'Tis The Season by Yumi
Summary: This fic is open to anyone who has a good Christmas short they would like to post. However, there's a few guidelines I'd like you all to follow. . . see inside for details.







ps. Mine will be the first short. . . ^__^
Categories: General Fiction Characters: Chouji Akimichi, Sakura Haruno, Maito Gai, Shikamaru Nara, Tenten, Tsunade, Naruto Uzumaki, Ino Yamanaka
Genres: Spiritual
Warnings: None
Challenges: None
Series: None
Chapters: 5 Completed: Yes Word count: 5416 Read: 3415 Published: 30/11/06 Updated: 12/08/07

1. Regulations. . . by Yumi

2. Candles by Yumi

3. The Christmas I Never Had by AshNight1214

4. My First Real Christmas by Ayama123

Regulations. . . by Yumi
Author's Notes:
Hi! This is the disclaimer for ALL the chapters/ fics that will be posted for this round robin story. . .

WE DON'T OWN NARUTO!!!

Thanks! ^^
'Tis The Season. . .


Hello to everyone!

So, I got this extra credit assignment for my history class which is about Christmas (my teacher’s an ordained minister. . . yeah). Anyway, though I don’t need the EC, I wanted to write something to show that I’m not just the lazy history-freak in the back of the room (thought that may be what I am...). I thought maybe you’d like to have a little challenge and write something up before Xmas. . . and I didn’t want to post this as an actual challenge because I wanted this to be a collection of Xmas shorts. . . ^^;; Hope that’s okay with you all!!

I’m going to type up the assignment word for word. . . and edit the unnecessary parts. . . okay here we go:


The Christmas season is a very meaningful time in American culture. While there is an enormous religious significance to Christmas, there is also an incredible secular meaning as well. Many activities center around the family and the act of giving. This may be religious or secular.

It may be presented as a poem or short story. It may have for its subject a person, an event (be it wonderful or tragic), a group of people, holidays, summer, travel, or just about anything (nothing over the given rating please!!!). Good, wholesome humor is encouraged as long as it appropriately fits the “story line”.

The theme of this is very simple: “What is meaningful to me (or us) and how it has changed my life (our lives)!!”

[This assignment] came into being with the simple thought that it is often during the Christmas season that people take time to reflect on the real meaning of their lives. In the sharing of this, we may in some way be an encouragement to [everyone around us], ultimately making this world a better place for ourselves and others.




. . . So? Up to the task? Just post the next chapter. Make sure your story has a TITLE and please put in a little note if this really has some meaning to you. . . and do not to go over the rating!! I don’t want to get into trouble. . . -___-;;;


Loves to the world,
Yumi ^__^
Candles by Yumi
Author's Notes:
It's Yumi again!! Just so you know, this is just one of several stories I've cooked up in my head. . . I have others that I may or may not post. . . hope you like it!!

Also, I didn't specifically make is KakshixIruka, but I guess you could look at it that way. . . *evil grin* I think I'll have to write an Xmas tale about them. . .
Candles







The orphanage in Konoha was always full, especially from those families which were proud ninja. It was the ugly part of a ninja’s life no one cared to acknowledge: their children had the possibility of being orphaned at a young age. Yet, this is what they had pledged to do when they became a shinobi. They were to look death in the face without thinking about anyone back home who might miss them. . .

This is why Christmas was never happy.

True, there were some orphans who never knew a family. All they had ever known was the cold, bleak, lifeless building they somehow managed to call “home”. What difference did it make to them if these strange people called “parents” were with them during the holidays? Did it matter if they got hugs and kisses from “mommy” and “daddy” on Christmas morning?

No, they would not lament.

Iruka knew that all too well.

As a child, he had been given a choice: go to the orphanage, or live alone. He was just at the age where he could start to do part-time jobs around the village and still go to school. Yet, Iruka was still a child, and he didn’t know how to support himself fully. After much debate, they turned to Iruka for the final decision. At first, working didn’t seem like a great option and he thought that the orphanage wouldn’t be a horrible place to live. . . until he went there. There was no love or caring there. It was more or less a house with a bunch of children and old ladies living in it. There were altogether too many children to be loved by so few volunteers who ran the place. Now, the Chunin felt that this lack of care was possibly part of what pushed him to do so poorly in school. The crave for attention and recognition: wouldn’t any child want that?

