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Unwanted Miracles
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Pairing: Sasuke x Naruto (Iruka x Kakashi)
Warning: Shounen ai, Unbeta-ed
Summary: A story about a street urchin, an unfeeling boy, and a girl who just wanted to believe…that miracles really do happen during Christmas. SasuNaru Modern Times
Inspired by: thoughts of angels, Christmas and miracles that sometimes happen during the season of giving.
Please forgive my bad usages of Japanese terms; I don't speak the language so I have almost no idea how to use them.
Disclaimer: Naruto and anything related does not belong to me. Don't sue.
"talking" 'thinking' This story takes place in modern times.
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How Angels are Born
A small five-year old girl waited patiently for her mother by the door. She had emerald-green eyes and soft-pink hair. She was very excited. Today was the day that will change her life forever; she was sure, provided that her letter gets there in time.
Her mother helped her put on her coat, which was also a shade of delightful pink and before her scarf had been wrapped around her neck, she bolted out the door. Outside, it was beautiful as countless of tiny snowflakes drifted from the heavens. It was a winter wonderland.
Sakura ran, still clutching her letter, towards the post office around the corner. Her mother walked slightly behind her, smiling. A bell jingled as the door opened. Sakura stepped in and ran excitedly up to the front desk. "We wish you a Merry Christmas" played faintly in the background, and a large Christmas tree stood in one corner of the room. The mails-lady smiled down at the five-year old as Sakura stood on tiptoes, but was barely able to reach up to the counter. She held up the letter and said sweetly, "I'd like to mail this to the North Pole please." The mails-lady laughed softly, "Sending a letter to Santa?" The pink-haired girl nodded enthusiastically, "This year I only asked for one thing. I've been extra good all year long." She beamed happily. The mails-lady smiled again and offered her a gingerbread-man cookie. It smelled delicious, and it smiled up at her with its icing mouth.
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Sakura is walking to the store with her mother; hand in hand. She held a cookie in her hand, but it was left forgotten as she stared in awe at the soft-white snow falling all around her. The store was near the heart of the city. Konoha was a very busy town in the summer, and autumn, when the leaves on the numerous giant trees surrounding the village turned to brilliant shades of orange, red and yellow. In the winter though, only the townspeople stayed. Some bustled now quickly in the cold; going in and out of shops in some kind of crazy frenzy. She didn't think anyone in Konoha particularly liked the cold weather. The only thing good about this, she thought, is the snow, angels and Christmas.
She tugged free of her mother's hand and ran towards the store. As she rounded the corner, she saw a small ball of bright gold, half buried by the snow. It was hidden among the garbage cans near the busy intersection where all the markets stood. She walked closer; curious, and startled when the bal moved. It was a little boy her own age.
She knelt before him and reached out to touch his golden-coloured hair. It was soft beneath the ice crystals that have formed and clung to his locks. He slowly raised his head, and looked at her with big, empty, blue eyes. She asked, "What's your name?" He gave her no answer, and lowered his head again to stare at the ground. Sakura stared at the boy who would not speak, in front of her. He would be known as the Nameless Boy for many years to come. She smiled and offered him her cookie. The boy's hand twitched beside time. She noticed they looked slightly blue. Just as she was sure he would take the cookie, thank her and be her friend, she was yanked away roughly by the shoulder. "Sakura, what are you doing!?" Her mother's angry voice was shrill in the ears. She was dragged away by hand. "Don't touch him!"
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"But why?" she asked, staring fearfully at her mother's angry face.
"Do as I say," came the curt response. Somehow Sakura knew that wasn't the real answer. Why would her mommy lie?
"But he didn't have a jacket! He was so sick looking! Mommy, he'll freeze! Mommy, why was he there? Why didn't his mommy give him a jacket to wear?"
"Mommy?" Sakura looked up at her mother, as she suddenly stopped. She saw her mother's sad eyes.
"Sakura, I don't want you going near people like that ever again. It's not safe."
"But mommy, he wasn't dangerous."
"Yes, he was!" Sakura quickly shut her mouth. They started to walk again. "We're going home."
