Title: Disadvantaged Children
Rating: M

One thing – This story is in no way an actual representation of the orphanage system in either America or in Japan. I only have gratitude and respect for foster workers and the wonderful group homes/foster system. This story is PURELY for entertainment purposes. (Sorry for the late disclaimer! I apologize for being insensitive.)

Hemhem. On to the story!


Chapter Fourteen

Team

"Hey. Happy birthday."

Shino awkwardly shoves a badly wrapped package into my hands, while Hinata blushes a bright red. My eyes widen as I view the fallen team in front of me, a team that had once smiled every day before the disappearance of one Inuzuka Kiba. There's a silence before Shino looks pointedly at the package in my hands.

"Oh, sorry!" I grin sheepishly then carefully unwrap the star-blue wrapping paper, still a little shocked that someone actually got me presents.

A necklace with a cross, nestled snugly in a rich, red fabric...

"NEAT-O!"

Shino chuckles as he watches me carefully dangle the necklace. Even though it's simple, I instantly fall in love with the dark silk and the perfect shape of faith. The cross feels cool to the touch and its gold angles seem to capture every glint of light. How did they know?

"It was Hinata's idea."

I abruptly stop staring at the necklace and instead focus my wide eyes on Hinata, who's blushing even harder at the mention of her name. "Hinata-chan, this present is perfect! How'd you know what to get me?"

"I.. I thought it w-would match you."

I grin as hard as I can then throw my arms around Hinata. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, Hinata-chan! Wow, you're so observant!"

Shino chuckles. "It wasn't hard to figure out your obsession with God, Naruto. After all, you're always asking people if they believe in him."

I take a step back from Hinata and frown. It was true that I spent a lot more time thinking about God, but I hadn't noticed that I had asked the God question more than once. It just slipped out whenever I was bored – a slight reminder of the day Sasuke and I had shared..

I can't stop the pull anymore than I can stop breathing. Without thinking, my eyes search the crowd of people behind me until I spot Sasuke, who's talking to Kakashi. He hadn't approached me during the entire day of festivities, but sometimes I'd spot him gazing at me. How that bastard wormed his way into my head was a complete mystery, but-

Oh, he's staring at you, Naruto. Oh shit, act like you haven't been thinking about him!

I make a face then turn my attention back to Shino and Hinata, who are staring at me in confusion. I scratch my head then grin. "Thank you, you guys! This is more than I deserve. In any case, I'll wear it every day!"

I quickly clasp the necklace around my neck, reveling in the unfamiliar metal touching the base of my neck. "How's it look?"

"Beautiful," Shino sarcastically says.

Hinata, on the other hand, smiles and nods her head. "I-I like it, Naruto-kun. It fits you."

I strut for a while before throwing my arms around both Shino and Hinata, almost strangling them with the weight of orange and a giddy cheeriness. "MANOHMAN, I HAVE THE BEST FRIENDS IN THE WORLD!"

Shino's eye twitches before he sighs in resignation. "We love you too, Naruto."

xxx

"NARUTO SIR! HOW DOES IT FEEL TO HAVE EIGHTEEN YEARS OF YOUTH AND JUBILENCE?!"

Before I can reply, Rock Lee grabs my hands and places a shiny, smooth... rock into the center of my palm.

"THIS IS WHAT YOU ARE. YOU ARE LIKE A ROCK, A PART OF THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH, A PART OF MY LIFE!" He bows briefly before continuing. "I'M HONORED, NARUTO, TO CALL MYSELF YOUR FRIEND."

I'm pretty sure I'm never going to recover. Ever.

"Eh.. Rock Lee, have you been- Oh never mind. Thank you." I even get myself to bow back to him, although it's just a little head nod.

Rock Lee blinks before opening his mouth. "YOU ARE VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY-"

I twitch, wondering how long it must take Rock Lee to get into his spandex suit.

"VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY-"

The whole thing is so clingy, it's almost like a second skin on the bushy-eyebrowed boy. And how in the world did he wash the thing? God forbid he ever put in the washer, otherwise the thing would just be big enough to fit his-

"VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY, VEEEERYYY-"

Just how much gel did it take to get the hair into a perfect bowl?

"VERY WELCOME!"

I'm saved from having to answer when TenTen walks over and hauls Rock Lee away with the promise of leftover cake. But not before she winks at me.

"Happy birthday, Naruto."

xxx

"Chouji, just do it."

"But it's so much! He can't eat it all. C'mon, can't I just take-"

"Chouji. Now."

With a frown on his face, Chouji reluctantly steps forward and hands me a large box with a gaudy-red paper covering it. I blink before shaking my head. It was odd to get presents, especially since I had forgotten the date of my birthday. I didn't understand these people, my friends, taking the time to care. But it made me happy.

I hurriedly unwrap the package, almost ripping the bright paper, and gape at the contents. Ramen. A boxful of ramen.

