It was late afternoon, in the crisp of the cool, when team seven returned from their latest mission.
"Good job team." Yamato stated.
"Naruto-kun, you did well in your protecting the fish." Said the socially awkward Sai. "As did you Sakura-san."
"You did a great job as well." Sakura replied politely with a smile.
"Thank you, Sai." Naruto said energetically.
'He's trying hard but still sounds unnatural.' Naruto thought creeped out by his demeanor.
"I'm going to file the report to Hokage-sama. It seems that's our last mission of the day." The former Anbu member stated. "Everyone enjoy your day off."
He leapt off towards the hokage mansion.
"Time off again?" Naruto complained. "Things have been really dead lately."
"You can't always be fighting against some great evil." Sakura said matter-of-factly.
"But we've only had easy jobs. I don't need time off." The blondie continued.
"Enough from you." Sakura demanded. "They may not be hard but we've gotten plenty of them over the last few days to make it seem like one long a-rank mission."
"Maybe even great evil take breaks during Christmas time." Sai added.
Naruto and Sakura looked at him surprised. This was the first time that Sai attempted an observation.
"Maybe you're right." Sakura said smiling.
'Christmas time.' Naruto thought. 'That's right. It's coming up and I haven't even thought of anything to get Sakura yet… I have to get something great, something that'll sweep her off of her feet. Maybe…'
Naruto thought of a slew of scenarios.
SCENARIO 1: Kurenai set with NxS engraved with dinner and fireworks on it.
Dream Sakura, while feeding him: Naruto, ramen is so great isn't it?
Inner Naruto: That's why you're the girl for me. These are for you.
Inner Naruto presents Sakura with the specialty kurenais.
Dream Sakura: For me? But why?
Inner Naruto: Because, this is how you make me feel.
Inner Naruto tosses one of the kurenais at what looks like an explosive tag close by and fireworks go off in the sky creating the shape of a heart with a Christmas-tree-headed arrow shooting through it.
Inner Naruto: Merry Christmas Sakura-chan.
Dream Sakura: Merry Christmas Naruto-kun.
Dream Sakura holds his hand.
'Maybe that's a possibility.' Naruto thought his heart pounding faster at the thought of holding her hand.
SCENARIO 2: Flowers and chocolates
Inner Naruto: Sakura-chan, Merry Christmas.
Dream Sakura: Oh Naruto! It's just what I wanted. Thank you.
Dream Sakura falls into Naruto's arms, hugging him.
'Also a great idea.' Naruto said his heart rate racing even more now at the thought of being intimate with the pink haired kunoichi.
SCENARIO 3: Diamond ring
Inner Naruto: Sakura on this day, I want to show you how I feel.
Inner Naruto presents a ring to Sakura-chan.
Dream Sakura: EH?! 3
She blushes perfusely, then her eyes light up as he slips it on her finger.
Inner Naruto: Merry Christmas Sakura-chan.
Dream Sakura: Merry Christmas Naruto-kun.
She smiles at him then looks at her ring. She blushes again for a second then closes her eyes and puckers her lips.
Inner Naruto: Sakura-chan… 3
"Naruto."
Inner Naruto: Sakura-chan… 3
"Naruto?"
Inner Naruto: Oh Sakura-chan!
"NARUTO!!!"
Naruto snaps too to an angered Sakura.
"I'm talking to you." She said staring at him madly.
"What?! Huh?! Sorry Sakura-chan. I wouldn't dare do that!!!" Naruto screamed. "I wouldn't be that bold."
"Do what?" Sai said looking at him puzzled.
"Ah… nothing." Naruto said realizing he hadn't talked out loud.
"Anyway, I think for Christmas, as a way of welcoming Sai into our team, we should have a team seven Christmas dinner."
"For me?" Sai said not knowing how to react.
"Hai, hai." Sakura said smiling at him. "Well Naruto?"
