You are walking around the Christmas Fair, slowly sipping your coffee. Finding perfect presents for your friends isn't as easy as it may seem. You have spent two last hours going from one stand to another but found nothing interesting.
"Oi, (Y/N)!" Somebody yells and you turn around with a smile.
"Hello, Kazumi," you greet the girl politely.
"It so freaking cold here," she complains and stamps, trying to warm herself. You raise an eyebrow. The snow has only started falling yesterday and the temperature isn't that low yet.
"I just came back from Suna," she adds.
"Ah, that's why you're tanned," you say. "I have thought you used one of those Beauty Techniques again."
"Very funny, (Y/N)," she deadpans and you shrug. Kazumi smirks. "One more thing - did I tell you I would help with organisation of Konoha Christmas Festival?"
You nod, suddenly cautious. Yes, she said something but you're not sure what it was. You were too occupied with tuning out her bickering with Kaede. She has that talent for turning every conversation with her brother into a fight.
"So, I kinda forgot about it and took a C-ranked mission that ends exactly on that day? I won't be able to return on time," she continues.
"I see, but why are you telling me this?"
"I said you had agreed to come instead of me," she blurts out and teleports herself away before you can start yelling.
"Kazumi," you growl. Sometimes you really hated her. You don't really mind doing something for the village, no, but you dislike working at short notice.
You spend the next day helping your family with some preparations - baking cakes and decorating them to be exact. The evening comes and you go to a meeting about which Kazumi informed you through a clone, obviously. Half an hour before the meeting. Oh, joy.
You are waiting in the hall of the Hokage Tower, together with two other girls. Civilians, judging from their small amounts of chakra.
"This Festival will be special," says the brunette sitting next to you. She's cute, with big blue eyes and flushed cheeks.
"Yasu, don't get so excited. We probably won't even talk with him," her friend scolds her and Yasu pouts.
"You're being mean, Saki-chan!"
"Who are you talking about?" you ask. They both look at you, startled, but this other girl - Saki - quickly recoils.
"About Hokage-sama! It'll be his first Christmas as Konoha leader, " she explains.
Right. Lately you have been studying to become a Jōnin and spent a lot of time on training grounds, not taking any missions. You hum thoughtfully.
"I saw him during his first speech."
"That was three months ago..."
"I had lessons, okay?" You mutter, seeing disbelieving stares of your companions. You have failed your first test - lost too many points on taijutsu match. You have always been better at ninjutsu but thankfully Kaede agreed to be your sparring partner after your failure. It has been hell but now you are way stronger and swifter. "This time I'll pass it, no matter what," you mutter to yourself.
The slight shift in the air causes you to tense. A few seconds later you sense familiar chakra and allow yourself to relax as Takao appears in the room. You have taken some missions together after the graduation. He belongs to this kind of guys who don't really care about anything and still manage to be cool.
"Oh, hey, (Y/N). Didn't know you would be here," he greets and you chuckle.
"Kazumi has set me up. Can't let her down, though."
"That's nice," he says and his smile softens. Then he claps his hands causing the girls to jump. "Alright, ladies, the floor and windows in the ballroom must be cleaned. Later one of the Genin teams will come to help with setting the tables," he orders. Yasu obediently picks herself up, Saki following soon after.
"I know where so-called ballroom is," you offer and Takao nods.
"Good, I'll be going, then. Oh, and (Y/N)?"
You stop, looking at him expectantly.
"You're invited to take part in the concert as well, you know? Be here at six tomorrow. You'll keep an eye on everything."
What literally means: We need more shinobi to ensure safety. You nod in acknowledgement.
"Hai."
"Hey, wait, I have an idea," you say as you walk into the room to see girls gathering things needed for cleaning. "Spill the clean water there, near the wall."
"Huh? Why?" asks Yasu and you grin.
"I'll show you a trick."
The brunette obeys and you form needed hands seals.
"Water Release: Great Moving Wave!"
You concentrate on the chakra flow, forcing water molecules to move the way you want them to. Liquid slowly shifts around, taking all of the dust along. After a few minutes you gather all of it in one place.
"Now, just wipe this spot."
"Cool. Saves some time. But I don't see how you use it during a battle," notes Saki and you roll your eyes.
"I had to control myself. If I had used as much strength as I do when I fight, the whole place would be destroyed," you explain.
"Can you do the same for windows?"
"Saki-chan, we can do it as well!" Yasu breaks in with a huff. Laughing quietly, you only shake your head. You don't usually use chakra for such things but it would take ages to clean everything without it.
"I don't mind. Grab some glass cloth, then! And put on some music, hm?"
The party has started three... four hours ago? Nothing overly interesting happened but people are having fun. Cheeky Christmas songs are being played in the background and the food is frankly speaking awesome.
You are helping with getting more dishes and at the moment you're carrying a tray with a stack of wine glasses. A child runs in front of you and your grip on the tray tightens.
'Don't drop it, don't drop..." you repeat, searching for an empty place on the table. With a relieved sigh you put it down. You raise your arm to brush away a strand of hair from your face. The sleeve of your kimono slides down, revealing the timer.
You stare at it disbelievingly.
What.
9 8 7
The numbers fall rapidly and you catch your breath. Will they jump again? Or is it the right time now?
Somebody bumps into you.
Zero.
You falter but there are strong arms catching you before you can take a step back. You raise your head but freeze when you look into most beautiful baby blue eyes you have ever seen.
"Oh," you mutter, dropping your gaze to your wrist, where the numbers have just turned into a neat row of zeros.
Oh, you think, because there, right in front of you, dressed in a white Hokage robes, is standing Minato Namikaze. Minato. Your soulmate. You have found your soulmate!
"You- you're... it's you!" His eyes widen.
You nod, somewhat hesitantly.
"I'm (Y/N) (L/N)," you introduce yourself. He blinks, then chuckles.
"I know. You beat Genma with your Water Dragon Technique," he says proudly and you flush.
That's Minato - of course he wouldn't point out you were the one who didn't pass.
"Yeah-"
Suddenly, the world shifts around you. Greeting your teeth you reach for a kunai but stop when you realise you're standing on top of the Hokage Mountain. What the hell.
"Sorry, I forgot how it feels for the first time," murmurs Minato, rubbing his neck with a sheepish grin.
Right, the Flying Thunder God Technique.
"It's a space-time ninjutsu, right? That's why my timer changed so many times," you figure out.
"Uh? Really? That's fascinating!" the man says and you can swear there are stars in his eyes.
"No, it's not."
You remember how you felt when the numbers changed from hours to months or even years. Later, you stopped relying on your timer since it wasn't really reliable.
"Sorry. But I'm happy I have found you, I have been waiting for you," he pulls you closer and for a second you panic but it feels right, like home, and you slowly wrap your arms around him, breathing in his scent. He smells of ramen and cologne and something else what can be only described as Minato.
"So did I," you whisper and can't help but feel tears springing into your eyes.
Streets of Konoha below your feet, are lit with thousands of colourful lights and filled with genuine laughter and sound of Christmas carols. You turn to look at Minato, who is simply breathing in the moonlight, and smile at him. You don't stop smiling even when he leans forward and kisses you.
You have found your other half and won't ever let go.