A/N: That's right! We're back on! I'm on Spring Break until the 18th, and since I've got 4 birthdays that I've missed during FYE's downtime (Hanabi, Sakura, Udon, and Tonbo), I'm giving you a double special! They might be a bit short, considering it's past midnight here, and I'm giving you four birthdays in two chapters... yeah. First up, Hanabi and Sakura!
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"Kyaa~! Can you believe it, Kakashi-sensei? I'm 15! Tsunade-shishou gave me the day off and everything! And Hinata planned it again, just like with Shino's birthday! I don't even mind that I'm sharing a party with her little sister! It almost makes me depressed that Naruto isn't here to help me celebrate. Don't you miss him too? I wonder if they're all right..."
"Sakura. You're rambling."
"Ahh, sorry, Kakashi-sensei! I'm just so excited!"
Kakashi chuckled, not glancing up from his book. Iruka had gone ahead to the Hyuuga compound to help Hinata and Hanabi set up for the chuunin and genin that were going to be at the combined party of one Haruno Sakura and one Hyuuga Hanabi. He'd given up on having a free day, what with missions and parties going on all the time. At least Iruka was invited to the parties, too, his mind reasoned. More Iruka time during social time. Life was good.
"Are you even listening?"
"Nope."
"Kakashi-sensei!"
"What? Naruto was always the one that listened to your rambling."
That seemed to calm the kunoichi down, even if just a little. "Do you think that's why Hinata's been so friendly toward us lately? Because if... if Naruto doesn't come back from his training, she'd have part of him here?"
"Naruto will come back, Sakura. He's with Jiraiya, and he'd never let anyone hurt the brat. Relax. Hinata truly enjoys our company, especially yours and Iruka's. She's not the type to use people like that."
"Of course! You're right! Come on, Kakashi-sensei, or we'll be late!"
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"Thank you for coming to help, Iruka-sensei. Hanabi-chan isn't really in the mood for a party."
"It's no problem at all, Hinata-chan! Soon she'll come to appreciate your efforts to make her birthday as special as it can be."
"I made sure to invite Konohamaru-kun's team to make sure she had someone her own age, but I think she would have been fine with my age group," Hinata said quietly, glancing toward the room her sister inhabited at that moment in time. "She seems... so much more mature than Konohamaru-kun and his friends. I'm almost worried she'll act rude toward them."
"Give her a little more credit. She is a Hyuuga, after all, whether or not she attended the academy. So she acts older than her agemates. It will be fine. Gai and Kakashi sometimes act like children, so it'll balance nicely. Ah... I hope you don't mind Team Gai's attendance. Sakura insisted on it."
"Not at all! It's always a pleasure to see Lee-san and Tenten-san, as well as Gai-sensei! Neji-niisan will be distracted, at the very least."
"This time, I'll apprehend Genma at the door and relieve him of all alcoholic beverages on his person. Just in case."
