Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto: Shippuuden, it is owned by Masashi Kishimoto.
Merry Christmas! Hope you like it, cause it's a long one!
Naruto could only stare in the direction that the pinkette ran in, his hand slowly lowering from its previous wave. His hand finally fell to his side, his head slowly tilting down until he stared toward the ground. He breathed in deeply, before letting out an inaudible sigh. He slowly swiveled on his heels, and continued to walk down the path he and Sakura were previously walking on. "Sakura-chan..." He muttered to himself.
Kit? You okay? The large fox asked in concern. It wasn't often that the boy was this quiet.
The blonde kicked the snow somewhat, stuffing his hands in his pockets while he continued his trudge. "No..." He said sadly.
Just... Only seeing her back as she ran off... Her slowly getting further and further away, and slipping through my grasp just when I thought I was making progress. He thought sadly. The mere image of Sakura running away was a brutal reminder of all his failures at grabbing her attention.
But you know her reason for why she left. The girl said she needed to reconcile with her Mother.The kurama pointed out, reassuring the blonde that it was nothing he did.
I know... And that's the problem. While I'm happy that she decided to do that, a part of me... Almost didn't want her to. I just wanted her to stay by my side, so we could talk more, and so I could get to see even more about her that I've never seen before! He thought to himself, putting his hand to his chest. Just the idea that he was being selfish, and wanted the pinkette to be with him, made his chest tighten.
Well I'll be damned, never thought I'd see the day where YOU were being selfish. Kurama laughed, honestly surprised by the blonde's current behavior.
Yeah... It feels wrong. I don't like feeling like this, when she's just going to see her family, but... I really want to see her again. He admitted, clutching his jacket and chest.
Kit, there's nothing wrong with being selfish sometimes. Hell, I'd say you're to selfless! Maybe the vixen would give you more attention, if you acted a bit more assertive. Kurama suggested, honestly refreshed to see a new side to Naruto.
...Maybe you're right. But not too much... I feel like she'd get pissed if I overdid it... I just want to see her again. He thought back to when Sakura blushed to some of his comments. It was the first time he had seen her actually blush in front of him before. It may have been in embarrassment, but he cherished those moments. He knew he was being a selfish, hopeless romantic, but he didn't care. He acknowledged a long time ago that he was head over heels for Sakura, and that even he had a right to be selfish sometimes. Even if it did make him feel bad.
Naruto slowly lifted his hands up, until they were in front of his face. He then quickly smacked his hands against his cheeks, snapping himself out of his trance. "Yosh... Now then, Christmas huh?" He asked himself, a smirk showing on his features. "I think I know just what to do..." He said in confidence, walking off to prepare his plan.
"God that girl drives me nuts sometimes!" Muttered angrily by an older woman, as she began the final touches on her big project. She slammed her hand on the countertop, growling a bit. "First I have to talk her into helping set up the tree, which has been family tradition for years, then she up and leaves just when I need her help preparing food for the party tomorrow!" She exasperated, wrapping up the prepared food, and putting it in the fridge.
She wiped her hands off with a towel, before sitting down in a chair, sighing loudly. "Whatever. She may be eighteen, but she still acts like a kid sometimes." Mebuki sighed tiredly, she didn't have anymore energy to be angry with her daughter.
"I'm home!" Called out a certain pink haired girl, kicking off her shoes as she shut the door, not even taking a step before she heard the footsteps of her mother rushing toward the hall.
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEE- Wait, what's all that for?" The blonde haired woman asked curiously, pointing to the several bags Sakura had in her arms. Judging from some of the items poking out of a few of the bags, she could guess that it was food, which honestly baffled her. Sakura bought groceries?
Sakura let out a bit of a grunt while stepping up from the doorway and into the hall, walking past her Mother. "I spent some time hanging out with Naruto, then I went to a few stores." She answered, before looking back toward Mebuki. "Oh, Mom, is the kitchen good to go?" She asked, not even thinking about the fight they had earlier.
Mebuki's eyes widened at Sakura's words, before clicking the roof of her mouth. "Oh, so NOW you want to cook?" She asked in annoyance, her anger starting to return.
Sakura nodded, before walking into the kitchen. "Oh, guess it is." She said to herself, before placing everything on the table. Before she got started, she took one of the bags, and put it in her room. When she got back, she found her mother opening the bags, and peering inside of them.
Mebuki analyzed what Sakura bought, and was certainly surprised. She bought two of everything! It looked like the ingredients for a big dinner. "You bought a lot of different stuff, Sakura. What is all of this for?" She asked curiously, not sure what her daughter was planning. It certainly didn't seem to be anything related to what their family was planning.
