I posted this at the end of my other story (The Flow of Life) as a gift to all of my reviewers. So I decided to post it as it's own little one-shot. I thought it was cute, I hope you all enjoy it!

So this is actually more of a SakuxEveryone, but the main pair is SasukexSakura!

Tradition

"We don't have to stay all night."

"…"

"And would you smile at least once. People are starting to think your face froze while you were frowning."

"…"

Sakura sighed. It was no use. She knew Sasuke didn't want to come to Kakashi's for Christmas Eve, but she had forced him to come. It was tradition that the whole team gather at one of the member's houses the night before Christmas so they could exchange gifts and such. The pink haired girl shifted the bag of goodies and knocked on the door.

Her masked ex- teacher now teammate answered the door, smiling behind his mask. "Come in you two." He said and stepped out of the way for them both. Sasuke walked past him and into the home and Sakura was about to when Kakashi stopped her. He held in his hand above both of their heads a sprig of mistletoe. Smirking, Sakura shook her head.

"You're at it again aren't you?" she question. His visible eye scrunched up, signaling that 'yes' he was. "Just remember that I now have a boyfriend here."

"This is our own tradition. And you can't go against tradition." He said, amused greatly. Sakura rolled her eyes, stepped up on her tippy toes and for once was thankful that Kakashi wore a mask. Even for times like these he wouldn't take it off. She placed a very light kiss on his covered lips and stepped through the door.

The team had taken a Christmas tradition, and made their tradition, started one year by Naruto after he and Sakura had ended up under the mistletoe three times in one night. Sakura believed that they did it just to torture her. The plan was to set up, or hide sprigs of mistletoe throughout the house. If Sakura happened to stand under one, or even touch one, then the closest person to her was to kiss her. And as a reward for her going along with the event, she was allowed to make any two people of her choosing kiss.

Last years winner was Kakashi, and already it looked as though he was getting a head start. Never had she found it annoying. In fact, it was fun for her and she got to kiss a lot on Christmas Eve. Oh yes, lot's of fun.

"I won't be caught so easily." She told Kakashi who gave her daring look.

"I'll hold you to that." He said. "And just so you know, Genma is trying to prepare snacks."

Sakura frowned. "You've got to be kidding me." She said now raising an eyebrow.

Kakashi shook his head and followed her back into the house. He watched as Naruto waved excitedly in Sakura's direction and Sai simply smiled at her. She waved back and after setting her bag of presents down ventured into the kitchen, prepared to help Genma who couldn't do anything in the kitchen. She had always thought he should never even be allowed in the kitchen.

In the living room, Naruto picked up his cup of eggnog and just before he brought it to his lips he sniffed it.

"It's rum." Kakashi informed him.

The blonde looked skeptical. "I'm just making sure. After last year…" he shuddered, not wanting to remember what was even in that drink that sent him running the bathroom.

"It would be pointless to poison the eggnog again Dickless." Sai said. "Though maybe not since your memory hasn't ever been the greatest." He smiled in Naruto direction and the blue eyed boy was looking for something to chuck at the artist.

"God damnit Genma!" Sakura's shouts exploded from the kitchen. She looked more annoyed than angry as she marched out into the living room, a large bowl of hot buttery popcorn in her hands. She set it down on the coffee table where Naruto lunged for it.

"He got ya didn't he?" Naruto asked, his mouth full of the puffed up corn.

It was useless as she attempted to hide the pout. "Yes." She said quietly. "He hid it around the edge of the bowl so when I picked it up I would touch it. And of course he asked me to bring this out here."

Chuckling, Genma made his way into the living room. "It was the perfect opportunity." He said. Sakura gave him an empty glare. He held his arms open. "Well?"

Sighing, the girl walked over to him, once again having to stand on her toes to reach. She gave him a light kiss and pulled back tasting the rum on his lips. Her nose scrunched up. She never had the tongue for alcohol.

"Lay off the eggnog." She said and wiped her mouth. Genma frowned.

Behind them, someone cleared their throat. Sakura spun around and noticed Sasuke looking at them suspiciously. She cursed under her breath. Of course he would be wondering what was going on. It was, afterall, his first Christmas back with the team and also his first time attending one of their parties. So he knew nothing of their 'tradition.'

