Merry Christmas everyone!!!!
Christmas in Konoha
Chapter 1: Believing
Sasuke and Itachi were children at the time. They hardly argued like most children.
Most said because they were well behaved, they could have more realistically guessed it was because Itachi talked seldom and Sasuke worshipped the feet he stood on.
One day on a particularly chilly winter evening, the day of Christmas Eve, Itachi was coming home from training.
Outside the shadows coming from the lit house cast a lively pattern on the crisp crunchy snow as he worked to reach his house. As soon as he opened the door he heard the gruff voice of his father talking. If Itachi were more a teenager than a middle-aged man he would have grumbled, "Oh great, his lecture voice."
As he came to the living room where they were, he saw Sasuke seated in a chair too big for him, his mother kneeling down beside him, and his father sitting across from him. "Now Sasuke," he began.
Itachi doubted they knew of his presence so he stood in the doorway. "…You're becoming a big boy now so you need to know the truth…" "Dear he's barely 6!" his mother cried to be silenced by an extended palm from his father.
"Sasuke…I know you believe in fun things, but now that you are becoming a ninja, you need to start seeing the world in a bigger picture. Starting with Santa Clause. Santa Clause is not real. He does not exist." "Yes he does," Sasuke answered quickly. "Then where is he now?" his father said leaning back staring hard at him.
"In the North Pole getting ready for tonight," he said as though it were the most obvious thing.
"And the Easter Bunny? Tooth Fairy?" his father asked trying to corner him.
"They're both in Bermuda working on stock funds. He and the Tooth fairy hit a major deal last year and if all succeeds, the eggs will be brushed and cleaned before they're decorated."
His father slapped his head. "Sasuke! They DO NOT exist. The truth is, we put the presents under the tree. WE hide the eggs and put change under your pillow. That was all us!" He exclaimed exasperated. Sasuke gasped. "You're part of the underground Egg society?" he asked, his eyes becoming wide.
His father steamed and his face grew red. Itachi smirked, you just had to love that kid sometimes. After a moment of meditation, his father said bluntly, "How can we prove Santa doesn't exist?"
After Sasuke pondered, a finger on his chin in though, he replied, "You can't.
Santa will come down the chimney with presents and leave them here under the tree." "We don't have a chimney," his dad said grumbling. "Hey, he never had any problems before," Sasuke said raising his hands and shrugging.
"Fine!" his father said rising to his full height. "Tomorrow, there will be no presents under the tree when you wake up; only when we bring them to you.
We bought those things and tomorrow you will get your head from the clouds!!" Sasuke stood up, his head bowed. "Santa'll come…he always does," he whispered. As he began to exit, Itachi faded into the shadows then transported to his room.
Despite himself he did feel some compassion towards Sasuke and his foolish revels. His innocence was cute in a way. He himself had long ago stopped believing, it was when he had not received that one gift at the age of 3.
Itachi laid on his bed closing his eyes and thought. Quietly the door creaked open and a tiny figure made it's way to his bed. After giving a gentle hug around his waist and having a wet substance drip on him, he disappeared. Itachi opened his eyes and touched where his brother put their cheeks together in his kindly gesture.
He felt the wet substance and analyzed it as tears. Itachi got up grabbing two kunai and a sack. He had an idea.
He crept to his parent's room. There his parents were grabbing all the gifts and taking them to the basement. He waited until everything had been carried. He sat there like a predator watching his prey.
His mom was falling asleep and his dad had still to bring down the presents because of multiple trips. As soon as both parents were in their room and the sounds of snoring rose in a wailing chorus, he stealthily went to the door and picked the lock with a kunai. The first one broke making him have to rely on the other one.
As the door opened, he slipped in.
He jumped all the way down ignoring the stairs, landing with a soft pat. There the presents were lined up against the wall. Being stronger than his father he loaded as much presents as he could and jumped up the stairs a few steps at a time. He went to their tree, which conveniently was next to Sasuke's room, and emptied the sack.
He arranged the presents as neatly as possible and went down again to retrieve the rest. As he arranged the last present, a sound arose from Sasuke's room. Itachi frowned.
The room was too open and if Sasuke saw it before morning he would ruin everything. Itachi transported back into his room and walked in long strides to reach Sasuke's. He calmed down his strides as he saw Sasuke rubbing his eyes and coming out the door. Itachi grabbed Sasuke gently and directed him back into his bed tucking him in. That sleepwalking is a dreadful habit. Itachi had hypothesized that if questioned, coming from the direction of his room was better.
As Sasuke stopped grumbling and lay peacefully, Itachi went to his room window, grabbed his thigh pack, and jumped out. He needed some air.
As he walked a little way close to his old training grounds the air changed slightly. Sensing another presence, he threw a few kunai at the area. A red flash dodged it. As he turned, he saw a fat man in red laughing at him with a jolly expression on his face. "Who are you?" he asked annoyed mentally but calm on the outside.
He held a shuriken in his hand. "Well, I think you know me," he said turning to retrieve something behind him. Itachi watched his back closely, observing him and when he turned around in his hands were a blue present wrapped tightly with a red bow on the top.
"Here, for your troubles," he said smiling and casually throwing the box. Itachi caught it and with a solute, the man was gone. Itachi tried to sense his presence but failed, then no longer cared. Unsure what to do with the box after determining it was safe; he went home and snuck back in his room.
"OH MY GOSH!!!" a loud yell said piercing through the snow smelling morning air like a knife.
Itachi grumbled. Today was Christmas. He blinked and turned beside him to find the present was gone. He then went back to sleep. As he closed his eyes, in the corner of his mind he sensed an attack. "TORPEDO ATTACK!!" yelled an obnoxious voice.
At about the speed of a torpedo a small figure knocked the wind out of his lungs and was jumping on his stomach. Itachi opened an eye to see a very happy Sasuke bouncing on him. "Get up!! You have to see this!" he exclaimed. "I would only tolerate this from you," Itachi said sounding threatening.
Sasuke ignored this completely and began working on him more rapidly. After another round of prodding he stopped Sasuke and slung him over his back.
As they walked to the tree, Itachi noticed the tree looked fuller, and some presents he didn't remember bringing. Among them was the blue box. Sasuke's parents were stunned in front of the tree. His father had given up the subject and though his mom was bewildered, she began making breakfast.
The smell of eggs and bacon wafted into the room. As Sasuke had a swimming party with his presents, Itachi picked up the blue gift and read the card attached to it.
It said, "Thanks for the help. Sorry it's late, but you'd be surprised how hard it is to find. If you need something, call me on my mobile fax." Itachi opened the box slowly tearing the paper carefully to find the gift. THE gift.
It was the "ninja deluxe pack" he had always wanted as a child but never asked for. He had only asked that brightly dressed obese old-timer and it had not come. Inside were 2 wooden kunai and 2 metal kunai, a starter shuriken, a fake headband, and a fold out target board.
Itachi was well past this level, but he could not help but to show a surprised emotion on his face. "SEE SANTA IS REAL!" Sasuke squealed. Itachi gave him a small rare smile.
"Yeah, I suppose so," he said. Then he helped his brother look through his presents. He had given Sasuke a new kunai, and Sasuke had given him a lemon-scented polish for his headband, but he hoped Sasuke realized what he had really given him;
The gift to believe.
Merry Christmas Konoha.
Hope you enjoyed it!!!!!!