The next morning, Naruto awoke before the sun. He showered. Then he put on orange cargo pants, then a baggy white sleeved shirt. He put on his hostler and other various weapons. Then he picked up his Kitsune ANBU mask, putting it on. He then made his bed, ate breakfast then left out the door. Closing and locking it behind him. The sun still hid below the horizon when he arrived at the gate to softly reawaken the sleepy guards. All of which, gave a small thanks and a softly issued "happy belated birthday Kitsune-san" Naruto nodded and thanked them then left.

Iruka arrived on time as always only to see the waitress arrive just with the tea. Naruto nodded in greeting before picking up his tea and softly drinking the hot liquid. Iruka sat and drank his tea, chatted about the kids, about this and that. However, at the end when Naruto got up and was going to pay for his tea, Iruka stopped him. "Keep your money Naruto, consider it my meager belated birthday gift to you.... I'm... I'm sorry I never thought to..." Naruto just smiled before putting his ANBU mask back on shaking his head. "It's fine Iruka... if it wasn't I'd have said something before this. See you tomorrow Iruka-sensei." Naruto then headed off.

Kakashi arrived on time for the first time. Naruto extended his hand with the hot coffee already brewed and waiting. Kakashi lowered his head as he accepted it. He never said anything other then a barely said "happy belated birthday Naruto". His gift was arriving on time. Naruto nodded before the two of them handed in their reports and leaving to report in to their respective Hokages.

(Naruto guards the Hokages, Kakashi is responsible for overall Hokage protection, he speaks with the Godaime in the morning to talk about the defense while Naruto goes to help Sasuke in speeches and other duties with his peacekeeping and adviser position.)

Sasuke was busy trying to figure out how in the hell he was going to explain yesterdays disaster. He had let everything fall apart because Naruto hadn't been at his side to help him. Naruto was an ANBU! NOT A FRIGGING MOTHER! He shouldn't have to just assume all the roles and pick up the slack like he'd been doing. Naruto was entitled to be lazy too! Yet with all the other tasks he took upon himself, the second Naruto was missing, everything fell about everyone's ankles.

Sasuke's growling could be heard through the thick wooden doors that led to his office. Many of the ANBU guards and any other ninja that heard the sounds all dreaded their appointments with him. He sounded ready to kill first, take names second, and care when hell froze over. Thus when Naruto rose and eyebrow at the sight of Gai and his prize pupil Lee tip toeing to their desks, they, and everyone else who saw just pointed towards the Rokudaime's office. Naurto chuckled, shook his head and dove right into the growling Rokudaime's office. Bets were made about how long before Naruto cried out in pain.

Naruto looked on amused as Sasuke snarled and just generally bitched at the masses of paper work in between telling himself he was an idiot, fool, unfeeling, uncaring, bastard. Naruto laughed out loud at the last one, Sasuke looked up surprised. Naruto shook his head still laughing before saying between laughs...

"I've... I've been tell...telling you... you that for YEARS!.... haha BASTARD!... HAHA!" Naruto was now leaning against the wall for support as he continued laughing. Sasuke allowed a brief smirk to grace his face before it fell.

"...Gomen... I-I should have known.... I should have been aware of... I...I-I.." He tried to explain to Naruto, but he knew he screwed up.

"Forget it... it's not a big deal, if it had been you'd have heard me say something..."

"BUT IT IS A BIG DEAL!" Sasuke slammed his fists into his desk as he glared at Naruto, his eyes getting a light sheer to them, as he continued in a softer voice. "...you always found time to wish me happy birthday and always had a gift and that goddamn rice ball... You never asked or looked for me because you 'knew' it was my birthday and that I wouldn't be in.... you always took on my duties and did everything without a complaint or even being ASKED to do so... What did I do the moment you don't arrive? I begin to think that you're being lazy! Then I think you were attacked or something... then I have the stupidest idea to be angry that you made us all panic when you were doing nothing and punch you for it! ON YOU'RE BLOODY BIRTHDAY I PUNCHED YOU! I never even said happy birthday to you! I just punched you and accused you of not doing your duties... w-when every single b-birthday I ever h-had...you...y-you..." Sasuke was trying very hard to keep himself from just breaking down. He hadn't slept last night because he was furious with himself. Also worried that Naruto had been hiding away -for the thirteen years he'd known him- behind a mask no one could see through. That he'd let himself believe Naruto was fine every time he'd looked at his teammate and best friend. He didn't even see the mask there. Couldn't even see it. Not strong enough to...

Naruto watched slightly amazed at how much Sasuke cared. He knew everyone was feeling sorry for not knowing, and maybe upset that they hadn't thought about it. But Naruto really wasn't bothered by it. He liked to spend his birthday alone and without a mask. He was busy every other year, so it hadn't mattered, he'd always promised himself he'd just do everything he wanted to do on his birthday that year, another year. He was happy he got his belated birthday greetings. Glad people gave a bit more notice to all he did. But he didn't want Sasuke to be beating himself up like this...

Naruto smiled softly behind his fox mask as he walked over to where Sasuke now sat. His shoulders shaking as he fought back emotions and self loathing tears made their grand escape down his pale cheeks. Naruto smiled softly because today... today was a today, but it was 'today' that he wasn't going to be the same Naruto that he always was for Sasuke.

Now standing just behind where Sasuke sat, Naruto let himself look over every inch of Sasuke, then he reached forward and pulled Sasuke into a soft, and warm hug. He felt Sasuke stiffen for a moment or two before surprisingly, he relaxed into, and returned the hug. Then Naruto heard a muffled, slightly raw voice ask him.

"..W-what did I do to deserve this?... to deserve to be able to be anywhere's near you? Why..."

"...I don't know... I don't try to undersand things like that Sasuke... just like I don't try to explain to myself or figure out just what it is about you that I love so much..." Naruto replied softly, steadily and without a hint of regret or uncertainness. He knew that he loved Sasuke. It was a fact, plain and simple. No two ways about it. He felt Sasuke freeze again before he pulled away enough to look up at the fox mask.

"...I..I-I...y-you?....you...you l..love me?...but I..." Sasuke was disoriented to say the least. He never knew the blonde cared 'that' much for him. It was ... it was like a gift from the gods themselves! NARUTO LOVED HIM! Sasuke's tear tracked face was still in a state of shock and wonder, while his eyes were dancing with hope and joy.

Naruto felt his own blue sky eyes jumping up and down doing a happy dance. Yet he knew that today was a today, so they couldn't waste this morning talking, they had work and meetings... and first order of business was getting Sasuke to take a nap on the sofa, the bags under his eyes could rival Garaa's. Naruto nodded then scooped Sasuke up and planted him down on the sofa. He tried to sit back up but Naruto just sat on his stomach.

"W-What? What the hell? Naruto I have to..."

"Sleep. Garaa will think you're mocking him with the bags under your eyes. Sleep, I'll get everything ready for you. You sleep, you'll need it by the looks of the paper work over there." When Sasuke made to say something Naruto just let his fingers skim over the black silk hair, effectively silencing him. "We'll talk later... right now though, we still have today to deal with. Sleep. Then you'll eat something. Then you'll down a coffee, and we'll fight our way through the paper work and meetings. Then... then I'll take you to meet my kits properly. Now get you're rest you'll only get about two and a half hours if you sleep now... I'll be here when you get up." Naruto then stood up, draping the small blanket over Sasuke before he got up and went behind the large desk.

Sasuke watched Naruto as he began reading and writing, sorting and filing away all the papers on his desk. His last words before his drifted off into a black oblivion that would have a similar vision of gold and sky blue, were...

"Happy belated birthday... Naru-koi..."