Sakura rushed over quickly, and stood between the bags, and her Mother. "I-It's nothing!" She stuttered, looking at her Mother nervously.
Mebuki put her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes at her daughter. "It most certainly does not look like 'nothing'." Mebuki stated, looking right through Sakura. "You bought enough ingredients to make a big Christmas dinner. You would never want to prepare dinner for us, Sakura. Hell, I don't think I've ever seen you cook anything outside an omelet without it burning!" She pointed out, causing her daughter to hang her head sadly. "So, I'll ask again. What. Is. This. For?" She asked clearly, and impatiently. It wasn't like Sakura to spend so much money, and she was going to find out.
Sakura opened her mouth to say something, but her Mother's hard stare shut her up. She looked down, biting her lip. Her stubbornness, and her pride were being pushed to extreme degrees. She didn't want to admit to her mother that she was going to prepare dinner for her teammate, or more specifically, a guy. Which would also mean that she would more than likely miss Christmas with her parents. She also didn't want to admit that she needed help.
She's never going to let me hear the end of this... Sakura thought grimly to herself.
She took a deep breath, before sighing lowly. "Alright... When I was with Naruto earlier, I found out that he never had a real Christmas before. I felt so bad for him, so I decided that I would spend Christmas trying to make him happy. So, I bought a gift for him, and I bought all the things needed to make dinner." She admitted, her fists trembling anxiously. "But... I bought two sets of ingredients because I wanted to practice tonight, so I wouldn't screw it up. And... In order to do this, I might end up not spending Christmas with you guys..." She finished, closing her eyes preparing for her Mother to give an earful.
Instead, she heard a long sigh. "Aah, is that all? I was actually worried for a second there." Mebuki said, closing an eye while the pink haired girl looked at her in shock.
Sakura stared at her Mother, blinking every so often as her mouth hung open. "So... You're not mad?" She asked, uncertainty filling her being.
Mebuki put her hand on Sakura's shoulder, giving her daughter a warm smile. "Of course I'm not mad. In fact, that's very touching of you to do, Sakura." She said, her smile widening as a thought occurred to her. "Naruto must mean a great deal to you if you're willing to go to such lengths to make him happy." She concluded, causing the pinkette to look down.
A tint of red spread across Sakura's face, as she began to fidget. "Y-Yeah... You could say that." She muttered, blinking when she felt her Mother's hand leave her shoulder. She looked back up to see her Mother putting her apron back on. "W-Wait, what're you doing?" She asked, not really sure of her Mother's intentions.
Mebuki smiled once again, preparing some tools. "I'm going to help you get this dinner right! I'm not about to let my daughter embarrass herself in front of a boy she likes!" She stated, a cheeky grin showing on her face. "Us Harunos have a reputation to uphold!" She explained, pride showing on her features.
Sakura's face turned a dark crimson, her eyes widening as she began to shake her head. "W-Wait, what makes you think I like him?!" She stuttered nervously, not really doing a good job hiding her emotions.
Mebuki laughed at Sakura's reaction, before walking over, putting an apron in her daughter's hands. "Because you were never good at hiding how you truly feel, Sakura." Mebuki explained, giving a motherly smile to her daughter. She then picked up the bags, and brought them to the counter. "Now, you better watch carefully!" She stated, causing Sakura to snap back into her senses.
"R-Right!"
"D-Damn it got a lot colder all of a sudden!" Exclaimed the blonde, quickly turning the lock to his apartment, and opening the door. He quickly stepped in and closed the door behind him, grabbing his arms for quick warmth. He locked the door, then stepped inside, feeling warmer, but only by so much.
He took off his shoes, and stepped out of the entry way and into the hall. Before walking into the living room, he glanced over at the broken thermostat and furrowed his eyebrows. "This is exactly why I told the old man to get this thing fixed... Sure it's warmer in here than it is outside, but I wouldn't call 45 degrees a comfortable temperature!" Naruto shouted to himself, the cold only shortening his temper.
He walked over to the cabinet, and pulled out a cup of instant ramen. "Wish I could go to Ichiraku's... That would have kept me warm for hours." He mumbled sadly, putting water in a kettle, and letting it heat up. Despite his sad tone, he still had a small smile on his face. "Still, I don't regret the purchase I did make." He said happily, fishing a small box out of his pocket. He stared at it for a long while, before putting it back in his pocket.
