A/N: This is the final installment of my story. I hope everyone has enjoyed reading it. Let me take a moment to say thank you again for everyone who has reviewed and to all my chibi shy shadow readers! MERRY CHRISTMAS to everyone and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Disclaimer: The song "The Twelve Pains of Christmas" and Naruto do not belong to me.

Chapter 13: The Moment We've Been Waiting For

The sound of bells rang out across the village, inviting everyone to celebrate Christmas Eve in the Great Hall. The Hokage's building was decked out accordingly, strands of lights and piles of snow giving it a picturesque look. But nothing could compare the magnificence of the Hall where the giant Christmas tree rose majestically over all the merry-makers.

Already people were clustered together talking, drinking, or just enjoying the moment. Kakashi, Asuma, Kurenai, and Gai stood in a corner, the champagne glasses in their hands glistened as the light reflected off the golden liquid within. Gai was in his usual jubilant mood, but had taken the enthusiasm up yet another notch as he surveyed the room. He attributed the success of this moment to all his careful planning and efforts. And of course, the beautiful tree towering above them all was his crowning glory.

Kakashi was attempting to break away from Gai's conversation so he could lounge in one of the comfortable leather sofas and read his book. No party could make him forget his perverted Icha Icha series. Kurenai and Asuma were covertly holding hands while trying to keep their attention on the excited man before them. The slightest blush dusted Kurenai's cheeks, and it was extremely difficult for her to focus on Gai's speech when she was all too aware of Asuma's thumb tracing circles on the back of her hand.

"Do you not feel the passion of youth?" Gai inquired loudly.

Kurenai's blush deepened. Had he noticed? She had no doubt Kakashi would have if he wasn't so wrapped up in trying to escape their group. "Sure, Gai." She tried to make her voice indifferent and normal, there would be no end to it if Gai discovered hers and Asuma's intertwined hands.

"The Hall is filled with youthful spirit tonight, Gai," Asuma added cheekily before raising his champagne glass to his lips.

Gai clapped the man on the back, causing him to spew out his mouthful of drink. "It certainly is, Asuma!" Obviously he hadn't noticed the sarcasm dripping from his comrade's every word.

"Right." Kakashi shifted his gaze from Asuma back to Gai. "Listen, I think I'm going to go get another glass of champagne, okay? Okay. Bye." The masked shinobi turned to walk away when Gai's energetic hand alighted on his shoulder.

"The alcohol must be going to your head, Kakashi. Your glass is still full." He gave his rival a knowing wink.

Kakshi looked at his glass and back to Gai. Quickly, he turned its contents out on the floor. "No, it's not," he said calmly, giving no hint that he realized what he had just done. "Well, I'll go get some more then!" Taking advantage of Gai's blank look and momentary lapse of exuberance, he began to stride towards the refreshment table.

"Wait, my eternal rival! I shall come with you!" Kakashi must be implying he wanted to have a drinking contest with him! Yes, that had to be it. Why else would he be after so much drink? Ah, another competition and another chance for him to one up the white-haired nin. This was Christmas at its best! He quickly ran to catch up with Kakashi.

Kurnai and Asuma chuckled quietly as their comrade's shoulders visibly slumped when he realized Konoha's Mighty Green Beast was following him. He couldn't even find escape from their rivalry on Christmas Eve.

"Poor Kakashi," Kurenai sympathized.

"Better him than us," Asuma replied. Grinning, he pulled her over to the dance floor and swung her close to him. "Shall we?"

They were slow dancing to Silent Night, and although the choir behind them was doing a remarkably bad job of singing the song, at least the musicians weren't too bad. Except for whoever was manning the bells, he certainly wasn't performing to tempo.

But Sasuke could care less if his bells were jangling to time or not. At least he was shaking them at all, and that was the most they were going to get from him tonight. Tsunade had forced him to perform in the Great Hall, something which he would never forgive her for. Sure, he only had to remain there for a couple of songs and at least they weren't in elf suits, but it was mortifying enough. Naruto kept grinning at him and laughing—oh, how he wanted to wipe that goofy look off the blonde's face! Sakura, on the other hand, was alternating between mooning up at him with heart filled eyes and violently punching Naruto.

