Sorry for the wait, readers. Please enjoy! Happy Birthday tomorrow, Naruto! You're so loved, blondie. Keep being who you are.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto! If I did, Naru would be naked all the time. No pants for you either, Itachi!
Haven't done that in a while.
-x-
"The old believe everything; the middle-aged suspect everything; the young know everything."
[Oscar Wilde]
-x-
The trees were undergoing a chemical change. They were now littered with bright yellows, reds, and oranges. This was also called autumn. Uchiha Itachi sat on his front porch, a thoughtful expression on his face. A gentle breeze blew through his hair. A loud sigh escaped his lips.
"What can I do?" He asked out loud. His fingers lightly tapped the floor underneath him. A group of Uchiha toddlers ran past him, shrieking loudly as they played a game of tag. The sight made him remember his first date with Naruto. They had played childish games for the first half. He knew the young blonde liked those types of games, and suddenly, an idea sprang to action.
-x-
Sakura could barely believe her ears when Itachi Uchiha invited her to a party. Sure, it was the blonde's 13th birthday party, but a party is a party. She was also instructed to tell every one of the rookie 9's of the party. She gave herself a moment to act like a complete girl. Who should I ask first? Almost immediately, an image of her ex-best friend popped into her head. Underneath all of that rivalry, Sakura missed Ino. She had made Sakura who she was today. With a frown on her face, Sakura made her way to the Yamanaka's flower shop. She was sure Ino would have let everyone know about the party before the sun set. After all, Ino had always been better than her. When she saw Ino through the glass, Sakura put on a small smile.
"Ohayo, Ino-pig." She said softly. The blonde looked up from a vase of daisies she had been organizing. Confusion became apparent on her face.
"Ohayo, billboard brow." Ino replied. "Why are you here?" She rested her chin on her hands.
"I, uh, came here to... uh..." Sakura tried to stall, but Ino had known her for a long time and knew exactly what she was doing.
"Not buy flowers, obviously. Spit it out." Ino rolled her eyes, but a grin brightened her face.
"It's Naruto's birthday on Saturday... and Itachi's planning a party for him." She began. Her face began to heat up. The blonde pursed her lips in thought, supposedly checking her inner calendar.
"And the rookie's are all invited." Ino concluded, leaning forward on her elbows.
"Y-yep." Sakura managed to nod.
"Alright. I'll let everyone know. I'm sure Hinata'll be glad to come." Ino raised her hand to her mouth before bursting into soft laughter.
"I knew it! I knew she liked Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed, stepping forward. Ino shook her head.
"But Naruto's gay." She said dryly. Sakura's eyes widened.
"How did you know?"
"Who doesn't know other than Hinata?" Ino asked. She rounded the glass counter she had been standing behind and stood in front of Sakura.
"Listen, Ino. She can't know. It could completely take away the little backbone she has now. It would ruin her!" The pink-haired genin let her eyes fall on the wooden paneling of the floor.
"I know." Ino said. "Sakura, my eyes are up here."
Sakura raised her brows at the statement, but brought her gaze up anyways. "Ino... I miss... being your best friend. I'm not sure when I realized it, but I really do."
Ino remained silent, staring blankly at the pinkette.
"Oh, oh. I don't mean to force it onto, um, you, Ino. Just... uh, forget it. I have to go." Sakura said quickly, turned away, and ran out of the store.
-x-
Naruto gave a low groan in response to Itachi's persistence. Iruka had given him two textbooks to briefly scan over the long weekend. Naruto, being Naruto, had done his share of complaining. However, Iruka insisted he stay indoors on his birthday in order to prevent trouble. Naruto had stuck his tongue out at his favourite teacher before heading home. Only two hours after dinner on Thursday night and Itachi was pushing him to read over the textbooks. So here they were. Naruto had also begged Itachi to bring along Sasuke for the torture session.
"What does 'denizen' mean?" Naruto asked, looking pointedly at Sasuke, but receiving the same answer from both of the Uchiha brothers.
"An inhabitant."
The blonde sighed inwardly. The rivalry between the two was getting annoying.
"Quit it." Naruto hissed. He turned back to look at the page, and missed the curious look the two sent him.
"Mmm... so where were we? Denizen... ah, yes. Got it. Hm... miniscule... tolerance..." Sasuke leaned back on his outstretched hands. Glaring at his brother from the corner of his eye, Sasuke was surprised when he found his brother chuckling.
"I see you've developed a hate for me." Itachi commented lightly.
"I don't necessarily hate you..." Sasuke said guiltily. The honesty in his brother's eyes made him want to burst into tears. The blonde pretended to have trouble pronouncing a word as he listened in on the brother's conversation. Itachi, however, knew better and ordered him to keep reading.
