Artheph's Note: I couldn't let Christmas go without a Christmas story! Yeah, we were going to have this whole…Christmas shindig with some possible gift swapping and such. Like our Halloween story. But…we were FAR too lazy, and I already had this idea planned out since the beginning of December. So, this is the holiday-themed story for the year! Enjoy!
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Naruto/Hinata, Neji/Tenten, Sasuke/Sakura, Shikamaru/Ino…and one line of Iruka/girl from the Ichiraku stand
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The holiday season finally arrived in Konoha. Children were skating on the frozen lake in the forest and couples walked along the snow-covered paths. Lights were strewn across the roofs; ornaments were hung on trees; white snow was falling onto the ground. But most importantly, mistletoe hung in the doorways.
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Naruto had come over to the Hyuuga household to pick up Hinata for the Christmas party. After kissing the unsuspecting girl under the first doorway with mistletoe, Naruto suddenly came up with a rather brilliant idea…at least for him. He began to pull Hinata in and out of the numerous rooms in the Hyuuga mansion just for a chance to run under some mistletoe. Though it was a little tiring running in and out of rooms, dodging passing Hyuugas, and avoiding Neji and Hiashi, Hinata didn't mind when she felt Naruto's lips upon hers.
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Naruto and Hinata didn't have to worry about bumping into Neji at the Hyuuga's mansion, however, since Neji was currently leaning against a lamppost with the snow falling around him. He was waiting for Tente to meet him to go to the party Tsunade was holding for the village.
"She's late," he said out loud to no one in particular.
"Actually, I'm right here," Tenten replied from behind.
She was smirking and holding something behind her back.
"What're you holding?" Neji asked after he turned around to look at her.
In response, she raised her arm and held a green something above their heads.
Neji looked up. After identifying the object, he grinned.
"I see," and he promptly pulled her close for a kiss.
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Sasuke knocked on Sakura's door.
After hearing running feet and the unlatching of locks, Sasuke found himself in a sudden deep kiss with Sakura.
When their lips parted, the surprised boy asked, "What was that for?"
Sakura smiled and pointed upwards. "Mistletoe."
"Aa," he said after glancing up. "Well, we're still under it, aren't we?"
And he gave her another kiss.
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Tsunade's Christmas party was a loud and merry affair. Everyone had been invited. Music was playing, and the couples were dancing. Or at least, that's what Shikamaru and Ino were doing. Naruto and Hinata had merely moved the "run in and out of doorways" from the Hyuuga place to the Hokage tower. Neji and Tenten had just pulled their chairs into a doorway since the beginning of the party. Sasuke and Sakura were being a little more discreet, as Sasuke skillfully maneuvered Sakura under every mistletoe possible whilst sweeping across the dance floor.
Even Iruka, their former rule-following and strict teacher, had noticed and in mock disdain, commented to his date, Ayame from the Ichiraku stand, "Can you believe the children these days?" But he immediately forgot his previous chain of thoughts when he saw the mistletoe hanging above them. Well, you have to uphold tradition, right?
Artheph's Note: I really have no idea whether the girl from the ramen stand is Ayame. It might have just been this one fanfiction…
So, Shikamaru and Ino were the only ones truly dancing. Strangely enough, Shikamaru had not given Ino a kiss at all the whole night. It was as if the boy had slyly avoided every single mistletoe and would even pull Ino away if they were dancing too close to a doorway. It was all rather fishy, Ino was thinking. Well, she had enough of it. The night was more than half over and yet, still no kiss.
Ino abruptly dropped her arms from their perch on Shikamaru's shoulders.
"Shikamaru!" she hissed in a relatively high voice so that the people near them could hear.
Surprised, Shikamaru asked, "What's wrong, Ino?"
"You! You haven't kissed me ONCE tonight, and I have a suspicion you've been purposely avoiding the mistletoe!"
So, she noticed, Shikamaru thought. He caught his smirk before it unfolded itself upon his face.
"What're you talking about, Ino?"
"You jerk!" She pushed him and turned away.
Okay, he hadn't been expecting that.
"Ino."
Holding her shoulders, Shikamaru turned her around.
"It's because I don't need some silly thing like mistletoe to be able to express my love for you."
And he kissed her right then and there, in the middle of the room, with no mistletoe in sight.