'Oh man, if Sai's there he might ruin the mood like when she was gonna feed me ramen.' The blonde shinobi thought, his face falling into a depressed state.
"Well?" Sakura asked again.
"Sounds like a great idea." Naruto said giving a thumbs up.
'It'll be the perfect place to give her my present, even with Sai there, if I come up with a great gift, she'll definitely not care that Sai's there.'
"Well then… thank you." Sai replied.
"Great. What works for you guys? Christmas day may not work, because I'm spending it with my family…. Hm… How about on Christmas Eve? Say around five thirty?" The kunoichi suggested.
"I'll be there." Naruto replied.
"Sai?"
"I will also be there." Sai mimicked Naruto.
"Great!" She replied joyfully. "I'll cook dinner. You guys may not know it, but I'm a great cook."
Sai and Naruto both simultaneously thought about her soldier pills. A creepy sickening feeling crept up their backs, and for a moment they both shot a face at each other knowing what the other was horrified over.
"Hey you two, what's the matter." She asked rhetorically, peeved at their response to her generous offer."
Naruto knew better than to reply honestly to the question but Sai…
"Based on your soldi-" Sai started, but before he could finish Naruto covered his mouth.
"Do you want to die?" Naruto warned him.
Sai shook his head 'no' with Naruto's hand over his mouth.
"We can't wait." Naruto replied smiling his biggest smile possible.
"Right." Sai followed suit.
"All right then." She replied striking her happy face again.
'Sakura-chan is beautiful… but she's scary too.' Naruto thought still alarmed by Sakura's sudden change in mood.
"Oh you guys'll have to wash the dishes though." She said putting her hands on her hips. "Since I'm already treating you guys."
"Hai." Naruto answered.
"Got to run guys." Sakura said. "I have to be at work in an hour."
"Hour?" Naruto was confused. "You've got plenty of time, how about we go get something to eat first. Does Sakura-chan really take that long to get ready?"
"Hey, I can't go smelling like fish." Sakura replied as she leapt off.
"Okay, I've got four and a half days to get ready." The number one ninja of surprise said out loud.
"Ready for what?" Sai asked.
"Ah… nothing…" Naruto replied.
"Oh."
"Hey Sai… are you going to get her something for Christmas?" Naruto said sizing up what he thought would be his competition.
"What do you mean?"
"For Christmas, you give gifts to people for Christmas."
"Really?"
"You've never celebrated Christmas before?"
"No, but there have been mentions of it here and there in the books I read."
'Okay, guess he won't be that much of a competition.' Naruto thought relieved.
"Um… Naruto-kun." Sai asked sheepishly.
"Hm?"
"So what kind of gifts does one give people for things like Christmas?"
"Hm… I suppose you give them gifts that you think they'll like or gifts that'll help one improve."
'Help one improve…' the Root shinobi thought curiously.
"Let's go home." Naruto said jumping to the ground.
"Hm?" Sai was confused. "Why don't we just leap home?"
"I want to walk through the markets and see if I can think of anything to get Sakura-chan."
"Hm…"
"I wonder what she'd like…"
"Oh. If that's what you're wondering I can tell you."
"Hm?"
"I know what Sakura-san wants."
"How would you know?"
"I was walking around here with Sakura-san a couple of days ago…" Sai started his story.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The weather has been cold lately, has it not Sakura-san." Sai says looking for a conversational topic.
"Yeah." Sakura replies. "Even though it doesn't snow here ever it can get pretty cold around winter time. I myself really need to invest in a new coat."
Sai and Sakura walk by a store and in the window there is a redish-pink coat in the display window.
"Wow. Look at that. I like that coat." Sakura says ecstatically. "It looks really cool too. It's expensive though… doesn't make that much sense to pay that much for a coat… hm… but I do like it."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"That's what she said." Sai says finishing his story to deaf ears.
"Hm?" Sai looks surprised as Naruto is crouched down depressed. He can hear bits of his murmurs.
"Walk with Sai… Murmur murmur… I've lost out…"
"It's okay. If I get that coat for her then definitely…" Naruto says to himself sheepishly.
"One thousand ryou." Sai says reading the price tag.
"What!" Naruto is floored by the price.
"That's a lot of money for anything." Sai observes as he turns around to see Naruto crouched over depressed again.
"Murmur murmur… So poor… murmur murmur… Christmas is over…"
"Naruto-kun…?" Sai asks confused at his demeanor over the price.
"What?" Naruto replies bitterly.
"Is there something wrong?"
"Nothing. Nothing at all." Naruto replies once again determined. "I'll just have to get some extra jobs from Tsunade-baa-chan."
It took Sai a second to realize what he was talking about.
"Perhaps, Naruto-kun, we could both buy the gift for Sakura."
"No!" Naruto replied. "We can't get the same gift, you gotta get something different."
"I do?"
"Yeah, it's a Christmas rule." Naruto lied. "Besides, I really want to show my appreciation to her."
"I don't understand, but okay." Sai said.
"I'm gonna go see Tsunade-baa-chan right now." Naruto said starting off towards the Hokage mansion.
'I'll definitely get that for Sakura if she wants it.' He thought to himself as determined as he would be to create a new jutusu. 'No matter what.'
"Okay. See you later, Sai."
"Good afternoon, Naruto-kun."
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It was early morning, at least very early morning for the number one ninja of surprise, when a knock came at his door. He didn't seem to hear it. The knocking became louder.
"What is it?" Naruto said cracking his eyes open.
The knocking continued as he groggily looked at his clock. He sat up yawned really loudly and went to his door as he opened it Sakura stood there readying herself as if to punch something in.
"Huh? Sakura-chan?"
In her hand she had a basket of clothing and on her back he could only assumed she had more.
"Tsunade-sama asked me to give this to you." She said handing him a very full manila folder. "What's it for?"
"Hm… This?" Naruto replied.
"Well yeah." Sakura replied bluntly.
"I don't know." He feigned ignorance. The truth is those were the extra jobs he had asked for.
"But thank you Sakura-chan for bringing it to me." He said closing the door, assuming she was walking away now.
A knock came at his door again.
"Hm?" Naruto was surprised that Sakura was still there. Usually when Sakura came to his place, it was for some business then she would leave. "Sakura-chan?"
"Your jacket."
"Hm?"
"I was on my way to the laundromat to do my families' laundry and since I'm here…" Sakura paused for a second.
"Huh?" Naruto was confused.
"You never wash that thing do you?" Sakura started berating him. "You wear it all the time and never wash it, I can tell because it stinks, so I figured as a team member, it would benefit the team to not have some one with stinky clothes distracting us on the team."
"What?" He still had no clue what she wanted. Why was she suddenly upset?
"Give me your jacket so I can wash it!" She said curiously angrier than the situation called for.
Naruto knew not to question it and ran to get his favorite black and orange jacket.
"Here." Naruto said handing it over to her.
Sakura quickly took it and put it on her basket.
"I have more." Naruto stated.
"Hm?"
"Well… if Sakura-chan is already washing my coat, I was wondering if she wanted to wash my matching pants too."
"I'm just going to wash your jacket, your pants are fine."
"But I wear them just as mu-"
"I'm not your slave." Again she was unusually cold.
"Okay… Thank you then Sakura-chan." Naruto said gratefully and afraid.
'That was strange.' Naruto thought sitting down at his bed with the manila folder he opened it up.
"Lets see what I've got here."
He looked over it all carefully.
"EH!" Naruto exclaimed annoyed.
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DAY 1 SCHEDULE:
Plow farm land for planting.
Help plant vegetables on farm land.
Clean around a farm.
Pull weeds from around farm.
Move hay and feed as needed.
-Eat-
Chop wood for small town.
Mow lawn for entire village.
Get irritable cat down from tree.
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DAY 2 SCHEDULE:
Help build house.
Dispose of village garbage.
Brush off and clean village walls and Hokage monument.
Retouch paint on village wall.
Retouch paint on areas where stepped on while retouching paint earlier.
Receive and deliver village exports/imports
-eat-
Babysit two babies: one and three year olds.
Get irritable cat down from a tree.
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Day 3 schedule
Build small moat around garden to prevent rain from slopes from drowning crop.
Give out flyers in Tanzunaku town.
Sell all cheaply made charms to passer-bys in Tanzunaku town.
Salvage cheaply made charms from river when wind blew them all in there.
Try to sell wet salvaged cheaply made charms to passer-bys.
Get Hokage back to Konoha from Tanzunaku town.
Survive run in with drunken Hokage while trying to get her back from Tanzunaku town.
Collect money from past due clients in Tanzunaku town.
Survive fight with chuunins from other villages who have money to be collected on past due payments.
- hospitalized after winning said fight –
"Really, being distracted by something so disgusting, how shameful." Sakura berated Naruto as he laid on the examining table.
"I wasn't distracted by it." Naruto argued sheepishly. "I was simply amazed that someone else from a different country would implement the Harem Technique as well."
Sakura just glared at him.
"Besides I wouldn't have been hurt if I wasn't so tired from all these jobs."
"That's another thing, you seem exhausted. Are you getting the proper nutrients each day?"
"Eating? No time." Naruto explained.
"Naruto, I know you think you've got endless stamina but remember you have to rest your body too, don't push yourself too hard."
"Right." He said smiling just glad he had some time to spend with her even if it was just because he got hurt.
"You're jackets at the front desk." She said. "I … I forgot it when I finished washing the clothes… I had to get here urgently so I just shoved it in the bag and forgot about it."
"Oh, it's okay." Naruto said. "It'll probably smell great though, Sakura-chan, like you. Thank you."
Sakura blushed.
"Hm? What's wrong?" Naruto asked oblivious of what he meant to say versus how he said it.
"Nothing. If you're okay, I'm going to go now." She said flustered. "I've got other patient you know? Even if you get hurt all the time by being an idiot."
"Hai." Naruto said smiling. "I've got to get back to work too. More jobs to do."
Sakura left closing the door behind her.
'That Naruto." She said standing outside the room for a moment than walking down towards the desk.
Naruto made his way down to the front desk.
"Hey, excuse me." He spoke to the lady at the front desk. "Sakura-chan said that she left my jacket down here for me. My name is…"
"Sakura-chan, how's it coming along, hm?" Naruto could hear Shizune's voice. "You're little project?"
"Stop it sempai." Sakura blushed. "I'm getting it."
"You know I could still help you if you let me see it."
"Shizune-ne-chan!" Naruto greeted the Hokage's right hand woman.
"Oh, Naruto-kun!" Shizune blushed then looked at Sakura, about to burst out laughing.
Sakura shot Shizune a cold glare, which caused the laughing to be no more than a stifled snicker.
Naruto just looked at her bewildered.
"Did you get your jacket?" Sakura quickly changed the subject.
"Here you are." The attendant said handing his jacket to him.
"Then what are you waiting here for? Didn't you say you had another job to do?"
'That's right, her gift.'
"Right." He said tossing on his jacket and leaving.
"Hey!" Sakura added.
"Huh?" Naruto turned around.
"Remember don't push yourself too hard." Sakura said.
"Don't worry." Naruto said smiling and then running off.
As he leapt away to the rooftops and then into the distance Sakura turned to Shizune who was still covering her mouth to try and prevent herself from giggling too loudly.
"Sempai!" Sakura said blushing.
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REMAINDER OF DAY 3 SCHEDULE
Sparring job with Rock Lee
Reluctantly Investigate haunted graveyard incident nearby
Chase and revenge against children who caused haunted graveyard incident and scared the crap out of you
Save people stranded in flood after dam broke.
