A Christmas fic for your holiday pleasure. I'd like to thank gof22 for the idea. It doesn't really fit anywhere in any story line, but whatever.

Note: I don't own Naruto, that credit goes to the great Kishi-sama.

Please Read and Review or Sai's Abs may have to come for you

without further rambling...

Christmas Collage
by Hammy Uchiha

Hat firmly pulled down over his mess of blonde hair, and hand firmly gripping the rope, Arashi pulled the sled up the snowy hill. Naruto was riding in the back scarf fluttering in the icy wind. It was several long moments of pulling until they were atop the massive hill. Panting the Hokage came to a stop, his breath puffing visibly in the freezing air. He picked up his ax grinning evilly and Naruto hopped out of the sled. Before them stood a great evergreen forest, ripe for the chopping.

"Come on let's find the perfect one," called the Hokage to his son tramping into the forest. They inspected several trees before coming to a stop before the perfect tree. Naruto stood back as Arashi began to laugh maliciously and with one well aimed chop, the tree wavered before falling to the snow with a plop. Still laughing Arashi tied a rope to the trunk of the tree and with a little help from Naruto dragged it back to the sled. Arashi rolled the tree into the sled and fastened it tightly in place. Arashi seated himself in the front of the sled and Naruto hopped into his lap. The two threw their weight forward and slowly the sled slid forward over the top of the hill.

"WOO HOO!" cried Arashi as they flew down the hill.

"Hey! Sakura!" cried Ino running up to her best friend. The shy little pink haired girl gave her friend a smile, and offered the blonde a small wrapped gift. Ino accepted the present and Sakura watched as she opened it. Ino gasped when she lifted up the lid of the box and saw the butterfly hair clip. Smiling her thanks she clipped it into her short blonde hair and Sakura smiled happily.

"Here, don't think I forgot you," she said pulling a small package of her own. Sakura blushed and took it and quietly she tore the pink paper away from the gift to find a small cream colored bear with a red ribbon around its neck.

"T…thanks Ino," said Sakura hugging the bear tightly.

"You're welcome Sakura, and thanks for the beautiful hair clip," said the blonde. "Well, I'd better get back home, my mom is going to decorate the tree," said Ino. "See ya later!"

"Bye Ino!"

Finally the Yondaime stood back and looked at the tree, his son stood beside him giving the big tree a critical eye.

"Yes…yes… it is ready…" said Arashi rubbing his non existent beard. Naruto dragged over the box of ornaments and Arashi went to make some popcorn. The little blonde boy was beginning to hang the multi colored orbs.

"Hah ha," laughed Arashi returning with a giant bowl of popcorn. The blonde Hokage began to string the popcorn.

"Hey Daddy," called Naruto bringing over an ornament to his father. Stealthily Arashi shoved a handful of popcorn in his mouth, before looking at the ornament his son had brought before him. His heart almost failed him when he saw the small picture frame.

"It's Mommy isn't it?" asked Naruto as Arashi turned the small ornament with the picture of himself and her in it over. Finally he nodded, slowly, sorrowfully. Naruto was nodding slowly to himself and the blonde Hokage could only imagine what he was thinking. Naruto grinned at last and hung the picture up before returning to the box.

Arashi returned to the popcorn but before he had even finished one string all the popcorn was gone and he found himself licking his fingers and brushing the crumbs off his heavy sweater. Naruto was sitting on the other side of the bowl licking his fingers as well.

"Well that didn't work so well," said Arashi looking confused at the empty bowl. "I could have sworn there was more popcorn than that…" he murmured as Naruto giggled to himself. "We tried," he said with a sigh to Naruto and then he took the short string and hung it on the tree. The two got back into the box of ornaments, picking the shiniest ones to hang on the front of the tree. As they were finishing up there came some loud knocking on the door, and Naruto and Arashi raced to the door. Naruto won on the account that he could slide under the table while Arashi had to vault over it.

Panting Naruto opened the door and the people outside began to sing. He could guess the ninja were all related based on the color of their hair and red stripes on all of their faces. Plus it appeared they had brought their dogs. The humans sang and the wolves and dogs howled along. It was slightly disturbing but within minutes Arashi was suited up and he and Naruto joined them. They tramped off caroling and howling to anyone who would listen.

The Akimichi household had just finished dinner when the doorbell rang, and the singers outside waited. No one answered the door because they were all at the table already digging into the third round of dessert. Several of the younger children were already passed out on the floor, stuffed full. The dogs outside whimpered with the yummy smells of their dinner and soon the great blonde jounin was whimpering too. Finally the carolers left and headed for the next house.

