Naruto shifted his weight on his small feet excitedly nearly jumping up and down. Maybe this year! Maybe this year someone, anyone would remember. Naruto shoved his backpack onto his little shoulders. His small apartment he had to himself was a mess. He grinned; yes he was certain this year was it! Naruto eagerly sat down and laced up shoes. He walked up to the front door and reached up to open it. Shutting it behind himself he got out his key chain and locked the door.

Putting the key back into pocket he set off at a dead run. He couldn't wait for school for once. He was so excited he failed to see Sasuke turning the corner and slammed straight into him knocking them both to the ground winding both of them. Sasuke grunted and Naruto let out a yelp of surprise. When they had caught their breath Sasuke looked up at Naruto annoyed,

"Watch where you're going loser."

Not even Sasuke's comment could deter Naruto from his happy state. Naruto laughed,

"Sorry!" He said and scrambled up to his feet and continued to run as fast as his young and small feet could take him. He got to the gates to the academy and just stood there. This was it. The moment he had waited for, for an entire year. He took a big breath and walk in.

The first person he saw was Shikamaru. Yes! Shikamaru would remember. Naruto walked over to him waiting for Shikamaru to say it. The one sentence he had never been told in all his life.

"Hey Naruto." Shikamaru greeted leaning against a tree lazily staring up at the sky. Choji was sitting next to him on the ground eating a packet of chips. Naruto had been too excited to eat for once and now he was regretting it.

"You look cheerful." Choji observed his mouth full of chips.

"Yeah and…" Naruto prompted waiting with bated breath.

"What?" Asked Shikamaru frowning. Naruto didn't give up hope they just needed to remember. His friends would surely remember on their own they just needed time. It was still early; Naruto sometimes didn't fully wake up until second period. Yeah, that was it.

The bell went and Naruto walked to class and every time anyone he knew walked past a brief flash of hope would spark in his chest and die when they just said hello to him. The suspense was killing him. No one had yet to say it. It was only the start of the day though he reasoned.

Naruto walked into the classroom and saw Iruka at his desk. Iruka-sensei surely would remember. Naruto ran to his desk.

"Good morning Sensei!" Naruto said zealously. Iruka was looking at some papers on his desk.

"Naruto?" Iruka asked. Naruto's breath caught.

"Yes?' His throat felt dry.

"Get into your seat, class is starting." He said then turned his back on Naruto to start writing on the black board. Naruto's breath let out in a huff. Maybe Iruka had a late night and he was really tired. Yeah that was it, he was just tired. That's why he didn't remember.

Naruto sat down in his seat and saw Sasuke come through the door. He sat down in his seat a few desks away. Iruka started the class. Maybe he was going to announce it to the class. Naruto's back straightened.

"Today's lesson will be a theory lesson about how to throw Shuriken. Please grab the text books Sakura and we will begin immediately."

Naruto waited with expectation but Iruka didn't even look at him. Naruto frowned when the bell rang for recess. He got out of his seat and walked to the door very slowly giving Iruka as much time as Naruto could give him to say it.

"Naruto?" Iruka asked firmly. Naruto's heart raced, this was it.

"Yes?"

"You forgot your bag."

"Oh" Naruto's heart sank a little as Iruka walked out the door without another word. He wouldn't see him again today. Naruto walked up to his seat and grabbed his bag. He was a little disappointed that Iruka had forgotten but surely his other friends hadn't. Walking into the playground the little bounce was back in his step again.

"Hey, guys!" Naruto said cheerfully. They talked and ate recess together. They would say it at lunch then, Naruto thought with glee. Still hopeful he went to his other two classes and practically ran out the door of the last class. They had to say it now they had to or they wouldn't get a chance to, he didn't see them for the rest of the day.

He was the first person at the hang and waited there, his foot tapping in his impatience to hear what he craved from somebody anybody. Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba and Akumaru came around the corner half way through second half of lunch. Naruto had been on the verge of going to look for them.

"Where have you guys been?"

"Kurani gave us detention for sleeping in class." Kiba said and Akumaru woofed.

"Is there anything you want to say to me?" Naruto said a little wide eyed he stared at them intently. Waiting for it.

"Um…we're sorry? Kiba guessed frowning at Naruto. The bell went for the end of lunch and they drifted off to go to class. Naruto's heart sank, he would not see his friends for the last classes. They had forgotten. Everyone had forgotten. Not one person had remembered. Naruto went through his classes numb. He had thought that this was the year, but it was just like any other. He was sitting in a class full of people and yet he felt so alone. He was alone, so alone he thought his heart would break from the loneliness.

The bell once again went for the end of school but Naruto barely heard it surrounded in the depths of his misery. Naruto grudgingly walked out and stood at the gate watching everyone leave. He felt invisible like he was watching a TV screen, not really in present in his body. Watching parents come and go picking up their children shooting him dirty looks as they ushered their children quickly past him and for once the hateful look didn't make him angry or upset it made him grateful, because those looks meant that he wasn't invisible, it proved that he still existed not this empty shell he felt like. Each step home he felt like he was walking to the gallows, because he was walking back to his empty apartment, alone. No mother, no father, no sisters, no brothers, no one to remember. No one to hug him when he got home and hear about his day, no father to go hunting with and no brother to confide in, no sister to protect, no family to love. He completely and utterly alone in the world and on this day, it was all the more obvious.

Naruto sluggishly put his key in his door but it didn't fit. Frowning he looked down not seeing his key ring with a tiny dog tangling from the chain, it was a simple silver key.

"When you ran into me I had my keys in my hand, you picked up mine and I accidently took yours." Said a voice behind him. Naruto turned around slowly. Sasuke stood their holding out his keys. He threw them at Naruto and he caught them easily throwing Sasuke's at him. Naruto turned around and unlocked his door not uttering a word.

Naruto walked in and took his shoes off.

"And Naruto?" Asked Sasuke from the door. Naruto turned around his dead eyes meeting Sasuke's.

"Yeah?" Naruto said suddenly really tired.

"Happy birthday."

Sasuke said and threw him a box. Naruto caught it fumbling a bit; he had never thought that Sasuke would say it. He was so shocked his fingers tingled as he opened the box to reveal a necklace. It was made from leather string that was wrapped around a small long crystal that had words engraved on the back. It read: Living isn't about running for cover in a storm; it's about dancing in the rain.

Naruto looked up but Sasuke was no longer there.