I do not own Naruto, or Santa Claus (Is Santa even copyrighted?).
Konohagakure, three days before Christmas"Ohayo, Ino-chan! Merry Christmas!"
"Oh, hey, Naruto…Merry Christmas to you, too."
Our favorite '#1, Hyperactive, Unpredictable, Knuckleheaded, Luckiest-Ninja-Alive' cocked his head in confusion.
"What's wrong?" he inquired.
"Oh, it's…nothing…"
He frowned.
"Ino, I may be dense, oblivious, and an idiot, but you can't fool me. I know something is bothering you. And you know I'm stubborn enough to bug you until I find out what, so spill."
She sighed.
"It's just…my dad…he was assigned a mission and…"
"Yes…?"
"It doesn't seem…he'll be home for Christmas."
She shook her head, wiping tears away.
"I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't make a big deal about it, since you never had anyone to celebrate with until Team 7, but…"
"It still doesn't feel right without him, right?"
Ino nodded sadly.
"I'm sorry, Naruto. I've gotta go. I promised Kurenai-sensei I'd watch her kid while she went shopping," she said, and walked away.
Naruto shrugged and continued on his way. He soon encountered Hanabi and Hinata.
"Hey, Hanabi-chan! Merry Christmas!"
"What's so merry about it?"
He blinked in confusion.
"Exsqueeze me?"
"I believe the term Hanabi-chan is looking for is 'bah, humbug'," Hinata clarified.
"You are kidding me. We've got a Scrooge?" Naruto joked, ruffling Hanabi's hair.
She swatted his hand away playfully.
"I don't see the big deal," she grumbled. "It's an excuse to go bankrupt buying gifts nobody really needs and eat like a pig."
"I resemble that remark," Naruto joked dryly.
(AN: It's true; have you seen the guy eat? Not just ramen, either…he could beat Chouji in an eating contest hands-down!)
Hanabi reddened.
"Sorry, Naruto-san."
Naruto sighed with a grin.
"I've told you before, Hanabi-chan. Call me nii-san."
"Hai."
She noticed the
Konohamaru Corps waving wildly from a block away.
"Excuse me,
nee-sama, Naruto-san. My friends need me."
She scampered away.
"There's somethin' eatin' her, Hina-chan. Something that makes Christmas…painful…for her."
Hinata sighed.
"Hai Christmas has always been a rather…somber occasion at our house. Hanabi used to love Christmas-so did Father…until…"
"Yes?" Naruto prodded, sensing more.
"My mother…she was like a second mother to Hanabi, in fact, more of a mother than her own…"
"Wait one sec. I'm confused. You two have different mothers?"
"Hai. My mother almost died when she birthed me-she wasn't meant to have children, and was very sickly. The clan Elders…considered her an 'unworthy' wife, and sterilized her, then forced father into a marriage with her twin sister."
Naruto closed his eyes, wincing.
"Anyway, my mother loved Christmas. It was the one time a year when she really came alive and Kami help anyone who got in the way of her preparations, or who tried to interfere with her having us help."
Hinata chuckled.
"Father once got a frying pan thrown at his head when he tried to take me for training. Mother's next words were 'Kaiten or not, next time I don't miss.'"
Naruto laughed.
"Then, one Christmas, she just…left."
"Left? As in died?"
Hinata nodded, crying.
"We found her Christmas morning. Father and Hanabi have never been the same since, especially around this time of year."
Naruto hummed thoughtfully.
"Naruto-kun? What…"
He grinned in a way that made Hinata nervous.
"Hina-chan, it'll be alright. Get ready for a Christmas miracle."
He vanished in a swirl of wind.
"Do I even want to know?" Hinata mumbled. "No, probably not."
Christmas Eve, Yamanaka Flower ShopIno and her mother sat at their kitchen table, sipping mugs of cocoa.
"It doesn't feel like Christmas Eve without him," Mrs. Yamanaka lamented.
"Yeah," Ino sighed.
A thumping from the roof caught their attention.
"What was…?"
The
thumping seemed to be coming from the chimney, now.
"Mom, get back," Ino cautioned, drawing senbon.
A man thumped down into
the fireplace.
"Naruto?" Ino asked, blinking rapidly.