"Doesn't Sasuke look so dumb up there? Hey, Kiba, did you get a look at him?" Naruto was milking Sasuke's embarrassment as much as he could, but it earned him yet another smack from his pink-haired teammate. "Ne, ne, Sakura, why did you do that?"

"You idiot! Stop making fun of Sasuke. He's more of a man than you'll ever be, standing up with the choir like that." Not even the fact that Sasuke had been forced to join the band of carolers could dampen Sakura's ardor.

"Yeah, Naruto," Ino chimed in. "Sasuke is so cool!" She turned her baby blue eyes in his direction and sighed wistfully.

"Even when he's not around he's annoying," Naruto muttered as he massaged the growing lump on his head.

"That's what you get for getting between Sasuke and his fan club, Naruto," Shikamaru called from where he was lounging in an arm chair.

Ino rounded on her lazy teammate. "Hey, Shikamaru! I'm not his fan club. One day he'll see that we're meant to be."

"Ha, you wish, Ino-pig!" Sakura snorted. "I'm going to be with Sasuke!"

"Not likely. Why would he want to hang around a girl with such a big forehead?"

Emerald met sky blue as the two girls electrified each other with killer glares. Shikamaru just sighed and muttered something about "troublesome women."

"Yosh, Sakura, why bother about Sasuke when you can enjoy my youthful company?" Lee had come up to join the group. To everyone's satisfaction, he looked sober enough and was carrying a glass of apple juice instead of champagne. His stoic teammate followed close on his heels. Under Neji's careful supervision it was unlikely Lee would get any alcohol tonight.

Sakura twitched as she took in Lee's thick eyebrows, dazzling smile, and usual green jump suit. She made every effort to dodge the air kisses he was blowing at her.

"Now, now, Sakura," Ino scoffed. "Don't chase after Sasuke when there's someone who wants you now. You never know when another man's going to make the horrible mistake of falling for you."

"Ino-pig!"

"Forehead girl!"

Neji attempted to drone out Sakura's and Ino's ceaseless bickering. "Does it ever end?"

"Never," Choji replied solemnly. Shikamaru shook his head in agreement.

Naruto watched the blonde and rosette fight in consternation. Why was everyone so obsessed with Sasuke? What did his teammate have that he didn't? "Ne, Hinata," he turned towards the quiet girl behind him. "You're the only sensible one here! Let's go." He grabbed her hand and started to walk towards the refreshment table.

The Hyuuga heiress was too shocked to reply besides blushing up to her eyes. Naruto had noticed her! "Um, N-Naruto? Where are we going," she asked.

"We're getting some food to bring back to the others. There's no popcorn around, so I suppose we'll just have to eat Christmas ham as we watch Sakura and Ino fight. It's bound to get interesting. Maybe Sakura will even realize Sasuke isn't worth fighting over." Naruto didn't believe a word of his last sentence, but when had he ever stopped hoping?

"O-Okay," Hinata replied.

They returned to the group ten minutes later bearing two trays piled high with delicious food. Choji made a pained face and declined to partake in any of it, but the others were more than happy to chow down as they watched the cat fight unfold before them.

Neji couldn't help but thank God Tenten wasn't at all like the two girls before him. She was a dedicated, sensible kunoichi who loved weapons instead of men. A good choice. When had a kunai ever let her down? He glanced over at the brunette as she helped herself to some more lasagna. Although he would never admit it, he couldn't wait to see her face light up when she saw the gift he'd gotten her. He'd seen her gazing at the red velvet box of five-pointed shuriken in a weapons store downtown and taken the liberty of buying them for her as a Christmas gift. She deserved them.

Tenten looked up when she felt his pearlescent eyes on her. Was he smiling? It was an ever so slight lift of the corner of his mouth, but it was there. Hey, since when did the Hyuuga genius ever smile? Smirk, yes, she'd seen him do that many times, but smile? No way.

