A/N: Um, so, okay, I actually wrote this back during December, I swear. xD I'm just lazy and never got around to posting it until now, haha! Sorry. Anyway, I hope you enjoy these two chapters of Christmas silliness; I'm sorry it's unfinished, but I just...ran out of steam. D: Sorry.

No pairings, really. I mean, some canon crushes and junk (Sakura's feelings for Sasuke are hard to ignore), but no romance, really. Set during the timeskip, and AU by the very existence of Christmas in such a Japanese culture. xD

Surely you've heard,
In whole or in part,
How Christmas can warm
Even the coldest of hearts

So on this winter morn
Let us take a peek
Inside seven days
Of a Christmas week

No ordinary glance,
However, today,
For we shall catch glimpses
Of shinobi's ways

Of celebrating Christmas
Oh can it be true?
For ninja, you see,
Have Christmases, too

From Oto to Leaf
The Sand and the Mist
Akatsuki and others
Are on Santa's list

So let's peek into
Imagination and time
And into the lives
Of shinobi fine...

DAY ONE
Friday, December 19
Konoha Village

"Thank you for shopping, and merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas!" Sakura smiled cheerily at the store worker as she returned the seasonal greeting. Gathering her packages, the pretty kunoichi shuffled towards the door, a happy look brightening her face.

She had reason to be happy. She'd just completed the last of her Christmas shopping - and with a whole seven days leftover, which was quite the feat. Christmas was always a hectic time of year, despite the fact that the mission load was comparatively light. Missions may come less often, but Tsunade-sama just used this as an excuse to push her all the harder in training. The Sannin always lessened up around Christmas week, but the rest of the holiday season was packed with training sessions. In addition, Sakura was a well-connected girl, with lots of friends and acquaintances; she was invited to most of the major parties each year, and made a point of finding time in her already busy schedule to go.

Thus, Sakura Haruno was feeling rather proud of herself as she turned her back to the store's door and pushed her way through, carefully balancing the boxes and bags in her arms so as not to cause an avalanche of merchandise. As she stepped out of the warm shelter the store provided, the cold hit her like...like...well, like someone had just crashed right into her, sending her purchases cascading to the icy ground.

"Aa-aah!" The kunoichi's backward tumble was halted much more gently than she'd expected, and she glared up into the embarrassed face (or, well, she assumed it was embarrassed...hard to tell with that darn mask) of her old sensei, Kakashi Hatake.

"Maa, sorry about that...you're alright, ne?" The silver haired perpetrator chuckled in a way that was irritatingly nonchalant.

"Sensei--! You--! Aaahhh, what is wrong with you?!" Spluttering in annoyance, Sakura scrambled out of Kakashi's arms, a suspicious frown on her formerly smiling face.

"Gomen, gomen..." Waving his hand apologetically, the infamous Copy Ninja handed her one of the fallen gifts. "You see, I was reading the newest Icha Icha volume and got...distracted. Jiraiya-sama sent it to me for Christmas, you know."

Even with the mask, Sakura could see Kakashi's grin light up like a kid's in a toy shop. For a moment, her frown softened, and she almost smiled at her ever-childish sensei's antics.

Then she remembered how very unchildish his books were, and she could only sigh in resignation and accept the offered package.

"...thank you. What are you doing here, anyway? Surely not Christmas shopping...I'm sure you'd be the kind of person to wait until the very last day."

Kakashi, in the middle of bending over to pick up a bag, glanced up with a hurt frown. "Hey hey, don't say that...it takes time to find the perfect gift for everyone, that's all..."

Sakura frowned reprovingly and shook her head in silent remonstrance, not buying a word of it.

Kakashi grinned privately, and handed her the bag. "But anyway, that's a lot of packages you've got...any of those for me?" His visible eye creased into a smile, and he tilted his head just slightly in a way that was incredibly like one of his summon dogs.

Unable to repress a sly smile, the teenager readjusted the packages now reoccupying her arms as she shifted her weight. "Now Sensei, this is not the time of year to be asking questions... Mm. Let's see." As best she could, Sakura took silent inventory of her haul, to be sure she had everything she needed.

Makeup set for Ino, check. Clothes in a color other than green and in more than one piece for Lee-kun, check. Volume One of How to Get Sober in Five Months for Tsunade-sama, check. Medical supplies for Shizune-san, boxes of candy canes for the rest of my friends, slippers for Mom, bathrobe for Dad, card for Iruka-sensei, scarf for Kakashi-sensei - all check. I already sent Naruto his present, so that just leaves...wait.

Where is it?

Suddenly appearing frantic, Sakura sifted through her packages and turned around to scan the ground behind her. How could the one gift that was most important be--

"Looking for this?"

Sakura accepted the package, smiling nervously. "Oh, y-yes... Arigatou, Kakashi-sensei..."

The jounin nodded solemnly, and Sakura averted her green eyes. So he'd seen it then.

The gift.

It was nothing magnificent - just a simple silver picture frame engraved with the words "we miss you" and "come home soon, Sasuke."

"...do you always buy him a gift?"

"..." Silence stretched between them, until Sakura broke it quietly. "I have to go, Kakashi-sensei. See you later." Fighting the urge to cry, she left Kakashi gazing after her with a deep-seated pity in his dark eye.

As she sat on her bed that evening, alone in the dark of her room, Sakura clutched the frame to her chest and silently refused to cry. It was Christmas, for heavens' sake! Couldn't she enjoy even that without ihis/i memory throwing a gloomy cast on things...?

And yet...she had bought him a gift. Knowing it was folly. Knowing she was clutching to a shadow of the past. Knowing that it would do nothing to bring him back....she had spent the money and bought the gift.

Shuddering, she suppressed the sob in her throat and blinked rapidly. Did they even celebrate Christmas in the Sound? Orochimaru was a former Konoha-nin, so maybe...just maybe...

Either way, she knew it would be a lonely and miserable Christmas.

Would he miss his team, his friends, his...family?

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Sakura stood and set the frame aside, face down, so that she couldn't see the mockingly happy faces of her old team grinning up at her.

The phone rang.

"Heeeeeey, Sakura! What's up, girl?! We're still on for tomorrow, right?"

Sakura smiled, then, and not too sadly.

Her family was healthy and happy. Her friends were still very present and willing to celebrate. Her team...had been ripped asunder. But still...she had more to be grateful for Sasuke did.

So, in his memory, she would be happy. Because there weren't enough happy people in this world.

"Yeah, of course, Ino. . . . Three o'clock at the tea place, right? . . . See you then..."