"Guys, we don't have to do this."

"Of course we do, Naruto! It's your birthday."

He shifted uneasily. "Yeah, but still. Can't we have dinner at home?" Sakura smiled at his word choice. She had forcibly moved the boys into her house after a single discussion with her parents on one of the rare occasions they had been home, just before they left again. She was convinced that they would retire soon, just so they could travel without mission parameters. It seemed as if they had eternal wanderlust.

"We could, but I know you love Ichiraku's ramen more than mine. Why are you so against going out?" She had her suspicions, but she wasn't going to voice them.

He rubbed the back of his head uncomfortably, looking at Kakashi and Sasuke waiting by the pathway into town for them. "I was born on the same day the Kyuubi attacked, Sakura-chan. People don't like to see someone celebrating on a day like today."

Her suspicions confirmed, she pulled him into a hug, which he accepted with confusion. "People are welcome to mourn their dead on this day, but we also have the right to celebrate our good fortune that you were born, Naruto."

His blue eyes were watery. "Sakura-chan …"

"Hey, are you two done gossiping like girls?" Sasuke was smirking at them, but it faded when Sakura slowly turned to him with a deadly look on her face.

She smiled sweetly at him. "What did you say, Sasuke-kun? I'm afraid I was so busy being a girl that I couldn't hear you."

Sasuke looked up at Kakashi for help, but the man waved his hands to ward him away. "Oh no, don't get me involved in this. You should know better." His eyes widened as Sakura approached him, daggers in her eyes. Without further consideration, Sasuke ran toward Ichiraku like there was a demon nipping at his heels. Sakura tore after him in hot pursuit.

Kakashi sighed and waited for Naruto to join him before they made their way to the stall in a more leisurely fashion. "Everything okay, Naruto?"

The boy smiled, though it was a little empty. "Everything is fine, Kakashi-sensei."

"Smile! You're about to eat your body weight in ramen and you don't even have to pay for it. I can't imagine a better birthday present for you, honestly." He pretended to think, hand on his chin.

"Yeah. It will be fun." Naruto didn't sound like he believed his own words. Kakashi considered his options and then grabbed him under the arms and lifted him onto his shoulders. "Kakashi-sensei, what-!"

"Special birthday privileges. Can you see your trouble-making teammates from way up there?"

Naruto's hand gripped his hair painfully at first, but it lessened as he relaxed a little. "I see that jerk getting his face beaten in by Sakura-chan!" He laughed and Kakashi felt his own tension abate at the sound. Naruto covered Kakashi's one open eye playfully and then snorted in entertainment when he didn't even stop walking. "Even I know better than to say stuff like that."

Kakashi was amused by his comment. "But do you know why?"

"Because then Sakura-chan will beat my face in!" He said it cheerfully, still watching Sakura pinch Sasuke's cheeks comically as they approached the stand themselves. She waved at them with her free hand and then let go of Sasuke, who rubbed at his abused face with a pout.

"Good enough for now, I guess. Sakura-chan will educate you further, I'm sure."

"Educate him on what, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura sat next to Sasuke as he took the end seat. Kakashi plucked Naruto off his shoulders easily and placed him on the stool next to her and taking his own seat next to the birthday boy.

"Life, Sakura-chan. You seem to have a good handle on it." He smiled at her behind his mask and she stuck her tongue out at him, before calling to Ayame for their order. They all tucked into their bowls eagerly and then Sakura and Kakashi chatted while Naruto kept eating, with Sasuke offering his opinion when prodded.

"Hey, old man! Gimme a bowl of pork ramen, extra spicy!" An middle-aged civilian man fell onto the stool next to Kakashi, smelling strongly of sake. Sakura made a face, though she couldn't judge him. Years as Tsunade's apprentice had certainly cured her of the idea that there were specific times of day for drinking.

He leaned heavily on the counter for a moment, before blearily looking up at Kakashi and the kids next to him. His eyes widened when they landed on Naruto's bright hair and brighter clothes and Sakura immediately got a terrible feeling in her gut.

"Oi, demon brat. How can you show your face so easily today?" The man's own face was getting redder as he spoke angrily. Naruto froze in middle of slurping his noodles and then looked at him uneasily. "Yeah, you! This is all your fault!" He made clumsy motions at his whole body, indicating possibly his drunken state or maybe his drunken life.

"W-what? I don't know you …" Naruto trailed off uncertainly, while Sakura frowned at the man. Kakashi laid a hand on the civilian's shoulder, in an attempt to stop him from saying more, but he was shrugged off.

"Don't pretend like you don't know! They should have destroyed you when you were a baby! My Mitsuko … you killed her." He was unsteadily pointing at Naruto, but the anger and grief in his eyes were unsettling. Sakura didn't know what to do, unprepared for the man's vitriol.

Kakashi gripped the man's shoulder, harsh and deliberate. "It's time for you to go." He tossed him backwards without a second glance to where he landed, his concern only for the shaking boy sitting next to him.

Naruto looked at him with eyes bright with tears. "Why are they like this, Kakashi-sensei? What did I do? I never killed anyone!"

He sighed. "We should go back to Sakura-chan's house. This is not a conversation we want to have in public." Or at all, he thought. Kakashi looked at his oldest student, wondering if she wanted to share in this part, but she shook her head. It's better this way, if he's only mad at me for knowing.

