Chapter 4: Happy Birthday!
Five sets of feet tiptoe quietly through the Uzumaki-Namikaze home to wake an unsuspecting blonde who happened to be sleeping peacefully, burrowed under orange and black blankets. Kushina, leading the way armed with a confetti bomb was being followed by Deidara, who had been carrying an air horn along with Negato and Karin. Minato carefully carried the breakfast. Deidara having already been woken up by antics, couldn't contain her excitement of waking her twin brother in this fashion.
Kushina opens Naruto's bedroom door then motions quietly for the family to come inside, putting a finger on her lips that signaled them to be quiet. She quietly counts down
With the sound of an air horn, confetti and a loud "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" sounding from his family and an excited Deidara jumping on his bed, Naruto falls off his bed from startling awake.
" Holy shit! Thanks, you guys scared me, dattebayo." A grinning Naruto finally forms his first sentence of the day after being scared awake.
"Language little brother, being 16 doesn't give you a free pass to curse. Birthday or not." Negato grins. Kushina rolls her eyes fondly while Karin and Minato give each other a knowing look. Kushina is his mother and Tsunade is his grandmother, it's a miracle he didn't have a foul mouth sooner.
"Negato? You're home from Europe?! Mom and dad said you wouldn't make it because of work and school." Naruto smile widens. Happy to see his brother home from college. Itachi and Negato had decided to go study out of the country. Yes, Kushina cried, hard. Let Minato tell it, he held it together. Minato sobbed later on that night looking through videos and photos they had taken of the kids when they were babies, toddlers and every milestone they reached.
"Wanted to surprise you and Deidara for your birthday. Eat. We got presents for the both of you." Negato ruffles his hair and moves so his dad can sit his food down.
"Happy birthday Naruto." Minato smiles softly.
"Happy birthday, sweetie." Kushina kisses his forehead then moves for Karin to hug Naruto.
They turn to leave, leaving Naruto to eat in peace while they set up gifts for the both he and Dei.
"Dei, did you eat yet? I'd like to have our birthday breakfast with you if that's alright."Naruto stops his sister before she went to her room Naruto fiddling with his blanket as he asked. Feeling stupid for asking. The 16 year old wanted to spend as much time as possible with his family. The possibility of him being accepted into an early start police academy program was very high. His godfather Jiraiya, a legend in law enforcement was the one who recommended for Naruto to apply since he trains recruits there and it's the same program his father joined. Jiraiya being his teacher. Training him in weaponry mastery and Taijutsu. Only the highly skilled and determined last with the nan. Jiraiya not only trains your body but, your mind as well as your senses. He personally wanted to train Naruto, seeing his potential. This program will have leaving his family and not being able to visit for the next few years. But, it's the perfect opportunity for Naruto. His family while not liking the idea of him being away, were supportive of him grabbing on to this chance. He had nothing here holding him back. No girlfriend, most of his friends have lives of their own now besides, anyone would jump at the chance to train with the man that taught the yellow flash himself.
Before Minato could leave Deidara stops him.
"Yeah sure, dad? Bring my food in here, will ya?" Deidara knew this would probably be their last birthday together for a while. She was gonna make the best of it. If and when her brother did leave, she knew she would have a hard time adjusting. Never being separated from Naruto for a long period of time. They were close and remained close even after growing up and taking different interests. They respected the others space and always looked out for the other. All the Uzumaki siblings did in their own quirky way.
Crawling into his bed next to him, Deidara gave him a reassuring smile having sensed his guilt and sadness. Not wanting a shred of sadness on their birthday she nudged his arm
"If you're finished brooding we have a whole day of doing what we what with little to no yelling from mom." Giving Naruto a mischievous grin
"You're right. It is our birthday, we can do what we want today." Naruto turns to her with a matching one.
"What are you two smiling about?" Minato enters with Deidara's breakfast tray, looking at them both with a brow raised in suspension.
"Nothing dad, just telling Naruto here about how exciting it is to turn 16 finally." Deidara bats her eyelashes, having used that trick on her dad numerous times to get out of trouble, it of the time.
"Hmmm." Minato eyes them both. Knowing those are the faces they make when they're up to something. Letting it be, Minato shrugged then leaves them to enjoy their breakfast. Besides he had to make sure both of their gifts arrived safely.
Deidara and Naruto ate together, stealing bites off the other's plate, smiling fondly when the other got annoyed. When they were finished, they carried their dishes down to the kitchen where the rest of the family waited.