Sakura stayed silent during their entire walk back. She didn't understand why her mommy did that -why her mommy treated her like that. But she had to know, "Mommy, why was that boy there?"
A moment of silence passed, and then, "because he has nowhere else to go." Her mother's eyes grew hard this time, "because he has no home."
"…because not everybody wants the miracle that is a child born."
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Sakura awoke early on Christmas morning. She bolted down the stairs; her pink hair flying behind and her emerald-green eyes shining. She peeked under the large and brilliantly decorated Christmas tree. She ducked underneath the branches which threatened to scratch her, and shuffled on her knees all around. She was looking for her present (or presents, she was hoping), but especially the present she asked for from Santa. In the end, she found two nicely wrapped gifts, both addressed to her. They weren't from Santa, but she tore them open anyway. Sakura pouted. She liked the presents, but why didn't Santa come?
Tears gathered in her eyes as she ran up to her parents' room. "Mommy! Daddy!" She cried, "Santa didn't bring my present 'cause I was bad!" She wailed and tried to crawl in between her parents on their bed. She buried her head on her dad's shoulder.
Sakura's mother tried to console her, "Sakura, let's try and look again. I'm sure Santa would've come with a good present for such a good girl." Sakura sniffed loudly, and nodded.
After a few more minutes to searching around the tree, Sakura found another, smaller, present. I was wrapped in a wrapping paper the same soft-pink as her hair, with bright-green ribbons. It said, "To Sakura Haruno, I hope you have a Merry Christmas, and thanks for being so good this year. Santa Claus".
"See, Sakura?" Her mother smiled, "He did come." Sakura tore open this present too, but she stared down dejectedly at it; her gift. This wasn't what she asked for. Tears stared to well up once again in her eyes. Her mother noticed this and said quickly, "let's go to Sasuke Uchiha's house, and you can give your Christmas gift to him. Okay?"
Sakura's eyes lit up, "OK, Mommy!" 'If I go see Sasuke-kun, then I'll know for sure if Santa got my letter in time, or not!'
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"Hello, Haruno-san," a brown-haired man with a scar across his nose said as he held open the door, "and hello Sakura-chan."
"Hi, Iruka-sensei," the pink-haired girl greeted, trying to get a glimpse into the house, "Is Sasuke-kun home?"
"Ah, hai, he is. Sasuke's in his room. You're welcome to go up there, if you'd like." Sakura pushed into the house and ran up the stairs. Sakura's mother stayed in the living room to talk to Sakura's teacher.
The delicious smell of baking cookies filled her lungs as she passed by the kitchen. She smiled brightly when she came to Sasuke-kun's door. She knocked three times, just to be polite. No answer came, so she pushed the door open carefully. The dark-haired boy was sitting on the edge of his bed, staring out the window. His face was emotionless as usual, but Sakura knew that he would smile everyday from now on. She knew because she had asked Santa to make Sasuke-kun happy.
"Sasuke-kun?" She asked shyly, "I'm here to give you a present…um, for Christmas!" She mustered the guts to beam happily at the other child. She could feel her face growing hotter by the second. This is going to be the day that her crush, Uchiha Sasuke, finally smiles at her!
"hn"
Sakura was crushed. He didn't smile, he didn't laugh, he didn't show any emotion at all, and most importantly, he didn't acknowledge her. 'Santa didn't come…' As she felt her eyes filling with bitter tears, the small girl placed her gift to her precious Sasuke-kun on the floor of his bedroom. She whispered a goodbye to him, but he just kept staring out the window, at the falling snow outside. As she walked out of that room, Sakura could feel her little heart breaking.
It was the day when she had first gotten her heart broken. It was also the day she stopped believing in Santa Claus, and in miracles.
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I had originally meant for this story to be posted near Christmas, but things were so busy I couldn't finish the first chapter in time. Ah, the Christmas bustle, and the last-minute rush shopping. Sniff , and it's gone for another year… but, anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading!
Suggestions and comments are, of course, always welcome.
Horologii..
