Lantern Sending Festival

[sunshinemods]

The Event Details as Relevant to Characters
Dates: December 17th-25th
Where: Sunagakure

Every year, Suna takes this week and turns it into a time to honor those they've lost over the course of the year. It's one of the only times during the year, Exams excluded, that Suna really welcomes people from outside the village, feeling that anyone is welcome to revere the dead, so long as they're respectful about it.

Every evening will see people sending lit lanterns out of the village, many of which will have letters to the dead. During the day beforehand, there is usually a rather vibrant festival air, where local treats can be gotten and games can be played. All of these close up after dark so as not to disgrace those doing a sending except for the food sellers, and it's not unheard of that child toys can be found in excess during this time as well.

The History Behind the Holiday
The holiday has rather interesting beginnings, as once upon a time it was just a local tradition to send up lanterns at funerals, with no big fanfare otherwise being given. Now, this holiday has taken on a day and a purpose, after the story of the man who lost everyone, and was given them back by the lady of reincarnation. Due to this, it's not unheard of that children are conceived during this holiday under the belief that they might be revived loved ones.

The Story
The story begins with a man, whose name is long forgotten, who had lost everyone to war and sickness. His three children, a son and two daughters, his wife, his brother, his nephew, and even his parents were all lost to him, leaving him with nothing but grief and sadness. It was a terrible year, and he did not know how he could recover from the last of his losses, his four-year-old daughter, the youngest of the children and the longest to survive. He strongly considered joining them.

Instead, he wrote a letter, spilling out his grief and sadness, detailing how much he missed them to every loved one lost in that year and the year before. He knew no one on this plane could read the words he wrote, but that did not mean that they might not reach the next. Thus, that day, when he would have sent up a paper lantern for his daughter's memory, he made it from that long, heart-rending letter, and sent that instead.

What he did not expect was for a woman to come to him later that night, wiping his tears and saying nothing at all, who took him into her arms and comforted away his sorrows. By morning she was gone, leaving only the memory of warmth behind. He thought he dreamed her, in his pain, and thought nothing more of it until she came to him, a child in her arms, and smiled a beautiful smile at him as she handed him the child. A boy, one who looked exactly as his dead son. When he looked up she was gone, leaving the child with him, and no matter how he searched, no one had heard of her.

Thus, on the same week as the year before, he sent up another lantern, and he was joyous that she came to him, staying with him until morning as his son slept in his bassinet nearby.

Just as the year before, she returned to him again later in the year, giving him a child. He did not recognize this one at first, for he had not known his dead wife as a child, but when he went digging through pictures he held of his family, that informed him of who his little girl was. Of course, the woman did not stay any more than she had the year before, and he, being too busy with two small children, could not search.

Instead, he focused, sending up no lanterns that year, save one in the spring for a neighbor which did nothing at all.

It was only when he sent up lanterns that week of winter that she ever came, to bring him a tiny babe in the form of someone once lost to him, and thus he called to her whenever he thought himself ready for more of his family to be returned to him.

At least, until the day when his lost were all with him again, and she no longer answered.

Still, he knew she got his letters, and thereafter sent them all the same so that she would know he did not forget to give her his gratitude for giving him something to live for again.

Comments

[heavenly_earth]

Neji turned a look at Sasuke with a mild hum. "We have you to thank for helping us. I'm not sure we would've managed as well on our own. The medical information you came up with was invaluable, and discomfited a few."

Ah yes, he'd always remember the looks on their usually dispassionate faces as they led strong and didn't relent even when they appeared to be backed in a corner.

"I believe I've been officially deemed 'unfit' to lead the clan," he said with a wry amusement. "The depths of irony are lost on them. But the way is clear for Hinata-sama now. She's displayed promise, in their eyes."

[not_thedragon]

Sasuke made a noncommittal sound in turn, lifting one shoulder in a shrug: he had his doubts as to how invaluable what he'd done really was, given how much of it had been squeezed out of a frankly ridiculous schedule over the past several months, but he could hope it was better than nothing. At the very least the record of inbred stillbirths he'd finally located had hopefully upset some elderly Hyuuga stomachs.

