"Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday day dear…" chimed the shadows moving in the orange glowing squares of the silhouetted house across the street.
It was October 10th, the day the Kyuubi attacked Konoha, the day a beautiful, loved and damned baby boy of bright blue eyes and bright golden hair was born. Naruto watched wondering what was so happy about this day. He was genuinely curious since he was never all that happy on this particular day so why would anyone sing 'happy birthday'. Well maybe he was happy, he just didn't know it. After all who was he to know what happiness truly was. How was he supposed to know what happiness was if he never experienced it? But then again, back to square one, maybe he was happy but he didn't know it? Yes, that must be it. He was happy, he just didn't know it. After all, why would anyone sing "happy birthday' if he wasn't happy?
As time flew by as time is wont to do, Naruto discovered that when one is happy, they smiled. He wondered if that's why the villagers ignored him or looked at him funny. It was because he never smiled and so the next day he stretched an innocent smile on his face as walked down the street, smiling at anyone and everyone. He smiled and smiled till his cheeks hurt but the funny looks never went away. He didn't know why he called them funny looks. They never made him want to laugh but they were funny in a way he , it did make his eyes hurt real bad when he looked at them. He knew that tears were trying to spear their way out but he wouldn't let them because after all, good children don't cry. He remembered hearing that somewhere…didn't know where though. If anything then he wanted to be a good boy. Good boys got smiles from their parents, good boys got kisses and hugs and good boys got ice-cream and Naruto wanted it all.
Standing in the midst of blood and gore, Naruto looks back to his childhood and wonders where the glory in war was. He wanted to be those heroes that everyone acknowledges, he wanted his head on that mountain, he wanted to be seen , he wanted…he wanted so much but when he stands on ground covered in flesh, blood and bone, in air that smells so strong of iron, rot and smoke, all he could wish is for one more chance. A chance to redo it all, one measly chance to make it right but this was reality now. In reality, there isn't always a second chance; in reality war is not glory. In reality, war was war; nothing more and nothing less.
Looking around him because that is all there is to do, Naruto's eyes are attracted to that one blood covered man on his left that stared in horror at him. He knows that he was just coincidentally in his line of sight but he had long stopped believing in coincidence. There was something more to that face too, something nostalgic. And then it hit Naruto. It was one of the villagers with the funny look. He knows now why he was so discriminated against. He was unnatural, the Kyuubi personified. He was just a little boy that stood in the direct line of the hate that the villagers had for Kurama. He knows now the secret behind those funny looks and it still didn't make him laugh.
The man with the funny look gazed with a tilted view and horror filled eyes as Naruto walked away. The smile that was once innocent and soft, which hoped for another smile in return, had hardened to become an armor when it was left on too long. No one had come to pry away the untrue smile and heal the hurt that lay right underneath. Now, because the armor refused to budge, it stood in the way of too much and broke. As Naruto walked away, precious tears of long ago and new ran down his cheeks.