D: IT'S STILL SUMMER! (Is crying) I dislike summer… very much. I'm a winter and Christmas Girl.
I don't own Naruto
Sakura walked wearily through the city. She had just finished the two-hour training session with Tsunade and was completely wiped out. It was 4 O'clock and she were still on for shopping. She had promised Ino, Hinata and Ten Ten that she'd go shopping with them today. Her mind wandered in and out of reality and memory lane. The snow had begun to come down and glaze her head with bright white snowflakes. A smile crossed her face as she remembered the fun past snowfalls had brought her.
Her feet finally brought her up the stairs to her apartment. She unlocked her door and flung her bag onto the near by kitchen chair in which she had sat in earlier this morning. She walked over to the counter and pushed the message machine, realizing she had two messages. She looked down to find the mail she had not yet been able to open this morning in the rush.
"Hey Forehead girl! It's me just checking if you're coming today instead of blowing us off, we'll meet you at my shop at 5, don't be late!" Came the first voice from the machine. Sakura groaned.
"Ino Pig I swear," she growled towards the machine.
"Second message, the machine replied, Hey Sakura it's me your mother, just wondering if you got the card today and also wondering of you're coming home for Christmas dinner, call me back by tomorrow. I love you." A sweet voice said. Sakura stared at the machine for a bit. Her mother and she were not in good terms since she had moved here it was odd to hear her sound not stressed out… she must have rehearsed it. She added to her thoughts as she walked towards the shower.
A half an hour later she walked out of the bathroom, he hair was done and so was her make up. She was wearing a white ruffled skirt with a green tie around belt and a red long sleeve shirt. Her hair was done in her normal fashion only this time she was wearing a red ribbon in her hair and her forehead protector around her neck. She looked herself over in the mirror and decided she was ready to leave she grabbed her purse and coat then walked off into the cold evening air. She glanced at her watch, which read 4:45.
"15 minutes to spare, whoo," she whispered to herself as her hand reached for the door. As she opened it she recognized the Yamanaka Flower shop right away. But instead of it's normal bright and beautiful plants it was decorated with evergreens, wreathes, and other holiday accommodations. She looked over the store a couple of times before approaching the front counter.
"Ino? Mr. Mrs. Yamanaka? Is anyone here?" she questioned while looking around beyond the counter.
"Sakura?" came a voice behind a Christmas tree, "If that's you get over here and help me!" Sakura rushed over and moved the tree from where her blonde friend was.
"Ino, what are you…" she trailed off.
"Mom and dad left me in charge and I had to move that tree and well you walked in just at the right time." She explained as she looked over her clothes and then she ran a hand through her hair trying to make sure there were no pine needles on her.
"Oh… okay well I guess it's good I got here early," Sakura stated as she pulled a pine needle out of the blonde's hair.
"Yea sure… anyway who do you still have to shop for?" she asked while putting a wreath above the counter.
"Ugh everyone, it's awful I've only gotten you and the other girls presents. I have to shop for Naruto, Sasuke-kun, Lee, your team, Mom, Dad AHHH everyone." She yelled stressfully, "how about you?"
"I have my teams done, but that's about it so basically as much as you do…"
"Hey Ino, do you remember that boy I told you about when we were little?" Sakura asked awkwardly, Ino was the only one she has ever told about that night.
"Yea I remember you were basically in love with the guy," she exaggerated and smiled at the thought of Sakura talking about the boy again, "why?"
"I was thinking about it today and I was thinking… do you think it's someone we know?" She asked while leaning against the counter. Her ey0es fidgeted from one end of the store to the other.
Ino closed her eyes and thought about it. "It could be… I mean he is about our age, but then again we might not, we don't really know anyone in an orphanage now do we?"
"Oh course we don't we all live in apartments now," she stated.
"Hmm well I'll ask around I mean there can't be that many blond orphans who used to live there, right?"
"Yea but my question is does anyone else remember him besides me, I mean the way he talked it sounded like no one wanted him," she countered trying to think who it could be.
"It's probably a civilian we've never met before, you realize that right?" Ino told her as she looked over Sakura's shoulder, "well you could always stay up on Christmas Eve and wait for the boy, you still give him a letter each year right?"
"Yea that's true… I think I will do that this year… I really want to know this boy," Sakura agreed.
"Here come Hinata and Ten Ten, get your purse ready cause here we go," Ino changed the subject as she grabbed Sakura's wrist and gave her an unwavering smile. "This is going to be on hell of a shopping trip!"
