Disclaimer... I do not own Naruto...Never did...Never will...sigh.
Written by... Treina (Angel Crack)

A/N: Note that this is a branch from the fic Aishiteru Naruto. It is NOT part of the Aishiteru Arc, just a small Christmas special. This oneshot takes place sometime after chapter 10 of Aishiteru Naruto.

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Aishiteru Chirstmas

Naruto - Age: Four
Hinata- Age: Four
Sauske- Age: Four
Neji- Age: Five

Naruto woke up in his small apartment all alone once again, the only difference was, it was Christmas and the smell of snow lingered in the air. Everything seemed so much softer and clean. It was a beautiful time of year, and the only reason why Naruto knew it was christmas was because he remembered last year and everyone in the streets were celebrating. There were cakes in every window, each one looking more delightful then the last, faint music and laughter filled his ears and everyone was smiling.

Naruto proceeded with his day just like any other, he got up and took a shower, dressing in his most warm clothes, he walked over to his stove and turned it on, staying really close to it, but not too close, he still had that burn on his arm from the last time. There he waited, he waited for either the Third to show up, or Hinata, who was always coming over to play with him.

But for hours, no one showed up, so he walked over to the window and watched the busy streets below him. You would think the child would have felt lonely, but he was fully enjoying himself, he could hear the faint sound of music coming from the streets and shops, he could hear the laughter. He loved to watch people, so this night was a great night to do it. For a while he entertained himself by blowing on the window and making little faces or spirals in it.

Then he noticed someone in the streets that he knew, it was Hinata and she was looking so cute with her little white ear muffs and soft fluffy mittens. Her cheeks were slightly tinted red from the cold chilly air and every time she spoke to her father, little white puffs would escape her mouth. Naruto could even tell from his window how red her nose was, it looked like a little berry ready to be picked.

Hinata looked up at Naruto's window and noticed him watching her, she smiled and waved at him. He beamed and grabbed his coat before leaving his apartment to meet her in the street. But when he reached the street, she was no where to be seen. He stayed our for a while to see if she might come back, but when she did not return, he shrugged his shoulders and went back inside feeling a bit more than disappointed.

When he reached his apartment, he regretted leaving the front door open, all the heat that had accumulated in the apartment had escaped out the door, now it was just as cold in here as it was outside. Naruto shivered before going back to the stove.

Not five minutes went by before the Third came bustling through the front door, "sorry im late Naruto, I had some running around to do, and I wont be in town tomorrow, but Ive had the landlord agree to keep one eye on you while Im away"
Naruto didn't care, he was happy Sarutobi was here now, now was really all that mattered anyway.
The Third brought in more clean clothes and began to stuff all the dirty ones in bags to be sent to the washers, "I brought you dinner, and an extra heater, the temperature has really dropped these past few days," he said to himself, and Naruto.

The blond watched him set up the heater and then he showed the boy how to turn it on. Instantly it got warmer and they both felt better.
"I cant stay today, eat whenever you get hungry and wash your face when your done, I will come by before it gets dark." Naruto frowned and the Third shrugged, it couldn't be helped. He patted the boy on the head and headed out the door.

Naruto warmed himself for a few minutes by the heater before heading back over to the window. Its so boring in the winter when you cant go outside and play.
The heat from the heater lightly blew on him and he dozed off in a soft pleasant sleep, until the banging on the door awoke him. He ran to the door to see who was there and was overjoyed to see Hinata and her cousin Neji standing out out in the snow. Hinata had a pleasant smile on her face and Neji just looked like he wished that he were somewhere else.

Both children held something in their hands, Neji held a big box and Hinata was holding what looked to be a gift bag.

"Merry Christmas Naruto-kun..." Hinata said with a blush.
Naruto grinned, "Merry Christmas!" He looked at Neji as if expecting something.
"Uh," started Neji, "can we come in"
Naruto nodded and stepped inside, once again all the heat that was in the apartment had left, but at least there was no wind.

"I saw you with your dad!" Naruto said exited, "I went out there but you vanished"
"She didn't vanish, she was probably in one of the shops," Neji corrected, placing the box on the table.
"She vanished!" Naruto repeated, he know what he saw and she vanished.

Hinata blushed, "Uh, Naruto-kun, we brought you something..." she trailed off, looking at the box that Neji had placed down.
"For me?" Naruto asked, becoming curious.