Save highly irritable cat from floating tree branch in flooded area.
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Day 4 Schedule
Help clean disaster area of flood
Help rebuild houses for families affected by flood
Run errands for stores in the village
Help wait tables, with two others, for visiting Daimyo event, with attendance of 400.
babysitting job of 1 year old and 7 year old
Finding lost 1 year old after going to buy diapers and accidentally placing 1 year old on horse driven carriage of farmer who has helped all week
While at farm with 1 and 7 year old building fence around farmland and dispensing the manure on farmland while keeping 1 and 7 year old clean of it
After failing to keep them clean, cleaning them
Replace poorly put together fence with new fence.
Remove boulders that have fallen on path for traveling between cities
Fighting off shinobi who have partner cats, who caused the boulders to fall on paths so they can steal goods.
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DAY 4 NIGHT TIME
"Does Kurenai-sensei know if it's a boy or a girl yet?" Sakura asks as they make their way through the hallway towards Tsunade-hokage's room.
"It's going to be a boy."
"Really!" Sakura exclaims happily. "How awesome for her."
"Speaking of boys." Shizune says noting a body on the ground in front of Tsunade's office.
"Naruto!" Sakura said running to him and turning him over onto his back. His face is covered in little cuts and scratches.
"Naruto." Sakura says worriedly.
"Is he okay?" Shizune asked worried.
"I hate cats…." Naruto said, seemingly in his sleep.
"He's fine." Sakura replied to Shizune annoyed that she was worried over nothing.
In his hand was the manila folder he had received from Tsunade. Just then the door opened.
"What happened here?"
Sakura looked up to see her teacher looking over them, it was Tsunade.
------------------------------------
Naruto could feel a warm breeze circling and swirling softly over his face as he opened his eyes blurredly to two hands.
"Huh?"
The hands moved to reveal two green eyes staring at him worried and annoyed.
"Sakura-chan?"
"Good job completing your tasks today Naruto." Came another familiar voice. He looked over to see Tsunade.
"What happened?" Naruto sat up.
"I'll tell you what happened." Sakura started. Normally she was very calm in front of her teacher, even though their tempers gauged the same, but she was really annoyed for some reason. "You didn't listen to me and kept pushing yourself like an idiot so when you came to the door you passed out form being so tired."
"Sakura-chan…" Shizune started.
"Why are you pushing yourself so hard anyway? Hm? The other day you were complaining about how we had nothing but small little boring jobs but then here you go and line yourself up with way too many of these jobs. I don't get you. Are you an idiot?" Sakura meant well, she was truly worried about Naruto, but it all came out through her temper.
Naruto looked at her sadly for a moment.
"You're right." Naruto said smiling.
"Naruto-kun." Shizune said looking at him sadly as he sluggishly pulled himself up and started walking out.
"I'm tired, so I should go to sleep." He walked out and closed the door.
Sakura just looked after him worried.
"Sakura." Tsunade started.
"I apologize, sensei, for acting out of hand." Sakura said bowing.
"He'll be okay."
"Hm?" Sakura looked up.
"Right now, he's just doing what he feels like he needs to. As a friend, no matter his reasons, shouldn't you support him versus berating him?"
Sakura just looks out towards his direction again, reflecting on her teacher's words.
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DAY 5 CHRISTMAS DAY
"Today is the day!" Naruto exclaims jumping from rooftop to rooftop towards the hokage monument.
'Sakura-chan's going to love it.' He thinks joyfully to himself.
'He's pretty excited, I can hear him from further away than usual.' The hokage smirks as she thinks to herself while standing on the balcony outside her office. Shizune is there with her.
"Afternoon, Tsunade-baa-chan! Shizune ne-chan" He greets as he lands on the balcony beside her.
"Naruto." She says in her most commanding voice.