He finished preparing his ramen, then sat down at his coffee table, eating the noodles slowly. He honestly wasn't thinking about his dinner, his mind was too busy drifting. He stared absently toward a random corner of the room, his eyes half open as his thoughts drifted over to one subject in particular. Sakura.
Multiple scenarios played out in his head in regards to the gift he got for her. The one scenario that stood out was that she would be so overjoyed by the gift, she would give him a loving kiss in response. That one immediately made him smile.
Oh for God's sake. Can you go like, five minutes without thinking about this girl? Kurama asked tiredly. He had been dealing with Naruto's thoughts all days. If they weren't focused on Sakura, then they were focused on ramen.
Naruto was snapped out of his thoughts, looking down at his cup to see that all was left of his ramen was the soup. He finished it, then tossed out the empty cup. He stretched his arms, then gave an annoyed look toward the cieling.
Yeah, course I can. The blonde thought matter-of-factually, he didn't understand where Kurama kept getting this notion that Sakura was all he thought about... That and Ramen.
Oh yeah? You sure about that? The fox asked sarcastically, knowing the blonde couldn't do it.
Naruto closed his eyes, and tried to think of other things. He thought about his previous battles, about his friends... About ramen. Still, with every thought he had, in the back of his mind he felt something... It got stronger with every thought he had, until it shattered his thought process, revealing an image of Sakura giving him a bright loving smile.
The blonde groaned as he sat back against the couch. "Okay... No I can't..." He admitted, letting out a sigh in response. He looked at his hands, they were trembling, most likely from his anxious feelings. "Why is she always on my mind?... I know I love her, but dammit, it's like whenever I try to think of something else, she always finds a way to become the center of my thoughts!" He exclaimed, rubbing his head while he stared at the wall. He lowered his hand, closing his eyes once again. "Just how in love am I?" He asked to himself.
He shook his head, before getting up and stretching his arms. "Well, I'll figure that out tomorrow. Time for bed..." He muttered, before making his way to his room.
Sakura let out a large sigh, staring as her Mother, along with a couple of her friends were laughing loudly, drinking spiked eggnog together.
"So then I said, 'I don't care, I'm not going to pretend date you just to impress your friends!' And that's how I met Kizashi!" Mebuki laughed, taking another sip of her drink, while her friends laughed along with her.
Kizashi slumped over, laughing sadly. "Sweetheart, have mercy, please." He asked grimly.
Sakura looked around at her family, and some of her parents friends having a good time. She also saw her friend, Ino, chatting with one of the many adults in the room. Most likely asking about her favorite type of flower, or something.
The pinkette put her glass of water down, before walking out of the room, hoping to get some fresh air elsewhere. The living room was too stuffy for her taste. She walked into her room, and closed the door behind her.
She opened the door to her balcony, and stepped out, taking in the sharp cold air. Only this time it felt soothing. She sighed sadly, before looking back toward her bedroom door.
Maybe I'll just spend the rest of the night in my room... She thought tiredly to herself, honestly not feeling like socializing.
It wasn't to say that she didn't like parties, she just had to much on her mind to really be able to enjoy her Mom's Christmas Eve party. She put her hand on the railing, and winced as she pulled her hand back.
She looked down at her somewhat bandaged hands, still feeling a bit sensitive after she cut and burnt herself several times the day before. She was happy with the results, but it wasn't easy. One thing she was sure of, she could never thank her Mother enough for helping her. She continued to gaze at her hands, slowly opening them and closing them. Staring at her hands only reminded her of what was coming tomorrow. She felt anxious, even more so than yesterday. She put her hand to her chest, her face flushing more than it already was.
Naruto...
"Figured I'd find you here, Forehead." Said a certain blonde haired girl, causing the pinkette to jump in response.
Sakura looked at Ino in shock, taking deep breaths as she recovered from her scare. "I-Ino-pig?! W-Weren't you downstairs?" She asked, not really sure why Ino decided to follow her to her room.
Ino shrugged, walking up next to her. "Yeah, but everyone started to get drunk, which made keeping a conversation going pretty difficult." She explained, looking over at the flushed pinkette. "So, what's on your mind?" She asked, tilting her head a bit curiously.
Sakura shook her head somewhat, while she stared down at the empty street. "Nothing..." She said quietly, not even bothering to make a convincing attempt. She didn't have it in her to do so.
Ino noticed this, before laughing a bit. "Wow, whatever's on your mind must really be getting to you. I've never seen you put up so little resistance before." She stated, before looking up at the sky. "Come on, you seriously can't tell me, Sakura?" She asked, dropping her nickname for the pinkette. She was serious.
