◊ (37: Christmas Madness) ◊ - Edited Version
∆ (The ANBU 8) ∆ - ¤ (Many Months Later, Christmas) ¤ - Φ None Φ
Many gathered in their mansion. They had decided to name the house 'The ANBU 8'. It was true that Tenten and Neji didn't live there most of the time but they still spent most of the time there when there wasn't a huge mission. They were situated in the house with the other, the 12 of them. They were Hyuugas: Tenten, Neji and Owen; Uzumakis: Hinata, Naruto and Hiroka; Uchihas: Sakura, Sasuke and Yoshi; and Naras: Ino, Shikamaru and Shika. Also they expected to come to the house was Hiashi, Shikamaru and Ino's parents, Sakura's parents and Kaydin's parents as well as Kakashi-sensei, Kiba, Shino, Choji, Lee, Gai-sensei, Kurenai-sensei and Choji's parents.
"It's troublesome to have all these people in the house." Shikamaru complained.
"Shikamaru, here. Play with Shika." Ino said handing her husband their daughter.
"Has she been fed?" He asked.
"Yeah, changed, fed, diapered, and burped. All you have to do is play with her." Ino said sighing.
"Shikamaru gets lazier everyday doesn't he Ino?" Sakura asked.
"Sometimes he is, sometimes he's not." Ino said sighing.
"If it's important I wake up." Shikamaru answered.
"He was always lazy when he was little." Ino said. "He never did anything but sleep." She added.
"I still do, a lot." Shikamaru added.
"Yeah, I know you do. You sleep more then Shika." Everyone looked at her.
"I was talking about the baby, he sleeps more then the baby, Shika." Everyone nodded. Ino was starting to consider that her little play on her child's name was confusing.
"I like sleeping too. I wanted to sleep all day but Hinata told me I couldn't." Naruto yelled to everyone. Hinata sighed holding Hiroka.
"Naruto quiet." Sakura said quietly.
"You can't blame Hinata for wanting you to get up, it's Christmas, dobe." Sasuke said smirking.
"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled.
"What?" He asked. Naruto jumped but Hinata grabbed him and pulled him back down.
"Naruto-kun, calm down." Hinata begged.
"Alright Hinata." Naruto said calming. She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder.
"I don't get it!" Tenten yelled. Neji and everyone else looked at her.
"What don't you get?" Neji asked calmly.
"Why no one is here yet. Naruto, Shikamaru, did you hand out the invitations like we asked?"
"I did, yesterday."
"What invitations?" Naruto asked. Everyone sighed. "Oh you mean the little letters with a bow on them that Hinata gave me?"
"Yes Naruto-kun, what did you do with them?" Hinata asked.
"I gave them to a courier Nin." Everyone sighed.
"Naruto, they weren't labeled so they're not going to go anywhere."
"I know, but he said he would take care of it."
"Yes but it takes a week to locate all addresses." Hinata said.
"I'll go find the courier Nin and get the letters to everyone in time." Naruto was trusted to give all the invitations to people that were Neji and Tenten's friends as well as their own. Sakura took hers and Ino gave Shikamaru hers since he was doing nothing yesterday.
Someone knocked on the door. Hinata went to it and opened it. "Father." She said happily. Everyone looked to the door.
"Hello Hinata, marry Christmas." He said hugging his daughter gently as to not crush the baby in her arms. "How is she doing?" He asked.
"Very well, thank you." She said.
"Naruto-kun, take Hiroka and I'll take care of the letters." Hinata said.
"Are you sure Hinata, I mean it's my mistake."
"No, it's fine Naruto-kun. Watch her and make sure not to trouble anyone." She said. She slipped on her jacket and ran out of the house.
There was another knock at the door this time Ino choose to get up because she didn't have a baby in her arms. Shika was playing with her father, or the other way around. She opened the door. "Ino-girl," her father said hugging her.
"How are you dad?" Ino asked.
"I'm fine and so is your mother." Ino's mom walked in and took a seat with Ino's dad. More people followed after. "Hello Ino, my daughter-in-law, how are you?" Shikamaru's mom asked happily.
"I'm great thanks." I said hugging her and then letting her sit down. Shikamaru's dad walked in. "Hi." Ino greeted.
"Is your house far away from the village or is it just me?" He asked.
"Told you Ino." Shikamaru said. Ino sighed.
"Whatever, it's not that far." She answered.
"It's about a mile from the main city." Neji said.
