2Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.
"Speech"
'Thoughts'
AN: Since Itaino won in the voting in my other story. I present to you this one shot.
Perfect Christmas or not?
—oOo—
Ino's POV
—oOo—
Konoha was decked with Christmas hollies. Shopkeepers were seen wearing various versions of Santa Outfits. Some brave shopkeepers hanged mistletoes at the door of their shops. Various Christmas deals and promos were being offered as you walked at the main street. Christmas tunes were heard throughout the village. People were rushing to finish their Christmas shopping, children were making snowmen and snow angels and Yamanaka Ino in her all purple winter glory was looking at the shop windows and sighed. The last was an unusual sight especially since the Yamanaka heiress was known for her bubbliness and loud personality though not as known as one Uzumaki Naruto.
'Too childish, too common, too fragile, not awesome enough, not his taste, too impractical, not thoughtful enough, too pricy and too cheap' were the thoughts that are running in her head. She sighed again for the umpteenth time. She really loves the Uchiha heir and she's really happy that he loves her too but he is too perfect for her liking. Some may say that she's bragging when she mentioned that her boyfriend was too perfect for her liking but she's not. He, being too perfect is a problem to her. She's very much guilty in trying to break the perfect image of her boyfriend but sadly her missions ended in failure. She intentionally flirted with other guys but said boyfriend was able to halt her plan before it reached its fruition thus she failed in making said boyfriend's lose his temper which would destroy his perfect image. She tried being demanding and spoiled but instead of getting fed up with her, he would gave her a loving smile and said that he was glad that he could make her happy and that her demands is not impossible because he would make the impossible possible just to see her smile. She didn't doubt him when he said that he would make the impossible possible. The man was a league of his own.
Her boyfriend is a genius thus he can really make the impossible possible. He was too kind that he was able to make her feel ashamed with her attempts in breaking his perfect image. He was too handsome that even after a year of serious dating his fan girls are still not giving up on him. He is the heir of a prominent clan in Konoha. He was too polite and nice which was a problem for her because she doesn't know if he would really like the gift or if it was his personality talking. 'He has everything there is and he is so selfless that he does not wish anything for himself.' Another sigh was heard from the Yamanaka heiress. Even after dating the guy for a year, she's still having a really hard time deciding on what to give her boyfriend for Christmas. She really needed help for this mission. Sakura won't be much help as she discovered last time when she asked for help in buying her boyfriend's birthday present. 'I guessed I really have to eat my pride and ask for his help.' She shuddered at the thought of his smug face but she really has no one left to ask.
—oOo—
She traveled the apartment district and found her destination. 'Even his apartment is as haughty as he is though if one has to wonder how an apartment could be haughty then she would them that it was simply the Uchiha's talent that even inanimate objects can become haughty upon constant exposure to his too-big-to-fit-inside-Konoha ego'
After deliberating that there really is no one left that could help, she knocked at the door. In her mind she somewhat hope that no one is at home and she could comfort herself that she tried but it was not meant to be. Sadly, the person she's dreading to meet is at home.
Upon seeing her at his doorstep, he looked at her from head to toe then from behind her. Upon seeing that she was alone, he smirked.
"I'm glad that Itachi finally realized the mistake that he was making. Are you here to say goodbye? I would love to say that I was saddened by the news that you and Itachi did not work and that I would miss you but I hate to be a liar and I am not planning to start becoming one so I would be honest to you and say that I am thrilled beyond words by your news. I am very thankful of your news. It was the perfect Christmas gift." Sasuke said.
A ticked mark appeared in her forehead upon hearing the not so welcomed greeting from Sasuke. She changed her mind. She would not ask this chicken butt's opinion. She'd rather friend her brain in determining the perfect present for Itachi than asked for chicken butt's help. 'What was I thinking when I arrived to the conclusion that I would ask for his help?'
"I would really hate to gloat (1) Chicky but Itachi and I are very much happily in love. As your future sister-in-law I can only advise that you can take your big chicken butt head in the corner and sulk like the immature boy that you are. I was only here to tell you that you should stock up on those tissues because you'll be crying a lot in the corner because Itachi will be spending the whole Christmas with me and you're not welcome to join us." She refuted.
—oOo—
She's back to square one. Time is running and she's still clueless in finding the perfect gift. Perhaps she should try asking a guy's opinion. As luck would have it, she found Naruto, Shino, Kiba, Choji and Rock Lee huddled together. She decided to ask their opinions.
"Naruto, Shino, Kiba, Choji and Rock Lee just the right guys I want to see." She greeted as she joined them in their huddled position.
"Ino" greeted by the five guys.
"We're busy." Naruto said when she was about to ask them for their help.
"I won't take much of your time. Just answer this simple question: what's the perfect Christmas present?" She asked.
