1. Name: Justine
Age: 20
Family: Kisame
Looks: pink hair in ponytail, blue eyes, black dress and gray combat boots.
Past: separated from her brother when her father took her to the hidden leaf village. She graduated from the academy at 12, became an anbu at 14, and is on Team Power Surge.
Element: none
Weapon(s): shurikens and kunais.
Teammates: everyone in the akasutki
2. Name: Cody
Age: 20
Family: Naruto
Looks: Sasuke type hair, black eyes, black shorts, gloves, and black tank top.
Past: raised Naruto since birth. Graduated academy at 10. Became anbu at 12 and captain at 13.
Element: wind
Weapon(s): shurikens, kunais, katana (right-shoulder back), and two-headed spear.
Teammates: Haru Haruno and Sano Uchiha
3. Name: Haru Haruno
Age: 19
Family: Sakura
Looks: grayish-blue hair with pink ends, teal eyes, wears headband around neck, gray shirt, blue pants, or black anbu outfit.
Past: graduated academy at 9, became anbu at 11.
Element(s): earth, water, and lightning.
Teammates: Cody Uzumaki and Sano Uchiha
4. Name: Sano Uchiha
Age: 19
Family: Sasuke
Looks: short black hair, black eyes, red pants and red kimono top
Past: same as Sasuke's. Graduated at the same time as Haru.
Weapon(s): Hook and Sword
Teammates: Haru Haruno and Cody Uzumaki
DECEMBER 23
6 A.M.
FOOTPRINTS CAN BE SEEN IN THE SNOW AS CODY WENT TO MEET HIS TEAMMATE HARU. AS CODY TURNED THE CORNER TO THE TRAINING GROUND, JUSTINE CAME RUNNING TOWARDS HIM, OUT OF BREATH. "WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?" CODY ASKED. "HARU IS IN A FIGHT WITH COMA UNIVERSAL COSMIC," SHE SAID. CODY JUST SHOOK HIS HEAD, "NOT AGAIN."
THEY RAN TO THE TRAINING GROUND JUST IN TIME TO SEE HARU GET PUNCHED IN THE BACK AND FALL DOWN. CODY RAN OVER AND SENT COMA FLYING INTO THE FENCE WITH A GUST OF WIND FROM HIS SPEAR. "DO YOU LIKE GETTING HURT?" JUSTINE ASKED WITH HER HANDS ON HER HIPS. HARU SMILED, "YES I DO." "YOU'RE AN IDIOT," SAID CODY ANGRILY, "SANO'S GONNA BE SO MAD." CODY TURNED AND YELLED AT POWER SURGE FOR NOT STOPPING HIS TEAMMATE. POWER SURGE AND HIS TEAM LEFT, INCLUDING JUSTINE. CODY AND HARU WENT TO TRAINING.
11:30 A.M.
AS TRAINING FOR CODY AND HARU WAS WINDING DOWN, JUSTINE APPEARED WITH SANO "I'M SORRY FOR WHAT MY STUPID TEAMMATE DID," JUSTINE SAID. CODY SMILED, "THAT'S O.K. IT WAS HARU'S FAULT." JUSTINE NODDED AND LEFT. SANO LOOKED AT CODY AND HARU, "LET'S GO GET SOMETHING TO EAT." HARU NODDED AND JUMPED UP AND DOWN. CODY SMACKED HARU UPSIDE THE HEAD, "SETTLE DOWN, HARU, OR I'LL KILL YOU." "HA HA VERY FUNNY, CAPTAIN." MIMICKED HARU. SANO HAD STARTED TO LEAVE, AND HARU AND CODY RAN TO CATCH UP.
12 NOON, RAMEN SHOP
SANO, CODY, AND HARU WERE EATING A PEACEFUL LUNCH WITH NARUTO, SASUKE, AND SAKURA. WHEN SUDDENLY HARU JUMPED, BECAUSE HOT RAMEN HAD BEEN POURED ON HIM. "WHO THE HELL DID THAT?" YELLED HARU. "ARE YOU O.K., NII-SAN?" SAKURA ASKED. "YES. BUT I STILL WANT TO KNOW WHO DID THAT," SAID HARU. HARU LOOKS UP AND SEES A PORTAL WITH COMA IN IT LAUGHING, "HA HA. I DUMPED RAMEN ON YOU." THEN THE PORTAL AND COMA VANISHED.
