Naruto never asked for much, he had never asked for anything, except for one thing: to be seen.

Really, Naruto never asked for much, when it came to his own wishes, he'd keep silent. He soon found out that, when he'd been younger, that he shouldn't, or better said couldn't, ask for anything. At that time there had been nobody that would listen to what he wanted.

So, the first time someone had asked what he wanted, he didn't know how to react. Even if it'd been Iruka asking what he wanted for his birthday; it felt weird being asked such a thing. He didn't even know how Iruka found out, since he never told anybody when his birthday is, but he suspected it had something to do with Old Man telling him.

Or maybe it was because the day Kyuubi destroyed the village and his birthday collided on the same day. That was probably it.

He didn't know how to react, so he just did what any other would do in his situation; he blinked hard and stared.

When Naruto actually grasped the meaning of what Iruka had asked, he blinked harder.

"Why?" he asked.

Iruka's eyebrows knitted in confusion, what kind of question was that? He had expected a completely reaction from the energetic boy. He expected jumping, cries of joy, a hug definitely, but not to be questioned 'why'. Iruka, despite his surprise at the boy's reaction, soon regained his posture and smiled again, although it seemed a bit confused.

"It would be pointless to give you something for your birthday that you don't want, don't you think?"

Still twelve-year-old Naruto could only look up at his former sensei and look him in the eye with confusion. Why give him a birthday present in the first place? It was the day he was born, it was the day everybody hated him even more, he shouldn't be given presents. He never got presents, why now?

Iruka's smile faltered and he stared in shock at his little ex-student.

"You… Do know what a birthday present is, right?" he asked cautiously, so to not hurt the boy; seeming mocking or anything of the sorts.

"I know what a birthday present is, sensei. But I don't know why you want to give me one; it was the day I was born, after all."

"But—Oh." He uttered in understanding.

He felt extremely stupid for forgetting his parents' death date, which coincides with Naruto's birthday (his parents had been killed at the Kyuubi's attck, after all). But he actually felt even more stupid for forgetting how Naruto must be feeling.

"Nobody wanted to have me born, so why celebrate the day I came to this world?" Iruka felt his heart squeeze in pain at the confusion in the younger's eyes. The boy really didn't know anything about affection or anything of the sorts, did he?

So, to cheer up his ex-student and show him a little affection, he said "Because I wanted you to have been born," with a smile on his face and honesty in his eyes.

Really, Naruto never asked for much, not even on his own birthday. But he didn't really have to ask, or even wonder about wanting something; Iruka, it seemed, knew what he wanted.

He hadn't needed the present he got from his former sensei on the day of his birthday, but that didn't matter, because one way or another he'd been thrilled; someone had seen him. The Kyuubi vessel felt seen for the first time in his short but hard life.

Of course, his best birthday present he had ever gotten was a few years later at his sixteenth birthday when Iruka adopted him.

Really, Naruto didn't ask for much; the smallest things made him happy. The only thing he'd ever asked for had been to be seen and, shortly after having been seen, to be loved.

But Naruto never really had to ask, because Iruka seemed to have given him everything he wanted; and everything without even knowing it!

Author Note:

I said it before in my other Naruto-fanfic, and I will say it again, I love Naruto. I don't know what inspired me exactly to do this, maybe it's got to do something with reading so many IrukaxNaruto fatherxson fictions, but nothing really in particular made me write this.

Actually, I discovered this by coincidence when I organized my computer. I never believed Authors when they said they forgotten their stories and found it again, now I do. Yeah, I made it a bit better since I've written it months prior and my writing-style changed since then, but it's still a bit bad, but it's cute in a way.

I always loved Iruka's and Naruto's family-relationship, and if you really think about it, Iruka has been the one who made Naruto who is today. Sort off. Okay, he helped. BUT I think Naruto is Naruto because Iruka opened up to him first and made him transform into what he is today.

I always imagined Naruto having no real birthday in his life, having no family, no friends, and no real chance in life in his younger years. So I would imagine him being confused at Iruka asking this, and I think Iruka would be the first one to celebrate his birthday with him.

I think I made this cute, short, straight o the point and quite okay written, so there's not much to complain about it, I guess. The horror of being a perfectionist, I tell you.

Yeah, nothing much more to say except that please review and tell me what you think, 'cause I'm really doubtful about this one here.

Arigatōgozaimashita for reading~~