"Eat all you can coupons at Ichiraku." Naruto answered while drooling at the thought of said coupons. She should have not been surprised by his answer. 'Well Naruto is Naruto'. She'll just listen to the other's answer.
"A rare bug would be nice. Why? Because I could breed it with my bugs collection. Why? Because its particular trait would be passed to the new breed of bugs. Why?..." Shino answered. 'I'm very glad that Itachi is not an Aburame' She'll ignore this answer too. Three more answers to consider.
Kiba looked at her from head to toe. It gave her the chills. "You naked wrapped in a ribbon." Kiba answered. 'The pervert' She'll ignore this answer too.
"Eat all you can coupons at Yakiniku." Choji answered. 'Choji is Choji.' Did she really expect any other answer from him after hearing Naruto's answer. She's hoping that the last one would be helpful.
"A very youthful question Ino-san. I was torn to choose between a new green jumpsuit or a whole day of training with Gai sensei." Lee answered. She slapped her forehead. 'What am I thinking when I decided to ask these guys. I should ask someone whose personality is a lot more closer to Itachi.'
"Thanks for the answers and sorry for taking your time." She said as she left the five guys.
—oOo—
She needed to identify which guys could give valuable opinions for her question. There's chicken butt but he would not help her, he'll probably give her the wrong advice. Neji Hyuga seems like he could give the right answer but he's not at the village. Lastly, Shikamaru Nara but he will call me troublesome. 'Then again when does that stop me before.' With her mind made up, she began looking for the Nara genius.
She found Shikamaru at his favorite cloud watching spot. She took a seat beside him and waited for the genius to address her. When it seemed like the genius would ignore her presence the whole time, she began clearing her throat. When clearing her throat seems useless, she poked him. "Shika" she called.
"Troublesome" Shikamaru mumbled.
"Shika" she repeated.
"Fine" Shikamaru replied as he finally opened his eyes and gave her his undivided attention.
"I needed to find the perfect present for Itachi. I'm running out of time." She moaned.
"You're Ino. You love shopping. You'll find something before Christmas." Shikamaru replied.
"I'm happy about the vote of confidence but I don't want to give him a lame gift. Help me. What does a genius like to receive for Christmas?" She asked.
"Peace, silence, troublesome free days … need I go on." Shikamaru answered.
She gave him an irritated look. "You're not helping." She complained exasperatedly.
"I'm sure Itachi would love the gift that you personally chose for him more than a half-baked suggestion I would give you." Shikamaru replied. 'He's right.'
"Thank you Shika. You're really a genius. I'm glad to have you by my side." She said as she hugged her teammate. She grudgingly left the genius to his cloud watching and resume her search for the perfect present.
"Troublesome" Shikamaru replied.
—oOo—
She searched everywhere in the market but still came out empty handed. Nothing seems worthy of Itachi among the items she saw. She saw Hinata buying knitting wool. 'Perhaps she should make her own gift for Itachi.' She went to the bookstore to get an idea what to make. She decided to get the Creativity is in your blood, Be a Master of needle crafts, 1000 ways to make an onigiri special,and Bitter, Sweet, Unsweetened baking made easy.
She went home with her purchases and began choosing what she could make that would suit Itachi. After hundreds of pros and cons, she finally decided on her present. She just hoped it would turn to something fantastic like the book said. She copied what she'll need and went to purchase the items.
—oOo—
'Today is the day.' She glanced at the scroll that her present was sealed in and smiled. After a series of trial and error she finally finished her present. 'I really hope that Itachi would like it.' She checked her appearance again and made a final twirl to make sure nothing is out of place. She decided to wait for Itachi while browsing the latest fashion magazine. A few minutes of browsing the magazine and a knock was heard. She opened the door.
"Good evening Ino. These are for you." Itachi said as he gave her a bouquet of purple cosmos.
"Thank you Itachi. Please come in. I will just place these in a vase then get my bag. Would you like some hot coffee or tea before we go?" She offered while she smelled the flowers.
"I'm good. I'll just wait in the living room." Itachi declined.
After arranging the flowers in a vase, she checked her bag for her keys, the scroll, handkerchief, face powder, lip gloss, sanitizer, hairbrush, folding umbrella and money. Once satisfied with the contents of her bag, she carried it with the flowers. She placed the vase as a centerpiece in the living room.
"I'm done." She announced.
"Shall we?" Itachi said as he offered his arm towards her.
"Aren't you the perfect gentleman?" She teased.
Itachi smiled while he led her outside her apartment and waited for her to lock the door.
—oOo—
Itachi led her at a lavishly decorated (2) cart attached to a handsome white horse. She was assisted by Itachi and cart driver as she climbed the cart. A few seconds after she took her seat, Itachi joined her inside the cart.
