Beauty is the Beast (Kakashi Love Story)

Season 2: Chapter Special #1 - First Winter Festival

A/N: Okay so I'll be putting up part of the orginal note for these chapter specials just to be clear about what they are to any new readers ^_^ Thanks!

 I had decided a while back that I would be doing “Special Chapters” for Beauty is the Beast. Some may be light hearted, while others are actually serious and delve into the past of some characters. I guess you can think of these special chapters as fillers though some, if not most, will be heavily tied into the present happenings of Beauty is the Beast.

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Beauty is the Beast Chapter Special!

Special #1-First Winter Festival

The months of December and January for Konoha were always filled with fun as the annual winter festival arrived and went on in celebration—ending just after the New Year, which was a big celebration in itself. Preparations began just at the beginning of the month of December where many people—both shinobi and civilian—put up decorations and set up several outside shops along the many busy streets. Many beautiful, hanging lanterns lined every street from above, with many children running around with smaller, handheld ones in a bout of joy and laughter as they played. Several travelers were also drawn to the lively village and many of them were actually merchants that visited every year at this festive time to set up their vendors and sell their goods. Some had very beautiful kimono and yukata selections; others, trinket and firework stands; and most others were food vendors, selling sweets and other tempting foods. Game stands were also being set up as well as outdoor stages in various areas where plays would be held throughout the month.

A pair of happy, green eyes glanced around at all of the many venders being set up and all of the many other people who were decorating and getting ready for the long festival in different forms and fashions. He could smell the many different, wonderful foods being prepared for the first night of celebration, which would be given the official start by the Third Hokage from the top of the Hokage Tower. With a small hum of excitement, he looked over to his student who seemed uninterested by the happy commotion.

“Aw, come on Hisayo; don’t look so dull.” Akio chuckled, “This is a time to get animated and have fun! It is our first winter festival here in our new home, so why not try to enjoy it?”

“What is the point in all of this, really?” Hisayo gave a few uninterested glances over to a few groups of people who were excitedly preparing for the evening. It all seemed like a waste of time to her.

“The point? Why, it’s to get together with family and friends to have fun and usher in a new year! Won’t you at least look like you hold some kind of interest? You might offend people if you don’t.” Akio lightly teased as they continued down the street to their destination and site of their recently received—well, really Hisayo’s—mission, which Akio was very careful not to disclose any details of it to her, knowing that she would disappear and be later hard to find if she knew what was really in store for her.

Hisayo gave an irritated sigh, albeit one in defeat. There was just no way that Akio would drop the subject and knew that if she didn’t give in now—however little that might be—then she wouldn’t hear the end of it. “Fine, I’ll try to get into some kind of spirit, but don’t expect too much.”

“That’s great! Oh, and promise me you won’t be too upset…” Akio gave a guilty smile as they rounded the corner where he knew her attitude would change due to the upcoming event.

“What are you-?”

“Oh, good! You’ve brought her right on time, Akio-san.” Hisayo found herself quickly grabbed by a raven-haired kunoichi and unceremoniously shoved past a clothing vendor’s curtain entrance.