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The day he was born
A baby is born. Small lungs are powerful enough to make his displeasure known. The world is a scary place, and this day the air is thick with anticipation.
He knows nothing about what is going on, but it’s cold and dark. Frightening for a baby that knows nothing and was forced into the strange outside world without the constant thump-thump of his mother’s heart.
Then, as two new parents greet their greatest joy, everything changes in an instant.
The thump of two bodies. A stranger clutching the crying babe close. The swish of a kunai sliding through robes until it’s held against a tiny, vulnerable neck.
The baby is thrown into the air, then caught and blown away by an explosion. The world is blood and fire and danger. He cries and screams. Then as he’s placed next to a familiar heartbeat, he quiets, his mother’s touch soothing.
Malicious chakra bleeds and snakes through the air. It’s corrosive and sinister and it feels all-consuming.
The demon roars.
Screams echo through the air. The wailing of civilians, the crying of babes and the last desperate orders of a team captain before they fall under claws wicked enough to cut through anything.
The air is thick with blood.
People are dying. Civilians are wailing and screaming in terror as a nightmare is made flesh.
Blood is drip-dripping down to land on his tiny chest as his parents, who love him so much and wanted him so dearly, are impaled like butterflies on a pin above him. There was so much they wanted to say. So many things they wanted to see. Decades together are compressed into seconds as they try their best to guide him.
They had wanted to give him everything.
A baby is crying.
This time he cries, and cries and cries.
-----
The day he understood
A boy without a name is sitting alone in the corner.
The other children are circled around a cake as candles are blown out. There’s cheering and laughter and warmth. It’s someone’s birthday. The boy knows what the cake means because there are a lot of people in the orphanage and that means there are a lot of people to celebrate.
He wants to join the other children, but the adults always glare at him when he comes close. A slap to his hands when he reaches out, to his cheek as he asks why and cold, cold eyes not-quite-looking as voices talk around him. Never to him, because the gazes always slide off him like they can’t stand looking at him.
He’s something bad, he knows this. He doesn’t know what he is, but he knows it’s not good.
People want good things. They want good kids.
He’s seen it, you know. Because sometimes strange adults come to the orphanage and take a child with them. Because those kids are wanted. They’re held in soft arms that bring them closer. It looks nice, he thinks. The people always smile when it happens and they cry too. The tears are happy though because there’s laughter too. And those things called hugs.
No one ever brings him closer. He’s pulled away, pushed aside. Knocked down with angry, glaring eyes that never truly look at him.
He must be something really bad since no one ever looks at him.
There are whispers sometimes. Muttered complaints that are hushed when he comes close. “Hush, don’t talk about that, that thing."
He runs away from the room, the cold looks and he runs down the streets. These adults are less careful, angrier. They also think he’s bad. He knows this, he does, because he’s not stupid and they say monster and demon. They’re bad words, but they’re his. People hiss and curse. But they call him something as they spit. It’s not a name, not really, but it’s all he got.
Someone who smells like sake and grief spots him and shouts, snarls and throws the bottle he’s holding.
It doesn’t hit him. Gets snatched out of the air by one of those strange ninjas with masks.
He looks up at the hooded ninja. The boy isn’t sure, not really, but he thinks the ninja might be looking back at him through the empty sockets of the white mask. It makes him flinch away even if he knows that he should run away. His legs won’t carry him. He also knows it doesn’t matter, not really. Because if a ninja wants him dead, running away won’t help.
Clawed hands pick him up and hold him against a cold armour. Then they’re flying through the air. The arms around him hold him close and safe.
Once they’re back at the orphanage the boy doesn’t want to let go. He wants to get the strange ninja to stay. Because he’s held and it doesn’t hurt. Not like when the matron grabbed his arm in a grip that burned. He doesn’t though, because he doesn’t know how to get someone to stay. Would asking work?
He knows how to make people glare and look. To make them spit and curse. But no one’s ever stayed near him for this long before. He doesn’t know what to think.
The matron looks at him with cold eyes as she thanks the ninja for bringing the boy back.
“Of course,” the masked ninja replies with a deep, friendly voice. “Is that cake, I smell?”
“Yes,” the matron says, smiling but looking a bit tense. “We have a birthday boy today.”
The ninja puts him down and ruffles his hair. “You do, at that.”
And with that, the strange ninja is gone. The boy stumbles after because this one was strange and seemed to think he was something good. Because the arms had been gentle and the clawed hand careful.
The matron grabs his arm, nails biting into his skin, and she pulls him back, into the house and the loneliness. The nails aren’t drawing blood, so she can’t be too mad.