But that attention wasn’t the same.

The approval of a father and the kind words of a mother cannot be replaced by laughter of students and the scolding of teachers. It pained him when he thought about it: Wouldn’t my parents have been proud of me?

The first Christmas was awful.

He had been told that there had been donations of toys and food by several organizations to the orphanage, and when they arrived he ran with all the other kids expecting wrapped gifts and a tag with Umino Iruka written in his mother’s handwriting on it. Granted, the last part of that fantasy was hardly reasonable, but Iruka was still heartbroken when he saw the gifts. It was practically a free-for-all. Whoever got to the toy first got it, kept it, and guarded it carefully for fear that someone would steal it. The gifts had not been wrapped. Instead, they had been tossed carelessly into a few bags and had likely been thrown around a few times from being transported. That Christmas, Iruka managed to grab a stuffed bear, whose left eye had been torn out by another child’s hand who had been after the same thing. The ribbon around its neck was frayed and seemingly stained with bleach, and the fur was quickly loosing its softness.

Food had been no better. The old ladies cooked the food in mass quantities as easily and as fast as they could. Thus, the hams and turkeys were somewhat cold and over salted, the mashed potatoes were hardly mashed at all, and the cranberries were the plastic, out-of-the-can kind, which tasted as if they had long since expired. Iruka hardly ate a thing. . . maybe a couple bread rolls and some gelatin that hadn’t quite set yet.


That’s why this year Iruka decided to do something.


He asked for a list of each one of the childrens’ names and a gift they desired, nearly having to pound out the information from the hags that ran the place, but he got it. Many many wanted stuffed animals, toy cars, or the latest material item that one could buy. However, there was one boy who said he wanted something no one on Earth could give him.

His parents.

Iruka didn’t know what to get this boy. Certainly something so shallow as a toy could not fill the boy’s longing for a mother and father. While shopping for all the other gifts and ribbon and wrapping paper, it simply perplexed the Chunin about what to do. Should he talk to the boy? No, sympathy never appealed to Iruka when he was a boy. . . What to do. . .

Then something flickered in a window.

It was simple, common, and probably had a rich, holiday scent to it. Yet, somehow it was the perfect gift for the boy. Iruka rushed into the nearest store and grabbed two to carefully wrap and store until Christmas morning.


**-**-**


That day, Iruka dressed up as Santa Claus and took boxes - not sacks - of gifts for the children. Many who were used to the tumble and turmoil of past gift givings were ready at the front lines to grab whatever their hands could get, and taken completely by surprise when Iruka sat down in a chair and began to call out names. At first, the children were confused. How did this fake Santa (and they knew he was fake) know each of their names? Then, once the first few tore open the packaging, their eyes sparkled in delight as they found exactly what they had wanted. There was wrapping paper, ribbons, and plastic packaging everywhere, and it seemed no one felt the need to guard their presents. That was their gift, not anyone else’s. . . It said so on the tag.

In the back, Kakashi helped the old women bring in the feast Iruka and Anko had taken hours to cook. Everything that needed to be warm was fully heated, the mashed potatoes were fully mashed, and, yes, even the gelatin was fully set before they arrived. Kakashi noted that the old ladies seemed shocked that this food made by a stranger could out-do anything that they ever had made. The Jounin smirked and carried on with the task he promised to fulfill.

Iruka purposely saved the gift for the boy (whose name was Shin) for last. When Shin walked up to Iruka, there was an obvious lack of hope that had settled in his eyes. Iruka smiled and handed him the two items he had wrapped as a set. Shin looked down at the objects in his hands.

“I know this isn’t what I asked for.” he said. “But thank you.”

“Actually, this is exactly what you asked for.” Iruka said, pulling down the white beard so that he could speak more clearly.

“I didn’t ask for candles.” Shin argued.

“Let me explain.” Iruka began, kneeling in front of Shin. The boy couldn’t have been over eight years of age, but it seemed he had seen as much of the world as Iruka had. “You know, Shin, I lost my mother and father when I was just a little older than you.”

“Really?” he asked. Iruka nodded.

“I lived here for a long time until I could make enough to live on my own. I know how much it hurts to be alone during the holidays.” Shin turned away.

“I never knew my dad.” he said. “My mom died last year.”

“This is your second Christmas here, then?” Shin nodded.

“I hate it.” Shin whispered as if he shouldn’t be saying such things. Iruka put a hand to Shin’s shoulder.