"Ah…"

"Haha, Teme are you jealous?" Naruto asked in a mocking tone. He stood up and carefully slipped in by Sakura who was stunned in place by Sasuke's questioning look. "I mean, it is tradition. So you shouldn't be upset if I accidentally caught her under a mistletoe right?"

Those words registered in Sakura's head and she looked up, noticing more mistletoe now in Naruto's hand. He had some great timing. Leaning down, Naruto caught her lips with his in a brief kiss. He just scored one and he was making Sasuke even more jealous. Perfect.

"Tradition?" Sasuke questioned. Yes he fully understood the mistletoe tradition. Two people get caught under a mistletoe, they kiss. But he felt as though he was missing out on something here.

"Well this is Sasuke's first Christmas with us." Kakashi said, lounging back in his armchair. He was enjoying every minute of this. "So he doesn't know of our tradition." He said.

Genma plopped down on the couch, smirking as he sipped more eggnog. "You see, we took the mistletoe tradition to a whole new level. For us, it's a game. Whoever catches Sakura under a mistletoe the most times wins. Simple as that." He said.

"Or," Kakashi butted in. "If she touches it, or is under it alone, the closest person to her is the lucky man."

Sasuke continued to frown. Maybe this was why Sakura wanted to come so bad. But seriously, what kind of game is that? Get more kisses from his girlfriend and that man wins. Oh he'd be willing to give them a prize. A cheerful black eye and a joyful bloody nose. Sounded great.

"Relax Sasuke. We've done it for the past three years. It's not a big deal." Sakura said, trying to sound reassuring. She sat on the couch between Sasuke and Genma and leaned on his shoulder. "Just try to beat them, that's all you have to do."

"I'd rather not." He said.

"Oh come on." Sakura said. "Don't you want to kiss me?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "I can kiss you whenever I damn well want to."

Sakura huffed.

The night progressed and, much to Naruto's enjoyment, it was time to open their presents.

Sakura handed out everything she had gotten for her team, with no thanks to Sasuke. She had just included him on tags. She knew that no one would believe that he put thought into any of their gifts. Nope, he put in nothing put in his wallet. And his wallet was forced into it.

Naruto ripped his gift and then let out an excited squeal. He looked over the free Ichiraku meal gift certificates, he smiled lovingly at the chibi fox plushy, but he hugged the box that contained a new MP3 player in it. Sakura was glad he liked it.

"Since I…kinda smashed your other one." She said in an apologetic tone. "

"Thanks Sakura-chan. And you to Sasuke-teme."

Kakashi frowned at the watch. Ah, just another one to add to his collection. Sakura smiled at the look and giggled. "I told you. Until you show up on time, I'm going to get you a new watch every Christmas." She informed him. She then pulled out a larger box from her bag and handed it to him. "But I'll get you other things as well."

The silver haired man opened the gift. He let out a squeal equal to Naruto's. There in his hands was a box set containing every single special edition, specially autographed by the author himself, Icha Icha book. And there was also the new book, Icha Icha Attack, that wasn't even on sale yet. He could have died just now.

"Thank you so much." He said smiling. Sakura nodded.

Genma opened his. An ornamental box filled with custom made senbon. They were of all different sizes, colors, and designs. There were a few that Sakura had asked to be made for poisons. They were convenient so that they could hold poison on the inside and it would be undetectable. And the poison wouldn't come out unless it was taken out or it hit its target.

Genma smiled in her direction and mouthed 'thank you' before picking up one senbon that was carefully decorated with delicate cherry blossoms.

And lastly was Sai who was slow in opening gifts. He wasn't one for tearing the paper right off. He was perfect, pulling it apart where it was tapped and not letting the paper be torn in any place.

When he finally got it open, he was looking at a shiny new black box. It was almost identical to the one he had at his house. The only difference was the elegant tiger design sketched on the top of the box. He ran his hands over it and finally opened it. There was a large array of new art supplies. From paints to pastels, to colored pencils, to watercolors. There were more colors than the one he had at home.

He looked over at Sakura and nodded, smiling as his own way of saying 'thank you.' She smiled back, loving the look of what was closer to a real smile than his normal forced fake one. She knew he would love it.

