(819): And we're back!

(102): I finally stopped procrastinating.

(819): And I picked up where she left off.

(102): This chapter is all for Naruto. Yup, his birthday, his party, his ramen. Ironically, he has a small role in this chapter.

(819): Though, this chapter might suck seeing how I haven't done this in a while, but here it goes.

Disclaimer: We don't own Naruto or anything associated with Naruto, so the lawyers may now leave the room.

Ch.9: Naruto's Birthday

"Are they here yet?"

"No."

"How about now, teme?"

"No."

"Now?"

"No."

"Now?"

"No."

"No—"

"How about shutting up before I stick a kunai up your ass." Sasuke glared, a hand moving slowly towards the kunai holster attached to his pants leg. Naruto folded his arms over his chest and pouted. "You're no fun, teme. Besides, it's my birthday and you have to be nice to me."

Sasuke hn'ed in return and Kakashi turned the page of his well-worn Icha Icha Paradise. "You know, Sasuke, if you humored Naruto for the day, it could be counted as your present. I know you forgot to get one," he said noting the tensing in his former student's jaw. Once again, Kakashi had hit the nail on the head.

'Though I forgot to get him something also, but details, details. I'm sure this school has something I can "borrow",' he thought as Sakura pulled apart the squabbling friends. Apparently, Naruto didn't take Sasuke's 'I'll-be-nice-to-you-as-a-present-so-you-better-be-grateful' plan well.

Gaara looked up from the new therapist couch(and his new bed) the faculty had put in upstairs to walk over to the rail and sigh as Sakura smacked Naruto over the head lecturing him on his behavior as Sasuke sulked against the wall. Somehow, it seemed like a scene from a t.v. show he saw back home about a teacher dealing with her disobedient students. Somehow, Sasuke and Naruto fit the part of two bratty four-year-olds perfectly.

As Gaara chuckled to himself at the image of a four-year-old Naruto and Sasuke being reprimanded by Sakura, he sensed two familiar chakra signatures on the other side of the door and decided to alert his friends. "They're here."

Team 7 looked up from their activities to see Amaya and Megumi both carting two very large plastic bags that looked ready to burst. The two girls muttered to each other about the door before walking down the stairs and dropping the bags onto the table, a few brightly-colored packages falling out. Naruto started to drool. It didn't take a genius to figure out what it was. "Ramen!!"

"Pork, beef, chicken, tonkatsu, miso, cheese, seafood, oriental, you name it, it's probably in there," Megumi said watching Naruto drool, his eyes sparkling.

"The lady at the store looked us like we were crazy when we went to the checkout counter." Amaya quipped.

Sasuke walked over to the table and picked up a packet of chili beef ramen. "Is everything you bought ramen?"

"We bought a veggie platter." they offered, garnering a sweatdrop from the brooding Uchiha.

"Veggie platter?" Sakura asked.

"Well, we couldn't just eat ramen," Megumi answered. As Sakura nodded, Sasuke took a look at the veggie platter. "Any tomatoes?"

"Yeah, they're the small red things. Cherry tomatoes. Yum," Amaya said as she continued taking ramen out of the bags. Suddenly, a voice was heard. "Any hot water?"

Amaya leapt up, the bag of ramen flying with her. She turned around and saw who it was. "Gaara? Itai!" she shouted as the packet of ramen hit her square in the head. "Mou," she pouted, rubbing the lump and looked up. "Y-yes, Gaara?"

"I asked if you had any hot water. Naruto's starting to get impatient," he replied coolly.

"Oh. Hai." she replied pulling a thermos from her bag. She handed it to him and he reached for it, their fingers accidentally touching. Amaya pulled back as if scalded and Gaara blinked. "Are you?…"

"I'm fine," she smiled uneasily. 'Stop talking to me. Stop talking to me. Don't you dare blush, Amaya!'

Gaara blinked, but nodded and left to find Naruto. 'Strange girl,' he thought.

The soft glow of the candles was the only light in the dark room of the teacher's lounge. The lights had been shut off and in the middle of the room stood a bowl of ramen, two candles in the shape of numbers sitting in its nest of noodles, the faint sound of Happy Birthday ringing in the room.

"Happy birthday to you!"

The song finished and the candles were blown out as Kakashi gave an unenthusiastic 'toot' from his party favor, an askew party hat on his head.

Amaya ran up the stairs and switched on the lights as Sakura grabbed the candles before Naruto grabbed his chopsticks. "Itadakimasu," he said before plowing into his ramen. Broth flew out from the bowl and a noodle hit Sasuke in the face. Reaching up, he picked it off and glared at his blonde best friend. "Hn."

Sakura heard the Sasuke 'hn' and turned to ask him something when she saw something and chuckled. Sasuke raised a brow. "Hn?"

"You have soup on your face."

Sasuke blinked. "Hn?" he said trying to find it. He eventually gave up; looking cross-eyed at his nose was making him dizzy. Sakura giggled and grabbed a festively colored napkin from the table. "Here, let me get it."

Sakura rested her hand on his shoulder for balance as she tiptoed up, leaning her weight against him as she dabbed the bridge of his nose with the napkin. As she did this, Sasuke was trying very hard not to scream.

'Why is she so close to me?'

'It's called human contact. You should try it sometime. Very rewarding.'

'No, because I get enough of it already from the dobe.'

'You're queer?!' his inner gasped.

'If that were true, you'd be gay too. You are me, after all.'

'…Shut up.'

Sasuke inwardly smirked at his small victory when he felt Sakura shift closer, unwittingly burying his face in the crook of her neck.

'Hm, Jasmine. It smells nice on her.'

'Love is in the air for Sasuke.' his inner sang.

'You're wrong,' he argued when he felt Sakura's hand accidentally brush his cheek. His heartbeat sped for a second, but soon returned to normal. It was small, but it was there.

'Told you so.'

Before he could retort, Sakura smiled. "There." she said, satisfied with her work. She slid down to her normal footing when she noticed the slightly flustered look on Sasuke's face. "Are you alright, Sasuke?" she asked worriedly.

"Aa," he replied and Sakura nodded at his yes before leaving him alone while he and his inner had a little chat about a certain pink-haired girl.