"Yee-ouch! Hot hot hot hot hot!" Naruto yelped, doing the 'flaming rump' dance.
A well-placed Suiton from Ino doused the flames.
"Naruto, what the hell?"
Naruto, dressed in the same orange-and-black Santa suit from last year, grinned as he hefted a bag over his shoulder.
"Ho ho ho, Ino-chan. Merry Christmas. I've got a gift for a certain kunoichi."
"Not now, Naruto. I'm not in the mood."
"On the contrary, I think you'll want this very much."
The door opened. Ino's heart leapt.
"DADDY!" she yelled, throwing herself at him.
"Easy, princess. I'm still sore from the mission," Inoichi replied with a slight smile.
Ino whirled to face Naruto.
"How in the world did you…?"
He grinned.
"That's a secret, Ino-chan," he teased, going back to the fireplace. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got one more miracle to deliver."
He laid a finger beside his nose and nodded, vanishing up the chimney in a whirl of smoke.
"Are those…sleigh bells?" Inoichi asked, cocking his head. Hey ran to their window. The sight that greeted them stunned them beyond words.
Hyuuga ResidenceHiashi, Hanabi, Neji, Hinata, and Tenten (there to spend Christmas with her teammate, as she had no family of her own) bustled around a fire as Hinata and Tenten tried-unsuccessfully-to start a round of carols as they decorated.
A sudden gust of wind blew out the fire in the fireplace and the candles in the room as Naruto descended the chimney, landing feet-first this time.
"Naruto-kun? What…?"
He glanced around.
"You weren't kidding, Hinata. The Grinch's place had more Christmas cheer than this place."
"Naruto-san, why are you here?" Neji asked.
Naruto waggled a finger.
"Tonight, I'm not Naruto. I'm filling in for Santa and bringing the miracles of Christmas to those who need them most. In fact…" he continued, rummaging around in his sack, "I have something for you all."
He pulled out two crystals and threw them to the floor, shattering them.
A warm wind swept the house and began swirling in a red cyclone. Hiashi, Hinata, Neji, and Hanabi stiffened as a woman who resembled Hinata and Hanabi and a man with a striking resemblance to both Neji and Hiashi stepped out of the tornado.
"Mother…" Hinata whispered.
"Father…" Neji said in shock.
"Hiashi… Mitsuki…" Hiashi muttered.
"KAA-SAN!" Hanabi screamed in joy. She turned back to Naruto and glomped him.
"Naruto! How… Why…" Neji stuttered, speechless.
Naruto gave a warm smile as he backed away.
"Let's just say our favorite fuzzball has…connections. You get forty-eight hours to spend with them each year-Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Spend them well." He said, returning to the chimney.
Tenten was happy for her friends, and yet sorrowful also. Neji noticed this.
"Tenten, would you like to meet my father?" he asked softly.
Naruto decided not to leave, sensing another miracle on the way.
"Father, this is Tenten, my teammate. The girl who was found abandoned at the gates?"
"Ah, yes. Nice to meet you, Tenten-san."
The Anki blushed.
"Arigato, sir, but I shouldn't intrude on your family's time with you or your sister-in-law."
"But, Tenten, they're your family also," Neji replied gently, "or at least, I hope they will be…"
Tenten stepped back, stunned.
"Neji, are you…?"
He fished a small box from his pocket and dropped to one knee.
"Tenten…will you become my wife?"
She nodded silently, tears in her eyes.
"My work here is done," Naruto said to himself.
Hinata gasped, causing the others to turn as Naruto rose up the chimney once more.
A scraping sound, followed by the distinctive jingling of sleigh bells, caused them to race to the window.
An orange-and-black sleigh, pulled by eight very disgusted summoned foxes wearing reindeer antlers, circled overhead. Gamakichi and Gamatatsu, both dressed as elves, leapt in place merrily. Naruto's voice rang out.
"On Dasher! On Dancer! On Prancer and Vixen! On Comet! On Cupid! On Donner and Blitzen! Let's go, boys! Munchies on me!"
"He really is Santa," Hanabi said in a hushed, awed tone.
As the sleigh streaked off in a blaze of kitsune-bi (Foxfire), Naruto's voice called out once more.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL, A GOOD NIGHT!"