"Yeah, it's not far at all to walk from the complex on the other side of the city. It's good exercise." Tenten said.
"Exercise, exactly what retired folks need?" Shikamaru's dad complained. Everyone sighed. One lazy guy was enough for everyone. Two is one too much.
There was a knock on the door. The door was kicked open. Everyone jumped up with kunai and threw them at the person or people at the door. "It's Gai-sensei and Lee, we've arrived." Everyone sighed and fell back down.
"It's impolite to kick open people's doors Lee." Neji said.
"Like they'll ever listened to you, Neji." Tenten said sticking her tongue out at Neji. He rolled his eyes at her. Lee ran over to Tenten and Neji.
"Friends, it's great to see you two again." Tenten jumped up with Lee's closeness, flipped back over the couch and fell on her butt. Neji laughed at this.
"See you still haven't returned to your full aerodynamic copacity." Neji said.
"Ahem, you can't talk to me like that Neji. One, I have an excuse you. Two, I had a child in my arms so I can't use my arms to break air, excuse you, again." She said pouting. He smirked at her defensiveness of her imperfections.
"I agree with Tenten, Neji. She would have landed that perfectly if you were holding the child." Lee added.
"I was just playing around, you are too uptight Tenten." Neji said sighing. He leaned over to his wife and kissed her. She was silent and just kept blinking. He smirked. "It's funny that after I've been doing that for 4 years, that still works to stop you dead in your tracks."
"Girls are vulnerable like that." Sasuke said. Sakura smacked him playfully. "Hey it's only the truth."
"Hinata does that a lot. She blanks out when I kiss her. It takes her a while to come back into the picture. She also blushes a lot. It's really cute." Naruto said smiling.
"Yeah but Hinata blushes when it comes to you in any sense. It's a proven fact." Ino said.
"Someone's at the door." Neji said. Tenten looked at him. She sighed and walked to the door and opened it.
"I knew it, no one's there Neji. Ha." Tenten said.
"Yeah but I tricked you didn't you."
"No, without your Byakugan and all the loud noises around you can't sense their position." Tenten said.
"So, someone will come eventually and you'll have to get up."
"Neji," She said sighing and sitting next to him. She gently took their child from Neji and rocked him back. He smiled as she stared at child with the gentlest smile and sincere heart that made him happy as well.
There was a knock on the door, she sighed, and prepared to get up. He put his hand in front of her and he went to the door. He opened the door and a dog ran in the house followed by two larger looking dogs. Neji looked for any signs of Kiba but there was only Shino who walked in. "Merry Christmas," He greeted everyone.
"Where's Kiba?" Naruto asked excited to see his friend.
"He though he saw something at the bottom of the hill. He'll be back soon."
"One, two, three… Three dogs," Naruto counted.
"Yeah, Kiba's fiancée's doings, or should I say her dogs." Shino answered monotone-like.
"He's engaged?" Ino asked.
"Yeah, just lately actually. Her family lives in the Hidden Mist Village and his parents and hers set it up. It's arranged but he doesn't seem to mind at all."
"He should have brought her." Tenten said.
"I agree." Neji said.
"I think Hinata would really like it. I'm going to get her." Naruto said standing up with the baby.
"Naruto!" Sakura said.
"What Sakura?" He asked annoyed.
"You are not taking that baby outside."
"Really thanks; I'm also going to see where Hinata went to."
"What a minute, what?" Sakura asked.
"You just volunteered to watch Hiroka." Sasuke informed her. Naruto handed her Hiroka since Sasuke was holding Yoshi.
"Thanks Sakura, you're right. Hinata would probably be pretty upset if I took Hiroka outside, bye." He said running out of the house to find her.
Shino was amused with all the crazed things happening. "The youth of today is so beautiful isn't it Gai-sensei? I feel so happy amid all the young children in their youth. Doesn't it make you so happy?" Lee said standing up happily.
"Yes, it's so very beautiful Lee. I think we should go help Naruto find Kiba, his fiancée and Hinata-sama. Let's go." They ran out of the house.
"This is crazy." Ino said sighing. Shikamaru patted her on the back.
"Where do you think Choji is?" Shikamaru asked.
"I intend to find him. This is an important time with his friends and family so he should be here."
"Ino, he's on a mission." Her mom said. "Sorry, I forgot to tell you."
She sighed and slumped to the ground. "And his family?" Ino asked.
"They're on the mission with him." He said.
"You don't mean?" She asked jumping up.
