Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Mito didn't want to get out of bed today. Sadly, it was her birthday and it pained her that her mother was not there to celebrate it with her. She didn't have the energy to go out and she was thankful it was a weekend.

Really, she was grateful for all that she had right now but she still missed the woman that raised her. That much was a given. Her birthday was just a painful reminder of what she didn't have in her life anymore.

Still, she had to maintain appearances, so she warily walked to the bathroom and took a shower. She was not sure when she walked out but she didn't care. Her mind was hazy and the depressing thoughts refused to leave her alone.

Mito plopped onto the bed with nothing but a towel wrapped around her. She liked to think she was strong and confident but she just...she wasn't.

A stray tear leaked out. She was afraid... afraid of being alone again. She didn't like feeling helpless and it wasn't often that she felt that way. It was like staring into a void of depression and she was being sucked in.

Mito was sure her mother wouldn't want to see her like this. She would want her to be happy and generally, the redhead was, just not today. She looked at the time on her phone and released a heavy sigh before standing. She didn't want to raise any questions at breakfast.

Naruto lazily made his way out of his room. He was so not a morning person. With a dull thud, the blonde seated himself in a chair opposite his parents. It was then he noticed Mito was absent. Usually by now, the redhead would be commenting on his tardy sleep habits. He looked towards his mother. Seeing the silent question, Kushina shrugged, Mito was likely in her room. Naruto looked towards his father, who could only offer the same response to his son.

Naruto shoved down all his food and suddenly stood up. "Done!" he declared as he walked out. His parents looked at each other and Minato shrugged with Kushina rolling her eyes. 'Boys,'

Mito wasn't sure when she had fallen asleep but she just couldn't bring herself to care. Maybe she could just sleep the day away. The possibility wasade unlikely as a loud knock resounded on her door.

"Mito, you in there?!" she heard the familiar voice of naruto ask. She groaned as she rubbed her now swollen eyes and slowly made her way to the door that Naruto was still pounding. Mito didn't take that into consideration as she opened it only to be met by Naruto's fist, sending her reeling back.

"Oow!" she plopped down ungracefully as she touched her nose, hoping it wasn't broken. She could vaguely hear Naruto trying to apologise.

"You were there...and l was..." she raised her free hand to stop his rambling. "Ice, just get some ice," the redhead whispered to the blonde but to him, it was loud enough.

Now, as Mito sat on her bed with the ice pack on her face, she was pretty sure she looked stupid. The reminiscence of her tears didn't help all that much.

"I look horrible, don't l?" she laughed at her own question.

"Yea, you do," Naruto said honestly. He doubted Mito would want him to lie about it. She gave a weak smile as she set the ice down. He noted her dishevelled state but didn't comment, lest he get hit.

"You're supposed to lie and make feel better," she joked as Naruto plopped down beside her with a serious look.

"Would you?" he asked.

"No," she drew out with a heavy sigh.

"Wanna take a walk?" he asked but he could tell she was apprensive. "Or not," he shrugged.

Mito gave a small smile and shifted the topic. "How are things with Hinata?" she asked with a suggestive smirk. Naruto of course, totally missed her look.

"Hinata? She's pretty shy around me but the stuttering is getting better," he told her with a noncommitted shrug.

That wasn't really what l meant Naruto," she said a tad bit dryly. Naruto gave her a bewildered look forcing her to grab a pillow and smack him across the head.

"You just don't understand how a woman's heart works," she frowned. At this rate, Hinata would get nowhere with. It was starting to feel like trying to explain feelings to a brick wall.

"So...you like Sakura" she started dryly. Naruto smiled widely as he nodded stupidily at her.

"She's great, isn't she," he wasn't really asking as he said it but it still would have been nice if she nodded. Her approval was starting to mean a lot, even without him noticing it.

"Eh... different people, different views," she told him as his shoulders slumped. So Mito didn't think Sakura was great. Then again, neither did Sasuke. He scowled at the thought of the guy who Sakura had a crush on. Said man happened to be his best friend.

"Thinking about Sasuke?" Mito asked as she stood up and walked over to her mirror, hair clip in hand.

"I wonder what she sees in him," he grumbled as Mito commented without looking back. "And l wonder what you see in her?"

"Touché" he laughed. Really, he just didn't get why Mito did not like his crush. Sakura didn't seem to like Mito either. He'd have to ask his mother about girls and their behavior or maybe Jiraiya.

'Nah, he'll probably turn it into bedroom talk,' the blonde thought dryly.

"Still want to take that walk?" she asked, just that bit hopeful. He looked at her noticing how she had tied her hair into a single smooth ponytail. While he preferred it flowing and sprawled out, this gave her the usual grace she carried herself with. The same grace she had been lacking when he came in.

"Sure," he said as they walked out.

They walked in silence but it wasn't an akward one. Really, it was more relaxing and calming. While it was true that Naruto didn't get most things, he knew people and je could understand their feelings -except those of love apparently.

He could tell she was hurting on the inside with the way her face would gain a faraway look and a sad expression. He didn't like it.

They walked for a while before reaching the park. They sat down on the mossy grass and simply watched the seconds tick off. Mito opened her mouth in an attempt to speak but her bottom lip quivered. Seeing this, the blonde leaned back against a tree and pulled Mito to him, her back meeting his chest. He wrapped his arms around her waist and simply held her. At first, she had startled when he dragged her into his arms but she slowly sank in.

"I just...I just miss h-her," she said as she gripped him tightly. He knew she was speaking about her mother and he knew it had to hurt. He would never understand as he still had both his parents with him but he knew he couldn't live without either of the two.

"I-l just w-wish I got to say goodbye," he didn't say anything but he was there and that was what mattered. She wiped her tears and leaned back completely, pushing her full weight onto him. He didn't seem to mind.

After a while, Mito had stopped crying and was simply enjoying the warmth he gave off. It still hurt but it was now a dull pain. Naruto moved one hand from around her and prodded in her hair, undoing the clip.

Mito didn't move as she wasn't really alarmed by his movements.

"What are you doing?" she asked, voice still a bit weak.

He rolled up her now free hair in between his fingers. "I just like it better this way, ya know," he gave her a grin as he said it.

Mito didn't comment on it as he played with her silky locks.

"It's my birthday today," she said casually as his ministrations came to a halt, only for him to continue soon after.

"We could stay out here, wait for the stars to come out overhead in what...7hours," he joked but Mito didn't think the idea was bad. The wait wouldn't matter of he was here.

"Will you wait with me?" her question was simple and he answered without bothering to think it over.

"Yeah," he said with that boyish grin on his face. She smiled and simply enjoyed his presence. They were quiet for a while once more when Naruto suddenly spoke.

"I want a dog,"

Mito let her eyes trail over to him. "Why," the redhead said, not really surprised by the outburst.

"Just want one," he said but Mito was already nodding off. The combination of his warmth and his fingering of her hair had done her in. He smiled too himself as he stood with her in hand.

'Guess we won't be seeing those stars,' he said as the girl tightened her grip on him, almost as if she was thinking he would leave if she did. He however, had no intention of letting her go.

Too bad he didn't consider Orochimaru in all of this.