“I wish there was something I could do for you other than give you all a better Christmas than I ever had.” the man said. “But this is all I can do.”

“You could adopt us.” Shin said hopefully. Iruka shook his head.

“I can’t. I could die on a mission and you’d end up back here.” Shin looked downward.

“And candles are supposed to help?”

“In fact, yes, they are.” Iruka said. “These are special candles.” Shin didn’t look too convinced. “Well, as special as you make them out to be.”

“How are they special?” Shin asked, beginning to sound as if this was some childish game Iruka was playing with him.

“They’re your parents.” Shin gave Iruka a puzzled look. “Unwrap them.” The boy carefully took off the cellophane covering, revealing two, cinnamon scented candles. “When you light them, your parents are with you.”

“I’m too old for those kinds of ticks.” Shin said. “I’m not stupid.”

“I’m not saying you are.” Iruka clarified.

“And mom and dad hated the color red.” he pointed out, seeing the classic cinnamon red color. “Mom said it was bloody.” Iruka nodded, understanding where his parents were coming from.

“I don’t like the color red much myself, actually.” Iruka admitted. “But you know what else red is a symbol of?” Shin shook his head no. “It’s a symbol of love and life. Blood is life after all.”

The boy stood there, staring at Iruka, wondering whether to believe in his words or reject them. Iruka waited, for he wanted to know what Shin would do. . . and it did take him a while to sort things out. The belief that the candles could actually bring back his mother and father was far from making sense, but it comforted Shin. Maybe the warmth of the flame could bring back the warmth of his parents’ care.

“Do you believe it?” Shin asked. “That they’ll come back?” Iruka nodded.

“Candles have been lit for spirits all around the world, whether to honor their presence or to guide them safely into the Land of the Dead. If you truly believe that your parents will come back to visit you. . . . maybe they will.” Shin took another look at the scented wax and wick, then back to Iruka. He blushed but asked timidly,

“Do you have a match?”

Iruka smiled and took out a lighter for Shin, watching the boy take the gifts into a corner and lighting them ceremoniously. He put his hands together either in prayer or in hope that maybe he would be able to feel the presence of the ghosts he longed to see.

“Iruka?” Kakashi asked, coming out and seeing the teacher on his knees and watching Shin carefully. He then turned his gaze toward the boy as well, wondering what exactly was going on. The silence and stillness that was Shin disturbed Iruka a little. Was this a bad sign? Did he not manage to bring some sort of joy into this boy’s life?

Then, Shin giggled.

The boy laid down on his stomach, smiling at the lights which were dancing on the melting wax and whispering softly to his parents, “Merry Christmas.”


~Owari~


**-**-**

Notes:

About the candles: I know that in Greece there are little roadside altars which are lit at night for the person who died in an accident there. In Japan, there is a summer festival (called Obon) which is the celebration of the dead ancestors coming back to visit their living relatives. At the end of the night, hundreds of paper boats with lit candles are sent down a river, safely guiding the ghosts back into the spirit world. I’m sure there are other cultures which have a similar meaning with candles and the dead, but those were just two examples I knew of.

Please review. . . and other authors please feel free to write
The Christmas I Never Had by AshNight1214
Author's Notes:
This story was something that literally occured to me while I was lying on the floor in front of my christmas tree. I hope you think it's decent. ^____^

Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!!! So please, put away those letters to sue me and read. Thank you.


(Neji's POV)
I don't really like the holidays. I never have. In the Hyuuga clan, they mean almost nothing. You might get money or a fake good wish, but it didn't mean very much. When I heard that this year there would be a donation to the less fortunate, I ignored it. I understood that there were orphans and poor people in Konoha, but why donate to them only once or twice a year? What difference did it make?

So this year, as always, I was to be sent to the main house. I hated going there for obvious reasons, but I went anyway. I was to be living in the old house where I could freeze my butt off and appear only oncce to the family; on Christmas day. Yes, this would be fun.

I arrived on Christmas eve and just moved in. No one was at the airport, so I caught a taxi and got to the old house. This was the only part of my visits that I enjoyed. I loved the old house and I felt like this was where i belonged in this messed up family of mine.

I walked in and found a candle. It was a faded crimson color and had an empty picture frame leaned up against it. It was sitting on the floor of the otherwise empty room. I picked it up and put it on the mantle, just forgetting about it. I figured it was left there from the last time I'd visited.

