Note from the Author: This is my first birthday fic in a while, and it's definitely going to be the weirdest one I've ever written. I apologize now.

Ballagurl106: Thanks, dearie.

The Most OOC Writer Around: I'm glad!

CaveDwellers: Neji's knuckles were pressed against TenTen's arm. I can see how that would be confusing. And I'm glad you think it's friendshippier because I think so too.

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"Naruto, where are you taking me?" Iruka was trying his best to hide the fear in his voice. Nothing scared him quite as much as a 'surprise' from the Uzumaki boy.

He grinned over his shoulder. "You'll see, Iruka-sensei!"

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Of course, in all reality, it wasn't that much of a surprise.

Iruka shook his head, chucking, and smiled at the boy beside him. "We eat ramen every day, Naruto. What's special about eating it today?"

The grin returned, this time accompanied by the happy slurp of ramen. His teacher noticed just how much older he looked. "This time, I'm buying. It's your birthday, Iruka-sensei. Anyway, it's tradition that we come here. And besides," he paused to take and chew another bite of his ramen and, after swallowing, said, "This isn't all, you know."

The chuunin's eyebrow shot up. "There's more? Should I be worried?" He laughed at Naruto's indignant look. "I'm kidding. I'm sure it'll be great."

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"Come on." Naruto had finished eating and was tugging on Iruka's sleeve, thinking that would somehow hurry him up.

Iruka sighed, standing. "Alright, what else?"

"Come with me!"

He followed at a slow pace after the overly-excited genin, frowning. Somehow, his birthday just didn't bring very much happiness into him. He had no parents to celebrate with, but that wasn't new. They had been gone a long time. He was used to being alone on this day, because the only people he spent any real time with were his students, who were too young to even understand the idea that adults had birthdays and were not just that eternal age of "old."

"Iruka-sensei! Hurry up!" Naruto stood in the doorway of a restaurant, an expensive restaurant, waving his arm at him in a beckons.

Iruka realized again just how much older he looked, how much more mature, and happier. In the two and a half years that he had been away from Konoha, Naruto looked like he had figured himself out. He was still insane, definitely tactless, and maybe a little impulsive, but he had found himself, had found his place, and he understood it now. Iruka was so proud of him, he thought he might as well be his son.

He trotted over to him, and Naruto barked, "Close your eyes."

Rolling them first with a smile, he did as he was told and allowed himself to be led inside.

"Happy birthday, Iruka-sensei!"

They shot open, surprised by the number of voices that had joined in on that chorus – eleven of them. Eleven of his students were standing before him, now Chuunin and jounin, but they were all there. Naruto was foremost in the pack, smiling widely. "Iruka-sensei, we know we've never said it before-"

"But you're the coolest teacher at the Academy!" Ino broke in, giggling.

"We wanted to make sure you had the coolest birthday party ever!" Kiba barked, grinning, and so did Akamaru.

"You still have time to enjoy all of the wonderful things of youth!" Lee was crying, but that wasn't a huge surprise.

"Iruka-sensei," Naruto's voice was soft, and the talking died down to let him speak. "You don't see us often, and sometimes we forget to say 'Hi' when we walk past you down the street, but," he hesitated, not knowing how to go on.

"But if it weren't for you," Hinata blushed when all eyes turned to her. "If it weren't for you, we wouldn't be where we are."

Naruto's smile had returned full-force when he looked at him again. "Yeah, so happy birthday, Iruka-sensei, because you've given us everything, and it was about time you got something too."

Iruka smiled back, too overwhelmed to say anything. Looking around at his former students, who had all grown up to be great shinobi, he didn't think he could ever feel so proud of anyone. "Thank you all." He managed out, hugging Naruto. "This is a great gift."

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Additional A/N: Wow, that was cheesy. But it was also written on the spot because I forgot it was Iruka's birthday until about twenty minutes ago. O.o Sorry for the lack of pairing.