"Yes mam?" Naruto says straightening up.
"You've worked hard all week."
"Yes."
"You've earned this."
"Thank you." Naruto says as she gives him an envelope full of money.
"I've thrown in a little extra for your help escorting me back here the other day."
"Oh?" Naruto exclaims happily. "Thank you!"
"Now my next mission for you."
"Huh?" Naruto said.
"But it's-" Shizune starts surprised.
"No excuses, you're a Konoha shinobi, you have no limits when it comes to missions."
"Right." He said stifling his want to complain more.
"I order you."
"Yes."
"To have a Merry Christmas."
"Yes." Naruto shouts militantly. "Thank you."
Naruto turns around joyfully to start jumping towards the store.
"Naruto!"
"Yes?"
"I'd suggest getting flowers too." Tsunade said using her normal voice.
Naruto smiles and dashes off.
'Good luck' Shizune thinks.
'Do your best.' Tsunade also thinks.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The clock is tick-tick-tocking in Haruno Sakura's apartment.
"He's late." Sakura says out loud.
"Naruto-kun?" Sai asks.
She frowns for a second then sets the main course out.
"I shouldn't expect any less, I guess."
There is a knocking at the door.
Sakura goes to open it.
"Sakura-chan, sorry I'm late." Outside her door is the blonde shinobi, sweating and looking sad.
"You're late." Sakura says annoyed.
"I'm really sorry I--- there was this cat along the way."
"You sound like Kakashi-sempai."
"I… uh…" Naruto struggled, he didn't know how to cover for himself.
"Nevermind." She said. She realized something was up, but that he couldn't figure out how to tell her. "Just come in. We're about to start."
"Heh." He laughed nervously as he walked passed her.
"This is…" Naruto thought looking at the main dish.
"Curry." Sai stated.
'Oh no…. if she made it wrong… this may be as bad as when I was with Lee….' Naruto thought terrified.
"What?" Sakura asked.
"Um nothing… Curry for Christmas?" Naruto scrambled anxiously.
"It was the only thing I couldn't mess up." Sakura stated. "If you don't want any you don't have to have any."
"No… I'll have some." Naruto said not wanting to hurt her feelings.
He sat down and nervously put his fingers on his spoon.
'This is it.' Naruto thought morbidly his heart pounding.
"Before we start!" Sakura said, holding up her glass.
"Ah!" Naruto screamed.
Sakura looked at him.
"Heh. Sorry."
"Ahem. A toast to our newest member this year, Sai."
"Thank you." Sai said.
They all drank from their glasses.
"Please eat." Sakura asked politely.
"Naruto-kun, please you eat up first." Sai said smiling his blanket smile.
'You may only be acting like you don't know what you're doing but I'm onto you.' Naruto said staring coldly at Sai for making him go first.
Naruto dipped his spoon into the curry and scooped up some of the contents. As it neared his mouth he could feel his heartbeat racing. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion as he opened his mouth and put the curry in.
!!!
"Wow that's really good!" Naruto exclaimed surprised, relieved, and happily.
"Sakura this is great." The blonde continued.
Sakura blushed.
"Oh… well it's not much." She smiled waving her hands nonchalantly. When she opened her eyes there was a bowl in front of her face.
"More please." Naruto had finished his bowl and was asking for seconds. His spoon was still in his mouth.
!!!
"How rude." Sakura stated, waving of the blush she felt.
"Sorry it's just really good."
"I'm glad you liked it." The pink haired kunoichi said happily.
"It is very good." Sai added.
They finished the meal and they went on to dessert, all of which was surprisingly good, even Sai who was normally void of emotion showed a form of enjoyment.
"I'm stuffed." Naruto proclaimed as he and Sai finished washing the dishes.
"Thank you for dinner." Sai said kind of strangely.
"What's wrong."
"Hm… how should I do this?" Sai continued awkwardly. "I practiced it a lot."