From behind his dark glasses, Shino observed the entire exchange. He had remained quiet throughout the whole Sakura-Ino episode, preferring sitting quietly in the shadows to openly taking sides. If there was anything he'd learned from his bug companions, it was to never underestimate the power of the female. In many species, it was even deadlier than the male. There was no way he was going to cross either Sakura or Ino.

Just then, Gai's voice blared out from the microphone positioned on the stage at the head of the room. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!" He flashed them all a dazzling smile. "This is the moment we have been waiting for: Christmas Eve. I know we have all spent so much time preparing for this holiday, but it has been truly joyful."

"More like 'painful'," Asuma called out from the audience.

"Well, yes, there have been a few tough times—" Gai said uncertainly.

"A few?" Kakashi repeated incredulously. "Finding that Christmas tree took all damn day!"

Well as long as everyone was complaining…. "And those Christmas lights that Naruto and I had to rig up all around the village? Forget about it! That was the least joyful thing I've ever done!"

"You can say that again," Naruto agreed.

"Hangovers are by far the worst," Lee interjected. "I have been in the bathroom so much, sometimes I fear that my youthful spirit has all but burned out!"

Shikamaru cupped a hand around his mouth and gave his own input. "Sending all those Christmas cards was the most troublesome."

"I have enough bills to last five months at least!" Tsunade boomed out from the back. "You should just see the heap on my desk."

Shizune nodded. "Trust me, you have no idea."

Gai was beginning to get worried. He pulled at the tight neckline of his jumpsuit. "Er, well then, if everyone's quite finished…."

"I had to face my family at the annual Hyuuga banquet," Hinata piped up. It was a good thing her father wasn't in the room or she would never have had the guts to give her opinion.

"And those stupid bell-ringing Santas and charity workers stopping you at every corner, don't even get me started!" Ino hugged her purse tightly to her for emphasis.

"'Santa, give me this!' 'Santa, give me that!' 'I want candy!'" Kiba cringed at the memories his words invoked and Akamaru buried his head farther in his master's jacket.

"Ugh, kids," Shino agreed.

"No training spaces! How is it that a village as large as ours has not one training area available for practice?"

"'Kunai not included,'" Tenten hollered up at Gai. "Stores are taking away their complementary kunai! Where's the Christmas spirit?"

"Stale dinner specials." Choji motioned at all the food around him. "I can't even escape it here!" He held up a bag of half eaten potato chips and waggled it around. "See? I'm living off my spare supplies!"

Sasuke, who had just gotten off choir duty and come down to join his comrades, decided it was time he contribute his two cents. "Singing Christmas carols," he said with a pointed glare at the Hokage.

Gai gulped. "Now, now, it may not have been easy, but look where we are! There pains of Christmas are many, but are they not worth it? We are surrounded by the people we love in the village we would die to protect. It is a perfect Christmas—with all the joys of youth to go with it!" Tears of happiness cascaded down his face

"He just had to ruin a good speech, now didn't he," Tenten whispered to Neji.

The Hyuuga merely nodded as he tried not to look at Lee. Gai's most youthful student had tears of his own spilling down his face and was gazing up at his sensei with adoring eyes.

"Come, let us all gather round this magnificent tree." Gai hopped down from the stage and strode over to stand before the beautiful evergreen.

The rest of the shinobi followed his example, until eventually everyone was gathered at the base of the majestic tree. Friends stood next to friends, rivals next to rivals, Kakashi even put down his mesmerizing book to treasure the moment.

The tree towered above them to the ceiling, while the lights and ornaments decorating its branches shined over the room and the bright star at the top cast its glistening rays over everyone. The multitude of presents at the bottom tempted every nin, no matter how old. The magic of Christmas wasn't only for the young.

The clock tolled midnight, and the booms echoed across the silent Hall.

"Merry Christmas," Gai whispered.

-fin-

A/N: I hope everyone liked this story because I wrote it all just for you guys. I don't think I've ever written an entire story in just ten days, so you had better feel special! =]

I'm glad so many people got to read The Twelve Pains of Christmas, but don't think this is all I have up my sleeve. After I finish my other story, I will be posting a Naruto fic, so keep an eye out for me!

Enjoy your holidays.