"Sakura! Ino!" Ten Ten greeted, " What's up I haven't see you in a while Sakura."
"Hey Ten Ten, hey Hinata, Yea I've been doing a lot of hospital work and a lot of missions since there's been a medic-nin shortage," she explained, "I really need to have more days to hang out with you guys."
"Yea y-you seemed stressed out on t-the last mission," said Hinata. Her white eyes scanned Ino's store, "wow Ino it's gorgeous in here." Hinata gave a smile towards everyone.
"Thanks Hinata! My mom's obsessed with decorating," Ino informed her, "Aw you look really cute today Hinata! Where are YOU going after shopping?" Ino said with a sly grin.
"N-n-no where," Hinata stuttered out as a thick red blush covered her face.
"Really now, your blushing tells me other wise," Ten Ten said with her own sly grin.
"C'mon Hinata, so who is it?" Sakura added, trying to figure out who it was.
"I'mjustgoingouttodinnerwithKiba-kun," She stammer through so fast that no normal person could hear what she said.
"KIBA? REALLY? Aw Hinata that's adorable!" Sakura told her enthusiastically.
"Ya so when did he ask you? And obviously you said yes!" Ino scrambled to get answers.
"Oh this is great! Neji even likes him!" Ten Ten added onto the group. Hinata was redder than ever.
"Thank you Sakura, Ino he asked me after training last night and Ten Ten yea I'm happy Neji approves," Hinata answered their replies, surprised with herself that she had kept up with all of them.
"Ahhhh that's great Hinata!" Ten Ten squealed as she hugged her.
"hehe…t-t-thanks you g-guys…" Hinata said while trying to regain her composure.
"So is anyone else going on a date…" Hinata gave a sigh, " I mean dinner with someone soon?" Sakura questioned the rest of the girls as they began to make their way down the street.
"Nope," muttered Ten Ten as she walked hurriedly into the first shop.
"NOPE? What about Neji? I thought he was going to…" Ino was cut off by Hinata jumping on her and covering her mouth.
"What Ino?" Ten Ten said as she turned around from the object she held in her hands.
"She meant… er that um… didn't you go with Neji somewhere last week?" Sakura made up for Ino's blunder. Thank God Hinata had gotten to her before she let it out.
"Oh yea, well he hasn't called me one damn time this week!" She huffed as she slammed the snow globe down, "No offence Hinata but he hasn't talked to me in a week! That was the last time he talked to me!"
"H-h-he's been really b-b-busy lately Ten Ten-chan," Hinata muttered out. She hated to lie to anyone, even if it was just a white lie.
"Too busy to talk to me if I'm on the street? Jeez I wonder if he's going to break up with me soon," she told them in an annoyed tone.
"NO NO!" Hinata screamed and everyone in the store turned to look around at her. Her face, which had just gone back to her normal peach color, was now bright red again. "I mean he's just been really busy lately," she whispered out as she turned around and went to look at other keepsakes in the store.
"Well at least he's not like Shikamaru who has no romantic bone in his body," Ino added hastily.
"What do you mean? Neji couldn't be romantic if you gave him flower, a poem and some chocolates to give a girl," Ten Ten raged.
"Oh if you only knew," Ino muttered out and got a jab in the ribs from Sakura. "Ow! She didn't hear me forehead girl," Ino whispered harshly and gave her a death glare.
"If Neji knows we ratted he'll kill us!" Sakura said trying to remind Ino of his wrath.
"Fine Fine what ever…" She added hastily as she looked around the store for gifts. Sakura sighed at her friend's behavior. She walked over to where the shirts were. Hinata was going through them, probably for one of her teammates.
"That was a close one," Sakura said in an exasperated tone.
"I know," Hinata said her face had now returned to it's color.
"I can't believe a male could come up with something so incredibly cute thought," Sakura added with a skeptical look at the shirt Hinata was holding up, "not that one by the way definitely not his color, you shopping for Shino right?" Hinata nodded.
"Well Neji's a lot more romantic than anyone thinks, I just can't believe he made the song," Hinata told her while holding up another shirt, which Sakura didn't agree with.
"Yea, I honestly still don't believe the whole thing, oh well, I think its ingenious to take her there for a Christmas date," Sakura had concluded. "Maybe you shouldn't get Shino a shirts, he doesn't seem like a clothes person."
"I agree and I know about the date place, it's adorable," Hinata said while she put the shirt down and looked around the store.
"Maybe you could get him and ant farm…" Sakura said trying her hardest to think of what to give him.
