The Winter Solstice

By: Yuugiri

Uzumaki Naruto became Hokage before he reached the age of thirty. He was younger than his father when he achieved his life-long dream to be acknowledged by his Village. Tsunade had been more than delighted to hand the title down to him, and everyone was happy.

But the joy that the whole of Konoha had felt on Naruto's accession to Hokage was no sooner darkened with the news of Tsunade's death. The woman, having no regrets with her chosen descendant, had decided to stop using her Transformation Jutsu when she knew that everything was left in good hands. She was buried right after Naruto's inauguration, and Naruto and Shizune drank sake on top of her grave while playing poker until morning the next day. Even Kakashi wasn't able to tear the two away from the Fifth's grave.

The only thing that caught Naruto's attention was Haruno Sakura's declaration that she was leaving the village. She didn't give any reason for her departure. She wasn't crying, she wasn't laughing. But she was determined. Naruto wasn't able to stop her. She left when she was twenty-five.

It was the first time Sai actually had to say goodbye to someone he genuinely thought he would miss. He wasn't wrong. He missed her like crazy.

Of course life went on after those huge blows on the village; two of the most celebrated medic-nin had gone. But Naruto was not content on having the Village wallow around about it. In his first year as Hokage, Naruto had set out to the Land of Iron to pay tribute to the neutral country. The interaction with the Samurai brought about a lot of changes in Konoha, especially during the Winter Solstice, which Naruto more than demanded everyone to participate.

They called it the Noel, and everyone was asked to hang tinsel and garlands on every Evergreen in the village and in their houses, and wreaths on their doors.

Sai had absolutely no idea what the Sixth Hokage had in mind, but he didn't need to know. Ever since he had known Naruto and his dream of becoming Hokage, he always disregarded Naruto's reasons and just obeyed him.

And so when Naruto asked him to revive Root on his second year of being the Hokage, Sai had simply nodded and said yes.

"Because I need an independent body not moving within my limits, just in case I make a mistake," Naruto had said.

"Are you implying that you may make a mistake?" Sai had asked.

"I'm only Hokage, I'm not God."

And when Naruto said that the Noel was to be celebrated with family and friends, and that it would be an all out holiday in the Leaf, Sai had obliged.

"If we lower the village's defenses on the winter solstice every year, other villages will end up noticing this, and they might attack," Sai had pointed out, just in case Naruto hadn't noticed this fact yet.

"That would never happen," Naruto had said airily.

"How so?"

"Because I will not allow it. I may not be God, but I am Hokage."

And Sai believed him, even when he was contradicting himself.

On that same year, Naruto had asked him to help pick out a present for the ever elusive Hyuuga Hinata. Sai had once again agreed without knowing that the present Naruto had been looking for was an engagement ring. Of course, Sai was known for being slightly denser than the average male – but that was because Sai had always thought to himself that he needn't bother with petty things that did not concern Konoha – and so was caught off-guard when Naruto had bluntly asked Hyuuga Hinata to marry him. Have they been dating that long? Have they been dating at all?

Hinata had said yes. They were married on Noel's Eve that same year.

By Naruto's third year, everyone had gotten used to this adopted festival that by the time December came, the Village would be wrapped up in sparkly garlands and tinsel and lights that could put Otafuku Gai to shame. From Genin to ANBU, almost everyone would be relieved of their jobs for that one night to celebrate the winter solstice, and those who still worked were but the Konoha Barrier Team, and they were paid three times more for that night.

It wasn't until Sai's third solstice did he finally understand the meaning of the festival.

It was the year Haruno Sakura returned to Konoha.

She came in the middle of the night, along with a light snowfall. She was alone, just like when she left three years ago. But she was different. For one, she had grown her roughly cut hair into twin pony tails that fell past her shoulders, a resemblance to Tsunade everyone noticed the moment she showed up in the Hokage Tower, and hadn't she been shocked to find Naruto kissing goodbye a very heavily pregnant Hinata?

Sai happened to have been busy with paperwork before the Holidays came, and so was caught unaware when he saw Sakura curiously making her way inside his office. No one ever ventured in his work place, mainly because it was cold and dark and that it was three levels underground. Sai had always wondered why he decided to follow Danzo's footsteps and set his office in what used to be the former Root Underground Base. Perhaps it was out of nostalgia. Naruto had offered a much better place in the Hokage Tower. Sai had declined.

