Day 3/Akiko Claus

The presents were wrapped. Finally! And a pile of holiday cards were stacked neatly next to the array of colorful packages; pink and silver, blue and white, and green and gold foil paper with elaborate, glittery bows. She'd spent hours in the kitchen preparing treats for her friends, new and old, and bribed her siblings into helping her wrap them all. All that was left was too deliver them.

The box with the scarf that she'd made for Kiyoshi (she'd done her best) was under the tree in the living room waiting for the night of the party, but she had made a large box of baked treats for him and his family. There were also presents for Fei, Benkei and Tamiko, Niro, Sawyer, and Koemi, and of course, there were gifts for the Mikokage and all the sensei at the academy. She'd even made up small boxes and cards for those she did not know quite as well, and hoped that they would enjoy the assortment of candies and cookies she'd put together for them.

She piled the packages into a wagon that used to belong to Yoichi when he was little and put on her hat and gloves. Grabbing a thermos of hot chocolate, she went out the back door and headed into the village to play Santa Claus.