I went about my business knowing that my uncle would probably come soon and that night was quickly approaching. This house didn't have many electrical lights, so candles were crucial and it's hard to work by candlelight. I pulled the prelit tree out of the basement and the other decorations for the "inspection" the next morning.

I found that I was dozing a lot, so I put a note on the door appologizing to my uncle or anyone else who would come while I was asleep. It was only courtesy even if it made me sick to my stomach.


At around 11:30 PM, I heard a knocking at the door. I was groggy, but not so much that I didn't feel annoyed. Couldn't they read? I got up and went to the door, but when I looked, it wasn't who I expected at all.

There was a girl standing there. She was a few inches shorter than me with long black hair, pale skin, and striking golden eyes. She was dressed poorly and held a bundle in her hands.

"I'm sorry to wake you," She began, her voice soft. "But I was wondering if I could use your porch tonight. All I as for is a blanket, a candle, and your porch."

"Don't you have family or something?" I asked. She shook her head.

"They died two years ago. The winters have gotten worse since then." I understood what she meant and invited her in. "I don't mean to cause any inconvenience-"

"No, it's nothing. I'm here alone, so you can stay inside." I looked back st the bundle. "Not to be nosey, but what is that you're holding?"

She pulled back a portion and revealed a baby. "This is my brother. He was born two years ago, just before my family died."

"I'm sorry." She shook her head again and looked at the tree.

"It's beautiful." She said.

Somehow I got the feeling that she knew a lot more than I did. She had said that as though she was looking beyond the gawdy lights and old decorations. She looked at the soul. Then she looked back at me.

"Are you sure you want me to stay in here? I can do fine outside."

"No. That would be rude. Please stay in here. Plus, your brother, he's only two-"

"He's fine. He's been through everything I have."

"All the same, you should stay in here. The house doesn't doo much for warmth, but it at least shelters from the cold."

"Thank you." She put her brother down on the floor and went over to the candle. "Have you lost someone?"

"Not recently."

"You should burn this for them. They will always be with you."

I pulled out a match and lit the candle. Then I took the picture of my father I kept with me and put it in the frame. I suddenly felt warm. A feeling of understanding rushed onto me like a summer breeze. Memories and life flooded me and, all at once, Christmas no longer needed a material meaning. This was Christmas, whatever this feeling was. I turned to see the girl, smiling.

"So you understand?" She said.

I smiled back. I knew I couldn't describe to her how I felt, but I knew that she understood.

"In that case," she said. "My work is done."

She walked out so quickly that I had no time to say anything. I went back over to the couch and sat down. Then, I realized that she had left her brother. She had covered his face again, so I pulled the cloth back, but what I saw was not the baby she had shown me earlier. It was a picture frame. It had a picture of a man, a woman, and the girl holding a baby. Underneath it, it had writing.

"The Fujimura family. Killed Christmas day in a fire. Family(left to right): Kanako, Akifumi, Nuriko, and Fumitaka."

I felt heat at the corners of my eyes and thanked whatever power there was. Most of all, I thanked Kanako for showing me that I was never alone. I put the picture alongside my father's and went to sleep.

Until then, I had never had a Christmas. Life and Christmas started there.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Thanks for reading! I sort of stole the candle thing from Yumi, but it was a really good way to put this story. I know she'll probably kill me the first chance she gets, but it was worth a try. ^____^
My First Real Christmas by Ayama123
Author's Notes:
Hello I hope you don't mind writing this I was really touched by the first two so I decided to write one!
I hated it. I hated Christmas. I never had anyone to share it with. Why?
My name is Naruto Uzumaki and I hated Christmas. But there was one Christmas that I loved, that I cherished. It was when Mieko gave me a real Christmas. That was when I was 6, it was long ago but I remember it clear as day.

