"The Illusion"

Genre: Romance/Humor

Rating: T [may change in later chapters]

Full Summary: It's Christmas in Konoha, and this year Naruto's hosting a Secret Santa Exchange. The hyperactive blonde invited everyone he knew and liked, Suna siblings included. It was here, at the party that was deciding who would get who for the SSE, that Gaara finds himself acting strange around a … certain someone. Nervous glances, the stutter, the faint pink appearing on his cheeks whenever they spoke; Sai helped him to realize… Gaara was in love with Sasuke. When Sasuke finally realizes the odd behavior of not just now, but that past year, isn't just rivalry ... but the boy having a crush ... the sudden idea of being Gaara's Secret Santa becomes so much more daunting. SasuGaa. Post Shippuden, all ages based one year ahead of.

Pairing: SasuGaa

Pairings if you squint or that are one-sided: NaruSaku, SaiIno, ShinoHina, ShikaTema, NejiTen, KankuTen … There are probably a lot more that will pop up as I write, but a lot of them are just subtle hints, I guess. Nothing prominent.

M-D13: I'm back, yet again, but this time with a ... chapter story!? LIEKWTFFREAK. This had started out as an ill-formed story idea, meant to be short, sweet, and simple. Obviously, since, in writing (not typing), I have already chapter 8 reeling out, this is not short and not simple. I suppose that's okay - I'm fairly dead on here anyways.

Pein: ... Thankfully ...

M-D13: I can kick you out of my author's notes any time I wish I hope you know!

Pein: Please do so soon, then ... -_-

M-D13: ... ... ... ANYWAYS. -ignores him completey- This is a shounen-ai story, possibly yaio in the near future if I happen to up it a notch (in which case I will obviously change the rating). This prologue is VERY short, but only because it is, as the title says, an update to life. It's just telling you, as the reader, what is going on- the setting. I'm putting chapter one up right after I put this up, so that I don't leave a bad impression. Chapter one is much longer, and as they go they fluctuate lengths - but none will be as short as this. But enough of my rambling!

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing in this story that is mentioned throughout this chapter or the following; all rights go to the respective creator.

I don't know why I need that. Everyone knows I don't own shit -_-;

Prologue: An Update to Life

It had started out like any other week during December— the wind made the air 10 degrees colder, and the streets were crowded with Christmas-time shoppers and high spirits overflowing with generosity. It was no different in Konoha. Around the time of the year, in early December, shinobi were given time off here and there, and the world seemed to slow as a quiet peace resonated throughout the fire country, which was, ironically enough, covered in winter snow.

Especially high in sprits was none other than Uzumaki Naruto. The blonde Chuunin (indeed, Naruto was a chuunin now; he had passed the exam shortly after the whole ordeal with the Akatsuki was finished) was even more of a bundle of joy than he was before, which was really saying something. He was particularly excited over the Christmas day party that he was throwing, but today was just as good. Today was another party—the Secret Santa party. The rookie 9, Gai's team, and even (surprisingly enough) the Suna siblings were planning to attend, and they would all meet at Naruto's home around 6 or so. There, they would be drawing names for the Secret Santa Exchange. This was going to be the first year that the 16-year-old blonde had wanted to actually attempt this idea, considering their "family" was now complete again— Sasuke Uchiha had returned.

The Uchiha boy had returned to the village one year ago at the most. After the fight with the Akatsuki, life had moved in slow motion for the fire country, and eventually, everything settled back down—and Naruto, keeping his promise even after all those years, dragged Sasuke back home. He was often being watched carefully by Kakashi or Yamato, as instructed by the 5th Hokage, so they could make sure he wouldn't run off again. Though most of Konoha knew that Sasuke had nowhere else left to go, and, whether he would admit it or not, he was glad (though that may be too strong of a word) to be home. He wasn't yet a citizen, but a "temporary" resident—he still resided within the Uchiha compound, and often went on small missions with Naruto or Sakura, and occasionally his "replacement", Sai. Tsunade said that once the new year came, the boy could take a test to officially become a member of the village again. Until then, however, he was a guest in a place he used to live.

Naruto was glad, too (however that word, opposite to Sasuke, would be an understatement). Anyone would agree that Team 7 (or "Team Kakashi" as Naruto calls it) just wasn't the same without Sasuke around to push Naruto's buttons. However, the team of 4 (with Kakashi included) was often now raised to 5. Sai, who had been dubbed "Sasuke's Replacement" and used to be the outcast of Konoha, now saw that he was a seamless member.

Over the year he'd lived there, he had grown to fit in well and, with the help of his teammates and friends (which he was told he was obligated to call them all now), had learned almost all his social interactions without too much flaw. There was the occasional moment where Sai found himself with a throbbing headache from saying something wrong to Sakura, or a sore cheek from getting slapped by Ino, but overall he had learned what to and not do. It had required quite a bit of pain techniques, however.

Sai and Ino had grown close over the months, becoming quite attached to each other. However, everyone was positive there was no romance— Ino was still obviously infatuated with Sasuke, as it showed especially when he would be hanging around with Sakura and Naruto. She'd be flirting with him in a second, starting a fight almost right afterwards with Sakura. To Naruto's frustration (and Sasuke's headache), Sakura had started to show signs of infatuation with Sasuke again, though it still wasn't as strong as it had been before Sasuke had left. Still, the emotion from the girl disappointed Naruto immensely to some degree— after all, Sakura had just begun to notice him. Well, apparently, things really iwere/iback to the way used to be and even though those times used to anger him, Naruto couldn't have been happier.

Naruto plopped down on his withered, beaten couch, a bowl of steaming (instant-cup) ramen in one hand, chopsticks posed in the other. With a smile, he began to eat, slurping noisily in the silent room. As he paused for a moment in his lunch, his eyes trailed down to a sheet of paper on the table in front of him, names of friends and teammates alike listed on it. He needed to cut up the names and put them into a bowl or a hat or something soon. The group would be coming over soon, to draw names and have a small party before the actual party. Once the actual party rolled around on Christmas, the Secret Santa exchange would go on. Afterwards, the sexes would separate out, and each would have a party at someone's one—for the boy's, they stayed at Naruto's, and the girls went over to Sakura's. The most important part of this was, however, the party before all that.

'A pre-party,' Naruto thought to himself, smiling as he swallowed the last of the instant-ramen. He stretched, careful of the bowl in his hands, and then stood up as he started to walk out to the kitchen. Idly, he dumped the bowl and chopsticks into the sink and began making his way to the bedroom. Might as well clean himself up before he attempted to do the same with the house.

Well, at least it was already decently decorated.

M-D13: Gaah, painfully short. But, like I stated earlier, none of the chapters after this will be short. I'm too tired to say too much else on the subject, so ... -looks pointedly to Pein-

Pein: ... - siiighhh- Don't flame, R&R, all that yadda yadda crap no one cares about ...

M-D13: ... ... Thank you for reading, too. -_-