POWER SURGE AND TEAM WALKED IN, AND HARU JUMPED UP AND STARTED YELLING AT COMA FOR DUMPING RAMEN ON HIM. COMA TOOK OFFENSE TO THAT AND SAID, "I DIDN'T DO IT. I WAS WITH THEM THE ENTIRE TIME." AND SO 'THE BLAME GAME' BETWEEN HARU AND COMA WENT ON FOR ABOUT FIVE MINUTES UNTIL HARU BALLED HIS FIST AND WENT TO HIT COMA. INSTEAD OF HITTING COMA, HE HAD HIS FIST PULLED BACK BY CODY. "YOU ARE GETTING OUT OF HAND," SAID CODY AND SAKURA AT THE SAME TIME. CODY USED HIS WIND JUTSU TO SEND HARU FLYING INTO THE WALL. "OW, THAT HURT. DAMN IT, CODY! YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?" YELLED HARU. "NO," SAID CODY. HE TURNED TO POWER SURGE AND APOLOGIZED. THEN TEAM KAKASHI AND TEAM GORE LEFT THE RAMEN SHOP AT 1 P.M. AND WENT TO TRAIN SOME MORE FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS.
3:30 P.M.
CODY AND SANO HAD FINISHED THEIR SPARRING MATCH AT THE SAME TIME AS NARUTO AND SASUKE DID. HARU AND SAKURA WERE SITTING UNDER A TREE TALKING ABOUT DIFFERENT MEDICAL JUSTUS.
CODY WALKED OVER AND SAID, "WHICH IS MORE ANNOYING: YOU TALKING ABOUT MEDICAL CRAP OR YOU TRYING TO WIN?" "HOW ABOUT NEITHER," ANSWERED A SMILING JUSTINE. EVERYONE LOOKED AT JUSTINE IN SURPRISE. "AREN'T YOU SUPPOSED TO BE WITH YOUR TEAM?" ASKED CODY. "YES, BUT I WANTED TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE CHRISTMAS EVE PARTY TOMORROW AT 6 O'CLOCK," SHE SAID, "EVERYONE IN THE VILLAGE IS GOING." "IF EVERYONE'S GOING COUNT ME OUT," HISSED HARU, "I DON'T WANT TO BE AROUND COMA." JUSTINE SMILED, "COMA SAID YOU'D SAY THAT." "HARU, YOU'RE GOING," SANO SAID. "YEA, HARU. IT'LL BE FUN," AGREED NARUTO AND SAKURA. "SHOULD BE AS LONG AS YOU'RE WITH PEOPLE YOU LOVE," NOTED SASUKE. CODY LAUGHED, "GUESS HE'S NOT GOING THEN." HE TURNED TO JUSTINE, "WE'LL BE THERE." "O.K.," SAID JUSTINE. SHE THEN LEFT.
4 P.M.
CODY SUGGESTED GOING TO THE B-B-Q GRILL PLACE TO GET DINNER. EVERYONE AGREED.
4:30 P.M.
WHEN THE 6 OF THEM WALKED INTO THE B-B-Q PLACE, SANO POINTED, " THERE'S JUSTINE. LET'S JOIN HER. CODY YOU SIT BY HER. HARU SIT BY ME." THEY WENT OVER TO JUSTINE. CODY SAT DOWN BY JUSTINE. HARU AND SANO SAT OPPOSITE TO THEM. NARUTO, SAKURA AND SASUKE WENT AND SAT WITH SHIKAMARU, INO, AND CHOJI.
AS THEY WERE EATING, JUSTINE STARTED FELLING SICK. "CODY, COULD YOU WALK ME HOME, PLEASE?" JUSTINE ASKED SHYLY. CODY SAID, "SURE. HARU AND SAKURA CAN COME WITH US." JUSTINE SAID SICKLY, "CODY."
5 P.M.
CODY AND JUSTINE WALKED TO JUSTINE'S HOUSE. " THAT WAS NICE. THANKS, CODY," SAID JUSTINE. CODY SMILED, "YOU'RE WELCOME." JUSTINE WENT INSIDE AND CODY WALKED AWAY DOWN THE STREET TOWARDS THE HARUNO HOUSE. HARU AND SAKURA HAD JUST WENT IN THROUGH THE SHOP DOOR. CODY OPENED THE DOOR. "WE'RE CLOSED," SAID HARU AS HE TURNED ON THE LIGHT TO SEE CODY. " WHAT DO YOU NEED, CAPTAIN?" SAID HARU SARCASTICALLY. " YOU ARE GOING TO THE PARTY WHETHER YOU WANT TO ARE NOT," SAID CODY. "FINE, I'LL GO," MUMBLED HARU, "NOW IF YOU DON'T MIND WE'RE GOING TO GET READY FOR BED. GOODNIGHT, CAPTAIN." "GOODNIGHT, HARU," SAID CODY.