He took out a scroll and unsealed it.
"Merry Christmas." He said as two gifts appeared on the scroll. One was for Sakura the other was for Naruto.
"Oh…" Sakura said as she walked and opened her closet.
"Here then." She said handing him his gift.
"For me?" Sai asked.
"Mm-hm." She said.
"Naruto?" She looked at him.
"Oh right." The blonde reached into his pocket and pulled out a small gift.
Sai opened his gifts to reveal a book from Sakura called 'How to Relax and Enjoy Conversations' and red paint from Naruto.
"I figured you always only have black paint so I got you a different color." Naruto said scratching his head. "Sorry I didn't have much money."
"All those jobs and you didn't have any money saved?" Sakura was surprised.
"Please, open your gifts." Sai interrupted.
"Okay." Sakura said opening hers.
"Huh?" Naruto said looking at her gift.
It was stage make-up, which included prosthetics for nose and moles.
Naruto began to snicker as he began opening his, prompting quick, what he would call, mind kurenais being launched at him from her. He didn't laugh long as he opened his to reveal penis enlarging pills. Sakura didn't laugh but only looked away blushing.
"What the?" Naruto shouted. "What kind of gift is this?"
"What do you mean?" Sai asked honestly. "You said to give gifts that I thought would help someone improve."
"I also said gifts that you think someone might like." Naruto explained annoyed.
"How would this improve me?" Sakura said burning with killer intent.
"Well it would make you look more like a wo-"
Naruto threw his shoe into Sai's mouth, knocking him over as he laughingly dragged him into a corner to allow Sakura to cool off.
"You really will die someday if you don't watch it." Naruto said to Sai.
"Hm?" Sai was confused.
"I'll get you a book about honesty and white lies." Naruto said assuring him of knowledge on the matter later.
"Did you get her anything Naruto?" Sai asked.
"Uh… I…."
Naruto paused. He didn't know how to explain the situation to her.
"You forgot didn't you?" Sakura said sadly not looking at him.
"No… it's just…" Naruto looked away sadly.
"It's okay, I didn't get you anything anyway I was short on money too." She said.
Even Sai could feel the tension in the air.
"Um… I should be going then." He said. "Thank you for dinner."
"Sure." Sakura said smiling.
"Yeah, thank you Sakura-chan." Naruto said awkwardly.
"Good bye." Sakura said coldly not looking at him. "Sai, I'll see you out then."
"Thank you."
Sakura saw Sai to the door and all Naruto could do was follow them sadly. He didn't know what to say. He was lost for words.
'She's mad at me.' Naruto thought.
"Okay, Happy New Year if I don't see you Sai-kun." Sakura farewelled to her teammate.
"Sakura-chan…" Naruto started sadly. "I'm sorry."
Sakura just sighed and turned around.
Naruto seemed to motion for her to come over.
"What do you want, Naruto?"
As she crossed her arms someone walked up from behind her and scared her.
"Ah!" She said punching them.
POOF!
A pink gift-wrapped box and a bouquet with bellflowers went in different directions, as the person she hit disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"Huh?" Sakura said confused.
"I didn't get you the one you wanted." Naruto said. "But I worked really hard all week… they just didn't have the one you wanted."
"Naruto…" Sakura picked up the gift box. "Is this for me?"
"Yeah, but maybe I should just wait until they have it back in stock."
Sakura opened the gift and there in the box was a coat, a green color that very much matched her eyes, same style as the one she wanted.
"This is." She said.
"That's why I was late." Naruto said as he picked up the flowers.
"Uh." Sakura looked at him, he was so sad.
"When I finally saved up enough money and got to the store, the red one that Sakura-chan wanted was gone. I tried running to other stores to see if they had that coat, but it was specially made for that store, so I went back and asked if they had any more in the back and they said they didn't so I resolved to buy the green one instead… I'm sorry. I know it's not what you wanted."
