The Christmas Party-Planning and Invitations

It was Christmas time once again in Konoha. It also happened to be right around the same time as a certain kunoichi's birthday. Hinata only had one 15th birthday wish this year, and it was for her father to let her throw a big Christmas party. There will be Secret Santas, games, and lots of food. Surprisingly enough, Hiashi agreed whole-heartedly to the idea. He told her he was in the Christmas spirit, so she could go ahead and use the large training hall located in the center of the compound. It was closed for the holidays, anyway.

That brings us to now.

-

"Is this everybody, Hinata-sama?" Neji asked.

"Hai. If you can think of anyone to add…?" she suggested.

"No. You have everyone that I would invite."

Hinata nodded, and they continued their way to deliver personal invitations. She had managed to get Neji to come with her, and they were going to split up to get the invitations out faster.

"I will handle my team and Asuma's team. You take Kakashi and your team."

"Hai."

They stood there for a moment and divided up the invitations. When Neji had the appropriate ones, he bowed and disappeared in a way that only a ninja could. Hinata pocketed the envelopes and made her way to the Akamichi compound. Chouji would be important; she needed help cooking and she knew he wouldn't turn it down, his family had a knack for cooking in surplus, and they were excellent at it. She reached Chouji's house and knocked on the door.

"Hello?" A large man answered the door, presumably Chouji's father.

"Konichiwa. I am Hyuuga Hinata. Is Chouji home?" she asked tentatively.

"Who is it, Chouza?" a woman called from inside.

"It's a Hyuuga. Looking for Chouji." he turned back to her. "Would you like to come inside? Chouji is just finishing up the dishes."

"Hai, domo arigato." Hinata said, following the hefty man into the living room. The house was inviting, filled with many reds and oranges. It gave her a warm feeling.

"So, you're Hinata? Chouji has mentioned you before. My name is Chiva and this is my husband, Chouza. Chouji should be out in a minute."

Right on cue, Chouji walked out into the living room. He had been letting his hair grow out, so it was tied back behind his head so it wouldn't get in the way. He was drying his hands on a dishtowel. He brightened when he saw Hinata.

"Oh, hey, Hinata. Did you need something?"

"Hai. Actually, I have an invitation," she pulled the stack out and found his, handing it to him, "for my Christmas party. It's on Christmas Eve at six o'clock. I also had a special favor to ask of you and your family."

Chouji looked up from the card and smiled. His parents stopped chatting a moment to look at her.

"What is it?"

"I….I was wondering if you'd like to…cook for it? I know how excellent your family cooks, and that you can make a lot of food on short notice. Would you be willing to help?"

Chiva looked ready to hug Hinata and cry at the same time.

"We would love to. Anything in particular?"

"Just things like turkey and Christmas cookies, mashed potatoes, rice, and whatever else you would like to cook. Lots of pie, like pumpkin and cherry." Hinata stopped to think of her own teammates' personal tastes. "If it wouldn't be too much, could you also bring salad thing and barbecue?"

Chouji laughed. "That's like an appetizer. My mother absolutely loves to cook. My father isn't to shabby at it either." He ducked as his dad chucked a pinecone from a Christmas decoration at him.

Hinata pulled out a satchel from her pocket. It contained the names of the student's on Gai and Kakashi's teams. Neji carried one with her own and Asuma's team. She held it open to Chouji.

"There will be a Secret Santa. Pick a name and don't show it to anybody."

Chouji nodded and smiled at the aspect of a Secret Santa. He looked at the name he pulled out. Neji. His face paled. How the hell was he supposed to buy for him? He brightened quickly though, and pocketed the name.

"Thank you. I'll be sure to be there. See you in two days, then."

Hinata bowed and left, hearing the three Akamichis discuss the food they were going to make. She decided to go to Kiba's next, since he was closest.