7 P.M.
HE WALKED HOME TO FIND THE DOOR OPENED. HE LOOKED INSIDE AND SAW NARUTO ON THE COUCH WITH TWO CATS ON HIS LAP. "NARUTO, WHAT'S THIS," ASKED CODY. "CATS," SAID NARUTO GLEEFULLY, "CAN WE KEEP THEM, NII-SAN? PLEASE?" CODY SMILED. "O.K. BUT WE NEED…." "ALREADY GOT WHAT WE NEED," NARUTO HAPPILY SAID. "ALRIGHT THEN. LET'S GET TO BED," CODY SAID. AND THEY DID GET TO BED AT 8:30 P.M.
DECEMBER 24
8 A.M.
"DON'T LEAVE ME, CODY," A VOICE SAID. "I WON'T," CODY YELLED AS HE JARRED HIMSELF AWAKE. 'A NIGHTMARE' THOUGHT CODY 'NO. THE MISSION 5 YEARS AGO. WHY DID I DREAM OF THAT?'A KNOCK ON THE WINDOW BROUGHT CODY OUT OF HIS THOUGHTS. HE LOOKED TO SEE HARU ON HIS BALCONY. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, HARU?" HE ASKED AFTER OPENING HIS WINDOW. "SEEING IF YOUR AWAKE, CAPTIAN," HARU SAID WITH A SMILE, "SANO WANTS TO KNOW IF YOUR UP FOR SOME TRAINING BEFORE THE PARTY." CODY NODDED, "YOU GONNA TRAIN, TOO?" "NO," REPLIED HARU, "SAKURA TOLD TSUNADE I'D HELP DECORATE FOR THE PARTY. SPEAKING OF THAT: IS NARUTO HOME? HE'S HELPING, TOO." AFTER HARU SAID THAT, NARUTO WALKED IN, "NII-SAN, BREAKFAST." "HARU, THERE'S YOUR ANSWER," CODY SAID, "TELL SANO I'LL MEET HIM AT THE TRAINING GROUND IN 4 HOURS. I HAVE SOME SHOPPING TO DO." HARU NODDED, "HAI, CAPTIAN. I'LL TELL HIM. OH, NARUTO. SAKURA WANTS YOU TO GO GET SASUKE AND HEAD TO THE ACADEMY. WITHOUT ARGUING SHE SAID." NARUTO NODDED AND LEFT. THEN HARU LEFT TO GO TELL SANO.
11 A.M.
CODY HAS GOTTEN GIFTS FOR HIS TEAM AND TEAM KAKASHI, BUT STILL NEEDED TO GET A GIFT FOR JUSTINE. AS HE WAS LOOKING FOR A GIFT, HE STARTED THINKING ABOUT HIS DREAM.
*FLASHBACK*
DECEMBER 24 9 A.M.
CODY AND HIS TEAM HAD BEEN CALLED INTO THE HOKAGE'S OFFICE, "I HAVE A MISSION FOR YOU THREE." "WHAT IS IT HOKAGE-SAMA?" CODY ASKED. "A RESCUE MISSION," SAID THE HOKAGE. "WHO NEEDS RESCUING?" ASKED SANO. "JUSTINE," CAME THE REPLY. CORY GASPED, "NOT HER." "YES. YOU MUST LEAVE IDEM….." CODY AND HIS TEAM WERE GONE BEFORE THE HOKAGE COULD FINISH HIS SENTENCE.
THE TEAM HAD GOTTEN TO THE SEA BY NOON. THEY BOARDED A BOAT AND SET OFF.
DECEMBER 25, NOON
THEY ARRIVED IN THE WHIRLPOOL COUNTRY. AND SET OFF TO FIND JUSTINE. BY NIGHTFALL THEY FOUND HER AND HER CAPTIVES: A GROUP OF 10 ROUGE NINS. "LET'S SNEAK UP ON THEM," SAID SANO. "NO. A FULL FRONTAL ATTACK," SAID CODY. "YOU'RE BOTH NUTS," COMPLAINED HARU. THE THREE COULDN'T DECIDE WHAT TO DO. SO THEY ATTACKED FROM THREE DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS: CODY ATTACKED FROM THE FRONT, SANO FROM THE REAR, AND HARU MADE A SHADOW CLONE AND ATTACKED FROM BOTH SIDES.
