately started buttering her up with catch-phrases from his past life, hoping she could take over his body for a little more time.

'Perhaps a Yamanaka girl would be the perfect match for my little self. It would be a dream come true if I could learn one of their spirit techniques and just screw-off, wandering like a ghost without a mosquito in sight.' Malaria thought.

"You…" Yamana clenched her fists and was about to punch Malaria on the head. As if she didn't figure out what the brat meant by saying those words. He wants her to reside in his body, feeling that monstrous itch in his place? Not a chance!

But she couldn't help but blush at the illustration this little demon is painting of herself. 'Very accurate description of my appearance. How come a little monster like him has such eloquence?' Yamana couldn't help but think.

Anko hurried to break up the quarrel that was about to erupt again. In a low voice, she whispered, "Yamana-chan, the people here are all big shots. You should not cause trouble!" Anko waved her little fist in the air, as if she would use violence to persuade her if she didn't take heed.

"Malaria-kun, just you wait – I'll get my revenge sooner or later!" Yamana said, huffing as she sat back down in her seat.

Malaria smiled, taking a kiss from this Yamanaka girl was a pretty good payout already. Realizing that spirit-techniques could give him total solace from the itch was even better. 'The future is looking brighter and brighter,' Malaria couldn't help but think.

--

The wedding continued as scheduled, while Dobito was being manipulated like a puppet from Sunagakure. After the attack Malaria gave him, he didn't have the will to continue using his Sharingan and keep the genjutsu self-hypnosis going.

Someone in the backstage was using chakra threads to make him walk around like a zombie. Malaria meanwhile felt drowsy just sitting there waiting for all of this to be over. He couldn't wait for the buffet to begin and stuff his little gullet with Akimichi delicacies.

The students from Konoha Ninja Academy were chatting in low voices, almost whispering to eachother. "Look, Uchiha Dobito looks just like a puppet." They mumbled.

"It's all Malaria's fault. To think he even said that Dobito and Himawari are truly in love. Only a fool would believe any of that." One student whispered scornfully.

"I do not know if there is true love in this world ruled by benefit, but I do know that my true love has been destroyed by Malaria-kun." Akimichi Boruto couldn't help but cut into the conversation. He simply refused to forget about Himawari, despite his 'experience'.

"Two of the academy goddesses are sitting next to that scoundrel Malaria. This is completely unfair!" Hyuuga Hiashi was maliciously staring and ready to counter any of Malaria's attempts of poking at Hikari's body.

"Uchiha Dobito is the one that's truly pitiful. He's finally seen his crush again, but Malaria launched another critical blow to his heart. To think he even dared force a kiss on Yamanaka Yamana!" The Senju clansman commented.

"Dobito had some consciousness before, but he's only a shell of his former self now. Look closely and you can see the chakra-strings guiding his every movement." The Uchiha little beauty couldn't help but say with her Sharingan activated.

"I can't believe that Malaria took the chance to desecrate Goddess Yamana in front of so many people. He deserves a death sentence!" The passer-by student felt indignant.

"Get over it, bro. Malaria is the unethical Yamaha-sensei's favourite student. And I've even heard from the grapevine that Danzo-sama looks favourably at that devil." The Uchiha little beauty snorted.

"What do you know? I just hate Malaria for his public display of love through his impossibly thick shamelessness!" The passer-by student retorted. Why can't he ignore his upbringing, confess, and even act unscrupulously like that demon? Bloody hell.

Yamanaka Yamana gnashed her teeth in anger. Listening in on their conversations she swore that she would hang Malaria by a rope and beat him with a stick the first chance she gets.

"The bride and groom will exchange their vows. May you have a long and happy marriage, blessed by new little shoots that will grow to become the new Akichiha-branch of the Akimichi- and Uchiha clans." The proctor solemnly bowed to the couple, and then to the guests.

After they exchanged a pair of rings, Himawari rose on her tiptoes and gave Dobito a wild French kiss to seal the deal. Malaria immediately felt refreshed from his drowsiness. He felt his intestines were bubbling and he almost started vomiting. This picture was too nauseating.

The Konoha Ninja Academy students sitting on the seats behind Malaria drilled his back with contemptuous eyes. Were they truly in love? Malaria couldn't even watch it himself, and he called it 'true love'. What a brazen bastard!

Hikari couldn't help but curiously ask, "Malaria, why did you do this to Uchiha Dobito?" Hearing her question, the other students in the back pricked their ears. They were also interested in the reason he ruined another man's life.

Taking a deep breath, Malaria explained seriously, "He was a brutal man, petty and dangerous. How could I ignore him as a man of incredible integrity and tremendous justice? Don't forget that my goal is to save Konoha during these times of war."

Everyone was stunned in place. They might've believed him if they did not know how shameless Malaria is. A man of integrity and justice? Save Konoha during the war? Are you sure you can do any of that in the near future?

Hikari glanced at Malaria with disdain. What sort of non-answer was this? Then, she asked another question, "You pulverized Akimichi Boruto's privates because...?"

"You already know the answer, right? Because he can't have any delusions about Himawari!" answered Malaria quickly.

Shameless!

This was just too shameless!

All the students were shocked by how brazen Malaria could be, spouting nonsense like some sort of fountain. "Are you kidding me?" Hikari's eyebrows couldn't help but twitch in irritation.

No matter what angle she used to scrutinize this scoundrel, she couldn't find the prophesized saviour of Konoha. If anything, placing him face first in front Konoha's gate, and the village would turn invulnerable to attacks from his face's thickness.

