A mini-series of [reader-insert] drabbles/ficlets of the Naruto babies being shown various Halloween traditions. Part 7. For ShadowVixxen's All Hallows Eve contest.

"Hey, slow down, munchkin!"

"I can't slow down, Mayuri-chan!" The dark-haired child calls out insistently behind him as he races ahead for the Halloween Land activity park. The snow-haired girl is left to shake her head, laugh, and try to keep up. She breaks into a trot to try to keep him from getting too far ahead. She hurriedly follows after him as he reaches the crowd within the fair, trying to keep the green-clad lad from disappearing amongst the people, but she still loses sight of him, her only relief knowing he's heading straight for the maze as he always does.

By the time she catches up, he's waiting at the entrance, bouncing eagerly as he awaits her arrival. He calls out to her as she approaches.

"Mayuri-chan!"

"Hai, Lee! I'm here!"

"Hurry, Mayuri-chan! We must finish first! And do it faster than last year!" Lee jobs in place, more than ready to go.

"Lee, why can't we take our time this year? We could enjoy the decorations!"

"But Mayuri-chan!" Lee's eyes burn with pure determination. "I have to do my best!"

"Lee," Mayuri kneels and smiles at him, "taking your time can be training, too."

Lee's feet go still, and he looks up at her with wide eyes. "It can? How, Mayuri-chan? Tell me!"

Mayuri smiles at him. "Well, if I just tell you, how will you learn the lesson?"

"Yosh! Mayuri-chan, I will do my best!" He turns and starts to run off but then stops and walks into the maze. Mayuri smiles and follows him – much more easily this time. She can still feel the excitement radiating off him, entertaining the thought that he might implode and become a supernova.

Or Gai… She covers her mouth to smother her giggles, glancing over at her charge. Maybe she should get him green spandex for next year's Halloween costume…. That could be hilarious as well as frightening. Lee's voice knocks her out of her internal musings.

"Mayuri-chan, look! It's a giant pumpkin!" His eyes are like wide, round disks.

"Hai, Lee. Every year they have a pumpkin contest to see who can grow the biggest one, and the winner's is displayed in the maze."

"Really?" He frowns. "I don't remember any pumpkins, Mayuri-chan."

"That's because you always just rush through," she smiles at him, letting him puzzle over this new information. Soon enough, he is distracted again.

"Mayuri-chan, look! There's a ghost!" His eyes are even wider than before.

"Hai, Lee. Watch as we pass, and they'll try to scare you."

"Mayuri-chan, look! There are witches on brooms!"

"Hai, Lee. Watch and they'll start flying around our heads."

"Mayuri-chan, look! There's a vampire on the loose!"

"Hai, Lee. Careful or his bat minions will get you and make you his slave!"

"Mayuri-chan, I saw a lot of new things in the maze this year."

"Hai, Lee. What was your favorite part?"

The child mulls over the evening before smiling up at her. "I liked the big pumpkin. It grew its best!"

Mayuri giggles softly. "Hai, Lee. It grew its best and won the contest."

He leaps into bed, disappearing under the blankets until his head pokes back up into view. "I liked spending time with you, too, Mayuri-chan."

"Hai, Lee, me too." She smiles at him.

Maybe she'd get him a pair of pumpkin orange leg warmers to go with the green spandex.