Ino winks at me, but I can tell she's nervous. "It was all Shikamaru's doing. I wanted to get you something less.. cheap, but he was convinced that this was the most thoughtful present."

"Tch. If Naruto doesn't like it, he'll tell us."

"No, he won't! I mean, before he would have, but I have a feeling that he's more polite now. He'll probably just pretend to like it."

I drag my eyes from the colorful packets of ramen even though it pains me. Chouji looks at me expectantly while Ino trails off, eyes focused on my own. I can't help it. Without another thought, I bite my lip then hurriedly wipe the tears that are threatening to tell the whole world my tangling feelings. I see Shikamaru step forward in concern, but I stop him by grinning and jumping on three, unsuspecting orphans.

"I can't believe it, you guys! This is the best birthday ever! I mean, here I thought that everyone would hate me because I acted like such a bastard during the last month, but-but everyone is acting like it never happened and.. Guys? Guys, why aren't you-"

"Mff, gerroff."

I sheepishly cough, then unlatch myself from Team 7, who immediately wheeze in air. "I mean. Thank you. I'll treasure it forever. Or, at least, for as long as it lasts."

I'm pretty sure that Shikamaru muttered something like 'three days,' but I decide to ignore it. Just this once.

xxx

"Hey, brat, get over here. Iruka wants to talk to you."

I screech to a halt, even though the last slice of cake is just a few inches from me. With a sigh, I reluctantly turn around and walk to Kakashi and Iruka, who are both grinning like proud parents. Aside from Iruka's wish of happy birthday, I hadn't gotten a chance to talk to them. But I had seen them flit around the cafeteria, acting like kids. At one point, they had both been flinging cake at various people, including Sasuke, himself.

An image of Sasuke smothered with cake pops into my mind and I snicker... That is, until the Sasuke in my head slowly starts taking off his cloth-

"You okay, Naruto? You look a little flushed."

I groan and ruffle my hair with one hand, trying to erase everything that had just entered my mind. Whenever I thought of the Uchiha, it was like my brain lost control and went rampant with inappropriate thoughts. Wasn't there a proper term for that? Oh yeah. Insane. I turn my attention back to the pair in front of me and nonchalantly stick my hands into my pockets.

"I'm ok. I've never had a birthday party before so I'm a little confused about all these things." I gesture to something behind Iruka and my counselors turn to see what I'm pointing at. "Like that clown. What the hell is it doing here?"

Kakashi blinks at the clown before turning back to me and shrugging. "Oh, that's just Orochimaru."

My jaw drops.

My counselor's mask twitches as he laughs. "Oh, but don't worry. We told him to keep a five foot radius away from you, so he won't be bothering you in your own party."

"Plus his costume is so cute! There's just something endearing about clowns at birthday parties." Iruka chimes in, eyes gushing excitement.

"And their big, adorable red noses."

"Oh, and don't forget that creamy, pale skin! Of course, in Orochimaru's case, he really didn't need any more make up."

"But he definitely needed that alluring wig. Hey, Iruka, who picked out that manly shade of rainbow, anyway?"

"Why, I believe, Kakashi, that you did."

Kakashi grins. "Oh yeah. I did."

The way Iruka and Kakashi exchange a knowing glance before happily shoving cake into my gaping mouth confirms one thing.

Best birthday present ever.


I'm about to throw another stick from my hiding place at the Orochimaru-clown-thing when I'm stopped by a shadow hovering over me. I look up to see Sai's dark eyes and I sigh before dragging my ass out from underneath the birthday table. As I survey the cafeteria, I can see that there's only a few people. Most had already left, but not before participating in games like 'Pin the Tail on Naruto' and 'How Low Can You Go (which, to my disappointment, Sasuke had refrained from participating in.)'

I yawn then peer at Sai. "Where's Sakura?"

He sighs impatiently. "She's meeting us somewhere. So let's go."

"Where are we go-?"

My question is cut off when Sai grips my wrist and starts dragging me towards the door. I'm too tired to complain so I just sigh and tolerate the cool hand on my skin. We pass the cafeteria, some buildings, and hallways that I've never seen, which isn't surprising considering that the Mansion is huge. Unfamiliar smells eventually drift my way, and I frown when I catch a whiff of paint.

"I paint a lot. But you knew that already, didn't you, Naruto?"

Startled, I turn towards Sai, who has loosened his grip on my wrist. I shrug. "Yeah, you paint all the time. Do you like to paint?"

"Yes. When I paint, I'm.. distracted from other matters."

"Like killing me?" I snicker.

A small smile graces Sai's pale face. "Perhaps."

A comfortable silence passes before Sai speaks again. "The faculty know what they're doing. When I first arrived, I was ordered to do one thing. Paint. So I painted. I painted little things, people, colors.. And it wasn't long before I started painting memories."

