𝘉𝘖𝘕𝘋𝘚 | ⁿᵃʳᵘᵗᵒ

fifty

+

Christmas came not too long after that. Snow coated the ground, and you couldn't leave the house without a decent jacket and not freeze your ass off. Not that I minded. The cold was definitely my time to shine. Heat was not my thing. Guess I was lucky to have gotten stuck somewhere with a temperate climate. Imagine if I'd been dropped off by Suna. Blah. Fuck me. I would literally die

Wearing a white sweater, and puffy, black jacket, I picked up the scroll my old man and I had sealed the presents into for the Uzumaki-Iwasaki residence. We typically spent every Christmas there. Katsu and his grandfather had only began to join us when we became a team. As did Momo sensei and her brother. This year was going to be one large holiday, and I wasn't sure if I was looking forward to it.

Kenji came up behind me, wrapping a black scarf around his neck. He wore a khaki colored jacket and black cargo pants. Nothing fancy. But his little outfit definitely looked better than it usually did.

"Really, little delinquent?" He hummed, rubbing his hand into the top of my hair and throwing it all over.

I grunted, swatting at his hand. "Yes. I am."

We walked there quickly, trudging through the snow and the white flakes falling from the sky. It was cool and brisk. When you breathed out your breath had a white vapor to it. Looked kind of cool. Reminded me of the cigarette smoke Kenji would let out after a long drag.

It was early morning, and most were still in their homes enjoying opening their presents. Though my old man and I weren't one for loading gift after gift onto one another, we both agreed we'd wait to exchange. Do it all at once with everyone, yanno?

Shuffling up the steps to Ryuu's house, we stomped the snow off our boots. I rubbed my hands together and blew hot air into them as my old man knocked on the front door. Barely missing a beat, the door was pulled open by a grinning Ayumi. She wore a pair of green footie pajamas, thick red hair fizzy and sticking out in different directions. She grinned and bounced up and down, before reaching out and grabbing ahold of my hand. She tugged me inside, continuing to laugh excitedly.

"You're here! You're here!" She turned around, calling over her shoulder. "Oba-chan! They're here! Does that mean we can open the presents now?!"

Masumi sighed, walking into the hall. Her brown hair hung loose on her shoulders, square frames resting on her nose. "I suppose so. Go on."

"Yeah!" Ayumi cheered, running past her down the hall and presumably into the living room.

Kenji chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "I take it we're the last ones here?"

Masumi snorted, crossing her arms. "You'd be right."

She ruffled my hair as I walked past after having taken off my winter outerwear. I didn't give her anything more than a stink eye, before following Ayumi's trail and going into the living room myself.