-

Neji went to Sakura's house first. He didn't want to put up with Lee just yet. Knocking on the door, he stood back and waited. Right at that very moment, a glob of snow fell off of the roof and onto his head. The door opened before he could even react.

"Neji?"

He heard Sakura's voice and finished brushing the snow off of his head. He bowed to her.

"Hinata-sama is throwing a Christmas party. You are invited."

He protruded the invitation and the satchel.

"There is to be a secret Santa. Pick a name."

Sakura took a name and read it to herself. Shino. She flinched slightly. The Aburame creeped her out, and now she had to buy him a gift. Might as well put her skills to use. But what to get. She nodded to Neji and went back into the house, looking thoughtful.

Neji turned and left. Since Sakura was the only one of Kakashi's team left in Konoha, this team was already taken care of. He went to Ten-ten's next. She agreed totally. From the look on her face at the name, he could tell that she had it easy. Probably Shikamaru.

-

"Hinata!!!" Hinata got buried in the snow underneath a boy and his 390 pound dog.

"Kiba, I think you're crushing the poor girl." Tsume stuck her head out the door.

The nin-dog and the dog-nin removed them selves from the death-grip-hug they had given Hinata. The girl was slightly dazed as Kiba grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet.

"You alright, Hina?" he asked after he was sure she could stand on her own.

"Yeah. I wanted to invite you to my Christmas party. It's on Christmas Eve." She held out the satchel. "Secret Santa." she clarified.

Kiba picked a name and looked at it. Ino. He nodded thoughtfully. He'd ask Hana for help.

"Sure, I'll be there! See you then!" he gave her another hug and disappeared into the house. Akamaru licked her hand as he passed, following Kiba.

She left, shaking the snow off of her and flattening down her hair.

The flower shop was nearby, so she stopped to catch Ino. And pick up some poinsettias as well as holly. She was surprised to find Hanabi in the shop already.

"Hello, Hinata-chan. Father sent me to buy the flowers for your party. Don't worry, there will be plenty." She held up the large wad of cash that her father had undoubtedly given her. She sighed in relief; one less thing for her to get. She heard a familiar voice up by the register and almost jumped with joy. Shikamaru was purchasing some poinsettias.

"It's troublesome," he was saying, "but my mom wanted these flowers."

Ino nodded and rang them up.

"Shikamaru! Ino!" Hinata called. They both looked up at her and waved. She went up and held out invitations. "I'm having a Christmas party, and I'm inviting you two. I hope you can come. It's on Christmas eve at six o' clock.

"Yeah, I can make it." said Ino cheerfully.

"I guess. It's not like I'll have anything better to do. I hope it won't be troublesome."

"It won't be. Can you guys pic a name out of this bag? There is a Secret Santa."

She held it out and they each took a name. Shikamaru looked at his. Sakura. He sighed; women were troublesome to buy for. Ino looked at hers, and nearly choked. Lee!? Oh well. Shouldn't be that hard.

They pocketed their notes and bid Hinata farewell.

She set off for the Aburame compound. She really hoped Shino would come.

-

Neji knocked on Lee's door and braced himself for whatever youthfulness he may be hit with. Instead, a kind, black-haired woman opened the door. He noted that she was not wearing green.

"Konichiwa. My name is Hyuuga Neji. I am Lee's teammate. Is he home?"

"Yeah. It's nice to meet you. Lee is always talking about you. He's upstairs cleaning his room. I'll send him down."

Neji waited patiently. After a few minutes, Lee came out, wearing not his green jumpsuit, but a dark green sweater over regular jeans. Neji stared for a moment. It looked so, unnatural. Lee always wore that infernal jumpsuit, so Neji had never semen him in anything else. It was like Shino wearing a simple t-shirt and shorts.

Neji pulled out the invitation. "Hinata-sama is holding a Christmas party. You are invited. There will be a Secret Santa."

