The 12 Days of GaaNaru Christmas
XI. Eleven Pipers Piping
Naruto tapped his pen in his desk. He was being patient. Honestly! No one was getting annoyed by his spacing out. Nearly everyone found it strange that Naruto had not snuck out of his office even once today. It was like he was waiting for a phone call from a secret lover. He had the village wondering what was wrong with him.
When Sakura came to deliver the hospital's expense records, he didn't even notice that she had walked in the room. It wasn't until she slammed the thick folder onto his desk that he jumped and looked up at his old teammate. Naruto grinned and opened the folder, thanking Sakura for some more work to do. She paled at Naruto's actions. She questioned him but he just hummed and didn't answer. Sakura left after a minute of trying to get a real response out of him.
Naruto wasn't really looking over the papers, he was just really glad to have an excuse to be in the office longer. He occasionally recognized the prices of the things the head medical ninja and her two assistants used. Naruto was getting a little irked at Tsunade-baachan, Shizune-neesan, and Sakura-san. Did they really need the most expensive supplies? Did they need to waste them on failed experiments and practice? He'd have to write a letter to Tsunade to inquire about these things.
The door flung open with a slam and Naruto jumped, a young kunoichi rushed into the room with a scroll with the Kazekage's seal on it. A scroll? Was this his present or was it an actual serious matter that had happened in Suna? Naruto demanded the scroll and dismissed the young woman from his office. He sat back down at his desk and opened the scroll. That is when he noticed something odd about the scroll, it was actually birch bark.
The Hokage carefully unrolled the bark and looked at the writing on it. It was a little smudged and looked like it was written in either charcoal or soot. Naruto's eyes scanned over the words. Tears welled up in his eyes as they continued down the page.
I love you,
Not only for what you are,
But for what I am, when I am with you.
I love you,
Not only for what you have made of yourself,
But what you are making of me.
I love you,
For the part of me that you bring out,
I love you,
For passing over all my foolish
And weak traits that you cant help but see.
I love you,
For drawing out into the light
My beauty,
That no one else has looked quite far enough to find
I love you,
For how much you have changed me
I love you,
Not only because you are perfect for me
But because you believe I am perfect for you
I love you,
And I give my oath that will never change.
- Gaara
Naruto had tears dripping down his face and pooling onto his robes. This gift was so beautiful. It had definitely been worth the wait for Naruto. He was so happy that he hadn't left his office, or it would have taken longer for him to read it. All he had to do was go out and find a frame for it. Naruto had no idea how he could top something like this. He didn't know if it was actually possible. He hadn't any thoughts on what he could give to Gaara that held equal significance. Naruto decided to write Gaara a long letter to send along with whatever he found for a gift.
With all the thinking about the last present, it hadn't even crossed Naruto's mind to wonder why or how the poem was written on birch bark.
(631 Words)