"Unfit," he repeated, however, mouth twitching at one corner. "Hinata had promise all alone. The thing that's unfit is their ridiculous branding policy."

Not that Neji likely needed any confirmation of that from an outsider. Turning the subject away from home almost physically, Sasuke tilted his head in the general direction of the festivities, raising an eyebrow. "But you're here without clan, aren't you? How has it been?"

[heavenly_earth]

It's an unwanted reflex, the way his jaw tightens whenever the seal is brought up, but he releases the tension with a controlled breath and a nod. Hinata had plenty of potential; it just didn't shine through in the those Elders were expecting.

But the change in topic is a welcome one. "Yes, I was only here in part with my father and Hinata-sama to pay our respects, but I have more reason than that to be here. As for you, I noticed you're the next liaison to Amegakure. How is that going?"

[not_thedragon]

It's not surprising by now, the way Neji tenses when it comes to the topic of his clan and the completely wasteful way in which it deals with its members by no virtue other than birth, but at least being outside of the village seems to be doing him good. Sasuke's face is disappointed for just a moment when he realises that he must have just missed Hinata, not that Nagato's schedule until now would likely have left him free, but he catches onto that dropped hint with a raised eyebrow.

"It's going as well as might be expected," he says, shrugging a noncommittal shoulder: there's no real policy against talking about an active mission as boring as this one, but the habit sticks. "But if you're outstaying the others, what is your compelling reason to be in Suna?"

[heavenly_earth]

Neji nods, taking the silent cue not to ask for details. He's only mildly interested anyway, given how he'd been Nagato's last escort in similar conditions. It's only slightly unfortunate that the Uchiha takes the opportunity to turn the tables back onto him.

It's no secret of course, but he wonders how much Temari might mind so many Konoha-nin knowing next time she has the opportunity to visit. But Sasuke wasn't the type to spread information, and he half-expected the rumor mill would somehow get a hold of it anyway. He had nothing to hide, and Hyuuga had given him the leash, probably not expecting him to run with it.

"Sabaku Temari," And the way he smiles is indicative of a more substantial relationship than that of an escort- not that she needs one in her home village. Sasuke's smart; he's sure that's enough.

[not_thedragon]

That catches his attention: between the tone of voice and the expression, Sasuke doesn't even need to file the details away to share with Hinata for confirmation later. One eyebrow lifts, something amused playing around his mouth before he manages to hide it. For as long as he's known Neji on a one-to-one basis, he's seen only variations of irritation and neutral boredom on the classically Hyuuga face.

This is so obviously something else that it's hard not to be entertained. He has to give himself a moment to suppress the most obvious laughter before replying.

"Isn't that the name of the Kazekage's own daughter? You're a brave man."

[heavenly_earth]

Neji hums his own amusement, though it turns to a semblance of contemplation. So far, he hasn't run into the Kazekage himself and the part of himself that's ever concerned about self-preservation hopes to avoid it for a good while. He'd gotten rid of one barrier only to encounter another- potentially speaking, anyway. He hasn't asked Temari if her father knows, and what he might think of it. But it's nothing that serious yet.

"Apparently I live for complication," he agrees mildly. "But for now, there's only the distance to be concerned with. Yet another reason I'm very grateful for your assistance with the engagement negotiations."

[not_thedragon]

"Apparently," Sasuke echoes, but there's warmth in his tone. After months of Hinata's quiet unhappiness and Neji's growing desperation, it's nice to see one of them have something he's so clearly pleased with and willing to face trouble for -- it makes Sasuke remind himself that he needs to find time to spend with Hinata in person as soon as he makes it back from this mission.

"How did you meet?" It's not normally in Sasuke's repertoire to make small talk about relationships, but if he's helped to solve one roadblock, he doesn't see a reason he can't find out more to see if the other might be dissolved as well.

[heavenly_earth]

He glances over a moment, then shrugs because their meeting had been nothing particularly special, and about what a shinobi might expect. He still remembers it very well.