Lee looked ecstatic. He read the invitation. It was at 6:00. He could cut training short for that. He took a name from the satchel Neji provided. Hinata. That was Neji's cousin, right? She seemed like a nice girl from what lee knew about her. I'll bet she would love a pair of orange legwarmers! He thought with glee. He thanked Neji.

Since Neji was done, he went back the park where he was meeting up with Hinata.

-

Hinata felt a little apprehensive as she walked through the Aburame compound, going to Shino's house. She knew it would take a little convincing for him to go. Shino wasn't too keen on parties.

She knocked on the door, and a tall man opened the door. He took one look at her and got a goofy grin on his face. Shibi was already planning on saying some smart-aleck remark to Shino.

"Konichiwa, Aburame-sama. Is Shino-kun home?"

He smiled and welcomed her inside. "Shino-kun, huh? Isn't that cute."

A light blush of embarrassment tinted Hinata's cheeks.

"Shino! Your girlfriend is here to see you!"

Hinata stopped dead in her tracks, face blazing red and feeling mortified. Shino appeared quickly after that statement, knowing full well that his father was teasing Hinata again. He caught her as she collapsed, familiar with this habit after years of being on the same team.

As he carried her over to the couch, he glared at his father. "Nice work, Dad. Must you do embarrassing things every chance you get?"

Shibi stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Yup." Then he ruffles his son's hair, getting a growl in return. He went to make some tea.

Shino noticed a white envelope with holly bordering the edges sticking out of Hinata's pocket. He resisted the urge to see who it was for, and instead busied himself with getting a cold cloth for Hinata's forehead. Shino's father came out with a tray, three cups on it. Shino and Shibi sat in silence, sipping their tea, waiting for their guest to awake. Shino counted out the seconds, too familiar with this ritual. Three…two…one…

"Sh..Shino-kun?" Hinata woke up, sitting up, the cloth falling into her lap.

Shino jabbed his father in the ribs with his elbow.

"Ow. Oh, yeah. I'm sorry about that, Hinata. I was just poking fun."

Hinata's cheeks tinged pink again. "No, gomen, I should not have just collapsed in your living room."

Shino just waved it off. "Tea?" he asked.

Hinata nodded and poured herself a cup, sipping it daintily.

Shino spoke again. "Was there something you needed?"

Hinata flinched slightly. Shino was very blunt.

"Hai. I am having a Christmas party on Christmas Eve. It's at six o' clock. I would really like it if you came, Shino-kun. It would mean a lot to me. But, if you don't want to, you don't have to."

She held the invitation out for him, the name "Shino" written neatly on top. He took the card and read all the details. He definitely would not be Christmas caroling. It didn't seem that bad.

Shino thought for a while before making an answer. "I'll go."

Hinata squealed in delight and gave him a hug. That was easier than she thought. Then she realized that she had just hugged Shino, and immediately jumped back, bowing.

"Gomen nasai. I guess I got a little too excited. Thank you for the tea."

Shino said nothing. There was a foreign burning in his cheeks, and he was glad that the tall collar of his shirt covered it.

"Oh, I almost forgot, there will be a Secret Santa. Pick a name from this bag." She held out the satchel. Shino looked at it a moment, then reached inside and pulled out a name. Ten-Ten.

"Hn."

Hinata went to the front door.

"I guess I'll see you then."

"Thank you for the invite. I will make sure to come."

Hinata smiled. She opened the door to leave, when Shibi decided to throw one last thing in.

"Hey Hinata, remember to be careful. If you can't be careful, stay safe. If you can't stay safe, then name it after me."

Hinata didn't even turn to look, she heard the definite sound of knuckles cracking a skull right before she disappeared outside. She breathed a sigh of relief. She was glad Shino was nothing like his father.

She set off for the park to meet with Neji.

-

Hinata and Neji walked together to the decoration shop. They had each picked the last names out of the satchels, Hinata getting Chouji and Neji getting Kiba.

They split up and bought many decorations, candles, and lots of other shiny things. Hinata bought some games and Christmas music CD's.