Sakura was quiet for a while, before opening her mouth. "...Naruto..." She mumbled, so quietly that it was practically inaudible.
Ino looked over at Sakura, raising an eyebrow in response. "Come again?" She asked, hoping Sakura would have the courage to repeat what she had said. She really was curious, and also concerned for her best friend. She had never seen her so shut in like this before.
Sakura closed her eyes tightly, biting her lower lip, before shakily opening her mouth again. "N-Naruto..." She repeated, the emotion in her voice showing uncertainty, but also compassion.
Ino's eyes fully opened, before turning fully to face Sakura. "Ehh? Naruto? What about him?" She asked, not even bothering to ask the pinkette why she said his name the way she did. The process of getting this information out of Sakura was already going to be slow enough.
Sakura folded her arms on the railing, and rested her chin on her arms. "I... I'm going to be spending Christmas with him tomorrow." She explained, her gaze still locked on the empty street. She figured Ino was surprised, given the gasp that came from said blonde.
"W-What?! You're spending Christmas with HIM?! Like a date?!" She asked, pressing Sakura further. This was some juicy news, and she wanted to hear everything about it.
Sakura stood up fully, and turned to her friend, her face completely red. "N-NO idiot! Not a date!" She said, her sudden frustration leaving as she put her hands on the railing, ignoring the harsh cold that radiated from it. "W-Well... Maybe? I dunno..." She trailed off, looking down as her eyes hid behind her bangs.
Ino was surprised by Sakura's rather... Uncertain response. She gave her friend a concerned look, leaning forward a bit hoping to catch a glimpse at the pinkette's face. "Sakura, what's going on? I've never seen you act like this before when Naruto is brought up." She questioned, hoping to get the answer out of the pinkette.
Sakura took in a deep breath, then let it out, looking over at Ino. "In all honesty? I don't have a single clue..." She answered, standing up fully before walking back into her room, the cold getting to her.
Ino followed her in, closing the balcony doors behind her. "What do you mean?" She asked, wanting Sakura to talk. She had an idea on what was happening here, but she didn't want to suggest it, this was something Sakura had to discover herself.
The pinkette sat on her bed, looking over at Ino, who decided to sit in her desk chair. "I don't know what's happening to me... Every time I think about Naruto I get... Nervous? Every time I'm around him I feel my chest tightening, and... He always knows what to say, to get me all shaken up." She explained, fidgeting a little. She looked at Ino sadly. "I don't know why I feel this way, and the more I think about it the more conflicted I feel..." She admitted sadly, not sure what to do.
Ino frowned at Sakura's words, folding her arms while she stared at Sakura. "I think you do know what this is. It's actualy rather simple, and you just haven't figured it out yet." She explained simply, giving a slight shrug.
Sakura looked at Ino in shock, blinking rapidly. "W-Wait, it is?! What is it?!" She asked almost desperately.
Ino shook her head, looking at Sakura. "I can't tell you that, Sakura. You need to figure this out on your own. Now think about it, what could all these feelings mean?" She asked the pinkette. She was honestly surprised that Sakura hadn't figured it out yet, she felt this way before... Mostly.
Sakura looked down, thinking hard about the subject. What do these feelings mean? Why can he get me to feel so flustered? Why can he get me to blush? Why does he always make me feel better?... Why did I go to him about Mom, instead of Ino? She asked herself all of these questions, thinking for a long time. Her eyes slowly widened as she came to the realization of what she was dealing with. "O... Oh my God." She choked out.
Ino nodded a bit, giving a passive face. She was hiding how she was feeling, until she knew just how Sakura felt about it. "Yup..." She said, waiting for Sakura to say it.
Sakura's eyes grew big, she looked down while her jaw trembled. A bright red blush spread across her cheeks, as she forced out the words that immediately came to mind. "I...I am in love with Naruto." She admitted not just to Ino, but also to herself.
Next thing she knew, she was engulfed in a giant hug. She blinked rapidly, before looking over at her friend. "I-Ino?! W-Why're you hugging me?" She asked, still a bit in shock.
Ino pulled away from the hug, smiling brightly. "Nothing! I'm just... Really happy for you, Sakura." She said, before looking down. "I was really worried about you... I mean, you seemed to have moved on from Sasuke-kun, but for a while there I wasn't sure what you were going through. You seemed almost uncertain about what you were going to do. But... I'm glad to see that you've found someone who can truly appreciate you." She explained, keeping her smile for the pinkette.