He decides to take a chance because he’s been wondering something lately. “Hey, lady, do I have a birthday?”
The woman looks at him, eyes cold and hard and smiles, but it’s not a nice smile.
“Birthdays are to celebrate someone being born, idiot boy,” she hisses and lets go of his arm as the door shuts behind them. “Who would ever be happy that you exist?”
A boy with no name and no birthday is left standing in the cold.
-----
The day he had a plan
Naruto is alone for his birthday.
People always avoid him more than normal on October 10th. Since no one wants to celebrate that he is there and alive this makes sense. This is nothing new.
Well, something is new. Now he knows today is his birthday. Entering the academy meant a lot of boring old paperwork. The old man who gave him his apartment when he was big and strong enough to live all on his own came by and helped him fill out stuff. And the papers needed his birthday so now he knows it!
The wrinkles on the old man’s face had been deep when Naruto had said he needed help, but not as deep as when they first met. Back then the old man had frowned really deeply when Naruto hadn’t known his own name. Stupid old man, how was he supposed to know it if no one ever told him it?
But Uzumaki Naruto was the best name so he’d been happy with it, even if the old man had looked sad. Maybe he was upset that his name wasn’t as good as Naruto’s? It made sense, it did. Because Naruto was an awesome name.
Another thing that’s new is that he’s baking a cake. He’s saved up enough of his allowance from the old man to get the ingredients and everything.
There are eggs and milk and fresh butter on his kitchen table. And he got berries too, he did. This is going to be the first time he’s ever made a cake before, and it’s gotta be great.
The old man had told him that once he’s in the Academy he’ll have classmates and spend a lot of time with other children as they’re learning to be a ninja. Like the nice masked one who carried Naruto back once. And the old man who told him his name.
Maybe Naruto will have friends then! It means that he’s gotta learn how to make the best cake ever so that the next time he’s got a birthday he can invite his friends, people who like him, to his place and they’ll eat cake together.
Like those other kids used to do in the orphanage.
It’s gonna be amazing.
This will be the last birthday he’s alone. Next year he’s going to have all the friends and they’ll cheer for him as he blows out the candles.
-----
The day he celebrated with someone else
The village around him is bustling and dancing. It’s his birthday, the day of the Kyuubi attack and when he was turned into a monster.
He knows now why everyone always hated him. The cold, cold eyes made sense because they were scared of him. It also explained why people avoided him more than normal on his birthday.
This year he’d thought it’d be different though. Because he’d found people, he had, and they were his because he’d fought and bled for them. That meant they would probably want to spend time with him, right?
The times spent practising making a cake would have been worth it. All those carefully saved coins that went to sugar instead of ramen would have been more than enough payback after days spent hungry if it meant people stayed.
And he’d thought, this time, that he’d have Iruka-sensei sit close to him, listening to him talk with those warm eyes that saw him.
There was a chance that he’d get Tsunade-baa-chan and Shizune-nee-chan to come over too. For a kiss on the forehead and a soft, warm hug. Shizune gave the best hugs, she did. It might be the medic in her or the fact that she was really kind and always smiled when she saw him, even when he’d run off or done something bad.
Even better, he’d have Kakashi-sensei too, ruffling his hair and sneaking a bite when no one looked. Because he knew his sensei didn’t like sweet things, but he was pretty sure he’d at least taste a cake that Naruto had baked. If only to mess with his students and refusing to let them see his face.
Because Sakura and Sasuke were supposed to be there too. By his side. His teammates.
He’d been so close. He had precious people now, he did. Naruto was pretty sure they would show up if he asked. Because they cared in their own way. Their eyes saw him and their touch never hurt.
It’s just, Sasuke was being an ass and a bastard. Why couldn’t he have seen that Konoha was good enough to make him strong?
Now Naruto sat in a strange village, with Ero Sennin away to talk with some spy or something and Naruto was alone. They had plans for later so he wasn’t angry at the pervert.
He was angry that he wasn’t at home. Instead, he was alone in the middle of an autumn festival. The people moving around, happy and carefree.
“Hello there, young man!”
Naruto turns around and sees a civilian woman. She looks a bit like his Shizune-nee-chan, with her dark hair and fair skin and the warm smile makes his chest ache. He misses Konoha more than normal.
He shuts his eyes in a grin and waves. “Hello!”
“Are you alone?” She asks and sits down next to him by the counter. “You look a bit too young to be left to your own devices.”
“Oh, I’m a ninja so that’s alright, miss!” Naruto says, smiling widely. “I’m on a trip with my master. He’s just not here right now, but I’m fine.”