Sakura slapped down money for their food and silently led the way home, with Kakashi lifting a scarily quiet Naruto on his back. The boy just buried his face into the back of his neck. Sasuke followed them, confused by the intense change in atmosphere.

Ensconced in Sakura's cozy sunroom, they all sat facing one another tensely. Kakashi dug through his memories, trying to figure out what to say and what to leave out. After he found out that Sakura knew of the Kyuubi, he had approached the Hokage to see what else he had told her. He was assured that Naruto's parentage was still a secret, but by this point, he knew better than to underestimate her knowledge.

Naruto had drawn his knees up and wrapped his arms around them and looked at his teacher. "You know why, Kakashi-sensei. You know why everyone is like this to me, all the time."

He let out a heavy breath. "Yes, Naruto. It is … a long story and technically there's a law against discussing it." Kakashi held up a hand to forestall the arguments that he could see brewing on his team's face. "Still, you deserve to know. You've always deserved to know. I'm sorry it took me this long to tell you."

Sakura slipped her arm through Naruto's tense one and Sasuke shifted minutely closer to him. He almost smiled, looking at them. They will get him through this. Sakura stared at him unblinkingly, urging him to get on with it.

"You know the basic history. Ten years ago on this day, the Kyuubi attacked Konoha and the Yondaime died to defeat it. What we're not supposed to mention is how he defeated it. He gave his life to seal the Kyuubi into a baby born that day." There was a short silence as what he said began to sink in.

Naruto eyes were wide and he began to shake again. "You mean I'm the demon?" Sasuke gave him a sharp glance and then leaned against him slightly.

Sakura cut in before Kakashi could say anything. "No! It sounds like he is saying that you are the one the Yondaime chose to help Konoha." She looked up at Kakashi, her fierce glare brooking no argument.

Kakashi didn't disagree. "He wanted you to be seen as a hero, Naruto. It was a secret because the Sandaime was afraid you would be in danger if it became known."

Sakura had real venom in her voice when she said, "So he just let Naruto be ostracized instead. What a great decision."

Kakashi felt the distant need to defend the decision of his superior. "It was the best he could do at the time, Sakura-chan."

She muttered to herself, "That remains to be seen," but didn't say anything else. She squeezed Naruto's arm, trying to project support and comfort.

"How can I have Kyuubi sealed in me and not know? Maybe you're wrong, maybe it didn't work." Naruto was desperately grasping at anything that would make this life-changing information not apply to him.

"It was confirmed by a sealing expert after everything was done." After Minato-sensei was dead, after Kushina-san was dead.

The tears that had been threatening since Ichiraku burst free and Naruto's shoulders shook as he brought his hands to his face to cry silently. Kakashi was unsure of what to do in the face of his student's uncharacteristic grief, so different from his loud exuberant self. Sakura murmured nonsense to him as she rubbed his back and Sasuke looked as awkward as Kakashi felt, though he poked at Naruto's side to get him to look up.

Sasuke looked at his friend's tear-stained face seriously. "All this means is that you've been crap at training, idiot."

Naruto sniffled. "W-what?"

Sasuke shrugged. "All the extra chakra you must have from that thing and Sakura and I still beat you most of the time."

Naruto gaped at him and then astonishingly, he began to laugh. It was harsh and hiccupping from his leftover sobs, but it was a genuine sound of amusement. Sasuke looked immensely pleased with himself and Kakashi was so proud of his taciturn student. Glancing at Sakura's shining eyes, he could tell she felt the same way, like a tiny little mother hen.

Naruto shoved Sasuke a little. "You're still a jerk." He looked at the rest of them. "So what now? I still don't get how I have this, this thing and not know about it."

Sakura's eyes brighten and her whole demeanor straightened. The boys stared at her in fear as a devious grin grew across her face. "This sounds like it calls for more training and research!" She rubbed her hands together. "This ought to be fun."

The next day, Naruto was face down on the training grounds with Sakura standing over him with her hands on her hips. He whined at her through a mouthful of rocks and earth. "Sakura-chaaaaan. You're gonna kill me!"

"Don't be such a crybaby. It's not becoming of our future Hokage." Behind her, Sasuke snorted in amusement and then was immediately punished for his inattention by Kakashi solidly hitting him in the solar plexus. He wheezed and fell back a few steps, before narrowing his eyes and focusing on the spar once more.

Naruto turned his head and squinted at her. "You really think I can? Even with … everything?"

"I have no doubt you'll be the best Hokage that Konoha has ever seen. If you do what I tell you."

This time it was Kakashi that muttered behind her. "That sounds familiar." He raised his voice to carry. "Sakura-chan, when were you promoted to leader of this team?"

She didn't bother to turn around. "I've always been the leader, Kakashi-sensei. You're just here as a decoy."

"Ouch, my self-worth."

Sakura ignored him and prodded at Naruto with her foot. "Up, up! You have more chakra and stamina than all of us put together! No excuses now, Naruto-kun."

Naruto grumbled into the ground.

"What was that?"

"I love your training schedules, Sakura-chan."

"That's what I thought." She watched him slowly pick himself off the ground and smiled to herself. "You're going to be great, