Christmas came closer and closer each day. I really wanted to go in town but I knew I didn't have any money. I felt so guilty not being able to get anything for Hiraku. I sighed and went outside to train.

Even if Hiraku said it was a vacation I couldn't stop. It felt unnatural. My byakugan's precision had been mastered and I now saw everything to cause and opponent a quick KO, but one flaw, my range of viewing danger was shortened when I released my range ocular node. I had started to train by throwing kunai certain distances in the air and using them to danger myself to train my byakugan. So far it had gone very well. With me avoiding all the kunai. I was taking a break when Hiraku called me to come.

"We're going to town today, I need a few things." I sigh sadly. This rubbed it in even more the fact I couldn't get him anything.

But his eyes twinkled. "I haven't forgotten that you have no money, I'll give you some for presents this year." I smiled brightly at him; leave it to Hiraku to fix my problem without even telling him. We got to town and it was a lot busier than usual, I guess that would be normal considering it was only two days till Christmas. Hiraku handed me a small purple wallet and whispered, "go find anything you think would make good presents." I nod and rush off. First on my list was Hiraku of course. I thought back of what Hiraku needed. Or wanted. In the end I got him a red scarf with a new green bandanna that looked like the first one. And a new kit for cleaning glasses. He had been telling me he wanted to wash the blue off. Mira was easy, I bought her a toy mouse filled with catnip and a jumbo pack of treats. All my gifts were in one bag and Hiraku seemed to have several in his hands. The walk home seemed short as we got in and Hiraku ordered me into my room, but gave me a tube of wrapping paper, some ribbon and tape. Wrapping the presents was fun. I loved it when the wrapping came out perfect. And Mira got on the bed and played with the ribbon. It was funny to watch and in the end she got tangled and fell off the bed! I was laughing and mira was trying to get untangled. I looked at my work and decided all was good, except the one present Mira got her claws into but it didn't matter, it was her catnip mouse. Hiraku called me back into the living room and I settled down. He had placed a few presents under the tree that had "To Hinata." And

"To mira." I put my own presents under the tree and sit back for a little. The scent of pine hit my nose and I sneezed. It was one weird smell. Then Hiraku asked, "What would you like for dinner Hinata?" I paused, Hiraku never asked, it was just what he prepared but I wasn't complaining, Hiraku is a great cook.

"How about, hamburgers?" I ask questionably. He smiled, "sounds great!" he got to cooking right away, soon the smell of cooking meat hit my nose and I swear I could feel myself drooling. I shook my head and went back outside for some more training. My kunai technique was really working but there was another problem, my hair kept getting in my face. It would block my byakugan range and I would have to brush it out of my eyes, I came dangerously close to getting hit in the head after my hair got into my face. i got really frustrated, my stupid hair was effecting my training! Without thinking, I took my kunai and slashed off a good length of hair. I felt a mixture of relief and dread flood through me. What had I done! My hair! But it was for the best anyway. I continued training like nothing happened. It was much easier to dodge the kunai with short hair. My training was going nicely until hiraku called me inside. When he saw me he went into hysterics! Laughing so hard he started crying. I put my hands on my hips, "it was bugging me during training and I think it's an improvement!" he finally gets up and strokes my hair, "you are so interesting sometimes!" and with that I go into the bathroom to get a glimpse of what I had done. It was weird! It stood at different lengths in the front going from short, then medium then short. And the back was shorter than any parts of the front! I sigh in the mirror. "Who says different cant be stylish!" I turn on the tap and start smoothing down the wispy ends that the kunai barely cut. Mira jumped on the edge of the sink scaring me a little, but I pet her until she purred. Hiraku called me to dinner and we both ate hamburgers that hiraku had cooked. They tasted good but a bit burnt. I didn't complain. Mira rubbed against my leg and I snuck her a piece. She purred more. Soon we had finished the hamburgers and we were playing cards on the table in the living room. "Got any sevens?" I ask. He hands me the seven of hearts. "you got any kings?" he replies. "Go fish." I say. He sighs and adds another card to his already large hand of cards.

"I fold." He announces and I smile over another win. We had played over fifteen games and I won about ten of them. Hiraku gets up. "It's Christmas eve tomorrow so I feel like you should go to bed early!" this was the fist time hiraku suggested I go to bed so I listened, Christmas Eve with Hiraku and Mira. Honestly I couldn't think of anything better.