"I was assigned as her escort through Konoha just before the Chuunin Exam preparations began in earnest. We got along well, and given the difficulty she's had with past escorts, Hokage-sama has made it a running assignment whenever she happens to be in the village. Of course, that may change now that we no longer maintain a strictly professional relationship."

He hopes it doesn't, but even if it does, that doesn't mean he'll see her any less. He doubts the rules to their game have changed, and if she doesn't have another Hyuuga assigned to her, he expects her new escort to lose her fairly quickly.

[not_thedragon]

This past summer, then. Sasuke's mouth quirks a little, remembering the conditions he'd been under for those exams -- he'd met a kunoichi, too, but under very different circumstances and with very different results. It's likely a good thing that Neji's acquaintance worked out better, given that Konoha doesn't need friction of the bad kind with the Suna liaison.

"Does the Hokage know about the nature of your relationship?" Sasuke can only imagine the sort of childish glee Obito might have at the thought of playing matchmaker, though admittedly there is the thorny issue of the Hyuuga ... thorniness.

[heavenly_earth]

Neji flushed, mouth pulling into a grimace in an attempt to keep the color at bay. It was a natural inquiry he supposed, but the answer to that particular question brought up a very vivid memory.

"Ah well, I suppose you could say that.. It was certainly no mystery to him after the unengagement celebration." Not after they were caught out in the middle of the training field, Temari over him and their hands beginning to wander.

[not_thedragon]

He doesn't miss that blush, though he's not sure what might inspire it other than some sense of modesty about the business. The phrasing makes Sasuke want to question exactly how it was that Obito found out, but then again, Obito has a way of finding out things that people don't want found out. In less charitable moments, Sasuke suspects that it's how the man became Hokage in the first place.

"Hm," he says instead, trying to sound less amused at the prospect than he is. "Well, knowing the Hokage, he'll either make it easy for you so that you're embarrassed, or unnecessarily difficult so that you really have to work for it."

[heavenly_earth]

Neji nodded, expression tamed into neutrality once again. He didn't like to think of his relationship with Temari being any more challenging than it already will be, given he already had difficulties with making time for his precious people back home. And given he was ANBU, well.

"I have a feeling he'll settle for a degree of additional difficulty, but it'll be worth it. I've already resolved to carve out every opportunity I can get a hold of, beginning with this festival."

[not_thedragon]

Sasuke hmms in agreement, though he assumes that his own ease with Obito's likely interference arises from having grown up around interfering Uchiha cousins. Chances are good that Neji has less experience, though given what the Hyuuga just put him and Hinata through, Sasuke hopes Obito might be somewhat more lenient.

Given that Neji's choice isn't just out of clan but someone loyal to another village, even if Suna is an ally, he doesn't hope too hard.

"Have you made plans to meet, then?"

[heavenly_earth]

"Yes." And it's back to that bright expression more open than anything he's usually given to wearing. He could hide it if he wanted, but there's no reason to combat it down, and he trusted Sasuke well enough with this knowledge. He was partially responsible for it, after all.

"She's somewhat occupied with the festival, but she's been meeting me every day whenever she finds the time to. It's working out rather well."

[not_thedragon]

That seems like a good sign, as little as Sasuke admittedly knows about what is and isn't good in a situation like Neji's. Certainly Suna-nin have their hands full keeping village security in place during such a tourist-heavy event, and as highly-ranked as the Kazekage's daughter is, it probably isn't easy for her to make space in her schedule.

"I'm happy for you," he says, sincerely: Neji has turned out to be what Naruto might have called a good guy, true to Hinata's word. Speaking of Naruto and Hinata, too -- "It's too bad your luck can't rub off on Hinata."

[heavenly_earth]

It's a serene happiness, contentment with how things are and are likely to continue to be in the near future. At least for the moment, he has no real reason for doubt.

But his mind turns back to his cousin, smile fading as he remembers that while she's no longer bound to him, the weight of the clan is still prominent. She'll have to marry someday, and likely won't be rid of the pressure until she does, but he hopes she manages to do so for love in some way.

"Hinata-sama.. is there someone she's interested in?"