"So this is where you've been hiding," Sakura said, looking around the large, circular room with mild interest.

Sai, who was sitting behind his desk, was instantly on his feet, unable to find the best way to express his shock. And as always, whenever he didn't know how to react to certain outside factors around him, he smiled. "I didn't know you were back in the village."

The Kunoichi gave him a half-shrug, emphasizing how she had changed over-all. The hair was one thing, her body was another. She was starting to look more and more like Tsunade, only with smaller breasts. But Sai couldn't shake the strange feelings bubbling up in his gut when his eyes grazed the exposed flesh between her medic apron and knee-high boots. Sai had known her since she was sixteen, and whatever curves she lacked in her childhood days, it was as if the three years she was gone had made up for lost time. She was simply voluptuous. And it was as if she knew how to use her curves even without meaning to.

"I just got in. It's been a while," she said as her fingers touched a felt-tip pen here, a scroll there. She was like a child set free in a new playground. "I see Naruto has been good to you for these past years."

"He's been working me to the bone as his right-hand man."

"Why would he need a right-hand man?"

Sai's smile broadened. "He's afraid that he's going to make a mistake. And he's hired me as a safety net."

Sakura eyed him suspiciously. "And he thinks reviving Root is a good safety net?"

"He seems to believe so. Root never had to consult the Hokage on anything the organization had to do, so long as it will benefit the Leaf."

"And are you proving to be useful?"

"I don't think I am. Please don't touch those. Those are very confidential papers," Sai said calmly when Sakura moved to open a folder from one of the many folders on the filing cabinet containing several information about the Hidden Cloud.

Another thing that's changed with Sakura, was that she seemed to have forgotten to respect his privacy. Sakura simply grinned at him over her shoulder and proceeded to flip through the folder. "So tell me about this feast on the solstice. Konoha looks like something that came out of the Land of Iron's festive cards."

Sai tilted his head at her before returning to his seat. Sakura was now intent on reading his confidential papers. He would have normally slit the throat of anyone who even came near those folders, but for some reason, Sakura was an exception. He lowered his eyes onto his desk and started putting away some of the papers that he decided would have to wait after the holidays. It looked like Sakura was going to take her time, and it looked like he didn't mind if she did.

"Funny you should say that. Naruto brought the tradition back from the Land of Iron." He gave her a quick look. "The year you left, when the Village was left in mourning."

Sakura's page-flipping paused a bit before she abandoned the file altogether, dropping it back on the filing cabinet. "If I didn't know you any better, I'd say you were accusing me."

Sai gave her an innocent look. So what if Sakura's departure had been one of the reasons Naruto had decided to cover up their loss by adopting a festivity? Everyone seemed to have gotten used to it anyway, and the children were most definitely enjoying the exchanging of gifts. "Accuse you? Never. You just asked me what the solstice is about, and I merely told you. But you came home at the right time. The holidays start tomorrow until the next day."

Sakura took to flipping one of those long pony tails over her shoulder and gave Sai an analytical look. "Sounds like fun."

"Yes, well. An opportunity to get crushed by the enemy while singing carols and drinking eggnog could be identified as fun, I suppose."

"Oooh! Sarcasm from Sai! So you have changed over the years," Sakura said teasingly as she walked over to his desk, planting a hand on either side of it and leaning her head down a few inches closer to his. Sai couldn't help but look away. "Do tell. What else has changed in you?"

She was trying to intimidate him, Sai knew it. Women, according to Kakashi's books, were born to evolve into seducing creatures that could ruin a man's life over night. He had grown up believing in Kakashi's literature. Look at Naruto. He was the Hokage but was at the beck and call of his wife…

"I've become quite vigilant, if that's what you want to know. What do you want, Sakura?" He gave her another one of those smiles of his as he finally finished on storing away the papers in one of the drawers of his desk.

Sakura looked back at him with a suspicious twinkle in her eyes. After a while, she pulled back, crossed her arms over her fairly wonderful chest, and laughed. "Me? I just wanted to say hello." And she leaned over the desk so suddenly that Sai was not even able to react, until he felt her lips lightly touch his cheek, so brief it made him believe it almost never happened. The next thing he knew was that Sakura was skipping away from him and out of his cold office without another word.

