I DO NOT OWN NARUTO AND/OR THE CHARACTERS

Christmas Time

Naruto was walking through the village with his best remaining friend, Shikamaru Nara. They were handling some of the preparations Lady Tsunade, who had awakened from her coma after the defeat of Madara and the arrest of Danzo, was making for the upcoming Christmas celebrations.

"This has to be the most troublesome holiday ever," Shikamaru complained.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked.

"Aside from this stuff, I still have to help my family out getting ready."

"I wouldn't know about that," Naruto said with a hint of sadness in his voice.

"Oh, sorry," Shikamaru said realizing. "I forgot you grew up without a family."

"It's okay, at least I can look forward to a day of "All You Can Eat For Free" at Ichiraku."

As they continued through the village, they ran into Team Kurenai.

"Hey, guys," Kiba said.

"Hey," they said back.

"Hello, Naruto," Hinata greeted without stuttering.

Everyone could see that her confidence level rose since confessing to Naruto and had no problem talking to him.

"S'up, girl?" he answered. "What are you three up to?"

"We have to head to the Land of Sweets to find the Christmas Cake maker," Shino explained.

"He's the greatest around," Kiba added.

"He's really that good?" Naruto asked.

"Let me put it this way," Kiba said. "Team Guy is going to be guarding his cakes from the Akimichi clan."

"You've never had any of their cakes, Naruto?" Hinata asked.

"Uh, no."

"Why no…" Kiba stopped as he took notice of the look on Naruto's face. "Uh, we'd better be on our way."

As they left, they spoke about Naruto's sadness.

"He's never had a family growing up," Shino said. "He's never been able to participate in Christmas."

"Remember how he'd watch us come back to class with our gifts after Christmas?" Kiba asked.

At that moment, Hinata had an idea.

"Um, could we stop by my house before we leave?" she asked.

"I don't think we'd have time," Shino said.

"It won't take long," she said. "I just have to speak to my father about something."

They could see the determination in her eyes and decided to relent.

"This must be something Naruto related," Kiba said with a smile on his face.

They made a stop to her home where she spoke with her father.

"Hinata?" he asked confused. "I thought you were on a mission."

"I have to talk with you, father."

"What about?"

She explained her idea to her father and, to her surprise, he was very receptive of it.

"Sure," he said. "That's a great idea."

"Really?" she asked.

"Yes, he's not only done so much for the village but for our clan that it's the least we could do for him."

As she left, Hiashi was still thinking about Hinata's idea.

"He has done so much for everyone here," Hiashi thought.

He decided to take Hinata's idea to the Hokage, he entered her office to find Shizune and Sakura. After hearing the idea, they couldn't say no.

"We should make preparations right away," Tsunade said. "Sakura, go spread the word and make sure Naruto doesn't get wind of it."

"Right away, Lady Tsunade," Sakura said with a smile.

While all of this was going on, Naruto and Shikamaru were standing over the top of Hokage Rock as they looked over the plans for the Christmas lighting.

"Okay, you see how she wants you to set them up?"

"Got it," Naruto said. "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Naruto created hundreds of clones and went out to get to work setting up the lights.

"Well, this seems like it'll be easier with him around," Shikamaru said as Sakura found him.

"Hey, Shikamaru."

"Let me guess, the hokage has something else she wants me to do," he said.

She told him of the plan and Shikamaru was surprisingly eager.

"Good, Shikamaru," she said. "Spread the word but make sure he doesn't get wind of it."

"Man, secrets are so troublesome but you got it."

"Good, I got to go," she said. "He's coming back."

She snuck away as Naruto was returning from setting up the lights and decorations all over the village.

"Was that Sakura?" Naruto asked. "What'd she want?"

"Oh, nothing," Shikamaru said. "Come on, we aren't finished yet."

As they continued to finish the job Tsunade set out for them, Sakura continued to spread the word. She ran into Ino with Choji helping her with a new shipment of plant pots for the shop and told them the plan.

"Good," Ino said with a smile. "I have just the gift for him too."

"Yeah," Choji added. "I hope he's ready to stuff his face."

All over the village, people were getting the word and passing it on, as Naruto was walking with Shikamaru, Naruto began to feel like there was something going on in the village that dealt with him.

"Why do I get the feeling that I'm the butt of some huge joke around here," Naruto asked as he watched the villagers smirking and giggling while they talked about him.

"How troublesome," Shikamaru said. "You're just being paranoid."

"No, I…"

"Come on, we've gotta get Choji and Ino so we can get the tree."

They found Choji and Ino at the Yamanaka shop both looking like they both had a secret.

"What's wrong with you guys?" Naruto asked.

"Oh, nothing," Ino said smiling.