Sakura stared at Ino dumbfounded, before smiling. "Thank you, Ino. That means a lot." She said, before giving her friend another hug.
Ino looked at Sakura's clock, sighing a bit before standing up. "Well, I should probably get my parents home. I'm certain that they're too drunk to get home on their own now." She grumbled, annoyed by her parents drinking habits whenever they attended parties. She then looked over at the pinkette, a smile spreading across her cheeks. "Make sure you tell me how it goes, okay? I wanna hear everything." She requested, giving a wave before walking out of the room.
Sakura laughed a bit at Ino's words, staring at the closed door. She looked down, putting her hand to her chest once again. "I... love Naruto." She said to herself quietly, before falling back on her bed.
The pinkette's eyes opened suddenly, looking around at her dimly lit room while she regained her barrings. She picked herself up, rubbing her eyes to get rid of her blurry vision. "Mmnn... What time is it?..." She asked herself, swinging her legs off of the bed.
She looked up, staring at her clock. "11 am, huh?... Good, means I have time." She stated out loud, nodding slowly before standing up. Sakura walked over and opened her closet. She stared at all the outfits she had, her eyebrows furrowing. "Maybe not..." She muttered, before digging through her closet.
Sakura stared at herself in the mirror, her eyebrow twitching at the outfit she ended up choosing.
Maybe... Maybe I shouldn't go with this one. She thought reluctantly, starting to regret this decision.
Oh, don't be like that! You look cute and that's what's important! Her inner self pointed out in confidence. You just know that he's gonna love seeing you in this! She pointed out to the pinkette.
Sakura shook her head, looking down in embarrassment. "But it's... It's too much! I..." She trailed off, not even capable of making a good counter point. She pulled out a trench coat from her closet, grumbling. "F-Fine! If it'll make him happy, I'll wear it!" She barely shouted, her face still somewhat red at the thought of the blonde seeing her in this.
She put on the coat, and along with all of the essentials, walked out of the house. As she walked, a smile replaced Sakura's previous frown. "I can't wait to see how he reacts to this." She said excitedly.
Naruto slowly walked out of his room, his hair still somewhat damp from his shower. He let out a drawn out yawn, before going over to the kitchen.
I slept terribly... He thought to himself, brewing himself up a pot of coffee. He rubbed his tired eyes, then slapped his face a couple times.
Perhaps it's because you spent all day yesterday just thinking about how the girl will react to your gift. And for a good portion of last night. Kurama pointed out, a chuckle escaping his lips.
Naruto poured his cup of coffee, and took a sip, not even bothering to fix it. "Yeah, I get it, I over obsessed about it and I paid for it. Do you really have to rub it in, Kurama?" The blonde asked, before taking a large gulp of his hot drink.
The large fox snorted in response Of course I do. Because that's what happens when you focus to much on something, it just becomes a problem later. Kurama answered, the blonde swearing he could picture the fox giving him a smug look.
The blonde finished off his cup, sighing a bit. "Bitter..." He said quietly, before pouring himself another cup, this time fixing it to meet his standards. "Can you blame me, though? I've never done something like this for her before, and I don't know how she's gonna respond." He explained, taking a sip of his new cup.
I can pretty much guarantee that she'll at least be happy. You know that as well as I do. Kurama stated, not really giving it a second thought.
Naruto didn't respond, only continued to drink his coffee. "Well, I doubt I'll be able to see her today, so I promise I won't dwell on it, okay?" He said to the fox, a small smile showing on his features.
Alright then, you better keep to that promise. The fox warned, growling lowly at the end of his sentence.
*Knock Knock*
The blonde looked up from his coffee, looking toward the door. "Huh? Who could that be?" The blonde asked rhetorically, before walking toward the door. "It can't be Iruka-sensei, he would've told me he was coming yesterday." He said to himself, writing one possible visitor off the list.
He put his hand on the doorknob and opened the door, his eyes widening at the sight before him.
Sakura gave him a wave, while wearing a bright smile. "Merry Christmas, Naruto!" She said happily to the gawking blonde. She was wearing a short red dress with long sleeves and fluffy white trimmings. The dress cut just above her shoulders, and she wore a black belt. She also wore brown gloves, and had on black stockings. What finished her appearance were brown boots, and a santa hat sitting on her head. She screamed Christmas, and had the blonde at a loss for words.
Well, one word came to mind.
Cute... She's really cute. The blonde thought to himself, his face starting to grow red.
Sakura bonked the blonde on the head, causing him to snap out of his trance. "You gonna keep staring, or are you gonna let me in, baka?" She asked, glad she got a good reaction out of him.