"Of course you do." The eldest shifted his body so he was facing Sasuke.
"How is it that you read me so easily?" Sasuke cried out. He felt like an absolute child in Itachi's presence.
"How is it that you believe you're so hard to read?" Itachi retorted. He could see the frustration in his brother's dark eyes.
"Why are you spending so much time with Naruto?" Sasuke finally asked. Immediately after the question left his mouth he turned away in shame.
"Sasuke. I'm over here." Itachi lifted a hand to his brother's coal black hair. "Have I not spent all of my life with you, Otouto?"
"You're forgetting about me." Sasuke had to pause so he could wince at the tight knot in his throat.
"I'll never forget you, Sasuke. You'll always be my little brother. You know that."
"I don't. It's just... It's hard to adjust! I've always had you with me, and out of the blue, you're my best friend's boy friend, and I have absolutely no place in your relationship. Two of the most important people in my life have been taken away."
Itachi couldn't help but frown at the fragility of his brother's expression. Sasuke had never felt forgotten. And here he was, being 'forgotten' by his brother and his best friend.
"We're here now, aren't we? Sasuke, you are my little brother. You are Naruto's best friend. And nothing can change that." Itachi was pleased at the reaction he got. An armful of young Uchiha, and a squeal of protest from the on looking blonde.
"Hey? You don't forget Uzumaki Naruto. Ever." Naruto yelled. Sasuke showed off one of his rare grins, and pulled the blonde beside him.
"You forget him when he doesn't do what Iruka-sensei has told him." Itachi teased as he set the two pre-teens on the floor.
"You forget Itachi Uchiha when he's the biggest bastard known to man." Naruto spat back.
"You're forgetting me again." Sasuke whispered with a crest-fallen face. The couple was too busy tossing insults back and forth to notice.
-x-
The day of Uzumaki Naruto's birth had arrived. Konoha's streets were filled with red and orange lanterns. Streamers were strung between stores. The villagers mourned the first half of the day and celebrated the second. Itachi had decided to host the blonde's birthday party in the first half, where most villagers were indoors. Incredibly, Iruka, Kakashi-sensei, the Uchiha family, including Fugaku and Mikoto, and the rest of the rookies arrived at the right time, if not early. The group of so-called 'friends' were crowded in a training field, which Itachi had been kind enough to reserve for the morning. Some wore expressions of excitement, others wore soft frowns.
"Hinata-chan, over here!" Naruto yelled. The red-faced girl stumbled slightly before tossing a kunai at the boy. To everybody's surprise, the blonde caught it with one hand... without hurting himself, or anyone around him, for that matter. It was painfully obvious Naruto's reflexes and speed had increased greatly in the long period of time they had spent apart.
"Okay. So how come you guys are all crowded here? You couldn't all have come to train, right?" Naruto called, raising his brows at the assembly of friends. Unfortunately, his mind was still that of a 7 year old. Even Itachi face-palmed at the oblivious statement.
"What day is it today, Naruto?" Iruka said in a mildly irritated tone. He took a step towards the blonde, staring pointedly at the mop of gold hair.
"Uh... October 10?" Naruto replied sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. The brunette sighed loudly.
Iruka shook his head in mock disappointment, but his eyes betrayed his outward appearance. They were glistening with... tears? Iruka-sensei was crying?
"Sensei, please don't cry... I'm not... I didn't... your parents..." Naruto tried and tried again to comfort his teacher, but the brunette remained silent, his head hung, his shoulders shaking. Suddenly, Naruto's mind was assaulted by an image of the Fourth Hokage he just couldn't shake.
"I'm not upset, Naruto." Iruka finally said in a shaky voice. He lifted his head, but this time his face was harbouring a timid smile.
"You're 13 now. You're growing up so fast, right before my eyes!" Iruka chuckled weakly as he lifted a hand to wipe away his tears. The blonde stared in shock, kunai falling to the floor as his hands went limp.
"This. This is for my b-birthday?" Naruto gestured at the smiling crowd of people standing a couple steps behind his first bond. The group nodded in silent agreement.
"Ah..." Naruto could feel a tight knot forming in his throat. He took a deep breath in an effort to calm himself down before letting out a sigh.
"Happy Birthday, Kitsune." A voice whispered in his ear. Naruto smiled as he felt familiar arms wrap around his shoulders.
"Itachi." Naruto greeted. He tilted his head back so he could place a kiss on the Uchiha's chin.
"How do you feel?" Itachi asked. A hint of worry could be heard in his voice.