"Sakura you haven't opened any." Naruto noticed. The girl looked down at the small stockpile of gifts and took the first one. Then Naruto looked over at Sasuke. "It's not going to bite you." He said, stifling a chuckle.

Sasuke opened one gift and hadn't moved since then. For once he looked almost, almost, frightened. "Dobe," he said slowly. "where the hell did you get this?"

Naruto paused from opening his other gift. "I bartered it off of one of your little fangirls." He said smirking broadly. "All I had to do was trade her a picture of you with your shirt off and she was putty in my hands."

Sasuke held it at arms length. It was smiling at him. What the hell, it was him. "What…the…fuck."

Naruto couldn't hold in his laughter any longer. "It's a custom made Sasuke plush doll." He choked out. The rest joined in. Sakura took the doll from Sasuke and examined it.

"You sure it wasn't meant for me? It actually smiles!" she said. The doll was wonderfully made. It did look like Sasuke. His clothes, his hair…everything looked like Sasuke. It even had an Uchiwa on it's back. The only difference was the closed eyes and the happy face.

She handed it back to Sasuke who hastily set it on the floor. When Sakura looked up, he noticed Sai motion her from across the room. She observed him carefully, looking for any mistletoe. He looked clean. She went over and kneeled before him on the floor.

Sai handed her a small square box, a red ribbon tied around it. Sakura's mouth hung open as she took the ribbon off and opened the box. There was a necklace inside. A large heart pendant stayed in place on a chain. What was special about it was the custom hand painted cherry blossom on the pendant. She knew that Sai painted it and she couldn't thank him enough.

"Sai….thank you so much."

The man shrugged off her words. "It's coated so that the paint won't chip off." He said.

Sakura gave him a small hug and was about to move back to her seat. His hand clasped around her wrist. She looked at him and he simply pointed upward at the mistletoe hanging from the ceiling. "How did you…?"

"Did you notice anything about me since you came?" He asked.

Sakura racked her brains, trying to remember anything. But she couldn't. Sai hadn't done anything she came here. So then how….oh. She smiled at her own air headedness. "You never moved. Which means it's been there the whole time and you were waiting for me." She said. "Clever."

Sai nodded. Sakura leaned into him and kissed him. She pulled away and smiled. "But I won't fall for it twice." She said and moved back over to the couch.

"Hm." Kakashi mused. "It seems that we've all gotten her once, except someone." His looked was pointed at Sasuke.

Sasuke frowned. "I said no."

Sakura pouted. "Oh come on. It's for the good of the game and the good of competition. Besides I take offense to someone who says they don't want to kiss me."

"Well sorry to disappoint you."

"You really can be a jerk sometimes."

"Hn."

"Ahem."

Both looked up to see Naruto casually leaned his elbow on the back of the couch, mistletoe in hand as he held it above their heads. "You've got no choice now." He said.

Sasuke glared and Sakura turned to Sasuke. "He's right you know." She said and leaned into her boyfriend. Sasuke sighed. Whatever.

He pulled Sakura into a kiss, a real kiss. It was longer, harder, better than any other kiss Sakura had received tonight. She melted into his touch and held him tighter.

"Jeez. Get a room if you have to." Naruto said with a disgusted look. The pair pulled away and both glared at him.

"What'd you say Dobe?"

"Oh you heard me you horny bastard."

Sakura ignored their arguing. "Hey Kakashi, can I make my decision yet? We can continue the game." She said referring to the other portion of the tradition. The part where she gets to pick who she wants to kiss. The jounin shrugged, not minding at all.

The girl slipped the mistletoe out of Naruto's hand and stood up on the couch. She sniggered as she held it above Sasuke and Naruto's heads, waiting for them to notice. "Oh boys." She said in a sugar coated tone. They stopped and looked at her. Both groaned.

Naruto looked at Sakura with a look that read, 'Why Sakura? Why must you be so cruel?' Sasuke on the other hand glared, his look reading, 'Do you really want to sleep on the couch tonight?'

Sakura smiled devilishly.

"Kiss and make up. Now."

I really hope you all enjoyed that! Happy Holidays!