After that meeting, Sai had made it a great deal of avoiding Sakura, but realized that he would be spending most of his chakra on stalking her, hopefully without her noticing.

Sakura had spent majority of the holidays catching up with her friends. She had been more than curious about the decorations hanging on every Evergreen and surprised to see everyone's front door adorned with a wreath.

"It symbolizes continuous life," Tenten had explained to her when she asked. The weapons mistress had grown into a beautiful woman, her long hair kept in neat braids behind her ears. Sai, in his years of working together with the dark-haired kunoichi, had realized that Tenten, too, was skilled in wrapping men around her pinky finger. Neji, who Sai had always thought to be strong and silent, was indeed, just as submissive. When Sakura asked Tenten about Neji, Tenten laughed at her and said that Neji was a part of the Konoha Barrier Team and always worked during the holidays.

Sakura had frowned at that. Sai wondered if this meant Sakura didn't like men who sacrificed too much time for their work. He unconsciously found himself stuffing the small scroll containing information about Iwa into his pocket carelessly. Of course, he doubted Sakura liked men lurking behind Evergreens, spying on her. Sai doubted he would like it being stalked himself.

But then again, why was he stalking her?

"Why are you stalking me?" Sakura asked him when she suddenly popped behind him, nearly making him jump.

"I wasn't stalking you. I was merely persistently following you with no legitimate reason…"

Sakura gave her hair another flip over her shoulder. "How old are you?"

"Eh?"

"How old are you?"

She was confusing him. "Twenty-nine."

"You're almost thirty, and you still lie to yourself?"

"Uh…"

She poked his shoulder playfully. "What do you want, Sai?"

Sai looked down at the place where she poked him. "I… wanted to ask you if you had plans for tonight's Solstice Dinner."

Sakura raised her eyebrows at him. "Solstice Dinner?"

Sai shrugged indifferently. "It's just that; a dinner. Spent with family or friends…"

"Are you inviting me for dinner? Like a date or something?"

She knew how to embarrass a guy. And to think Sai was not easy to embarrass. How could she disappear for three years without even giving a good enough reason, and then suddenly come home accusing him of asking her out on a date? "Yes. A date. Like a dinner date. Are you free?"

She said yes.

Sai's heart skipped a beat.

They spent the rest of the day making dinner together, and Sakura showed her enthusiasm in making dessert and the salad. Their conversation revolved around their younger days, around Naruto and Hinata and their soon to be born baby, about Sai's artworks hanging on every single piece of wall in his small apartment.

"You still don't give them titles," Sakura observed as her gaze swept over one of the nearest paintings on the wall when she placed the medium-sized bowl of greens on Sai's dining table.

"Old habits," Sai muttered as he pulled the chicken from his oven.

"And I suppose roasting stuffed fowl is a new habit during this holiday Naruto's shoved down Konoha's throat?" she asked as she gestured at his oven.

She was making fun of him again. And she was making fun of his oven. "I bought this when Naruto insisted dinners with family and friends are a must during the Noel."

Sakura wiped her hands on her medic apron and shrugged her shoulders. "Did this mean you've had friends over for the last two years?"

Sai glanced at her briefly before laying the chicken on the counter carefully. "Ino usually spends dinner with me in this time of year."

Sakura lost her step, did a double take. "Ino?"

"Yamanaka Ino, yes. Have you said hi to her since you've come back?"

Sakura blinked several times before she laughed weakly. "Oh, dear me. I didn't know you and Ino were seeing each other. I'm not intruding this year, am I?"

Sai paused. "Seeing each…? Oh, no, no. It's not like that." He removed his oven mitts and peppered the chicken with parsley. "Ino is often lonely during this time of year, you see."

"In such a jolly season? I find that hard to believe."

Now she was doubting him. He wondered why. "It's the time of year Tsunade-sama died. The time of year you left the Leaf. It was a sad time. You never said goodbye properly. And now I see you didn't say hello to everyone properly as well. Ino would have loved to talk to you."

She smiled sadly as she leaned over to smell the chicken. "There's no rush. I can always talk to her tomorrow. Or the next day."

Sai looked at her. "Are you staying for good?"