9 OF 10 NINS WERE DEFEATED. THE 10TH NIN GRABBED JUSTINE AND FLED. TEAM GORE WENT AFTER HIM."EARTH STYLE: MUDSLIDE JUTSU," SHOUTED HARU. THE NIN WENT DOWN AND JUSTINE WENT WITH HIM. "DON'T LEAVE ME, CODY," SHE SCREAMED. "I WON'T," SAID CODY AS HE PULLED HER TO SAFETY.
*END FLASHBACK*
11:45 A.M.
CODY HAD JUST GOT JUSTINE HER GIFT. NOW HE HEADED TO THE TRAINING GROUNDS TO MEET SANO.
NOON
CODY ARRIVED AT THE TRAINING GROUNDS TO SEE SANO FINISHING HIS LUNCH. HE SET THE BAGS DOWN AND SMILED AT SANO, "I SEE HARU FOUND YOU," HE SAID. "YEA AND HE TOLD YOU," CODY REPLIED, "SHALL WE BEGIN?" "HAI," SANO SAID. THEY GOT INTO THEIR STANCES AND BEGAN.
WHILE THEY WERE SPARRING, CODY ASKED, "WHAT DO YOU THINK OF JUSTINE?" "SHE'S A GOOD PERSON. YOU SHOULD ASK HER OUT," SANO SUGGESTED. "I PLAN TO TONIGHT. AND YOU SHOULD ASK HARU," CORY SAID. "MAYBE I WILL," SMILED SANO. THEY CONTINUED TO SPAR FOR ABOUT 5 HOURS.
5 P.M.
CODY AND SANO FINISHED SPARRING JUST AS JUSTINE CAME UP AND GRABBED SANO'S HAND, "HELP ME PICK OUT AN OUTFIT. PLEASE, SANO." "SURE, JUSTINE," SANO SAID. THEN THEY LEFT AND HARU APPEARED, "READY FOR THE PARTY, CAPTIAN?" HE ASKED. "NO. I NEED TO CHANGE. HAVE AN EXTRA TUX I CAN WEAR?" ASKED CODY. HARU NODDED AND THEY LEFT.
6 P.M.
EVERYONE HAD HEADED TO THE PARTY. WHEN CODY AND HARU ARRIVED GIFTS WERE BEING EXCHANGED. THEY FOUND THEIR FRIENDS AND STARTED HANDING OUT GIFTS.
JUSTINE HAD GIVEN:
SASUKE, NARUTO, AND SAKURA: KUNAIS; EACH WITH THEIR FAVORITE COLORS
KAKASHI: JOKEBOOK
HARU: NOTEBOOK
SANO: HOOKS
CODY:SPEAR NECKLACE
THEN
SANO HAD GIVEN:
NARUTO: STUFFED FOX
CODY: BLACK COMBAT BOOTS
KAKASHI: EYEPATCH
JUSTINE:SWORD
HARU: ONE BLUE GLOVE
THEN
HARU HAD GIVEN:
NARUTO AND SASUKE: HEART NECKLACES
SANO: DAIMOND EARRINGS
SAKURA: MED KIT
CODY:FLAME SWORD
JUSTINE: GEMS
THEN
AND CODY HAD GIVEN:
NARUTO: RAMEN
SAKURA WHITE MED GLOVES
KAKASHI: BLACK MASK
SASUKE: GREAT SHURIKAN
SANO: SKULL NECKLACE
HARU: SKULL EARRING
JUSTINE: ROSE
"NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO OPEN GIFTS UNTIL 8 P.M." TSUNADE SAID.