"Hm... so-so." Naruto replied. He shook himself out of Itachi's arms and stepped towards Iruka.
"Sensei? Did you go visit your parents?" Naruto turned towards Kakashi, "And sensei number two, did you visit the Hokage?" The grey haired ninja nodded briefly before immersing himself in his pornography. Iruka, however, stomped over and snatched the book out of his hands, ranting on about how 'It was Naruto's birthday, and reading such explicit literature was insulting the whole purpose of the gathering.'
Kakashi only grinned knowingly as he easily stole the book back and continued to read. The brunette cursed inwardly as a blush darkened his olive skin. The surrounding people couldn't help but speculate the reason for Iruka's blush.
"So," Naruto breathed after a minute of shocked silence. The others slowly began to snap out of their thoughts.
"What first?" He asked, glancing quickly at his boyfriend. The Uchiha remained stoic, but inside he was bursting with joy. Naruto hadn't completely rejected the party!
"First and last is a scavenger hunt." Itachi said. He raised his voice slightly so Kiba, who was arguing with Shikamaru in a far corner of the training field, would hear.
"A scavenger hunt?" Sakura repeated.
"Yes. You have been put into groups of 7. Your task is to collect the items specified and reach the end point before the other team does. Team A is Sasuke, mother, Naru, Ino, Sakura, Shikamaru, and Kakashi-san. Team B will be myself, Hinata, Shino, Chouji, Kiba, Iruka-san, and father."
"What about our list of items?" Shikamaru asked.
"Come to me." Itachi said. His tone clearly seized any more questions. The teams quickly gathered themselves, discussing strategy as their selected person left to collect lists and further instructions. They were each handed a bag to carry their objects, money, two plastic containers, and a key.
"Ready? Set? Go!"
-x-
Team A: Feather
"Alright, alright. Where can we find a feather?" The birthday boy asked. He glanced at the sky for any sign of a bird, but the sky was a beautiful cloudless blue.
"A bird." Ino suggested helpfully.
"What a great suggestion, Ino." Naruto sent her a glare, which she retaliated with a glare of her own.
"Stop it, you two. Anybody else?" Mikoto reprimanded.
"Well, costumes generally have feathers for decoration." Shikamaru muttered. Sasuke turned to face him, a scowl on his face.
"That wouldn't count." He snarled.
"Itachi-san didn't specify what type of feather he wanted." Shikamaru replied. His voice was as monotonous as ever.
"Hn."
"How about a feather boa?" Sakura asked softly. She could feel Ino's eyes on her. Shame crashed over her like a wave. She would have been swept away had it not been for Naruto's hand on her shoulder.
"Woah there. You okay? Anyways, that's a good idea. Maybe we can head into town for one?" The blonde raised his brows in concern. He always cared for everyone around him.
"I'm okay. Sure. Let's do it." She followed the bright mop of yellow hair in front of her.
"Sensei, you coming... you pervert!"
Team B: Worm
"Worm." Kiba read out. Hinata nodded over his shoulder, blushing darkly when the brunette turned to face her and they almost locked lips.
"Uh..." She stuttered, taking a full step back from the gang of males staring awkwardly at her. Abruptly, Shino got onto his knees. One of his bugs crawled into the earth and to their surprise, a worm poked out of the moist earth.
"Worm. Check." Fugaku said dryly.
Team A: Instant Ramen
"I'm pretty sure Itachi put this one in for the dobe." Sasuke commented. Mikoto couldn't help but smile as Naruto was back with a cup of instant ramen in barely four minutes.
"He gave us a slight advantage." Ino agreed.
Team B: Name of a Konoha dentist
"Where the hell do we find a dentist?" Kiba growled, looking at Itachi for some sort of guidance. The Uchiha raised his brows before replying, "You don't visit the dentist often?"
"Nah, Hana does all of that for me." Kiba answered. Fugaku sighed softy as he led the group in the direction of the Uchiha clan's dentist.
"She's a veterinarian." Iruka stated.
"Your point?"
Team A: Ant
"What's with all of the insects?" Naruto asked, frowning slightly. Sakura shook her head.
"I'm wishing we had Shino on our team." She muttered.
"Now, now. Don't get discouraged, kids. I'm sure we can find an ant hill somewhere in the forest." Mikoto gave each genin a supportive smile, disregarding her own uncertainty.
"I know where there's an ant hill." Kakashi made his first comment of the hour, much to everyone's surprise.
"Really, sensei?" Ino asked excitedly. The grey haired ninja nodded gravely, heading in the direction of the cemetery.