"Wasn't this is expensive?" Sakura asked softly.
"Eh?" Naruto looked up.
Sakura took it out and fully displayed it.
"You idiot, you worked that hard this entire week to get me this?" Sakura started coldly. "You really don't know how to save your money do you? If I wanted this coat I would've bought it myself. You didn't have to waste all that money on this."
Naruto looked down sad. To him it was clearly not what she wanted.
"But since you went through all that trouble and it's already here, I guess I'll keep it." Sakura said mimicking her cold tone.
"Huh?" Naruto was confused. Was she mad, was she glad?
"Thank you." Sakura said coolly looking away.
"Sakura-chan…" Naruto suddenly felt a breeze of happiness from the kunoichi.
"Oh." Sakura said going into her closet again.
She came back with what looked to be a hand-knit blue sweater. In a few areas there were little holes from incorrect knitting, some of the yarn stuck out in other areas.
"Since I couldn't get you a gift, I guess you can have this." She said looking away embarrassed. "It was a test sweater that I made while learning how from Shizune-sempai."
She held out her hands to give the sweater to Naruto. For a second he didn't take it. When she looked over to him she saw his eyes. They weren't looking away, they weren't smiling, they were concentrated on just one thing: her.
"What?" She said looking away as her heart began to race. "What are you looking at?"
"Thank you, Sakura-chan." Naruto said, truly happy. "I'll put it on right away."
He put the flowers on the table and slipped it on as quick as he could, picking up the flowers again.
It was tight around his chest and arms. It was warm though. Warmer than any store-made sweater could be, because it was from Sakura. He could feel the warmth from her every knit.
"It's a little tight though." He said.
"It's not my fault." Sakura complained. "Your jacket didn't have any measurements in there and I couldn't get a mannequin with your bui—"
She stopped herself.
"Sakura-chan?" Naruto raised his eyebrow. "I thought Sakura-chan made this as a test sweater…"
He was confused.
"What?" Sakura started scrambling for an excuse. "Of course I did, I only thought of it after I washed your jacket…"
"But you said you forgot about my jacket…"
"You don't know what you're talking about! Idiot!" Sakura said dawning her usual playfully cold manner towards him as she pushed him out. "Get out now, I've got a long day with many relatives tomorrow."
She quickly closed the door to conceal how red her face must have been.
"Sakura-chan." Naruto called through the door.
"What?" She answerd quickly.
"Thank you! I'm going to wear it every day!"
"Do what you want." She said blushing even more. "Just remember to wash it at least."
"Sakura-chan?"
"What?"
"Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas."
"Sakura-chan?" He said knocking on the door.
"WHAT!?" She opened it.
"These flowers are for you too." He said handing them to her.
"Thank you." She said taking them and covering as much of her face under her eyes up as possible."
"Your welcome." He said smiling happily, he walked backwards until he bumped into the wall.
"What are you doing? Get out of here already!" Sakura commanded with her normal voice.
"Yes!" He said snapping too and leaping off to a different rooftop on his way home.
She let go of her façade and closed her door. She smelt the flowers and put them on her table. She slipped on the coat and pulled it over her tightly. She could feel the hard work he had put into getting her the gift, it was warm. She could feel how much he cared for her. The thought of him being held that tightly to her made her blush.
"Guess I'm going to have to return the red one then." She said smiling.
"Yahoo!" Naruto screamed as he leapt from one building to the next, he did triple flips, he'd do a hundred if he could. His heart, it was so full. He stopped on one of the rooftops. The scent from his sweater, it did smell like Sakura.
He smiled and accidentally laughed out loud. He covered his mouth surprised that his happiness just physicalized itself in the form of a dorky laugh, almost a snort. He put his hand over his heart. He promised to wear that sweater every day of fall and winter.
'Thank you Sakura-chan.' He thought. 'I'll never feel cold again.'
--------------------------------------------------THE END --------------------------------------------