She laughed. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't plan to stay. So you see, greeting everyone can wait. I had wanted to spend some time with the old team. But it seems Naruto has a new family to celebrate the solstice with, and Kakashi is nowhere to be found."

"Kakashi spends his Christmas in the memorial. He and Yugao hang out in the epitaph of Obito and Gekko while they get drunk of eggnog. You won't be seeing them until morning the next day, unfortunately."

"A shame. Really." She patted his shoulder. "How have you been?"

"Nothing's changed. I'm still the same old me. And you?"

She always dodged his questions. And she did it well. "I'm still me, too." She laughed.

"Why did you leave?" He asked bluntly.

She gave him a small smile.

He kept his eyes on her until she looked away. "Why?"

"Ah, well it's a long story… " She scratched her neck. "It'd bore you to tears."

Sai grinned as he gestured for her to sit down. "I doubt that, but I can tell you don't want to talk about it, so I won't press it too much. Let me set the table."

Sakura brushed away his offer and she began placing Sai's small saucers on the table along with two sets of chopsticks and, being the lady that she was, did something with two of the white napkins to make them look like cute ducks which she placed meticulously in front of each chair.

Sai could not help but watch her as she examined her work. When she noticed him looking at her, she gave him a peace sign, and he shook his head at her ruefully as he finished off with the kitchen, and no sooner were they sitting across each other, the lights dimmed, and in the middle of the table was a lone candle, casting lovely shadows of her eyelashes on her cheeks.

"So you do this every year?" Sakura asked uncertainly.

"For three years now."

"Sounds like a bother. And it sounds expensive."

"It depends on the gifts you plan to buy."

Sakura raised her eyebrows. "You have to give gifts, too?"

Shrugging slightly, Sai stood up and returned a few moments later with three finely wrapped objects in his arms. "These are for you."

Sakura was surprised but she looked quite pleased. "All three of them?"

"One for each year," Sai explained as he handed the gifts, which she accepted gladly, shaking each excitedly, like a child.

"But I wasn't even here."

"Do you think it had mattered whether you were here or not? You're here right now."

She paused her gift-shaking, looked at Sai as he returned to his seat. "If I didn't know who you were, I'd say you were sweet."

"You flatter me," Sai said dryly.

She laughed gaily, arranging her presents on a neat little pile by the salad. "You've changed. A lot."

This made Sai smile. "I can be insensitive at times too, Ugly."

Sakura laughed even more, making Sai look at her through lowered lashes.

"You've changed, too," he pointed out.

"No, no. Not changed. Just all grown up." She took her glass of rice wine and raised it. "Here's to never changing."

Sai raised his glass, too. "Here's to a bothersome festival."]

Sakura took a sip of her wine. "If you think it's a bother, then why do you even celebrate it?"

"Because," Sai said. "I support Naruto's beliefs."

Sakura paused, lowered her cup. "Beliefs?"

"Peace." Sai stabbed the chicken with a knife mechanically. "Or the dream of it, at least."

Sakura rested her chin on her hand and stared intently at the flame of the candle. "So it's always been Jiraiya-sama."

"Naruto never goes back on his word. And finding peace, and achieving it, was a promise he made to a lot of people." Sai served Sakura a piece of the chicken and dished out some greens on her plate. "At least that's something you can expect would never change."

Sakura smiled, her eyes bright. "Always worth coming home, knowing that at least there's still something to come home to."

Sai stuffed a bit of vegetable into his mouth and gestured at her. "Ah. So you missed Naruto, that's why you're back?"

"I missed everyone, that's why I'm back," Sakura corrected, then added teasingly, "Even you, Sai."

Sai gave her a nod. "I've missed you too. Even when you're lying."

She poked the chicken on her plate with her chopsticks silently, and Sai allowed her to ponder on whatever may be in her mind at the moment. After a few minutes, she turned to him and asked, "So. Did he find it?"

"Who found what?"

"Naruto. Peace."

Sai lowered his chopsticks onto his plate gently, leaned back on his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. "In Naruto's first year, he went to the Land of Iron, the only neutral country in the Ninja World. And he brought this back."

"Brought what back?"