I'm in awe that Sai's taking the time to share personal things so I just nod, encouragingly. "And it helped you, right?"

He nods. "It was odd, but it worked. I.. I forget who I am when I paint and at this point in my life, forgetting is what I need to do."

I suddenly have an urge to ask this boy in front of me what his story is, what his past consists of.. But I have a feeling that asking would make Sai clam up, so I bite my tongue and let him continue.

"Naruto, you.." Sai stumbles over his words, before he finally looks straight at me. "You're in a lot of my paintings."

I almost fall over from shock, but quickly regain my balance. "That's really flattering, Sai, but I don't think I understand. I mean, I've seen you paint me a couple of times, but that was only once or twice." I laugh nervously. "Besides, why would you paint-"

"I don't know!" Frustration pools in Sai's voice, echoing through the Mansion. "I wake up every day and it's like I have to draw your stupid smile or your idiotic eyes. I don't understand why or how, but you remind me so much.. Too much."

Sai squeezes harder on my arm and the gesture is almost possessive, manic. His face is shaded, so I can't read him any more than I can read his look-alike, Sasuke. His words are confusing, just like the many twisting hallways that we've walked through just to arrive here. I can almost feel this bond, this bond with Sai, getting lost with each step that we take.

Without thinking, I quickly grasp Sai's hand with my own and his long fingers lace with mine. He's staring at me intently, eyes burning into mine, and I smile before whispering. "If that's what it takes, then go ahead. I promised to help you, remember? So you can't freak out just because of something like that."

I keep talking, encouraged when I see Sai's shoulders lose tension. "Look, I don't care if you're painting me. I mean, it's probably normal. We spend a lot of time together and, no offense, you probably don't hang out with anyone else." I jab a thumb at my chest and puff my cheeks. "Just think of me as your inspiration. Y'know. Naruto Uzumaki, your blonde-haired, blue-eyed extraordinaire. Who wouldn't want to paint me?"

A tense silence passes before I spot a glimmer of a twitch in Sai's mouth. Breathing a sigh of relief, I slowly unclasp my hand from Sai's grasp and scratch the back of my head with a grin.

"So, we cool?"

Sai rolls his eyes, but smiles. "Yes."

"That's what I'm talking about." I stop then glance around my surroundings, taking in the unfamiliar woodwork, the dark hallway, and the room in front of us. "Is this where we're meeting Sakura?"

Sai blinks before nodding slowly. "She and I arranged this beforehand. This room.. Well, it's essentially for you."

"Wha?" I quickly shut my gaping mouth before peering at the innocent-looking door in front of me. "What are you talking about?"

Sai stays silent and, suddenly, the pieces start to click together. The whispers that both of my teammates had always exchanged, the exhaustion whenever Sai came to meet us for class, the expert way that Sakura had pulled off the birthday party... Could it be that these two had done even more than I had expected? My wide eyes slowly trail from the door to Sai, who's smirking from my reaction.

I frown and gesture at the door. "Is this another scheme that you and Sakura hatched up behind my back?"

"Are you complaining?" Sai asks, raising an eyebrow.

I think for a moment then grin. "Nah."

"Good."

Then, before I can protest, Sai grabs my wrist again and opens the door.


It's beautiful.

Colors swirl in front of me, all different and clashing together in a way that twists my own heart. There's no end to the art, no end to the painstaking details of paint in every inch on the wall. Just seeing the emotions splayed out in this cascade of sapphire, dark green, and bleeding black steals my breath and hides it away. I can't describe it. It's impossible to describe beauty, especially beauty that's been made for someone like me.

"Do you like it?"

Sakura's brilliant eyes stand out in the darkness but seem to belong in the canvas that stands behind her. Along with her is Sai, the boy who must have held a brush to his hands and painted, sculpted, carved the impossible. The odor of paint attacks me in every direction, but for the first time in my life, I'm savoring the tinge of magnificence.

"It took so long! But we wanted to do something special for your birthday, ."

It's my birthday today. How many times, in the past, have I forgotten my own birthday? How many beatings have I endured on the day that should be my happiest? And now.. Why now?

"The design was Sai's idea, but I helped a lot! You probably won't believe it, Naruto, but your Sakura-chan is a regular artist!"

My hand reaches up to the cross on my necklace, a habit that I've started to adopt whenever I'm overwhelmed with emotions. I don't know if I can believe in what I'm seeing, but the cross settling warmly on my chest reminds me that belief only requires my heart. My gaze keeps flickering from one side to the other, trying to take in as much as possible without faltering.

A hill..

"You know all those times that you and Kiba visited the courtyard, together? Well, Sai and I remembered this one image and it stuck – hence our design for your present."

Two boys.

"Naruto? Naruto, you haven't said anything in a while. Do you.. Do you not like it?"

The night sky. Stars. Dreams.

