"Wait a minute, what's going on?" Naruto asked the smiling crowd before him.
"Well Naruto, remember that special mission I was going to give you?" replied the Fifth, as she stepped away from the crowd, dressed in her usual garb, except for the fluorescent birthday hat placed precariously on her head.
Naruto nodded dumbfounded.
"Well this is it: to actually celebrate your birthday!" Tsunade yelled merrily. Everyone behind her cheered.
"My…birthday?" Naruto asked quizzically. He thought back slowly, trying to get his bearings straight. He knew it was his birthday today, but something else nagged at his thoughts.
"So what?" Naruto asked, "I never celebrate my birthday, I never have."
"We know, Naruto, that's why we're celebrating it for you!" Kiba replied loudly, "I mean, come on, your turning eighteen! You can't tell me that you don't care about that!"
"Well, yeah, but…"
Before Naruto could finish his feeble argument, he was swarmed by the crowd of people, all wanting to wish him a happy birthday.
"Hey Naruto, happy eighteen, man!"
"Oi, Uzumaki, I didn't think you'd live to be eighteen!"
"Heh, who would've thought that you'd actually grow up!"
"Ha..Happy birthday Naruto-kun…"
Naruto turned his head toward the only voice he could make out from the bustle of noise, "Oh, hey Hinata! What have you been up to lately?"
The girl before him nervously started twiddling her fingers, in an attempt to stall for time, "Um…um …"
"'What has she been up to lately'?" Kiba repeated merrily, "You numbskull, she's the one that put this all together!"
"Really?" Naruto asked Hinata.
"Yea…" Hinata muttered, before she almost went into a nervous breakdown, still twiddling her fingers like mad.
"Thanks, Hinata!" Naruto exclaimed merrily. He grabbed her hands, causing her to stop twiddling her fingers, but also to make her start blushing until her face was as bright as a ripe tomato.
"Come on then, if I'm forced to celebrate my birthday, I'm taking you with me!" Naruto laughed merrily, and he and Hinata went to go hang out with the others.