"Yeah, he's getting engaged as well. Most parents are if their children aren't already, like Kiba-san. Most parents want their children to be happy, married and fulfill their lives as much as they can in the four years."
"Like Shikamaru and me!" Ino said happily.
"Like everyone here Ino, not just us." Shikamaru corrected her. She pouted and got off her knees and sat next to Shikamaru. Ino stood up again, without a work grabbed her coat, and walked out the door.
"Where is she going?" Her mom asked.
"To get everyone here, she's one who doesn't like to be ignored and everyone leaving her bothers her."
"I agree with Ino, they shouldn't be this late." Tenten said.
"We're ninja, we have a duty and if that duty puts us late, what can we do about it?" Neji asked.
"I understand if it's a mission or preplanned thing but I mean, this late, come on." Tenten said.
There was a knock on the door. "I'll get it." Said Tenten happily jumping up with the baby in her arms. She opened it to meet the face of Kurenai and Kakashi sensei. "Hello." Tenten said.
"Sorry we're late we were visiting some place." Kurenai said quietly.
"I was as well." Kakashi added. Shikamaru, Ino, Sasuke and Sakura all knew where this is while the others didn't but they were excused.
"Of course you two are excused." Shikamaru said.
"In the old days of team 7, Sakura and Naruto would lose their voice yelling at Kakashi for being late." Sasuke said remembering.
"It was his stupid excuses. He never told us the truth until way later. 'I was coming to train when an old lady dropped her books in the middle of the road and I had to help her pick them up.' Come on Kakashi-sensei, could you just wake up earlier when we were training, or tell us the truth, or tell us a later time to meet." Sakura said slumping in her seat.
"Yeah Sakura, my next team I'll be sure to do that." Sasuke laughed at his wife's crazy behavior. It was identical to the one who had taught her, the previous Hokage, Tsunade. "I count 5 ninja." Kakashi said.
"Yes, where are Ino, Hinata, Lee, Gai, Kiba, Naruto, and Choji?" Kurenai asked.
Tenten took a deep breath. "Hinata went to make sure the people on her guest list got the invitations. Naruto went to invite Kiba's fiancée to Christmas and find Kiba and Hinata. Gai-sensei and Lee went to find Hinata, Naruto, Kiba, and Kiba's fiancée. Ino went to get you two, Gai-sensei, Lee, Hinata, Naruto, Kiba and Kiba's fiancé. Finally, Choji and his parents are on a mission."
"Ah." Kurenai said. "It's been a while since I've seen you all." She looked around. Sakura and Sasuke both had a baby, Shikamaru had a baby in his arms, and Tenten also had a baby. "So it seems Sakura had two kids, Tenten had one, and Ino had one, correct."
"No," Neji said. "That one in Sakura's arms happens to be Hinata's child."
"Hinata had a baby, since when?"
"A while ago, June 9th." Tenten said.
"I've been gone a long time then. I wasn't aware of it. I heard that the top ANBU had kids but I wasn't informed whom and how many so I was confused. Sorry." Kurenai said.
"It's alright I just wish they'd all be back. I'm…" Sasuke stood up.
"No one is leaving because we've sent out 5 people searching for people. No wonder no one can find anyone." Sasuke said. "If everyone is running around crazily finding people then no one can find anyone so if we stay still we'll be found."
"Who all are we missing?" Sakura asked.
"Your parents, Kaydin's, Kiba, his fiancé, Lee, Gai-sensei, Hinata, Naruto, and Ino." Sasuke answered her.
There was a knock at the door. Sasuke was already up so he got it. "Hello Sasuke, sorry we're late we couldn't remember how to get to the place, it's been a year." He said. I nodded. Kaydin's parents followed in quietly behind them.
"Everyone minus Kiba and his fiancé who we invited were here and it seems that amazingly enough the letters that were for Hinata's companies were delivered or her father, Kiba and Shino would have been late and not coming while everyone else's guests was late." Tenten said.
"So?" Neji asked.
"Everyone's out there for nothing." Tenten said sighing.
"I'm hungry." Shikamaru said. "I'm going to get Ino."
"No!" Everyone yelled jumping from his or her seats.
"I'm hungry and I want Ino." He said annoyed. "You troublesome people, if we all go out and find one person and bring them back, then everything will go smoothly." With the way things were going, Christmas would be over by the time everyone arrived.
–This one is shorter because this is where I had to cut it off to save space for the next chapter before I went too far. The madness does continue in the next chapter, just in a different form. Now on to the next chapter. Aniecä