I tear my eyes away from the sight and swallow, even though my throat is dry. "Why?"

"What?" Sakura looks at me, confusion settling in her frown.

"Why did you do this for me?" My voice is hoarse and I turn my attention back to the painting that's a reminder of love in its purest form. "I-I don't deserve it. So why did you do this?"

Sakura smiles blindingly and my heart flips.

"Because you're our teammate."

Simple words. But they make so much sense that I don't need to ask anymore. With a lump in my throat, I walk closer to the wall, absorbing in all the stars and the brush strokes. When I get close enough, I slowly raise a hand to touch the mural. It's real under my touch. I can remember the memory, can almost hear the wind blowing gently behind us. It's the greatest gift I could ever receive.

'And it wasn't long before I started painting memories.'

I slowly turn around and lock eyes with Sai. There's so much turmoil in those inky pools that I pull away to meet Sakura's eyes, which are hopeful and happy.

My teammates.

I whisper, because it's the only thing I can do. "Thank you."

Sai smiles and so does Sakura.

"You're welcome, Naruto."


It's night when I finally walk out of the room, head spinning from the surrealistic atmosphere. The three of us, as a Team, had sat down together in the middle of the painted night time sky. Time became irrelevant as Sakura started, Sai continued, and I finished. There was so much to say, so much that I needed to know about these two human beings.. But soon, I couldn't stop my yawns or the fatigue that caused my eyes to droop.

My steps echo down the hall and I casually look down at my watch. Each second ticks closer and closer to the end of the day. The end of my birthday.

I yawn again then stretch in an attempt to keep my energy up. Judging from the amount of time it had taken for Sai to bring me to the room, it would probably take just as long to get back to the dorms. It's kind of spooky walking by myself, because each corridor is like a haven for creeping monsters. But I bravely continue walking, trying to figure out where I'm going.

Ten minutes later, I'm grimacing and trying not to trip on my dead feet. Every passageway looks the same and the room numbers are repeating over and over. I have to resist the urge to scream in frustration as I pass another staircase that I've seen twice now.

Trying to distract myself, I look down at my watch again. It's exactly 11:59 and the second hand is steadily crawling its way to the 12. With a tired grin, I stop walking and silently count down. I wanted to remember every second of this day.

Twenty, nineteen, eighteen..

A footstep suddenly reverberates in the hallway and I look up with eyes bigger than those of a startled deer. There's someone at the very end of the corridor and I squint before waving. The person doesn't wave back, but I'm pretty sure it's Sasuke because of the spiky black hair and the lean figure. I sigh with relief, even though I'm not too happy about who my savior will be.

"Ne, teme, you haven't said happy birthday to me, yet!"

There's no answer so I frown then go back to looking at my watch.

Eleven, ten, nine..

"You'd better hurry because there's only eight seconds left." I grin, but when I look up, the person's gone. Now I'm getting kind of freaked out, because there are barely any lights to illuminate the area.

"Sasuke bastard, stop hiding from me! I'm lost." I whine, but only the darkness answers me.

Four, three, two..

And then there's something wrong, because a blur of black flashes before a fist grinds into my stomach. My next words are silenced when another fist, fast, so fast, makes contact with my nose. The pain envelopes me like a hazy fog, and I can't see anything, but this isn't Sasuke, because he'd never do this.

I manage to kick the person in front of me, but it doesn't matter because strong arms grip me and shove me against the wall with so much force that I hear a crack as my head hits the wall. Gritting my teeth, I struggle and flail, but a hand grips my neck and starts choking me. I can't breathe, it hurts, I can't think.

I manage to open my eyes and what I see scares me. Eyes like blood.

One...

The hand gripping my neck suddenly twists and I can't see anything anymore, because the pain is too much for me. I'm as useless as a doll rag, hovering between consciousness and a furious rage. But even Kyuubi's not responding, and I don't understand why, but I'm about to die.

A voice that's as cold as the air around me.

"Tell my little brother that I'm back."

It doesn't make sense, but I don't care because I can't breathe anymore. My eyes roll back into my head and my legs finally stop twitching. The familiar darkness is a cloth that touches me everywhere and I feel myself slipping, falling, wall scraping my elbows.

"Oh. And happy birthday."

I'm gone.


AN: First off, this chapter was ridiculously difficult to write – each scene was a different emotion to convey, had a different purpose, etc and at times I was just trying desperately not to make it too long. (thankfully, the word count is pretty low for this chapter.) So if anyone's head is reeling from all the events, just think of how Naruto feels, haha.

Second, my reviewers are da bomb. This story's finally gotten far enough to get some stellar reviews out of some of you – half the time, I stare at the review thinking, now why didn't I think of that? The inspiration keeps coming because of you guys! So thank you so, so, so much.

And third.. This story is a monster. That is all.

Read and review! :)))))