"You ready to go get the tree?" Choji asked also smiling.

"Yeah, let's go," Shikamaru said.

As they traveled to the get the tree, Sakura ran into Team Guy who were waiting for Team Kurenai to return to start their guard duty of the Christmas Cakes and told them of the plan.

"Ha, Ha, Yes," Guy said. "If there is anyone who deserves such a splendid gift it is Naruto Uzumaki. If not for the saving the village then for never letting the circumstances of his upbringing extinguish the flame of his youth."

"I agree, Guy-sensei," Lee, uh, agreed, I guess.

"Dorkiness aside," Tenten said as she watched Lee and Guy strike the Nice Guy pose complete with desperately shiny teeth. "I'm down with it."

"Yes," Neji added simply.

Meanwhile, Naruto and Team Asuma came to the place where then Yamanaka clan grew the Christmas tree for the village.

"Okay, Naruto," she said. "You wait here."

"How come they get to go in?"

"Because this place is a clan secret and our three clans share secrets…" she stopped seeing the look on his face.

"I don't have a clan," he thought. "Or anything like that."

"Sorry," she said. "Just wait here."

He waited as they went in to retrieve the Christmas Tree, meanwhile, Guy beat Sakura to the punch and told Kakashi about the plan.

"Well, well," Kakashi said. "I guess it's better than not doing it."

Choji returned in his Expansion mode carrying the tree.

"What's so special about that place?" Naruto asked as they returned to the village proper.

"Well, those types of trees don't grow in our climate typically," Ino explained. "So, our clan uses a special technique to make that area suitable."

"Oh."

They returned to the village where a few Naruto clones put the base together then Choji set the tree up. Afterwards, Naruto created more clones and helped the children of the village set up the decorations when he noticed some of the kids making fun of a little girl.

"What are you doing here?"

"You're not thinking about decorating the tree, are you?"

"Not with those clothes."

"She looks like a total loser."

The little girl had begun to cry which made Naruto come over to check on her.

"Hey, what are you kids doing? Get out of here."

"It's Naruto!" the lead kid gasped. "Scatter!"

Naruto watched confused as they scurried about.

"What the...? Did they just escape from me?"

He turned his attention to the little girl who was still crying.

"Hey, what's your name little girl?"

"Fumiko," she said through her tears.

"Who were those kids?"

"They're some of my classmates from the academy."

"Why were they picking on you?"

"It's because I'm an orphan," she said.

"What happened to your parents?"

"They died three years ago," she said as her tears increased.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Naruto said as he put his hand on her shoulder. "My parents are dead too."

"Really, Naruto?"

"Yep, in fact, I never knew them but you know what?"

"What?" she asked as she stopped crying.

"Things still work out for the best if you never give up hope."

"Really?"

"Yeah," he said with a smile. "Hey, you want to help us with the tree?"

"Yeah," she said with a cheerful face.

He propped her up on his shoulders and carried her over to the tree to find them almost finished, the only thing that was left was for Tsunade to do her duty as Hokage and place the star on the tree when Naruto stopped her.

"Hey, grandma," Naruto said. "Could you do me a favor?"

"Stop calling me that."

"Could you let Fumiko here put the star on the tree?"

"Uh, sure, if you call me Tsunade," she said with a devious smile on her face.

"Curse you," he said. "Tsunade."

"Now, that wasn't so hard. How do you feel?"

"Dirty all over."

"You'll get used to it, go ahead."

He used his shinobi skills to scale the tree and let her put the star on the tree then climbed down as Tsunade lit it.

"Hokage Starlight Jutsu!"

The star on the tree lit up and shined brightly as the village applauded, after the star was lit, Fumiko spent the rest of the day with Naruto as he and Shikamaru continued to help set the village up. When the day was over, he took her back to the same orphanage that he grew up in.

"I remember this place," he thought. "I can't say this was some of the happier times of my life."

As she went in, he could see the sadness in her face and the faces of some of the other orphans which reminded him of his childhood.

"Hey," he shouted before she entered the building.

"Yeah, Naruto?"

"I know you guys have the next two weeks of from the academy for the holiday but how'd you and your friends like it if I came by and taught you some jutsu or something?"

"Cool," she said before running into the orphanage.

Inside, she told her friends about spending the day with Naruto.

"Really?" one of them asked. "Naruto's so cool."

"Yeah, and he said that he'd come by tomorrow to teach us some jutsu too."

"Awesome, I hope he teaches how to control those toads."

I PLANNED ON THIS BEING A ONE SHOT BUT THERE'S MORE COMING SO MY OTHER STORIES ARE ON HIATUS UNTIL I'VE FINISHED. PLEASE DON'T HATE ME.