Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, nor any places, things, characters, or ideas therein. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto, Shounen Jump, Viz Media, TV Tokyo, etc., and not me. I am writing this fic for entertainment purposes only, not monetary gain.

Summary: Sasuke's on a mission in the days leading up to Christmas, and Hinata's depressed. But he's not planning to give her time to miss him too much, as she's about to discover. A twelve days of Christmas fic, one chapter posted daily. :Sasuke x Hinata:

Rating: K+

Warnings: Fluff, mostly. And a kiss under the mistletoe, of course!

Main Pairing: Sasuke/Hinata

Secondary Pairings: Neji/Tenten, Itachi/Temari, Shikamaru/Ino

Author's Note: When I decided I wanted to do a fic for Christmas, little did I realize it would turn into a twelve-days-of-Christmas thing. I was planning a cute little oneshot, but turning a novelist into a short story writer is like turning a lion into a housecat - it doesn't work unless you're a member of the Addams family. As far as the fic itself goes, this is at some point in the future - and in an alternate reality where the Uchiha massacre did not happen, Itachi and Sasuke thus did not leave the village, and the fourth shinobi war was never even considered. Sasuke is more laid-back in this fic, but he still has a bit of a rebellious streak that will seem familiar. I have loved every minute of writing this fic so far, and I hope it's as much fun for you all to read! Thank you so much for giving it a chance!

*~Christmas Countdown~*

.:fyd818:.

*~Chapter I~*

~Countown: Day 12: Hanabi~

"I'll be back by Christmas. Promise."

With those reassuring words echoing in her ears, Hyuuga Hinata made her way back home from the village gates. All around her, Konoha glowed with the beautiful lights and decorations distinctive of Christmas, colors which looked a little dimmer now since Uchiha Sasuke had left on a mission.

And though he'd promised to be home by Christmas, Hinata wasn't sure whether to believe him or not. She knew as well as any other ninja in the village how missions could go wrong, become complicated in the blink of an eye, and extend far past the promised time frame. She wanted to believe he'd be back in time to celebrate Christmas with her, but she didn't dare hope for it lest she be disappointed.

As she made her way through Konoha's market district, signs displaying the number of shopping days before Christmas caught her eye. Though she had her own finished, she could see various friends and family members in the throng, along with countless other villagers, trying to get their buying done halfway early.

She thought about the neat pile of wrapped gifts sitting between the wall and the side of her bureau in her room, and couldn't hide her smile. For some reason, Hinata felt more excited about this Christmas than any other before. The usual songs sounded sweeter to her ears, the lights seemed brighter, the decorations more beautiful...

...At least before Sasuke left.

Shaking her head so hard she nearly dislodged the knit hat she'd pulled on to protect her head from the slight chill in the air, Hinata bit back her melancholy. Christmas was one of her favorite times of the year, and she refused to let her depression color her usual joy - not to mention that of everyone around her.

Finally, she entered the gates of the Hyuuga clan's massive estate. Though the outside of the walls were as barren as always, inside decorations stood everywhere, mostly thanks to the efforts of her countless cousins. Wandering down the wide avenue making up the main street of sorts for the estate, Hinata waved to one of her great-aunts, who was putting up some last-minute decorations. For a brief moment she thought about dropping by Neji's house to visit her cousin and his wife; at the last minute, she walked by, not wanting a repeat of the time she'd stopped by to ask a question and accidentally interrupted Neji and Tenten's newlywed happiness.

She hadn't been able to look either one in the face for two weeks, at least.

Upon entering her own house, decorated thanks to the efforts of herself and her younger sister, Hinata slid off her boots, holding them in one hand as she slid on some house slippers. Padding down the hall, she smiled at the two-tone garland she and Hanabi had painstakingly tacked in swags along the joint of the wall and ceiling on either side. It had taken the pair of them almost three hours, but the way the gold and silver glinted in the glow of the overhead lights made the time and effort worth it.

As she passed the kitchen, Hinata drew in a deep breath of cinnamon, a scent she enjoyed all year round, but especially associated with Christmas. She wondered if the cooks were busy making cookies, and if they'd taken the time to slip in a few rolls for her. A hint of chocolate also teased her nose, but she firmly went past the kitchen without peeking in. There was no sense in ruining her appetite, not when dinner was only an hour away.