"So where are you taking me?" She asked.
"To a very beautiful place that I hope you'll like." Itachi answered.
"Was it far?" She asked.
"It won't be much of a travel since the horse is fast yet gentle so you'll still be able to enjoy the ride." Itachi replied.
She guessed that Itachi will just continue being vague in his answers. She decided to enjoy the scenery. Time passed quickly and the cart stopped in front of the most wonderful building she ever saw in her life. Itachi had already exited the cart and was holding his hand towards her to assist her in exiting the coach.
"Where are we?" She asked while admiring the breathtaking view.
"(3) Hanging Gardens of Babylon though we're not in Babylon and it's not the real thing but an extremely wealthy merchant wanted to rebuild the Hanging Gardens of Babylon from the ancient legend in Babylon." Itachi answered.
They were soon greeted by various attendants who aim to please them. They were soon escorted to a dining hall. She was greeted by a feast prepared for a King. She noticed that aside from the servants they were the only one present in the establishment.
"I'm surprised that this place was not brimming with people. It was too lovely to miss and if the price of dining was too expensive. I think I can settle for just the view outside." She said.
"I'm sure this place would be flooded by visitors if it's not in a private property." Itachi added.
She raised her eyebrow towards him as if asking for further clarification.
"This magnificent place was built as a proof of the merchant's affection to his wife. I just happened to have the right connections to the right people so I was allowed to enjoy this place with you." Itachi vaguely answered.
"I'm so glad that you have those connections. This place is like a dream." She said.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it. Shall we enjoy the food? It would be a waste if these delicacies were not sampled." Itachi replied.
They enjoyed the feast with mild chatters about the food or their surroundings. After thoroughly enjoying the feast, they toured the inside of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. They had a quick snack after they finished the tour. Itachi assisted her in entering the cart. Soon, the cart started moving.
The cart stopped. Itachi get out of the cart and talked to the driver then he returned to helped her in getting out. The cart left them. She gave Itachi a raised eyebrow.
"It was nearing midnight. I thought it would be best to welcome Christmas here with you. " Itachi explained as he led her towards an unknown direction.
She was about to ask the matters regarding clothes and their accommodation when she noticed fire from the distance. Upon closer inspection there's a campfire and a blanket with pillows laid in the sand. She looked at Itachi after seeing what was spread out in front of her.
She looked at Itachi after seeing what was spread out in front of her.
"I was hoping we could welcome Christmas with the moon but before that you should change to more comfortable attire. Sakura packed some change of clothes for you." Itachi explained while he led her inside the beach house and into a room where her duffel bag was placed above the bed. "I'll leave you to get ready. I'll be waiting outside." Itachi continued.
She found a sundress ,thick shawl, a few shirts, pants, shorts, nightwear, underwear, bikini, towels, her toiletries and sandals inside the duffel bag. Sakura did prepare the things she would need in this night out. She wondered when did Itachi informed Sakura of his plans. She decided to wear the sundress and bring the thick shawl with her. When she exited the beach house, she found Itachi waiting for her at the blanket. There's also a few addition from the earlier scene when she arrived such as the hotdogs, marshmallows, chocolate, crackers, fruits, champagne, ice bucket, champagne flutes and the lamps surrounding the area that formed a heart shape.
"Isn't it too cheesy for you?" She asked.
"You don't like it?" Itachi asked back with a hint of worry.
"I like it very very much but did you?" She asked.
"I'll be honest it was a little cliché but please don't hate me for this but I heard you tell Sakura that romantic date must be something like this and we've been busy since the beginning of our relationship that I was not able to give you a romantic date such as this." Itachi explained.
"Huh? When was this? I don't remember talking about my dream date with Sakura as we're busy with the influx of patients due to the chicken pox outbreak." She asked confused.
"You and Sakura were talking about it while you were on your way home from stalking Sasuke and I happened to have a sharp memory." Itachi explained and a hint of blush could be seen in his cheeks.
"I haven't stalked Sasuke since our genin days that was like 6 years ago. I know you're a genius but I doubt your memory is that sharp. I seem to remember you forgetting about your plans with Shisui and there's also the café lady that you never seem to remember the face and name." She replied.
"You accidentally blurted that you like me. Of course I'll forget my plans with Shisui. Sabotaging Kakashi-sempai's Icha-icha series seems insignificant compared to the confession of *mumble* the girl of your dreams *mumble*. I'm sure the café lady is really just forgettable even Shisui never remembered her." Itachi refuted.
"What do you mean about girl of your dreams? You like me even before I confessed to you?" she asked.