He opened the box and found a beautiful yellow cake inside, "its beautiful!" Naruto exclaimed, eyes glistening.
Hinata smiled and looked down, "mom and I cooked it this morning"
"It looks delicious Hinata-sama!" Neji took it out of the box and placed it on the table.

Hinata put the bag she was holding down under the table where Naruto couldn't see it. Maybe, if she got lucky, the blond would be really surprised and would love what she picked out. She blushed a bright red at her thoughts and turned around, not wanting anyone to see.

Just then she spotted the food that the Third had brought, she picked it up, "we should eat this before it gets cold," she pointed out, placing the food on the table, taking all the lids off the sealed tupperware.

Naruto went to the cabinet that was below the sink, took out three bowls and proceeded to place them all on the table. That's when he heard yet another knock on the door. All three kids stood still in their tracks, "go see who it is," Neji ordered, pointing at the door.
Naruto walked to the door and opened it, there in the snow, with a red nose, stood Sasuke and his older brother Itachi.

Itachi glared at the blond kid before turning to Sasuke, "I'll be back later to get you, I have a mission..." he had one more lookover at the blond before departing.
"My brother has a mission and my parents want to be alone..." Sasuke stated, irritated that his brother would dump him here.
Naruto smiled, "we are about to eat"
"We?" Sasuke asked, trying to look past Naruto.
"Hinata and Neji," he informed before a mad Neji was heard yelling behind him.
"Close the door! Its cold enough"
Sasuke grimaced, why Neji? Why? He would have to spend christmas with that monster kid...thing?
"Come on!" Naruto beckoned, "Neji wants me to close the door"
Sasuke walked into the apartment and noticed the wonderful smell.

"Do you want some?" Hinata asked, wondering if she would need to get another bowl.
"We are gonna eat ramen!" Naruto proclaimed.
"Ramen? Sure..." Sasuke shrugged, he had never eaten ramen before, and he was always open to new things...well, he really never had any opportunities to try new things, but now he had the chance, so why not? He would want to be considered a person who would try anything.

Soon they were all sitting at Naruto's little table eating dinner. Sasuke was hesitant, it looked a little weird...kind of like...brains or something. But looking at Naruto, who was enjoying every bit of his, it must not be all that bad. He put a mouthful of the gooey noodles into his mouth and at once spit it out, "its so salty!" He had never eaten anything that was so salty in his entire life.

Naruto stared at him with a blank expression, "vou don like it?" He asked with a mouth full of ramen.
"Uh...no not really...but I wasn't hungry anyway"
"We have cake! You can have some of that when were done!" Hinata cheered, feeling somewhat bad.
Sasuke nodded and watched the group finish their meal, feeling somewhat left out.

"Cake!" Naruto screamed and ran off into the kitchen, he was so so so happy that Hinata had brought a cake, staring at them all day in his window made his stomach want one more than anything. The only reason why he ate the ramen first was because...hey its ramen!
"Wow, its beautiful," Sasuke commented as Neji sliced a piece and handed it to the blond.

Naruto sat down and immediately dug into it, "its so good Hinata!" He complemented and Hinata blushed.
They soon all got a small piece and sat down to eat, while Naruto wandered off to get a second helping.

Sasuke dug the fork into the spongy substance and pondered at how they got this texture, it was very fun to look at he would have to admit... He closed his eyes and placed a piece into his mouth. An instant later he spit the food out, "its so sweet!" He complained.
"You...don't like it?" Hinata asked, raising her hands in front of her mouth.
"Its wonderful Hinata-sama," Neji replied with a warning glare to the Uchiha, "now eat it"
Sasuke blinked, was he being ordered to eat this? "But I don't like sweet things"
"Its okay, you don't ha-" Hinata began but was quickly cut off.
"Are you insulting Huuyga Hinata?" Neji asked in a demanding tone.
Sasuke knew this would be a bad idea, one thing he didn't want to do, was mess with this monster thing, god only knows what would happen if he were to get him too upset.
"Okay...I'll eat it..." and he forced the rest of the cake down.

Naruto, just downing his third piece of cake, looked over at the Uchiha, "are you okay?" He was looking very pale, more pale then he usually looks.
"I don't feel good...Im going to go...lay down or something..." Sasuke clutched his gut and forced his legs to carry him to the couch.
Hinata tugged on her cousins sleeve, "I don't think we should have made him eat it...what if he is allergic or something"
Neji shouldered it off, "don't worry about it," he bluntly stated.