Naruto blinked, before stepping aside. "P-Please come in, Sakura-chan." He stuttered, looking down at her again as she walked past.
"You're so sweet, thanks." She said somewhat sarcastically, giving him another smile as she walked into his living room. "Hey, it's still clean in here." She whistled, impressed by the blonde's ability to keep his house clean for more than a day.
Naruto rubbed the back of his head, walking into the kitchen. "C'mon, I'm not THAT bad, Sakura-chan." He mumbled, before pouring himself another cup of coffee. He then looked over at her, taking a sip of his drink. "So, what brings you here? Aren't you supposed to be with your family?" He asked, confused as to why the pinkette decided to stop in, in such an outfit no less.
Sakura put her bags on the table, then looked over at the blonde. "Nope. Not spending Christmas with the family." She said simply, giving him a rather passive look.
Naruto's eyes opened fully, putting his cup aside. "What? Why not? Isn't Christmas supposed to be a time to spend with your family?" He asked the pinkette, rather surprised that she would simply not spend Christmas with them.
Sakura nodded, walking over to him. "Sure. But..." She trailed off, looking to the side. Her face slowly grew a tint of pink, as she began to fidget. "I... Um... I decided that..." She mumbled, looking down completely.
Naruto raised an eyebrow at the pinkette, before folding his arms. "Huh? Decided what?" He asked the pinkette, not knowing what the hell she was thinking.
Sakura looked up at him, a frustrated look was plastered on her face. "I decided to spend Christmas with you, Baka!" She shouted, her fists trembling as she stared at the dumbfounded blonde.
He looked back at her, mouth agape before pointing at himself. "With me?" He asked, she nodded in response. "Why?" He pressed further, wanting to know her exact reasons.
Sakura looked to the side, huffing a bit. "W-What, am I not allowed to spend Christmas with you?" She asked in irritation, she didn't know why but she decided to hide her true intentions.
Naruto stared at Sakura wide eyed for a minute, before smiling calmly at her. "Fair enough." He said finally, before walking past. "So, what're we gonna be doing? Knowing you, you have the whole day planned out." He said, looking back toward her.
Sakura laughed a bit, rubbing the back of her head. "W-Well... I plan to make dinner later, but I wanted to go around the village with you first." She explained, showing that she really didn't have it fully thought through.
Naruto stared at her for a moment, before continuing to walk toward his room. "Alright then." He said simply, reaching his door, and opening it. "Oh, Sakura-chan." He started, causing the pinkette to look over at him.
"Yeah?"
Naruto looked back at her, giving her a warm smile. "Thank you." He finally said, before walking into his room to get ready for the day.
Sakura's face went completely red from this, as she rubbed her head.
Dammit, why can he do that?! I've already blushed like, what, 2 times? And I've only been here 5 minutes! She thought to herself in frustration, rubbing her face as she let out a groan.
It'll okay, I just need to stay calm, and enjoy the day. It's Christmas, after all! Sakura thought positively to herself, she wasn't about to let her feelings for the blonde infect her mind.
She pulled a few things out of the bags, and put them in the fridge to keep them fresh. Just as she did, the blonde walked out of his room fully dressed. He stretched his arms, before flashing the pinkette a smile. "Alright, ready to go?" He asked, taking his jacket off of a chair and slipping it on.
Sakura nodded, walking toward the door. "Yep. Let's go!" She said happily before walking toward the door. The blonde followed her out, and just before they closed the door, she did a subtle hand sign.
By the time we get back... Everything should be ready. She thought to herself, walking down the steps with the blonde.
The two slowly walked through the streets of Konoha, completely silent as they looked everywhere except at each other.
Sakura looked to the side, her face somewhat flushed as she mentally berated herself.
Dammit, I said I'd stay calm and enjoy the day but... What the hell do I say?!
"...So, did you patch things up with your Mother?" The blonde asked, causing Sakura to look toward him in slight surprise.
The pinkette nodded somewhat, looking back down. "Yeah, she wasn't really that mad anymore." She said, pretty much pointing out that they kind of forgot the fight, more than worked things out.
Naruto looked forward, giving an understanding look. "Is that right?... Okay then." He responded, going quiet once again.
Sakura, not wanting the awkward silence to return looked back at him. "S-So, how's things with you? I mean, you're always asking me how I'm doing, but you never talk about yourself." She brought up, both genuinely curious, and desperate to keep a conversation going.