"I found you cute while you were on the academy. I thought that I am seeing you just like a little sister then you grew up and I discovered that it was not sisterly feelings that I was harboring towards you but an infatuation towards you." Itachi began explaining. She was about to interrupt his monologue but Itachi motioned to her to let him finish or else he might not finish at all. "You're still crushing on Sasuke then, so of course I did not make my move but when you moved on from Sasuke, you shifted your attention to the lazy Nara. Then the Kazekage showed his interest towards you but you're definitely not interested so I wondered if you'll be interested in me at all. I mean the man fits your type of guy silent, mysterious, powerful, handsome and intelligent and he's young. Then Shisui mentioned that you seem to likely be attracted to silent, mysterious, powerful, handsome, intelligent and not interested in you type of guy so when you confessed. I took my sweet time in responding to your affection. I'm sorry. I know I should have not make you work harder but I really want us to be the real thing and not a passing fancy." Itachi finished while staring at her eyes with all honesty. She's speechless, a little miffed by the extra work but touched by his thoughtfulness to their relationship. She smiled and hugged him.
"You're really the perfect guy for me. I love you." She said.
"Even with my insecurity and tendency to pry?" Itachi asked.
"I love you Itachi Uchiha insecurity and your tendency to pry included." She confirmed.
"I love you too and you're beyond perfect for me. You're born to be mine." Itachi said while he closed the distance between them and kissed her. Itachi's watch watched beeped. "Merry Christmas and I am looking forward to more Christmases with you." He continued as he passed a wrapped packaged towards her.
"Thank you Itachi. This is for you." She said as she passed him the scroll.
She opened the gift and saw a purple cosmos made of crystal. It was very pretty.
"There's more to that flower than its current beauty." Itachi added while he made a small flame then placed the stem of the flower above the flame. The purple cosmos bloomed at its fullest and released a necklace with a cosmos pendant. Itachi placed the flower inside a basin of water. The flower changed its color from purple to red, to orange, to yellow, to green, to blue, to violet and to her favorite shade of purple. She was amazed by the flower. She looked at Itachi in order to ask her question but Itachi seemed to read her mind.
"It's a (4) Hoshinite. At some point in my life, I saved a gem stone collector and he was very thankful. He once gave me a tour of all his collection as well as his untreated/unshaped stones. I found the Hoshinite interesting after he demonstrated its properties and asked where I could find one since it seem so rare in my eyes but he gave it to me since he already have a shaped one and he is more likely to found another one in his travels. When you confessed to me, I thought that the Hoshinite would suit you perfectly but it wasn't as interesting in its untreated state so I studied gemstones and how to shape them from books and jewelers.
"Thank you Itachi." She said as she hugged the man. She touched the petals of the flower and imagining Itachi trying to shape them. "By the way are the colors to your liking, I hope the cookies are not too sweet or bland for your taste, there's also a surprise on one of the onigiris…" she continued but upon seeing Itachi shifting his eyes and not really looking at her. "Did you not like them? I'll get you a new one which is more suited to your taste." She continued while trying to take her present and Itachi tried to stop her but Itachi reacted a little later than he should have. She can't find her present. Even if Itachi did not like them. She's sure to see him disposing them. She saw a note on the scroll.
It read: Better luck next time banshee. The cookies are too fragile. Red is not Itachi's color and wearing a scarf is a hassle in his mission. Are you trying to kill me by putting a ring in the onigiri? I almost choked. I didn't know you want to be a comedian. The drawing and poem is too funny. Perhaps I'll duplicate them and share it to the village. -Sasuke
"Sasukeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. I'll kill you the next time I saw you. You better make thorough job in hiding your chicken butt head because I'll show you no mercy." She shouted at the sea.
"It's alright Ino. I'll stop Sasuke from spreading your drawing and poem. I'm sure Sasuke could not eat the ring as well as the red scarf. I'll talk to him tomorrow. Let's just enjoy our first Christmas together." Itachi tried to placate her.
"Smack him a really strong one for me." She asked with puppy dog eyes.
"Normally I would not follow through such a request but since Sasuke tried to ruin our first Christmas together. I'll gladly do it. I'll even sabotage his tomatoes." Itachi replied.
"Sasuke's interference aside, thank you for the perfect Christmas." She said.
"I'm very glad to hear that. Would you like to wait for the sunrise with me? I've mastered the art of making smores." Itachi asked.
"I would love to." She answered while she scooted closer to Itachi.
—oOo—
AN: Merry Christmas. Thank you for reading my story. Hope you liked it. I would love to hear your opinions.
1 Chicky is a short term for Chicken mostly used in aggravating the person addressed.
2 Cart is a two wheeled vehicle pulled by an animal/man. I don't think a horse drawn carriage would fit in the Naruto universe.
3 Hanging Gardens of Babylon is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Please see Wikipedia for further information.
4 Hoshinite is not really a gem stone. It was a stone I made up.