"Hey!" Naruto exclaimed, "what's this!" He pulled out a big blue gift bag that had white tissue paper sticking out the top.
Hinata blushed, "that's...for you"
"Lets go into the main room," Neji said, snatching the bag from the blond and all three kids went into the main room to join Sauske, who was still not feeling well.

"Are you feeling any better?" Naruto asked the boy who was laying on the couch.
Sasuke shrugged his shoulders, "I guess"
Hinata walked right up to him and bowed, "I an so so sorry Sasuke-kun...I didn't mean to make you sick," her eyes began to thicken with water.
"Its okay...its not your fault"
Neji glared in his direction, first he insults Hinata, now he's making her cry!

Hyuuga Neji placed the bag on the ground and sat folding his knees in a very formal looking position and soon Hinata joined him.
"Naruto-kun," she said, getting the blond's attention before pulling the white tissue out of the bag which seemed to float down all around her, truly making her look like an angel. The next thing she pulled out was more beautiful then the tissue. It was a box wrapped in gold wrapping paper which seemed to reflect the light off it.
She handed the blond the box and he stared at it in amazement.

Neji raised an eyebrow, "have you ever opened a gift before"
Naruto looked at him with glittering eyes before shaking his head.
"Oh...well, you open it...you take the paper off," she informed walking over to him and tearing the tape off of one end, "you do the rest."

Naruto proceeded to do as she instructed and what was inside amazed him, it was exactly what he had been wanting since their big journey to Nidashi's house, he had spotted it in one of the windows down the shopping strip. It was a huge rubber bug, bigger than the one at Shino's house, but it almost looked exactly the same...only with big black eyes instead of red, which pleased him more, the red eyes creeped him out.

Hinata was pleased with herself, she was worried that his mind might have changed and that maybe he didn't want the bug anymore. But by the look on his face, it seemed that she had picked the right thing. She turned to Neji and gave him a knowing look.

Neji cleared his throat and reached into the bag reaching something else out, "this one is from me..." he said with a slight blush, why did she make him do it? Why didn't she just give it to him? It was too bothersome.

Naruto snatched the gift and unwrapped it, liking this whole Christmas thing.
He tore the last piece of paper off, what sat in front of him half confused him, "what is it"
Neji shook his head, "its a rice cooker"
"Oh"
"Hinata will teach you how to use it later."

"I didn't get you anything..." Naruto trailed off, feeling a bit bad at the fact he didn't get anything for them, but just then he remembered something.
"Be right back!" And he ran into his bedroom.

Not two minutes later Naruto was seen running back into the main room where all three kids sat, Sasuke still feeling a little ill, but getting over it none the less.
"This is for you!" He handed a clear pink tinted rock to Hinata which was a little smaller than her hand, "I found it the other day at the spring"
Hinata peered into the small stone that sat on her hand, "its beautiful Naruto-kun," she would always treasure it.

"And this is for you," he handed a dirty rag to Neji.
"Its a dirty rag," he said, pointing out the obvious.
"But I have had this since I can remember! I use it for everything"
Neji shook his head, "its okay...I don't need anything Naruto."

"Uh...Naruto?" Sasuke crept up from behind the blond.
"Hm?" Naruto twirled around.
"Can I talk to you?" Naruto nodded.
"Over there?" Sasuke pointed to the small hallway and Naruto followed the Uchiha, curious as to what he might want.
"Are you feeling better?" Sasuke nodded and pulled his kunai out.

He looked at the object, as if engraving the image into his mind, then he extended his arm with kunai in hand, "you can have it"
Naruto's eyes glittered with excitement, "really"
He took the kunai from Sasuke and examined it thoroughly, "its amazing!"

Sasuke shrugged his shoulders, "its just some old piece of metal...my brother got me a new one this morning"
Naruto gave a big hug to Sasuke before running into the living room leaving Sasuke stunned. Naruto held his kunai up high, "look at what Sasuke gave me"
Sasuke entered the living room with a slight blush, it was all too embarrassing.
"I love christmas!" Naruto cheered, running around the room.

They played for a few hours, both Neji and Sasuke teaching Naruto how to use his kunai and Hinata teaching the blond to use his rice cooker. They soon all fell sleep next to the stove and when The Third, Hiyashi and Itachi came to see how the kids were doing, they decided it best to leave them un-touched till morning. It snowed all through the rest of the night and all four kids would forever remember this special evening, although in very different ways.

xoxoxMerry Chirstmas!xoxox