“I hate Christmas!” I said to myself on that cold Christmas Eve, as I saw all the people of Konoha bustle around with their gifts for their loved ones on. Their loved ones. Why didn’t I have any? Why? It wasn’t fair! Why couldn’t I have a Christmas too! Tears went down my eyes. Why?
“Hey, wat’s up,” a voice said. I look up and see a lady bending down.
“What do you want?” I asked coldly as I rub my eyes.
“You know, no one should cry on Christmas, it’s bad luck!” she said happily.
“Stupid woman, I cry every Christmas, what do you know!” I shouted at her. I was angry, this lady knew nothing.
“Hey, why don’t we go Christmas shopping, I’ll get you a present,” she said taking my hand. I started to resist but she held on. “It’ll be fun!” she said and dragged me to a store. I stare at her in wonder. What on earth was she doing?
“What are you doing?” I shouted as she shoved me into the store.
“Shopping! Hey kodomo, I never got your name,” she replied as she looked at some stuffed animals.
“I’m Naruto Uzumaki,” I said in a huff. What was she doing? Did she know that she was wasting her time?
“Well, I am Mieko,” she said. Her name fit her well. She dragged me store to store picking out candies and stuffed animals.
“Hey Naruto, do you like ramen?” she asks with a smile. I nod, what is she doing? She smiled wide and picked me up and put me on her shoulders.
“Enjoy the ride!” she said and stormed out of the store into the cold, snowy outdoors. I screamed in fear and in joy. She looked at me and smiled and started to run in circles. People looked at us as if we were barbarians but we didn’t care, we were having fun!
“Why is she with that Uzumaki boy? Is she carrying that demon? What on earth is she doing?” I heard the voices around me say. I felt myself become angry. Why did they have to ruin the one time that I had fun! I looked at the lady, she seemed a bit angry too, but when she saw me look at her she smiled again, “Don’t listen to them, Naruto, they don’t know how it is to have fun,”
Why, are you doing this Mieko-chan? Helping a poor boy who you just met? Why do you smile when others frown? Why are you giving me a Christmas? Questions in my mind that I still run through my head til this day.
“Hey, here we are!” Mieko said joyfully taking me off her shoulders. It was a small ramen stand.
“Ichiraku Ramen Bar,” it said on its pure white flaps. She walked in bringing me into the room filled with smells and aromas that brought a warm feeling up my spine.
“Hey, Teuchi, I have a new costumer for you!” Mieko said cheerfully, setting me down on one of the red stools.
“I just hope he doesn’t become a addict like you,” the old man said laughing as he did.
“Yeah me too, his name’s Naruto,” she replied with a laugh. The man stopped at the sound of my name. Was he going to insult me too? Was he going to make me sad too like the rest of the village?
“Well then, Hello to you, Naruto, I hope you like our ramen,” the man said leaning over the counter. I felt as though a huge weight had lifted off of my shoulders. Today, I find two people who treat me like one of them, I felt happy. The old man put a bowl of ramen in front of me and Mieko.
“Well, dig in,” she said to me handing me a pair of chopsticks. I slowly take them and taste the ramen noodles. It was amazing! I cleaned the bowl in a minute. Mieko finished hers before me. She was strange but nice. She paid for the ramen and she put me on her shoulders again.
“Hey, where do you live? I’ll walk you there,” I pointed in the direction where my apartment was. She started to walk, humming a song.
“Hey, nee-chan, what’s that song?” I asked as I hear the soft crunch of Mieko’s shoes on the light snow.
“It’s called Silent Night,” she replied looking at the dark sky. She started to sing the words to me.

Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace

Her voice echoed through my mind. I felt warm, was this the Christmas that I always dreamed of? Was this all a dream? We arrived at my place and she set me down.
“Have a good Christmas, Naruto, and remember me, kay!” she said indicating her goodbye.
“I don’t want you to go!” I yelled, she was the first person who gave me a real Christmas, and I will never have another one like this one.
“I need to, but I had a lot of fun, it was the first Christmas I had with anyone else,” she said smiling. Before I could say anything she handed me a brightly-colored wrapped box.
“My present to you,” and with that she left. I looked at the present with surprise, no one has ever given me a present, so why her? I slowly unwrapped it. Inside were a few things wrapped in tissue paper. I undid the tissue paper and the first was a cap. It was black and had eyes and teeth. I put on my head. The next was a little wallet in the shape of a frog. There were also some ramen coupons in the box. I took them out and laid them on the small table. I noticed that there was a note in the box.

Naruto, I hope that you have even better Christmas’s than the one we shared today. Remember that Christmas is about love and sharing, do not forget that and do not let anyone else forget that.
Love,
Mieko Gamatura

That day I will never forget, Arigato, Mieko-chan, Arigato. You gave me the feeling that someone cared for me, you gave me love. And for that you will never be forgotten.
Thank you
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