"Put these on you two, we have your first surprise outside." Karin hands the confused Naruto and Deidara a blindfold.
"This better not be a prank or it would so suck for you when I pay you back." Naruto eyes her, not trusting her with his sight.
"No you baka, mom would skin me alive if I did that on your birthday. Put it on. Chop! Chop!" Karin claps.
Naruto grumbled but complied.
"See anything?" Minato waves his hand in front of them.
"Not a single thing." Both respond, surrounded in darkness.
When both Karin and Negato were positive they couldn't see anything, they went outside to wait with the gift and set up the camera to record their reactions.
Kushina and Minato carefully lead them outside where karin and Negato wait with their first gift of several today.
"Okay right this way, your dad and I are gonna be your eyes." Nodding, Naruto and Dei let Kushina and Minato lead them. Both were care so they wouldn't trip over the dog or hit a table. They made down the front steps, stopping once they were where Negato and Karin had already started recording.
"Take them off." Kushina couldn't wait to see the look on their faces. She and Minato spent months planning this blood sweat and literal tears when deadlines were almost not met.
Removing their blindfolds the blonde's let out a gasp or in Dei's case a squeal that sounded close to a pig meet its end.
In front of them were two brand new cars one with a giant orange bow and the other with a blue blow.
"Happy birthday. I hope they're to your liking. Your mother threatened the entire car dealership if they didn't get it right." Minato grimaces, recalling the wrath those poor men faced.
"Are you kidding? It's perfect, dattebayo." Naruto was smiling so hard his cheeks hurt. He walked over to admire is souped up orange Dodge Charger Srt with black rims, a black racing stripe at hood, top of the car and trunk with tinted windows. Naruto had been eying that car for months since he got his license. Too afraid to ask for such a gift, sure, his parents could afford it but Naruto refused to feel like he should have really nice things because his parents could afford it.
"Wow, this is really MY car." Naruto was in disbelief. He didn't think his parents took notice to him admiring that car when it was on display at the dealership. Adding the black stripe and rims was Kushina's idea while Minato made sure the car had horsepower, Minato knew a thing or two about cars himself. Still owning his Mustang he got when he was in college.
"Oh my god! I can't believe you guys got me a Jeep! It's so cute and...and...thank you mom and dad. How'd you know? Is this a joke? THis better not be a joke." Deidara was crying tears of joy and disbelief having wanted a car but was willing to work her way to buying it on her own. She could have anything she wanted but, that doesn't mean she shouldn't work for it.
Walking over, Deidara admires her Sapphire blue Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. Like Naruto, she had black rims and tinted windows. In her eyes the car was perfect. Nothing can top this gift.
"I'd say gift one was a success, what do you think?" Minato wraps an arm around a smiling Kushina, bringing her to his chest and kissing her forehead.
"Yeah, they're such good kids. They deserve it." Looking up at Minato, Kushina grins.
Kushina remembering she still had a party to set up, urged the kids inside to shower and take their cars for a spin for a few hours. It would give them enough time to set up the event and get dressed themselves. Besides, Minato had a spa day planned for Deidara with two friends of her choosing.
Naruto stepped out the shower, wrapped himself in a towel and stared himself in the mirror. His blonde hair still dripping with water after his shower, sighing to himself he did his morning routine. To most people he was confident and funny. Naruto was far from confident and masked his insecurities with humor. He didn't like how short he was or how scrawny his body is. He didn't like his round face or his whisker birthmarks. His voice squeaks, he's loud. He doesn't have a strong jawline like his dad nor is he tall like Negato. He knows no girl would want him, having been friendzoned by both his crushes, he gave up in the girlfriend department anway. Sasuke had gotten a boyfriend and Hinata had saw him as nothing but a friend. In hindsight Naruto wondered if it was even a crush or him trying to get over the sting of Sasuke finding a boyfriend. Doesn't matter, what's done is done. He's happy to have Sasuke around even if it's as a friend.
Okay, maybe he liked Sakura too. She never gave any indication of liking him back as anything but a friend so, Naruto never acted on his crush to find out. Exhausted by rejection.
Shaking his thoughts away, Naruto fixes his hair, dresses in simple jeans stone washed ripped jeans a white shirt with the Uzumaki family crest on the back and lastly, slipping on his shoes. He checks himself in the mirror one last time before grabbing his phone, keys and wallet. He kissed both his parents goodbye then left over to Gaara's, wanting to show him his new car and hang out with his best friend before he had to be home at 6 to cut his cake.