Naruto looked at Sakura with a raised eyebrow, before looking forward. He closed his eyes as his face scrunched up, while he thought back. "Well... I've been training a lot. Baa-chan is also putting me through Hokage training. Even though they already said Kakashi-sensei was going to be Hokage before me..." He mumbled sadly, before his smile returned. "I've also gotten really close with Kurama." He said happily, before noticing a confused look on the pinkette's face. "O-Oh, that's the Kyuubi's actual name." He explained to her.
Sakura's eyes opened fully, before a smile showed on her face. "That's good to hear. I'm happy that you're making progress on your dream too. Though, I am surprised you haven't brought it up before. You're usually the type who would brag about something like Hokage training." She said teasingly, laughing a bit at the blonde's pout.
Naruto looked to the side, his pout still there. "I'm trying to be calmer, and not act as childish. I-It's one of the practices Baa-chan is having me do." He explained, an embarrassed look showing on his face.
The pinkette let out a mild chuckle. "Is that so? Honestly that doesn't surprise me, knowing Tsunade-sama." She said knowingly, before the conversation slowly started to simmer down. Sakura looked back down, uncertain of what to do now.
Hold his hand! Inner Sakura shouted, causing Sakura's pupils to shrink.
W-What?! Why?! She thought loudly, uncertain of her inner self's intentions.
He'll like it, plus YOU like him anyways! Take that first step, dammit! Inner yelled confidently, sounding kind of like Lee... Eugh.
Sakura's face slowly went red, keeping her eyes to the ground.
Naruto kept silent as they walked, uncertain on where they were going. That really didn't matter, though, he was with Sakura and he was following her. He then felt something grab his hand, he looked over and his eyes widened to see that Sakura was now holding his hand.
Sakura is holding my hand... What?! The blonde thought to himself in shock, why was she doing this?
Sakura stole a glance at the blonde, and saw the surprised and confused look on his face. "W-What?... I just... Wanted to hold your hand, is all." She stated, hiding her blush from the blonde. "Is that a problem?" She asked, feeling him jump a bit in response.
"N-No it's fine." He answered, making Sakura smile in response. They both went quiet, walking hand in hand.
Okay. This is already the best Christmas ever. I wonder what else she has planned? The blonde thought curiously, now really looking forward to the rest of the day.
As they walked, they started to hear whispers from people walking by. Seeing how they were pretty well known in the village, them holding hands got attention.
"Is that Naruto and Sakura? They're spending time together on Christmas?"
"You think they're on a date?"
"Doubt it. Though you never know with those two. One minute they're best friends, the next Sakura has him by the throat."
"It would be refreshing if they were dating. Honestly the amount of destroyed roads that have occurred from Sakura beating him?"
Naruto looked around at the whisperers, then looked at Sakura who was staring at the ground. "S-Sakura-cha-"
"Come on, let's keep going." She interrupted, picking up her pace and dragging Naruto along.
They finally got to the location, and Sakura let go of his hand, slowly walking forward. Naruto looked at the pinkette in concern, seeing how she was completely silent from the time that they started holding hands, until now. Those people must have gotten to her.
The blonde rubbed the back of his head, looking to the side with a slight grimace showing on his face. "Look, Sakura-chan... About the people from before..." He started, but stopped when Sakura looked back at him in confusion.
Sakura put her hand on her hip, shaking her head. "It's fine, Naruto. It's not like they were wrong about some of the things they said." She said, looking up as it started to get dark. She looked back, staring in the opposite direction from the blonde. She jumped when she felt a hand put on her shoulder. She looked up at the blonde in surprise. "N-Naruto..." She whispered, all the while frowning.
Naruto looked down at her, smiling sadly. "I can tell that you feel guilty, Sakura-chan. And I don't need to use Kurama's power to know that." He stated, causing the pinkette to look away sadly. "If it's any consolation, I was never mad whenever you did hit me. I know you only did it when I did something stupid, which sometimes, I really did deserve." He explained, laughing a bit while rubbing the back of his head.
Sakura looked at Naruto with wide eyes, before giving him a hug, making him jump in surprise. "Baka... I'm still sorry for being a jerk sometimes." She apologized, putting her face in his chest.
Naruto stared down at her in shock, before putting his hand on his head. "I forgive you." He said simply, smiling widely at her.
Sakura backed away from him, returning her smile. She then took his hand, and brought him along. "This is what I wanted to show you." She walked to the edge of the Hokage monument with the blonde, and looked down toward the village.