"He thinks that's cruel to the bugs," she said as she looked through all the trinkets.
"You're joking," Sakura said as she followed her.
"Sadly, no. what are you getting Sasuke and Naruto-kun?" she asked. As she saw something that caught her eye.
"Well for Sasuke-kun… well, one of the days he was in therapy, after the orochimaru incident, he told me what had happened to his family and that he missed them all very much. He told me about all these memories he has back form when he was a kid. And he remembered when he used to get scared his mother would always come in and sing him "You are my sunshine." I was thinking about getting him a jewelry box that had that tune in it," she said. "Is that passing lines or is it okay? Cause, I mean I don't want to offend him and… oh," Sakura explained.
"I think that's beautiful Sakura-Chan, and if he doesn't appreciate it he will later on," Hinata told her while giving her a confident look.
"Thanks Hinata, and I think for Naruto, well, I don't know what to give him, I'm definitely going to give him ramen but I want to give him something that means something," she whispered to her friend. She picked up what seemed to be a kit of pranks; she shook her head and decided that would be a bad idea.
"Naruto-kun does seem hard to shop for, he's kinda like Kiba-kun," Hinata rationalized the two situations into one. Hinata's eyes dropped to the floor. Naruto had been her crush for all of her child hood. She loved him and his attitude but her loved the pink haired girl in front of her. She sighed and gave a smile. At least he loved someone with such a kind heart.
The four of them looked through out the store for an hour more. Their eyes scanning every shelf every gift there was.
And then as if she had just run into a brick wall she saw it and decided on it. There in the jewelry window hung a golden locket in the shape of a heart. She gave a smile and asked for the locket from the sales clerk.
"GUYS ARE YOU DONE!" Ten Ten yelled over the other Christmas shoppers.
"Yea let's go to the next shop, it's an antique store," Ino added on.
"I bet I'd be able to find Sasuke-kun's gift there," Sakura squealed to her friends.
"Maybe there will be something in here for Kiba-kun in there," Hinata whispered while raking her brain for the perfect gift for her comrades.
"Well I think Lee will like the gift I got him, it's different," Ten Ten said while looking at the next stores window.
"Yea well all I need to do is get Chouji food and he'll be happy with this Holiday season," Ino said annoyingly.
A couple of hours later and about 100 shops in the professional shoppers were out of energy and out of money.
"Well guys," Ten Ten began, "I have to get home, I'm tired and can barely stand up, I'd say we did a pretty good job at shopping today," she continued with a grin. "I'll see you guys at the Christmas party!" She yelled as she began to run home with about 10 bags in her hands.
"She's not going to be at the party, she'll be screwin Neji after what he's going to do for her," Ino said jokingly.
"You're so perverted Ino-Pig," Sakura said as she rolled her eyes.
"OH MY GOD I'M SUPPOSED TO ME KIBA-KUN IN 10 MINUTES! BYE GUY'S SEE YOU LATER!" Hinata yelled as she hurried and ran down the street frantically.
"Well so it's just me and you again Ino-Pig, so how is Shikamaru?" Sakura questioned as she sat down on a near by bench and began to stare into the Christmas lights.
"I think he really likes this Temari girl," Ino stated flawlessly with out showing any emotion, "I think they'll be a great couple."
"And you're okay with that?" Sakura asked while turning her head towards her good friend.
Ino's head turned her head to meet her blue eyes with Sakura's green, "I've thought about that for a while, I knew he liked her but, I don't know, ever since we were young we've always been friends, since you know our dads were tight. I just can't see him being with any other girl than me," She told her. "I kinda… you're going to laugh at me, I kinda really like Chouji, he doesn't care about what others think, he's thoughtful and kind, I don't know. But if Shika wants to be with her then it's fine with me."
"You like Chouji?" Sakura thought about this over and over again in her brain, "Ino, that's cute."
"Thanks, so who do you like? I mean you made it clear that you weren't in love with Sasuke anymore but do you really mean it? And if not him then who?"
"Sasuke-kun? Well I did love him, I loved him more than I could stand, but, he doesn't love me back, and I know that, he is a wonderful friend and I don't want to lose that friendship. He's kinda like an older brother to me now." She ended.
"So what does that make Naruto?" Ino said, as her eyes darted to the lights, which made the dead and lifeless Sakura trees, look alive and beautiful. Sakura's head darted towards the blondes.
"What do you mean? He's just another really great friend of mine." Sakura told her.