7 P.M.
AFTER EVERYONE EXCHANGED GIFTS, TSUNADE SAID "GAME TIME." SOME OF THE VILLAGERS SHOUTED "TRUTH OR DARE" WHILE OTHERS WANTED "SPIN THE BOTTLE." "HOW ABOUT SECRET LETTERS," SUGGESTED HARU. "HOW DO YOU PLAY?" ASKED TSUNADE. HARU SMILED, "WRITE DOWN THE NAMES OF EVERYONE PRESENT. EACH PERSON GETS A NAME. THEY GO UP TO THE STAGE AND SAY SOMETHING THE PERSON ON THE PAPER WOULD SAY. EVERYONE ELSE GUESSES WHO IT IS." CODY SHOOK HIS HEAD, SO DID A FEW OTHERS. "I SEE NO CATCH," SAID TSUNADE. "WELL," HARU SMILED DEVILISHLY, "IF EVERYONE GETS IT WRONG YOU HAVE TO KISS THE PERSON ON THE PAPER." "INTERESTING," SAID TSUNADE, "LET'S PLAY." SO EVERYONE WROTE THEIR NAMES ON PIECES OF PAPER. THE GAME WAS FUN, A LOT OF PEOPLE GOT OTHERS WRONG, INCLUDING ALL THE SENSEIS.
7:45 P.M.
AFTER ALMOST AN HOUR OF PLAYING THE GAME WAS OVER. CODY HAD TO DO AN IMPRESSION OF HARU; HARU OF SASUKE; SASUKE OF NARUTO; NARUTO OF SAKURA; SAKURA OF SANO; SANO OF JUSTINE; AND JUSTINE OF CODY. NONE OF THEM GOT THEIRS WRONG.
8 P.M.
AFTER THE GAME EVERYONE DECIDED TO OPEN THEIR GIFTS. THANK YOUS WERE EXCHANGED. COMA'S GIFTS WERE OPENED LAST ONLY BECAUSE HE WAS KNOWN TO PULL PRANKS.
AFTER GIFT OPENING, MOST STARTED LEAVING. ABOUT 10 MINUTES LATER, ONLY THE SENSEIS, TEAMS 7, 8, 9, 10, GORE, AND POWER SURGE, TSUNADE, AND A SELECT OTHERS WERE LEFT. HARU GRABBED CODY'S SHOULDER AND WHISPERED, "I KNOW A GOOD WAY TO GET A KISS FROM JUSTINE." "HOW?" ASKED CODY. "THE MISTLETOE," REPLIED HARU. HE WALKED OVER TO JUSTINE AND SANO, "JUSTINE, ANKO WANTS TO TALK TO YOU OVER THERE." HE POINTED TO THE AREA UNDER THE MISTLETOE. JUSTINE NODDED AND WENT OVER THERE. CODY FOLLOWED. UNDER THE MISTLETOE THEY KISSED, "WILL YOU BE MY GIRLFRIEND?" ASKED CODY. "YES," ANSWERED JUSTINE. MEANWHILE HARU AND SANO SHARED A KISS. "IT'S GOOD THEY'RE TOGETHER," HARU SAID. "YES, IT IS. I LOVE YOU, HARU," SANO SAID SMILING. CODY AND JUSTINE WALKED BACK OVER JUST IN TIME TO HEAR TSUNADE SAY "PARTY'S OVER."
9 P.M.
AFTER THE PARTY, CODY WALKED JUSTINE HOME. OUTSIDE HER HOUSE THEY KISSED AND SAID GOODNIGHT. CODY LEFT, WALKED DOWN THE STREET JUST IN TIME TO SEE SANO AND HARU KISS. SANO LEFT. CODY WALKED OVER, "SO YOU TWO ARE GOING OUT AS WELL, HARU?" "YES. WE'VE BEING FOR 3 YEARS," SAID HARU, "GOODNIGHT, CAPTIAN." "NIGHT, HARU" CODY WALKED AWAY AND WENT HOME. WHEN HE GOT HOME, HE WENT TO BED AND DREAMT HAPPY THINGS: SUCH AS JUSTINE.
DECEMBER 25
9 P.M.
"CHRISTMAS," SHOUTED 3 YOUNG VOICES IN THE UZUMAKI HOUSEHOLD. CODY GOT UP AND WENT OUT TO THE LIVING ROOM TO SEE WHAT WAS THE COMMOTION. CODY LOOKED AROUND AND SAW UNEXPECTED GUESTS: HARU, SAKURA, SANO, SASUKE, AND JUSTINE. "NICE BOXERS, CAPTIAN," SAID HARU. "MERRY CHRISTMAS, NII-SAN," YELLED NARUTO AS HE HUGGED CODY. "SAME TO YOU, NARUTO," SAID CODY, "AND VERY FUNNY HARU." HARU JUST SMILED. JUSTINE WALKS OVER TO CODY, "MERRY CHRISTMAS, CODY-KUN." CODY LEANED DOWN AND GAVE HER A SEARING KISS. "IF YOU TWO ARE GOING TO DO THAT," SAID SAKURA. "GET A ROOM," SUGGESTED SASUKE AND SANO. "LATER," SAID CODY, "SO, WHO WAS SHOUTING THIS MORNING?" 3 HANDS WENT UP AS NARUTO, SASUKE, AND SAKURA STARTED LAUGHING. "LET'S OPEN PRESENTS," SAID SANO. "FROM SANTA," SHOUTED NARUTO AND HARU HAPPILY. "YOU TWO ARE CRAZY," SAID CODY. SO THEY SPENT MOST OF THE MORNING OPENING PRESENTS.