"We're heading towards the cemetery." Shikamaru turned to look up at the man. His eyes were glassy, shining from the rays of the inferno in the sky.
"Yeah."
Team B: Tears
"W-what? What is this?" Iruka asked in disbelief.
"Tears, sensei." Chouji answered matter-of-factly. Iruka rolled his eyes. "Yes, Chouji. But tears? Really?"
"I-I can do this o-one." Hinata whispered. Chouji turned to look at her, frowning at the determined look on her face. Hinata was determined to cry for her team.
"You're going to cry?" Iruka questioned.
"Hai." Hinata said with a nod of confirmation.
"How are you going to do that?" Itachi asked.
"Uh, I w-was wondering i-if one o-of you c-could c-c-cut me or s-something." Hinata replied nervously. Four widening of eyes gave her her answer.
"O-okay, h-how about..." Hinata began, but was cut off by an outraged Kiba.
"I'll take one for the team. Hit me."
"Gladly." Itachi muttered. In an quick show of speed, the Uchiha had managed to kick Kiba in the face in a matter of seconds.
"Ow!" Kiba cried, raised a hand to the rapidly forming bruise over his cheek bone. His eyes began to water, and he squeezed his eyes shut so his tears would fall into the jar held below him.
-x-
The teams reached the end point at the same time. Literally. Naruto and Kiba crashed into each other in their mad dashes, resulting in a cussing war. As the boys entertained each other through insults, the remaining members of the teams took the time to examine the end point. A large, abandoned warehouse in the middle of the forest.
"Will you two quit it? You're so immature." Ino pointed out. The brunette and the blonde turned to face each other before bursting into laughter. Later, Naruto and Itachi were given the opportunity to open the doors of the warehouse with the keys each team had been given. The inside was just as old, rusty, and sooty as the outside, but a strange feeling of comfort could be felt in the atmosphere. As they walked towards the main room, they noticed orange balloons, orange streamers, and orange paint splattered over the rotting wood.
"I'm proud of your decorating, Itachi." Mikoto whispered into the dimly lit hallway. The broken windows let the sun stream into the warehouse. You could see the dust particles floating gently in the air. In the main room was a large table, covered with presents. When almost everybody in the room gave relieved sighs at the sight, Naruto demanded an explanation. No one was brave enough to inform him, so Itachi stepped up to the plate.
"Every person in this room bought you a gift. However, I took it upon me to steal the gifts from them, and place them in this room. I thought it would add to the sense of surprise."
Naruto pushed the Uchiha into an empty box filled with paper as he went to open presents.
-x-
Finally, Itachi and Naruto were back in the blonde's apartment at the end of the day. After opening presents, Chouji had presented a cake his mother had made for the occasion. Well, not exactly for the occasion. She'd made it on Chouji's request for a friend's birthday. Not specifically Naruto. After cake Naruto had taken the time to thank everyone personally, even going as far as to give Hinata a kiss on the cheek for her efforts. Kiba and Shino had to carry her home.
"Itachi." Naruto called from his balcony. The Uchiha wrapped his arms around the blonde. "Hm?" He mumbled as he nuzzled Naruto's hair.
"Thank-you... really. It's the first time someone has ever celebrated my birthday." Naruto whispered. Itachi could feel the blonde quivering in his arms.
"You deserve it and so much more." Itachi replied. Naruto sighed, crawling out of Itachi's arms.
"Watch the stars with me?" He asked. Itachi nodded in response and lay beside the blonde. Somehow, their fingers intertwined without either of them noticing. They were so used to the simple gesture.
"When I look at the stars, I'm reminded that another day has passed." Naruto said. The darkness was almost overwhelming. The only pinpoints of light were the stars, and even then he could still make out Itachi's face.
"And at the end of the day, I'm reminded that Kami has spared my life again." The Uchiha tightened his grip, beginning to realize where their conversation was heading.
"Naruto..." He began, but the blonde's voice overpowered his own.
"Because on this day, 13 years ago, Iruka's parents, the Fourth Hokage, and so many other shinobi died for the leaf village. No, I killed them."
-x-
Ah, yes, readers. I am not dead. And I'm terribly sorry for the wait. I was waiting for the 50th review, Naruto's birthday, and I just wasn't inspired. Anyways, thank you so much. 50 reviews. Well, 49, but I'm just missing one review. I love you guys. Seriously! You keep me going! Hope you liked it. Also, what do you guys think? Should Sakura and Ino be friends? And should there be any side pairings? Yaoi or not, doesn't matter. I based the scavenger hunt on an actual scavenger hunt I went on. Tears was actually on the list. We cheated and put a couple drops of water in the jar. -WTR