I wrote this little oneshot for Naruto's birthday. It's a little... sad? I dunno, just read it I guess.

I don't own Naruto.


For a long time, Naruto didn't have a friend in the world.

She had an old man whose responsibilities were greater than her loneliness and a restaurant owner and his daughter who were equally kind to all.

She only truly had herself, so she had nothing at all.

Well, that's what it had often felt like. A vast sense of something missing.

But when the nothingness managed to build up to a great big burden, something fell and shattered, and Naruto still only had herself… but it became alright.

The resident "dobe" drifted through her apartment and her morning routine. She was a slip of a girl, with long sunshine hair falling to her waist and spilling over her shoulders, pretty protuberant blue eyes, and a distant dreamy demeanour.

She wore a short sleeved orange shirt under a black knee length pinafore dress and shinobi sandals.

Naruto finished up her small ritual, grabbing her jacket, (an orange, blue, and white monstrosity), and shrugged into it. The blonde walked towards her front door, pausing before the mirror she had hung up on said door.

She smiled at her reflection, and her reflection smiled back.

"I'm ready for school." She told herself, the image speaking in perfect sync.

After a pause, staring into her eyes, she blinked said blue orbs once.

"Stop copying me." Naruto said.

After a moment, her wide eyed face just watched her the same exact way she watched it. And then, the blonde in the mirror shifted and giggled.

"I'm just kidding." Her reflection grinned.

Naruto stared unblinkingly at her smiling mirror image, looking as curious as she always did.

"So, how do you feel birthday girl?" Her reflection asked, waggling her eyebrows. "Ready for another day at the Academy?"

Naruto blinked and nodded once.

"Yes, I'm happy. I'm eleven now."

She was happy. She was still a year younger than everyone in her class and had only just turned eleven when everyone else already was or would be turning twelve. Though, that was okay.

It was okay because Naruto had a good friend seeing her off to school. Her good friend was always hiding in the mirror, and always gave her good advice, and always made the blonde feel pleasant because she was cheerful.

She was like Naruto used to be, sunny and cheeky, so it was very refreshing to have her around. The blonde wasn't so sure what happened with that, her cheerfulness that is. She just changed one day. Or maybe it was gradual? Who knew.

She supposed one day part of her just drifted off and all that remained was a reflection. But that was okay too, because she wasn't lonely.

Naruto was happy.

"Yup!" Her reflection chirped. "One more year and you'll be graduating and becoming a ninja."

"Do you think I'll be a good ninja?" Naruto asked, tilting her head to the side.

Her reflection shrugged.

"Maybe. Didn't you wanna be Hokage? That means you gotta be a good ninja."

"I wonder if I do want to be Hokage…" She said airily.

"What? You don't wanna anymore?" The blonde in the mirror squawked. "Why not!?"

"I just want to people watch and be happy."

"People watch?" Her reflection echoed.

"People are interesting you know." Naruto explained, blinking once. "They say a lot even when they don't."

Her friend in the mirror chuckled.

"Yeah, I guess they do."

Naruto didn't answer.

"Hey," Her reflection called, unusually soft.

Naruto tilted her head, watching the other watch her.

"Happy birthday Naruto."

Naruto blinked.

"Thank you, I'm happy." The blonde told her friend.

"What are friends for?" The girl in the mirror smiled.

"I'm off now." Naruto told her after a pause.

"Have a good day." Her friend waved, beaming.

Naruto finally opened her front door and walked through it, pulling it closed behind her.

The blonde's friend was such a good friend. She cared so much about her. She was the first true friend Naruto had ever had.

"I'm happy." She murmured, exiting her apartment building, oblivious to the strange looks she was receiving as she drifted through the sunlit streets.

"I'm happy." She said again.

Her wide, unblinking eyes glistened, and her vision blurred for a moment but she barely noticed.

"I'm so happy."

She was happy because her good friend was always there, and had told her happy birthday. Naruto didn't only just have herself anymore. She had her friend in the mirror. Her reflection. Naruto had a reflection.

Her cheeks felt wet and cold.

She barely noticed.

"I'm happy."


Well, there it is. Tell me what you think?