The blonde stared in awe at the village in it's beauty. It was blanketed in snow, with colored lights sprinkled throughout. The lights only accentuated the beauty of the view, making the snow sparkle brightly. He felt something cold land on his nose, causing him to look up and see snow slowly falling from the sky. "Well, I'm definitely impressed." He said with a wide smile on his face.
Sakura locked her gaze on the village, not daring to look away. "It's such a rare sight to see... We so rarely get snow here, and with the lights... It's something I always love to see, so I come here every year." She explained happily, looking over at the blonde.
Naruto looked at Sakura, his eyes meeting hers. "Thank you for showing me this." He said, his wide smile turning into a smaller one.
"Oh!" Sakura gasped, before unzipping her bag. "I almost forgot about this. Your gift!" She explained, pulling out a carefully wrapped gift.
Naruto looked at it, then at Sakura. "You didn't have t-"
Sakura put her finger to his lips, giving him an angry smile. "Don't you dare start, Naruto. I wanted to do this." She said with mild agitation, only getting a quiet nod from the blond. Her smile calmed, before handing it over to him. "Alright then, here you go." She gave the gift to the blonde, while he stared at it curiously.
He opened the gift, and his pupils shrunk at what it was. It was a picture of his Mother and Father standing together. His jaw dropped a bit while he put his hand to the picture, staring at it in silence.
He looked up at Sakura, his pupils still as small as dots. "W-Where did you...?" He trailed off, his capability of speaking practically gone.
Sakura laughed a bit, folding her arms behind her back. "I asked Shishou if she could find a picture of them, it took a few hours to get it. Which is what I wanted to explain... I didn't immediately go home after I left the other day. I spent several hours making preparations for today, and that was the main reason." She explained, before giving him a warm smile. "Merry Christmas, Naruto- Wha?!" She cut off, getting engulfed in a warm loving embrace.
Her eyes were widened, and while she had just given him a hug before, she wasn't expecting him to give her such a sudden one. It was a very strong hug, too. She felt like she could stay like this with him forever, his warmth was intoxicating. She felt something warm and wet hit the top of her head. "T...Thank you..." She heard from the blonde, his choked speech could only mean that he was crying.
Sakura looked up at him, brushing her thumb against his face to wipe his tears. "You're welcome." She said softly.
Naruto stared into her eyes for a long while, before blinking himself. "Oh... Um... I got something for you, too." He said nervously, fishing a box out of his jacket pocket.
Sakura looked at it in mild surprise, not expecting a gift herself. "O-Okay then. Thanks." She said, before taking the box in hand. She removed the ribbon, and opened the box, immediately putting a hand to her mouth. "O-Oh my god. Naruto... You bought this?" She asked in shock. What she was staring at was a chain necklace with an emerald gemstone attached to the end.
Naruto rubbed the back of his head, looking to the side. "I... I saw it once in a store and it reminded me of you. So I bought it right after you left the other day." He explained sheepishly.
She put the necklace around her neck, and held the gemstone in her hand, gazing at its beauty. She looked up at Naruto, touched that even now when she was trying to do something for him, he still found a way to also make it about her. Tears slowly ran down her face, as a wide smile built on her face.
Naruto's eyes widened at Sakura's reaction, as he began to stutter. "W-What's wrong, Sakura-chan?! Did I do something wrong?!" He asked panicked, hoping he didn't screw this up.
Sakura wiped her eyes, laughing a bit at his reaction. "You dummy..." She said quietly, before walking upto him, and leaning up, giving him a small kiss. "I love it..." She said lovingly, before backing away.
Naruto froze, staring at the pinkette before putting his hand to his lips. "W-Why did... There's no mistletoe." He said dumbly, making Sakura laugh loudly, only confusing him more.
She put a hand to her chest as her laughter died down a bit. "Honestly, baka! Do I really need to say it?" She asked, only seeing a nod in response. She wrapped her arms around his neck, smirking a bit. "Fine then..." She trailed off, her smirk turning into a loving smile, her eyes growing big. "I love you, Naruto." She said happily.
Naruto stared at her in shock, before his jaw began to quiver. "I... I love you too, Sakura-chan." He said, before pulling her into a deep kiss, surprising the pinkette.
The two parted after a minute, taking a few breaths. Sakura smirked at the blonde's gesture. "Well, that was a bold move. I liked it." She stated, getting a laugh from the blonde. "Now then... How about that dinner?" She asked the blonde, who could only give a toothy grin.
"Dinner sounds great."
The End.
Holy fuck this is a lot longer than I meant for it to be.
But hey, at least I got it done before Christmas ended!
Later.