1 P.M.
EVERYONE FINISHED OPENING PRESENTS AND EATING. THE GIRLS AND SANO DECIDED TO GO SHOPPING SO THEY LEFT, LEAVING THE 4 BOYS TOGETHER. "LET'S PLAY TRUTH OR DARE," SUGGESTED NARUTO. THE OTHERS AGREED. "O.K. I'LL GO FIRST. NARUTO, TRUTH OR DARE?" ASKED HARU. "TRUTH," ANSWERED NARUTO. "IF YOU COULD CHOOSE ONE PERSON, OTHER THAN SASUKE, TO GO OUT WITH: WHO WOULD IT BE?" ASKED HARU. NARUTO THOUGHT AND SAID, "IT WOULD BE YOU, HARU. ALRIGHT MY TURN. SASUKE, TRUTH OR DARE?" "DARE," SAID SASUKE. "I DARE YOU TO STRIP AND RUN AROUND THE LIVING ROOM." AND SASUKE DID. "CODY, TRUTH OR DARE?" ASKED HARU. CODY THOUGHT AND SAID, "BOTH." "FIRST. TRUTH. ARE YOU GOING TO GO AT IT WITH JUSTINE TONIGHT?" ASKED HARU. COTY NODDED. "O.K. NOW, DARE. I DARE YOU TO BUY A SLAVE AND MASTER COSTUME SET AND USE IT TONIGHT," SAID HARU. "ONE, I'LL BUY THE SET. TWO, HOW WILL YOU KNOW IF I WEAR IT OR NOT?" ASKED COY. HARU SMILED AND WAS ABOUT TO ANSWER WHEN THE GIRLS AND SANO WALKED IN.
2:30 P.M.
THE BOYS GOT UP AND LEFT. THE GIRLS AND SANO SAT DOWN AND JUSTINE SUGGESTED, "TRUTH OR DARE, SAKURA?" "TRUTH," SAID SAKURA. "O.K. WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET KISSED BY?" ASKED JUSTINE. "MY BROTHER," SAID SAKURA, "TRUTH OR DARE, SANO?" "DARE," SAID SANO. "I DARE YOU TO TAKE NAKED PHOTOS OF MY BROTHER," SAID SAKURA. "ALREADY DONE," SAID SANO AS HE PULLED OUT THE PHOTOS, "TRUTH OR DARE, JUSTINE?" "DARE," ANSWERED JUSTINE. SANO THOUGHT A MOMENT AND SAID, "I DARE YOU TO GET CODY IN BED WITH YOU." "O.K. WILL DO," SAID JUSTINE. THE BOYS WALKED IN JUST AFTER THEY WERE DONE.
4 P.M.
CODY SUGGESTED EATING OUT, SO THEY WENT OUT. BY 5:30 EVERYONE WAS FULL. HARU AND SANO WENT TO HIS PLACE, SASUKE AND NARUTO WENT TO SASUKE'S PLACE, SAKURA WENT TO INO'S PLACE, AND CODY TOOK JUSTINE BACK TO HIS PLACE. NOW YOU CAN JUST IMAGINE WHAT HAPPENED.