“That’s good to hear,” she says and signals the chef that she’s ready to make an order. “Why are you sad then?”
Naruto blushes and rubs at his neck. “It’s my birthday and I was missing my friends back home.”
The woman smiles at him. “Happy birthday then! Our village is celebrating the Autumn Festival today and I’d hate to leave you alone on your birthday. That’s no way to celebrate! I can show you around the village if you want?”
He looks up at her smiling face and he feels his eyes welling up with tears because he’s been wanting to hear those words for such a long time. They’re said so casually because this woman doesn’t know what he is or what this day means in Konoha, where the dead are mourned and empty stares slide over him.
It’s his birthday and he’s away from Konoha in a village where people don’t know what he is.
It’s the happiest he’s been in years.
-----
The day he grieved what should have been
There is chaos. He’s been feeling people die for days, he’s tired and angry and he’s alone.
Kurama is gone from him, taken away, and his chest is ripped open.
He’s fought for so long and so hard. He’s exhausted.
Naruto wants to cry.
His father is standing in front of him, wishing him happy birthday. It’s the first and last time.
The world around them is quiet and he only sees his father and his cracked, dead skin.
A part of him wants to grab onto his dad, refusing to let go. But he knows it’s a foolish thing to want.
He knows his dad is leaving, dying again, for real this time. That it’s for the best and something his dad wants. This time he’ll go to the pure lands and meet up with Naruto’s mom.
They’ll be together again, after seventeen years. This time they’ll have eternity.
He loves them both so much and he’s got so much to say.
There is no time left for long goodbyes. So he does the best he can with what he’s given. Just as his parents did once. They both need to know he loves them, and that he’ll be fine.
He’s never been the most eloquent, but he tries his best.
It’s his birthday and he’s saying Goodbye, I love you and I’ll miss you. One day he’ll join his parents again, and he knows they’ll be sad if it’s any time soon.
The world is in chaos and he’s got to fix it first. Then he can rest.
-----
The day that was the first of many
There’s someone outside his apartment.
Naruto looks away from the ingredients on his table and summons a few clones to put them away. His replacement arm isn’t done yet, so he always needs more clones than normal for everyday tasks.
The cake can wait, he thinks. It's still early in the day. There’s going to be a memorial for the fallen in the Fourth War soon. People expect him to say something. He knows that much. Kakashi had smiled at him a few days ago and told him not to worry about writing a speech. People wanted sincerity, not artifice, from him and Naruto had always had a way with words. Naruto wasn't sure what Kakashi had meant, but he trusted his former sensei to know best.
He’s expecting a summon, because he’s been sent on a lot of missions lately. There’s a lot of wealthy clients who are specifically requesting him these days. And it’s alright, he’s used to being alone on his birthday.
He opens the door at the next knock and takes a step back as Sakura launches herself at him. Arms are around his back and he looks over her head at Sai who smiles widely and wraps himself around Naruto as well. Naruto takes a steadying breath and then he hugs them both back the best he can with only one arm.
Then Iruka comes in and presses a kiss to his forehead because both of his arms are busy carrying grocery bags.
“Happy birthday, Naruto,” he says and Naruto manages to choke out thanks.
Next is Yamato who walks past him with a wide smile, a pat on his shoulder and a “Happy birthday, Naruto, let me just put away the food.”
Naruto nods against Sakura’s soft hair, throat thick with tears.
The last one through the door is Kakashi, who is carrying a note in one hand and yet another bag of groceries in the other.
“Maa, I’ll put this in the fridge then,” he says and ruffles Naruto’s hair after depositing the note in one of Naruto’s pockets. “Sasuke sent a letter for you as well with his normal intel.”
There are so many things he wants to say but he doesn’t know how to put it. Instead, he blurts out the least embarrassing question. "What are the groceries for?"
Kakashi sighs and the hand in his hair tugs a bit to make Naruto look up into two smiling eyes. It's still a bit odd to see two of them at once, but it's a good strange. They're brighter these days.
"The dinner we're having later," his Hokage says as if it's obvious. "We can't fit everyone at Ichiraku, so we're coming here after the memorial. I'll cook because, frankly, I don't trust you to not mysteriously burn the vegetables to a crisp. Oh, and Gai's bringing the cake. He's been very excited about baking lately."
Naruto sniffles and Sakura laughs into his collar and hugs him tighter.
“Happy birthday, Naruto,” she says, voice cracking because it’s the first time she’s been able to celebrate it with him properly.
It’s his birthday. His precious people are in his apartment and they showed up, all on their own.
He didn’t even need to bake a cake.