When dinner was finished the Hyuga clan gathered around their great Christmas tree. There for one of the few times of the year the main and the cadet branch of the family intermingled exchanging gifts and crazy stories about the wild missions they had gone on during the past year.

The small indigo haired heir to the clan finally managed to spot her favorite cousin Neji standing alone on the other side of the room. He looked slightly depressed.

"N…Neji-niisan?" she asked approaching him. He looked at her sort of sadly, and Hinata offered him her gift. His face perked up. It was wrapped in purple paper, with a white bow. Neji accepted the present with one of his rare smiles, and handed his cousin the present he had gotten for her. The little girl blushed with a small smile.

"Arigato, Neji-niisan…"

"You're welcome."

Rock Lee, his braid swinging reached up to hang up his stocking next to his parents'. He wasn't quite tall enough but reached anyways. Finally standing on his tippy toes, he managed to hang it on the nail on the mantle especially for that purpose. Then he hopped back to admire his work. Then he scrambled into the kitchen to obtain a glass of milk and a plate of cookies from his mother.

After a great meal of the best ramen, Naruto and his father were curled up in front of a blazing fire. They toasted marshmallows for a while, until somewhere a clock struck eleven and Arashi blinked with a yawn.

"You ready for bed?" asked Arashi of Naruto. The little blonde was fast asleep on the rug. Arashi smiled fondly and sat up with another yawn. He lifted up his son and took one last look at the great gleaming tree. Its multicolored lights were gleaming in the dark. Then he carried Naruto to his room and laid him down, pulling up the heavy covers against the icy night. He bent over and kissed his son on the forehead, before heading off to bed.

Slowly out of the dark blue mass of blankets and covers, there poked a small head of raven hair. His dark eyes gleaming, he slipped out of bed in his pajamas patterned with the little white and red fans of his clan. He slid into his slippers and silently left his room. He tip toed down the hallway and through another door. There on the bed was his great lump of a brother, a raven colored pony tail sticking out.

The youngest Uchiha poised himself and aimed then Sasuke ran forward and leapt onto the bed landing with a thump on Itachi. There came a groan from within.

"It's Christmas, it's Christmas!" cried Sasuke bouncing up and down. The lump attempted to throw him off, but had no such luck.

"Sasuke-kun…" he groaned. "It's five in the morning, people sleep now," he grunted.

"It's Christmas, niisan! Get up!" cried Sasuke louder to more moaning from Itachi.

"Why now?" he groaned.

"Aniiiiki!" whined Sasuke bouncing harder.

"Fine, fine, I'm up," Itachi groaned again, and slowly out came his head and he finally managed to throw Sasuke off. Itachi rolled out of bed and redid his pony tail with a yawn then with Sasuke dragging him by the hand headed out to get their parents.

"Daddy! Daddy!" cried Naruto running into his father's room, and Arashi, who had been up for an hour waiting braced for it. Naruto tackled him as expected and the Hokage leapt out of bed and he and Naruto ran down the hall and into the living room. He practically knocked the tree over in search of the present. Finally from under the tree he poked his head out.

"Where is it?" he asked Arashi who was watching him with an evil grin. He pulled out a box wrapped in orange paper. Naruto tackled Arashi for it.

"Come on, Shikamaru, you're supposed to be excited," encouraged Shikamaru's mother as she nudged the lump in the bed.

"But do we have to get up right now?" asked Shikamaru.

"Yes!"

The small boy got out of bed and followed his mother to the tree.

"What a drag," he muttered as he was forced to open his gift. The boy tore off the paper in one slow r-i-i-i-p. He expected another lame sweater from his grandmother, or a pair of socks, but when he saw the gift his eyes brightened and a small smile formed on his face.

"It's about time," he muttered pulling out the shougi game he had been begging for, for months.

Naruto tore off the paper in record time and pulled off the lid. He pulled out a thick orange coat.

"Thanks!" he said excitedly pulling it on, as Arashi watched. Then Naruto remembered something, he pulled out a box formerly hidden by the thick tree. It was wrapped sloppily but Naruto offered it to his dad with a grin.

Arashi took it and with a grin opened it. He found within a fuzzy golden colored hat with a fuzzy orange ball on top. A malicious grin crossed his face.

"Old Sarutobi loaned me the money," said Naruto proudly as Arashi pulled it on.

"You know what this calls for?" asked Arashi grinning more evilly.

"What?"

"Some ramen, then sledding!" said Arashi leaping to his feet.

"Yeah!" cried Naruto jumping up and running to get his boots. Arashi took one last look at the tree before running off to get suited up.

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Please Review!

And thanks to gof22 again for the great idea

-Hammy Uchiha