"Really now? You two have gotten really close over the past couple of years. I ALWAYS see you guys together anymore, and during the Sasuke mission I expected you to cling onto Sasuke-kun. But you stayed with Naruto. I don't know you seem to like him more than you used to." Ino explained without turning her head from the bright lights. The snow had started to come down again. And it made the scene even more peaceful.
"Ino, we can't be like that, we're just really good friends, I made a promise to him that I'd be there with him to bring Sasuke," And the she was cut off.
"If you haven't noticed yet the promise has been kept and you two are still hanging around together like before," Ino said with a sly smile.
"We're just really great friends, end of story," Sakura said as she turned toward the lighted trees again. And then a silence fell upon them. Sakura went into deep thought about Christmas and winter and then it would always go back to the 5-year-old boy she had met 12 years ago. She looked at her watch and stood up with a yawn.
"Well I'm going home, are you going to the Christmas Eve party?" Sakura asked her friend.
"Of course I am, why wouldn't I? It'll be fun, gifts, carols, drinks," Ino cut off as she elbowed Sakura in the rib.
"You party too much," Sakura said as she chuckled.
"Are you going?"
"Only until midnight and then I'm going to try and find that boy," She stated with a grin.
"Good luck with that," Ino said while laughing at the girl.
"I'll need it, well See ya later!" Sakura yelled as she picked up her 20 bags of gifts and began to walk away from the bench.
She began to walk through the town again, the shops were still open and the lights were still beaming. The snow was falling gently against her hair and the whisked passed her ears. She began to walk down memory lane as she saw the curb where she had left the gifts every year for the boy. She smiled and began to reminisce. She became entangled in her mind and soon found she smashing into someone.
'Damn it that's the second time to day! I need to stop day dreaming all together!' Her inner self raged while her inner self began pleading for forgiveness.
"Oh my god I'm so sorry I didn't mean to, I swear. I've just been out of it all day and now you're probably crushed under all of these bags, I'm sorry," she said while trying to find her way through the bags to the person.
"Sakura-Chan?"
"Naruto, you again? This is the third time today I've crashed into you," she said while giving out a sigh of relief.
"Heh well I see you've gotten most of your shopping done," he said as he giggled at the large amount of packages she held.
"Yea, it was a shopping night, lets just say that," She said with a grin. While she began to pile the gifts back into their bags and to her great relief the locket had not fallen out.
"I've only gotten some done… I kinda lost where I was going and decided to have some Ramen," Naruto said while he also got on his hand and knees to help.
"Did you get ANY shopping done Naruto?" She asked as she looked for his bags.
"Oh ya! I did get you and Sasuke your gifts, But I still need to get everyone else their gifts… which I really need to do," he told her as he reminisced on the little chibis chasing him around.
"You'll get it finished it's not as hard as it seems," she said as she slowly stood up in the snow. She reached out her hand to the blonde's and helped him up to his feet.
"Thanks Sakura-chan," He said with a smile as he looked down for bag he had been carrying around.
"Is it this one, I don't remember carrying this one around," Sakura said as she held out the unknown bag.
"Yea I think it is," He said as he looked through the contents, "Yea it is," he concluded.
"Okay, well I'll see you tomorrow, right?" She asked.
"Right the four of us don't have missions until December 28th I'm pretty sure," He said as he tried to remember the schedule.
"Okay good, well I'll see you tomorrow morning!"
"Yea Bye Sakura-Chan!" He said with a wave as she walked away. He stood there for a while as she disappeared into the distance. His eye's searched the old abandoned apartment in front of him. Those years had been hell, he had been all alone until that one faithful Christmas where she changed his life and he changed hers. His hand dug into his pocket and pulled out his most treasured item. He held it tight in his hand and gave a smile. These goggles he held in his hand always did make him smile. He just wondered if one day he'd be able to tell her and the day he told her would she believe him. He stood there in the snow not really worrying about anything besides how to tell her. He smiled and held onto the goggles, which reminded him everything would be all right.
D: w00t! Another annoying chapter! Sorry! I had to set everything up again. But next chapter should be the end, if not it'll definitely be the one after that. Please review I love reading them they're so fun and I love hearing that a lot of people like it. Oh and the Ten Ten and Neji thing mwhahahaha you'll find out later, I had to put in other couples, sorry if you don't like the couple, I'm not a HUGE fan but I'm not a HUGE fan of Lee/Ten Ten Either so it was kinda a 50/50 situation. Okay Well please review, it's what keeps me going!
BYE!