Title: Face Down! The Christmas Tree Challenge!
Author: Shinku kai
Rating: PG
Theme: Christmas Tree

Authors Note: This played out like a Naruto episode in my head (hence the strange sounding title...).Hopefully it turned out ok. Un betaed so if you find any mistakes, let me know :). This is story 9/12 for the kakairu Christmas Festival Challenge.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the characters, I'm just curing my boredom.

Face Down! The Christmas Tree Challenge!

They moved quickly and silently through the trees, pausing to inspect the surrounding growth for any marks or other deformities before moving on to the next tree. Their target: The best christmas tree Konoha had to offer, the client - one Iruka Umino, Chunin teacher. They had split off as soon as they had entered the grounds, both determined to be the one to bring Iruka the best Christmas tree (which would obviously better than any the other picked). Naruto perched on the top of the center tree, ignoring the frustrated cries of the seller as he scouted out the area. There was no way he was going to lose to that perverted jounin who had the audacity to taint his Iruka. No, he, Naruto, would bring Iruka ni-san the biggest, coolest looking tree, while Kakashi looked on with his tail between his legs as Iruka congratulated him on his amazing find. That would show him!

Kakashi slouched through the trees, pausing to inspect a random tree before moving onto the next. He spotted an orange blob on the tip of the tallest tree, eye crinkling as he watched Naruto race off towards the taller section of the grounds. He was in the middle of inspecting the last tree on that particular row when he heard a large shout, and Naruto came barreling through the under bush.

"Kakashi sensei!"
"Hey Naruto, just in time to see the tree I've picked out for Iruka."
Naruto snorted and pointed his finger into Kakashi's face.
"Ha! You call that a tree! That's nothing but a piece of kindling compared to the tree I've picked out for Iruka ni-san!"
"So you say... show me this tree of your's then."
Leading Kakashi to the other end of the grounds, he stood proudly in front of the tree deemed most worth of gracing Iruka's homestead. It was a beautiful tree, kakashi conceded, if you ignored the fact that at over 6 metres high, there was no way that it would fit into Iruka's house.
"One question Naruto."
"What?" Naruto pouted as he looked up at his former sensei, daring him to find something wrong with his choice.
"How is it going to fit into Iruka's living room?"
Naruto faltered, opening and closing his mouth silently as he looked back up at the tree, shoulders slumping in defeat.
"Damn it..."
Kakashi put a consoling hand onto his shoulder.
"It's a nice tree, all the same."
Naruto snorted and shrugged the hand away.
"Whatever. Where's your tree?"

Kakashi sighed as he walked back towards the place where Naruto had found him earlier. It was hard to be the bigger man, especially when dealing with a sulking teenage who had suddenly decided to hate him. Naruto certainly wasn't making it easy for any of them, but, Kakashi conceded, there were times that he was just as bad as Naruto. It's a wonder that Iruka hadn't boxed them both around the ears by now. Stopping in front of the tree he had chosen early, he turned and waited for Naruto's consent. Huffing, Naruto preformed the most thorough search of a tree ever seen (why wasn't he this focused on missions?), before turning to the seller, declaring the tree as "The One".

The seller took the money in relief, just glad to have the two arguing shinobi gone without causing any damage to his merchandise. Maybe next year he'd set up shop in a non-shinobi village. Upon hearing approaching voices, he put on a fake smile as he greeted the two men in hideous green outfits, both whom declared victory over the other and pranced off into the grounds. He sighed. What was it with ninjas and challenges, anyway?

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