On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

"Sakura, Tsunade-sama's kinda busy right now, but she told me to tell you you can enter any moment" Shikamaru instructed the next morning with a yawn.

"Oh. Ok" Sakura answered and knocked the door. Receiving permission from the Hokage, she opened it.

"You were calling, Shisshou?" she asked now looking who were the ones she was busy with.

"Sakura-san!" Lee cried as Ten Ten turned to see her and Neji just stared at her.

"Good timing, Sakura" Tsunade said. "I was just telling them their mission today" she continued when Sakura nodded. "As you all know, today we will having our Christmas banquet. Being this the first Christmas Naruto will be spending with us I had thought about making him a special gift. I was wanting you to help me with it and of course this will count as a mission" she added looking at Neji who was going to say something.

"I'll be happy to help even if it's not a mission" Lee said. "After all he'd help me a lot during these days"

"You are not talking about your Gai sensei problem, are you?" Neji added.

"Geez, and think that it was me the one who had to go through all that trouble!" Ten Ten commented as Lee flushed a bit.

Tsunade cleared her throat and went on. "Most important, I need someone to spend all the day with Naruto so he won't suspect anything... and it can't be you, Sakura, I need you with me"

"But wouldn't Naruto suspect if this person stays with him all day?" asked Sakura.

"I was thinking that, and that's why I was planning in sending them both on a mission. Just a cover to make him busy. But there's also a problem with that" Tsunade pointed as the group looked at her seriously. "As all you know, the banquet is an event in which all the Village participates so it'll be really... troublesome, as Shikamaru'd say... to make this person avoid all these people"

"That's why you needed Neji?" asked Ten Ten who knew where she was going.

"Oh yes, Neji's Byakugan will be really useful" Tsunade agreed as Neji glared at Ten Ten from the corner of his eyes.

"I'd say, a kunoichi would be best suited for that mission" Neji pointed earning a questioning look from Ten Ten. "Besides, Naruto and I are not the best friends for all that matters"

"That'd be some trouble too" Tsunade said.

"Besides, I'm not the only one with Byakugan in the Village. I'm sure Hinata-sama would like the mission" Neji suggested.

"That's a good choice" Tsunade agreed with a pleased smile which vanished as quick as it formed. "But Team 8 got assigned a mission two days ago and we won't be expecting them to return until noon"

"Oh I saw Kiba-kun this morning" Lee stated. "He told me he had come back from his mission earlier than expected. I'm sure Hinata-san will be in her house by now"

"Ok. Neji, I'll count on you to tell your cousin her mission. Lee, you're dismissed, Neji'd be joining you as soon as he informs Hinata" Tsunade added. "Ten Ten, call the other members of Team 8 and Sakura, I'd like you to stay so we can discuss some stuff"

---

“Byakugan!" Hinata muttered inspecting the surroundings. She had to keep Naruto busy but so far it hadn't been that easy. Being as hyperactive as he was, she had to come up with the weirdest missions. Hopefully, he didn't suspect a thing.

"Where are we going now, Hinata?" asked him eagerly. "I was wanting to go and see Tsunade no obaa-chan when we finish. I have to..."

"N-no!" Hinata panicked. "Er, I mean... you can't go just yet" she added flushing.

Naruto looked at her a bit confused (A/N: yeah he's that dense xD). “Hokage-sama asked me to pick something for her” she informed as she leaded him towards the outsides of the Village.

"I don't think that's necessary, Hinata-san" called a familiar voice.

Naruto and Hinata turned to see Sai sitting in a near roof.

"Ano... why would that be?" she asked cautiously to the smiling Sai. Naruto had watched that smile a lot and didn't think it'd be a good idea to let Hinata be around him that much.

"Why are you here, Sai?" asked Naruto a bit annoyed as Sai blinked quizzically.

"I'm sorry, I didn't now you were on a date. Now that's the expression I read someone'd gave me if I interrupt" he added, thinking.

"That's the question you get whenever you interrupt anything!" Naruto yelled back angrily and pointing to Sai with a finger. Hinata just held him by the other arm. "Naruto-kun, stay calm please"

"Is that so?" Sai replied back, calmly. "Anyway, I must take Hinata-san for a moment" he added leaving Naruto confused.

---

Later...

“Mmm Ramen Time! This is the Christmas special I’ve been talking about all the way here, Hinata” cried Naruto happily when they arrived at Ichiraku for their lunch. Unknown for Naruto, Hinata had got instructions by Sai to take him there.

“It looks delicious, Naruto-kun” Hinata replied.

“Naruto, one of your friends came here some minutes before you arrived, she said she had something important to report to you” informed the old man after a while he had served them their food.

“Could it be Sakura-chan?” asked Naruto excited as Hinata tensed.

“No, it was her friend from Team 10” replied the old man.

Naruto lowered his head intrigued but suddenly Hinata stood up in a rush. “I-I think we must leave, Naruto-kun, I’ve just remembered we had to do something” she said dragging him our the place.

‘Hinata that weird as always’ thought Naruto dissapointed. 'Gee, I only ate one bowl!'

When he was out, the old man made a victory sign to the girl hiding in the kitchen.

---

“Everything’s ready, shisshou. Even the old man from Ichiraku helped” Sakura said jumping inside from the window.

“Well done, Sakura. I guess you’d wanna be there, then?”

"H-Hai. I can't wait" she exclaimed and disappeared.

---

"SURPRISE!!"

Everyone cheered Naruto once he appeared at the place they were holding the banquet. Hinata had been careful enough not to make him suspect a thing while she was dragging him towards there. All the Village was gathered there and there was a big tree and tables with lots of food. Under the tree with a gift labeled "To: Naruto".

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Naruto. But I'm sure You had a nice time with Hinata" Sakura said watching his surprised face.

Hinata sighed. "I couldn't have done better" Neji muttered to her as her face turned a deep crimson.

"Naruto, I'm sure you hadn't received anything like this before, that's why we decided it was time to honour our best shinobi around here" Tsunade added.

"B-Best Shinobi?" asked Naruto, he decided the stuttering was due to spending all day with Hinata.

"Well Gaara had something to do with it" Temari teased.

"Well that and... we needed an excuse to give you that" Tsunade said making him turn to the single gift that was under the tree.

Naruto approached the tree and took the gift in his hands. He soon found it was a stroll.

"What is that?" asked Naruto.

"Well that..." Tsunade began, turning her gaze to one side of the tree. "Jiraiya told me to give it to you before he passed away. I'm sure you'll find it interesting"

Naruto tightened his grip around the stroll. He couldn't get words out of him.

"This is the time you say, Merry Christmas, right?" asked Sai.

"Yeah, Sai. Merry Christmas" replied Sakura happily.

...Twelve people to give you my present

---

A/N: well this didn't turn out as good as I planned... I had a hard time thinking about the proper gift... a necklace? no he already had one.. then I thought... what did Jiraiya want him to have? That's for us to discover, yet LOL Happy Holidays my readers!! (I hope you didn't skip the eleventh)