Rounding the corner, Hinata came to an abrupt halt. To her great surprise she saw Hanabi sitting outside her older sister's bedroom door, a wrapped package in her lap and a huge grin on her face. Upon seeing Hinata, the younger girl scrambled to her feet and came toward her. "About time you got here," she huffed, a teasing smile on her face. Thrusting out her hand, she pushed the gift in it at Hinata until the other woman took it, then spun on her heel. "That's for you. Go open it right now. Have fun!" With a jaunty little wave, Hanabi hurried away and vanished into her room, firmly shutting the door behind herself.

Hinata blinked at Hanabi's closed door, then looked down at the package in her hand. Wrapped in pretty blue and silver paper, the gift felt slightly heavy, and certainly hard. Pushing open her bedroom door with the hand holding her boots, she dropped her footwear on the floor next to the door, then toed it shut behind her as she took the present in both hands.

Then she spied the label on the top right corner: To Hinata, From Sasuke. Just to the right of their names, a neat little "12" had been drawn and circled.

Confused, Hinata sank down onto one of the cushions by the low table in the center of her sitting room and plucked at the edge of the paper. She felt reluctant to tear it because the wrapping was so beautiful, but her curiosity got the better of her. With a few satisfying rips, she revealed her gift: a beautiful leather-bound book of poetry she remembered admiring through a store window on one of her and Sasuke's dates back in the summer.

"He remembered," Hinata said wonderingly. Setting the torn paper aside, she ran her free hand over the cover of the book, admiring the delicate tool work of ivy and roses surrounding the title. Gently, she opened the book, allowing the pages to fall open to the center, where a folded piece of paper caught her attention.

What's this, then? Plucking it out, Hinata set the book in her lap so she could unfold the paper. In Sasuke's strong, bold handwriting, the following words were written:

In order to find your next clue
You must track down the inseperable two.

For a moment, Hinata stared blankly down at the words, confused. Picking up the book, she carried it and the clue across the hall to her sister's door, on which she scratched urgently.

Hanabi opened the door almost immediately. Still grinning, she glanced from the book, to the note, to her sister's face. "Figured it out yet?" she asked.

"Sasuke put you up to this?" She held up both the book and paper, feeling something warm and happy building in her stomach.

"He approached me a couple weeks ago - told me he wanted to set up a scavenger hunt and needed my help. He dropped that off yesterday, and told me to give it to you today when you got home from seeing him off at the gate." She nodded to the book, then the note. "It's a twelve-day scavenger hunt. There will be a note in with each of your presents; you have to figure each one out so you'll know whom to go to the next day."

Hinata started to say something, but Hanabi held up a forestalling hand. "You'll get no help from me, or anyone else, if that's what you're about to say. You have to figure out each clue on your own."

"That wasn't what I was going to say." Hinata re-read the clue, feeling a smile curl up the corners of her mouth. Sasuke, how long were you planning this?

Though often serious and unsmiling, Hinata knew Sasuke had a secret soft side, one to which only she was ever really privy. It crept out sometimes when they were together, especially if the two of them were alone. Even at that, though, she never would have thought he'd go to all the trouble to set something like this up, going so far as to compose rhyming couplets as clues for her to follow!

Hanabi closed her door again. Hinata turned and went back to her room, hugging the book and note close to her chest. This would be their second Christmas together as a couple. Last year, they'd been able to see each other every day, both knowing they'd see each other on Christmas. But this year, even with Sasuke away on a mission, she felt more cherished and loved than ever before because of the knowledge he'd realized she'd be lonely without him. So he'd gone to all the trouble of setting this up for her. She couldn't wait to see where all the clues led. She even hoped, secretly way down deep inside herself, that the last clue would lead her back to him.

Though she and Sasuke wouldn't be together for a while, she still had eleven days of his thoughtfulness to look forward to stretching before her.

This year's Christmas was looking better and better, after all.

*~To Be Continued~*

Author's Ending Notes: I was planning a cute little oneshot for my Christmas fic this year, but as you can see, that didn't work. But this was such a fun idea, I'm glad I decided to go for something longer, anyway, though the chapters themselves will remain fairly short. I really hope you liked this introductory chapter, thanks for checking out my fic, and I hope to see you again tomorrow for chapter two!