Sai gestured at the dinner in front of him. "This. The Winter Solstice Festival. The Noel. One full night of peace, where you spend it with your family, friends and loved ones. Shikamaru's told me that Suna and Ame had started adopting the same festival last year. So right now, at this very moment, everyone is having dinner with their family, friends and loved ones in three different Hidden Villages in the Ninja world." He played with one of his chopsticks around his thumb. "Do you know why?"

Sakura leaned forward. "Why?" she asked, interested.

"Do you want to know?"

She was really interested. "Tell me."

Sai tapped his plate with the chopsticks. "I'll tell you after you tell me why you left three years ago."

Sakura's mouth dropped open. She recovered fast, grinned and nodded. "All right. I got it. You really want to know?"

"Actually, I think I'm entitled to it."

She let out a bubbly giggle. "Oh, Sai! When have you become so convincing?"

"When Naruto asked me to cover for him if ever he'd make a mistake."

"And has he ever been wrong?"

Sai ran his tongue absently behind his teeth, then smiled genuinely. "Naruto? Never."

Sakura nodded her head slowly, as if she hadn't expected any other answer. After a while, one of her hands flew to the high collar of her tunic. "It was in her will."

Sai tilted his head to the side. "Hm?"

"Tsunade-sama wanted me to leave the village. And train." Her fingers plucked at the top button of her collar, pulled it loose, and her hand made its way lower, unbuttoning her tunic, exposing a great amount of flesh until Sai could see a hint of a cleavage he didn't remember she had.

Sai felt his face heat up, but he could not keep his eyes away from the hollow between her clavicles.

Because a few centimeters below it, just slightly above her cleavage, was an unmistakable purple rhombus that Sai had been so used at seeing on Tsunade-sama's forehead. "You… That's…"

"The Yin Seal, yeah. Now stop ogling my chest." Sakura immediately buttoned her collar back up, face also reddening. "She wanted me to master it. Secretly, that is, so I changed the chakra gathering point where no one would be able to see it. It took me three years to finally master it. And so here I am."

Sai tore his eyes away from her chest and, after recovering from having seen a piece of her he was not used to seeing, he bowed his head. "Have you used it? The Release?"

Sakura shook her head. "Only when the village is in grave danger. That was also in her will…"

"Of course, you may not have to use it. Naruto wouldn't allow it."

She started raking her front teeth over her lower lip. "I don't doubt that. But certainly, you'll be telling me how he did it?"

"Forgiveness," Sai said simply.

She was taken aback. "Forgiveness?"

"He went back to Ame to visit Nagato's grave, only to say, 'I forgive you' on his tombstone. Yugao Uzuki and Kakashi too, go to and fro Suna with Shikamaru. Baki of the Sand was more than shocked when Yugao-san declared that she had let go of the hate she felt for him for killing a loved one."

Sakura looked at him in awe. "You don't say…"

"You would be surprised because next year, Hyuuga Neji will be setting out to Kumo with an offering of a treaty, if not an alliance. Naruto had thought Neji would be more than difficult to forgive the death of his father, but the man had agreed without complaining. If things work out for the best, by this time next year, there would be four different villages celebrating the Winter Solstice with their family, friends and loved ones. Even if it were just for one night."

He did not know what she was thinking when she once again nodded faintly, fingering the three presents he had given her, eyes set on him, so liquid-like in the light of the candle. "Even if it were just for one night, I guess it would be nice to have at least 'absolute peace on earth.' It sounds like something Naruto could really do."

"I don't doubt it." Sai raised her glass again. "Here's to Naruto, who can move mountains with just being himself."

"Here, here!" Sakura cheered as she clinked her glass with his. They downed their drink in one gulp and fell silent as they both stared at the candle's flame.

"We should do this again next year," Sakura suggested quietly, unconsciously tapping a finger against her glass. "Of course, only if you don't have another woman to invite over?"

"Another woman?" Sai asked unsympathetically. "Are we back to the Ino subject here again?"

She laughed. Sai noticed how she loved to laugh lately. "I'm sorry. It's none of my business, really."

It was Sai's turn to snort. He refilled her glass with rice wine. "Next year sounds wonderful."

"It does?"

"Next year with you does, at the very least."

She laughed at him again, raised her glass and drained her drink once more.

A/N: An early Christmas Fanfic. Dedicated to those who have to spend the holidays away from their loved ones and families.

And to those who search high and low for peace in these troubled times.

Happy Holidays, everyone!