Malaria sighed, "Everyone in this world is drunk, and I'm the only one sober enough to figure these things out. You are too illiterate and uneducated to understand my matters."

All the Academy students were incensed by his words. He's the one doing all these terrible things to their classmates, and yet he dares to scorn them for being stupid in the end. All of this is just too atrocious.

"Now, Mr. Akimichi Narute will give us a short speech to commemorate the occasion." The proctor left the stage with a smile on his face.

'Clap, clap, clap'

Together with all the guest's applause, Narute walked on the stage with a spring in his step and said, "Thank you for attending my daughter's wedding this fine day. Now, please enjoy yourself with my Akimichi clan's finest dishes."

Konoha Mountain Villa turned full of exclamations and happy voices the next second. Fireworks done through Uchiha clansmen using fireball techniques on repeat flew through the air, and waiters started shuffling around serving food to all the tables.

Just as Malaria was about to dig into his meal, Akimichi Narute approached and struck a conversation, "Malaria-kun, please wait for just a moment."

Malaria looked at Narute in confusion. They haven't met before and didn't know each other from some other place. Why did the father of the bride interrupt his mealtime?

"Malaria-kun, you are the greatest contributor to my daughter's merry wedding. I've prepared a special gift just for you." Akimichi Narute clapped his hands, and a great number of men from the Akimichi clan approached carrying something large.

"Winged Mechanical Device, from the ruins of the Land of the Sky!" Everyone near the buffet exclaimed. This was an incredibly rare gift – nobody knew there still was some functioning artifacts left from that country's destruction.

As far as they know, every single one of these gliders were top-of-the-line creations and were extremely scarce among the shinobi of that country. Not even 10 could be counted during the battles that year. To think that the Akimichi had managed to get their hands on one was a miracle in itself.

Unknown to the attendee's, this 'reconnaissance'-device had just started production when Konoha struck the Land of the Sky to ruins. Now that many years have passed, the survivors were mass producing this thing for use in their upcoming revenge.

Narrowing his eyes after thinking of those matters, Malaria asked thoughtfully, "What's the reason for generosity of this level, Mr. Akimichi?"

"Haha. Your teacher is one of my best friends from childhood. I heard that he might be specially promoted to Jonin just to keep you company in the days ago come. This device is too lightweight to carry any of my Akimichi clan's fine shinobi, and your team could use the extra mobility." Narute guffawed.

Narute tried to pat Malaria's shoulder but missed just like Sakumo did. Looking at the brat who was looking at him warily, he leaned in and whispered, "Actually, this thing was going to get taken away by Shimura Danzo-sama in the near future. I figured I might just as well give it to you."

Malaria's pupils contracted. 'Did Akimichi Narute have dealings with Danzo? Otherwise, why would he mention…' A lightbulb seemed to go off in Malaria's head. The higherups must have already deemed him one of Danzo's people at this point.

'Could it be…' Malaria looked at a certain shadowy corner of the hotel and saw his Root Anbu gently nodding his head. Suddenly, he understood everything. He was already acknowledged by Danzo-sama himself!

Akimichi Narute smiled, "For my old friend's sake, let's just leave it at that. I assure you that this device will be able to carry you as soon as you've got enough chakra to get it flying."

"So, you were my teacher's childhood friend?" Malaria exclaimed. "Doesn't that make you my Uncle Narute?" Not at all feeling ashamed stretching the 'family'-card like a rubber band, he acted like a child should when receiving gifts – ecstatic.

"Hahaha, that's right – you are my good little nephew!" Narute reached down and hugged Malaria warmly and said, "Now, take your time and enjoy the delicacies my Akimichi clans' finest chefs have prepared for the occasion." Giving Malaria a hearty pat on the back, Narute then stood back up preparing to leave.

Almost spasming from the hundreds of squashed mosquitoes from Narute's over enthusiastic hug, Malaria could only force out a 'happy' nod of his head. Watching Akimichi Narute walking away, Hikari, Yamana, and Anko were left completely confused.

Soon after, Malaria almost keeled over from the maddening itch that was spreading all over his back. How should he deal with this matter? Perhaps a jump into the juice-fountain to cool off could be a solution…

Suzuki Yamaha sighed when he saw Malaria squirming like a worm forced to stay upright. That he must remain together with that little devil for years to come will be a difficult ordeal, but he would see it through.

"Do you know who Malaria's parents are? Does either of you know them?" Hikari curiously asked Yamana while glancing at Anko.

Yamanaka Yamana looked at little Anko, who had spent the most time together with Malaria before the event known as 'Malaria's Mind Break' happened. Anko shook her head, indicating that she never met them before at any point.

Yamana could only respond with, "After the Police Station mosquito-event was over, I heard the Aburame claiming that Malaria had been kicked out of the clan, and that he might be of Shimura descent. Why he was raised in the Aburame clan is a mystery."

At this moment, Suzuki Yamaha approached the girls and said, "All right, stop standing around here and get something to eat. You will know what you should know, and you'd better not try to know what you shouldn't know."

The girls nodded their heads obediently and went to pick up some plates, but they were still under the impression that Malaria's parents weren't that simple. Otherwise, why would Yamaha-sensei warn them like that?

They all remembered the discussion collectively and decided to ask their own families who Malaria's parents truly are. The entire matter reeks of 'scandals', 'important personage', and 'hidden secrets'.