Note: Christmas gift for Autumn!
Disclaimer: Kishimoto owns Naruto and all the characters in Naruto, not me. I'm just a lowly fanfic writer!
Christmas in Otogakure
Kabuto knocked softly on the stone door of his master's chamber. Although he barely even touched the stone, sound echoed around the hallways. The brass doorknob rattled slightly, and Kabuto shivered. Orochimaru had been in a bad mood lately, and didn't take being disturbed very well. Of course, Kabuto knew that he was the Otokage's right hand man, and wouldn't be disposed of on a whim—no, it was that Kabuto was too valuable, too powerful to be disposed of.
"Come in," a quiet, yet imposing voice sounded from the other side of the wall. Kabuto tentatively opened the door and looked inside. Orochimaru was seated by his desk, looking like a small figure in a great, majestic chamber. His slim, bony hands were folded neatly in his lap, and Orochimaru's striking slanted eyes seemed to examine every inch of Kabuto.
"Orochimaru-sama, I was just wondering…"
"Speak, Kabuto." Orochimaru was a man of few words, yet his words made an average man's hair stand on an end.
"Uhm…" Kabuto was a steady, brave shinobi, yet this master was unlike any other that he had ever encountered. A truly fearsome ninja was one who could make Yakushi Kabuto break into sweat.
"Orochimaru-sama, I was just wondering whether you could give us permission to put up a Christmas tree, and maybe some wreaths of holly, or—"
"No. We don't celebrate Christmas."
"Orochimaru-sama, it won't do any harm!"
"Kabuto, we have to focus on more important matters than a holiday of trees and whatnot."
"Just let us celebrate this one day of the year, then we'll be back to hard work and everything! It will take no time at all to put up some decorations. And the present-passing can be done on our own time, not yours. We'll still complete all your orders."
"Fine, Kabuto. As long as no work is left undone, and you do not let me see anyone slacking off on their shifts, and making preparations for Christmas when they should be working."
"Thank you, Orochimaru-sama!"
So the silver-haired man passed around the word to use any extra time off to prepare for Christmas, under the orders of Orochimaru.
x
Christmas day arrived, and small, brightly wrapped packages were passed from hand to hand. Notes and cards were slipped into knapsacks secretly, and some were left under the magnificent pine tree in the great hall.
The tree rose high up, almost touching the limestone ceilings. It was bedecked with gold and silver lights, flawless crystal balls hanging here and there. Someone even found the time to tie with copper ribbons, candy canes striped ruby red and white, onto the branches of the tree.
As he strode down the once cold and barren hallways, Kabuto saw the Christmas preparations were indeed done well. Who would have known that shinobi recruited for their cold hearts and unstoppable killing could create such beauty? White paper snowflakes floated from the ceiling, a few beautiful paintings were done and hung on the walls. One depicted a chubby boy, golden curls tumbling down and around his face, rolling in the snow. Another was a scene of the ocean, icy blue and deep turquoise, the waves rolled up and down. And the clouds were puffy silver. Snowflakes drifted from the clouds, dancing and swirling in the light breeze.
Kabuto walked amongst the workers, overseeing the shinobi doing research, construction workers adding an extra wing to the set of buildings, a higher-up teaching a few young boys recruited personally by Orochimaru.
"Thank you." An unfamiliar voice sounded by Kabuto's side.
Kabuto looked down to see a light-haired youth with stunning green eyes looking up at him, expressing gratitude.
"What's your name?" Kabuto asked, merely wanting to know who this young man was.
"W-why do you need to know?"
"Oh, no reason. Today's Christmas, it's fine to make new friends, isn't it? And you're very welcome, we all need to enjoy a good Christmas, after working so hard, right?"
The younger man smiled, and said again, "Thank you." And a long, thin purple box was slipped into Kabuto's hand. In a flash, the man was gone.
Sevcral more encounters like this happened, many wanting to thank Kabuto for getting them permission to celebrate Christmas. Kabuto nearly started whistling by the end of the day. No feeling's better than the ability to create such joy… he thought to himself.
But one more task must be done.
Kabuto made his way back to his own chamber. He unlocked a small wooden cabinet, went through a few more drawers, then pushed open a hidden compartment. There, he picked up a brown paper package, inscribed on curling black script on the front face of it—TO OROCHIMARU-SAMA. MERRY CHRISTMAS. FOREVER FAITHFUL, KABUTO
He put it in his front pocket, then moved towards his master's chamber.
This time, no time was wasted knocking. Kabuto pushed open the door and slid inside. Yes, it was empty, with no sign of Orochimaru. Kabuto hastily placed the package onto the Otokage's desk, and nearly ran full sprint back to his own room.
x
Orochimaru walked into his chamber. Now, and only now, he felt a pang of jealousy.
Where are all those heartless shinobi I recruited?
They had disappeared this day, to be replaced with joyful, smiling men and women, enjoying a beautiful white holiday.
Why can't I be like them again?
Yes, Orochimaru wished he could go back to the time when he was an innocent child, back in Konoha, when he and Jiraiya and Tsunade exchanged Christmas gifts, no matter how petty they were. And they had put up Christmas trees together, made Christmas cards for their teacher together.
Now he spotted the package on his table. Surprised, he pulled it towards himself. A smile, a real, genuine smile creeped up his face. It wasn't an evil smirk, a smile of bloody triumph. It was a smile created from pure happiness.
Reading the black fancy words on the brown paper over and over, it seemed as though it were the most important six words he had ever read. Moments passed, and still Orochimaru's eyes were sliding over the letters.
Finally, his hands moved to unwrap the package.
"Thank you, Kabuto," he murmured quietly.
And Kabuto, waiting silently outside his door, grinned.