"Snow! SNOW! IT'S REALLY SNOWING! DADDY IT'S REALLY SNOWING!" Sai excitedly yelled as he walked holding Kakashi's hand and flowers.
"Yes Sai, It really is snowing." Kakashi said and laughed.
"It's pretty." Sakura said holding his other hand.
"Hehe" Sasuke said as he ran ahead laughing and trying to catch the snow with his tongue.
"GOTCHA!" Naruto screamed as a snow ball hit Sasuke's head.
"Hey!" Sasuke yelled and ran after Naruto.
"Be careful! Watch out for the...Ice" Kakashi said but it was too late.
Sasuke had slipped, fallen and slid across the ice and now sat crying as Naruto
laughed.
"Are you ok?" Shizune, who had happened to walk past, asked.
Sasuke looked up at her and continued to cry until she helped him up.
"You look like you have your hands full" She said to Kakashi as she walked Sasuke over to him.
"You're absolutely right." Kakashi said then smiled a little bit.
"Where are you headed?" She asked
"Memorial stone...They wanted to say Merry Christmas to..." Kakashi trailed off but Shizune understood.
It had been exactly a year since Iruka had been killed. The kids still found it hard, mostly Sai who finally understood what had happened. Christmas was always hard for Kakashi but since Iruka had died Kakashi seemed distant and even lost.
"I'm sor..." Shizune said but Kakashi shook his head.
"It's ok. The kids don't need another reminder of what has happened in their past." He said then nodded for Naruto and Sasuke to continue walking.
When they arrived at the memorial stone Sai walked up and set the flowers from his hand down then ran right back to Kakashi and cried into his leg.
"Shhhh... It's ok." Kakashi said and rubbed his back.
"Merry Christmas Mommy." Sasuke and Naruto said at the same time then backed up to stand with Kakashi.
Sakura walked up alone and began to speak."Merry Christmas Mommy. I love you and miss you a lot. I wish you were still here. To hold me when I
cried and to make me feel better when I am sick. Daddy misses you Mommy. More than he tells everyone. Sometimes he dreams at night and calls for you. It makes me sad. I hope you are in a good place. If you see Jiraiya tell him I say hi."
She turned around and walked back to the rest
of them.
At last Kakashi walked up. Instead of saying anything he just knelt and cried.
"Naruto can I ask you a question?" Sai asked.
"Yeah, What?" Naruto asked.
"Why's daddy crying? It's Christmas time, when everyone is happy." Sai said.
"Well Sai, I guess Christmas isn't always a happy time." Naruto replied.