They checked out, sealing the mass of stuff into a scroll so they could get it home.

When they arrived, they enlisted the help of other Hyuugas, and finished decorating the hall by that night. The only thing missing was the flowers. When questioned, Hiashi had merely stated that he wanted to do them with Hanabi. Hinata didn't persist.

-

The next day, everybody went out to buy a present for their person. Some had an easier time than others, but in the end, they all had gotten something for the special person that they had randomly picked.

-

Kiba, full of ingenious ideas, decided that he would contribute to the party. His dog, Akamaru, was large enough to ride on now. Kiba rode him over to the Nara residence. Shikamaru wasn't home, apparently he was still out looking for a gift. Instead, Kiba talked to Shikaku, Shikamaru's father. After asking him for help, The man stared at the boy.

"You do know we work with deer, not horses, right?"

"Yeah, but, you must have something…"

"Actually, bring him around back. We may have something. We used to have a mule a long time ago."

Kiba followed the man to the back of the house, Akamaru close behind. He watched as Shikaku brushed the snow off of an old cart, made for two people to ride in, pulled by a mule or a horse. Or a dog the size of a horse.. Kiba grinned.

"What do you think, buddy? Will it work?"

Akamaru stepped in between the two arms, and waited for the cart to be attached. Shikaku put the harness on over his neck and around his middle.

"Amazing. This is some dog you have here. Tell you what, you can keep this old thing."

"Akamaru, can you pull it?"

Akamaru pulled, and it didn't move. Luckily for him, he was a nin-dog. He put more force into it, as well as chakra, and the skids broke free of the ice. He pulled it like it wasn't attached. Kiba cheered. He then got into it and offered Shikaku a spot too. He had to make sure the dog could pull two people.

Contrary to what one might think, Akamaru was loving it. It was fun, and it was kind of like being a sled dog. What he wasn't too fond of, however, was the bozelle that he had to wear. But the cart only held two people, and only Kiba could tell Akamaru which way to go, so they needed some form of control. It didn't restrict anything, it just wrapped loosely around his muzzle, reigns on each side.

Kiba thanked Shikaku, and Rode the cart home. On the way, he stopped at a Christmas outlet and bought some things to decorate it.

When he got home, he immediately detached Akamaru and got to work. He painted the whole thing red (which was extremely difficult to do in with the temperature as it was), then added decorations, such as tinsel and bells. He wrapped bells all down the reigns and the two arms. With a little help from Hana, he had a simplified Santa's sleigh. Hinata would be so happy.

-

Hinata put some finishing touches on the hall for the party. The plants would be put in tomorrow; the poinsettias were in many colors, and she wasn't sure what else Hanabi had bought. She went to bed dreaming of sugarplums.

-

The next morning, Hiashi and Hanabi both took the plants and decorated the hall. Every table had a small arrangement, and the buffet table had large poinsettias on wither end. Small Christmas trees, adorned with white lights, stood in each corner. Hiashi added a finishing touch. In one corner, away from the busy area of the food and music, he hung live mistletoe. He smiled at it; Hinata never even thought of it, and just how many people would be caught under it? Put away the ladder and helped Hanabi finish watering all the plants. They left to go get some last minute shopping done.

-

At around 4:30, The Akimichis started coming around, bringing all the food that they had cooked. While his parents set up the courses with artistic precision on the buffet table, Chouji helped Hinata and Neji to set up some of the games. Monopoly, Twister, Taboo, as well as bean bag tosses and others. Chouji had already put his gift onto the gift table.

Finally, the food was set up, Christmas music was playing, candles were lit, and the games were set up.

Outside, jingling of bells could be heard, marking the arrival of their first guest.

Maybe a bit too much in the first chapter? I guess I will have to be very detailed with the party. This is a multi-chapter story, so I will make it work. Hiashi was being evil with mistletoe. Ha! Anyway, review!

Cougar