NEW YEARS EVE
CODY WALKED DOWN THE STREET TO THE HOGAKE'S OFFICE WITH NARUTO AND JUSTINE. WHEN THEY ARRIVED OUTSIDE THE DOOR, VOICES COULD BE HEARD INSIDE. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN?" YELLED A MALE VOICE. "YOU CAN'T. AND THAT'S FINAL," SAID A FEMALE VOICE, RECOGNIZED AS THE HOKAGE'S. CODY OPENED THE DOOR TO SEE HARU IN HIS ANBU OUTFIT WITH BLOOD ON IT. "WHAT HAPPENED, HARU?" ASKED JUSTINE. HARU SMILED, "NOTHING." HE TURNED BACK TO TSUNADE, "YOU STILL SURE I CAN'T?" "I'M SURE," TSUNADE SAID, "YOU'VE BEEN GONE 5 DAYS. NOW TO THE CLEANERS." HARU NODDED AND LEFT. CODY LOOKED AT TSUNADE, "WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM?" TSUNADE SHOOK HER HEAD, "NOTHING THAT I KNOW OF." CODY TURNED TO LEAVE, "SHOULD WE BE WORRIED?" "YES," ANSWERED TSUNADE. CODY NODDED AND THE 3 LEFT.
THEY FOUND HARU AT THE GRAVEYARD. "WHY IS HE HERE?" ASKED JUSTINE. "CAUSE, HE LOST SOMETHING," SAID SAKURA WHO HAD WALKED UP. "WHAT HE LOSE?" ASKED NARUTO. "I'M NOT SURE," SAID SAKURA. CODY WAS WATCHING HARU AS HE LAID DOWN RED ROSES ON THE GRAVESTONE. HARU THEN WALKED AWAY. JUSTINE WALKED OVER TO THE GRAVESTONE AND GASPED. THE OTHERS DID THE SAME. THE GRAVESTONE HAD THIS WRITTEN ON IT:
HERE LIES
CORDA HYUUGA
MOTHER AND FRIEND.
NO ONE KNOWS WHY HARU WAS VISITING THIS GRAVE.
THE 4 LEFT THE GRAVEYARD: SAKURA AND NARUTO WENT TO THE RAMEN SHOP TO MEET WITH SASUKE, AND JUSTINE LEFT TO MEET HER TEAM.
CODY HEADED TOWARDS THE HYUUGA MANOR. HE SAW HARU WALK IN THROUGH THE GATES. THEN NEJI SAW CODY AND MOTIONED HIM INSIDE.
*INSIDE*
CODY WAS SITTING NEXT TO HINATA TALKING TO HER FATHER, WHEN NEJI PUSHED HARU THROUGH THE DOOR. "JUST GET IN THERE," SAID NEJI. HARU STOOD UP. HE WAS WEARING A PIECE OF CLOTH OVER HIS EYES. "WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?"ASKED CODY. HINATA'S DAD SMILED, "TAKE THE CLOTH OFF, HARU." "AHH. NO," SAID HARU, "AND I'M FINE, CAPTIAN." "I DON'T BELIEVE YOU," SAID CODY AS HE STOOD UP. CODY WALKED OVER AND TOOK THE CLOTH OFF OF HARU, "YOUR EYES! IS THAT THE BYAKUGAN? ARE YOU A HYUUGA?" "YES, IT IS," SAID HARU, "AND YES, I AM." "THEN THAT GRAVE?" SAID CODY. "MY MOM," ANSWERED HARU.
CODY AND HARU LEFT TALKING ABOUT HARU'S PAST. HARU WAS ADOPTED WHEN HE WAS 4 YEARS OLD, WHICH IS WHEN HIS MOM DIED AFTER GIVING BIRTH TO HIS BABY BROTHER.
THEY HEADED TO CODY'S HOUSE TO GET READY FOR THE NEW YEAR EVE PARTY. WHILE GETTING READY THE CONVERSATION DRIFTED TO LOVE LIFE'S. "SO DID YOU USE THE SET?" ASKED HARU. "NO, I DIDN'T," SAID CODY. HARU SMILED AS THE BOYS BUTTONED UP THEIR SHIRTS AND ZIPPED THEIR VESTS. THEY LEFT AND HEADED TO THE PARTY, WHICH WAS BEING HELD AT THE HYUUGA'S MANOR.
*AT THE PARTY*
CODY WAS DANCING WITH JUSTINE. HARU WAS TALKING TO NEJI, AND SANO WAS DANCING WITH NARUTO, SASUKE, AND SAKURA. CODY AND JUSTINE HAD DANCED CLOSE ENOUGH TO HEAR WHAT HARU AND NEJI WERE TALKING ABOUT: HARU'S MOM.
THEY DIDN'T HEAR MUCH, BECAUSE EVERYONE STARTED COUNTING DOWN: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 …., 1, HAPPY NEW YEAR. CODY KISSED JUSTINE AS EVERYONE WAS CELEBRATING.
THE END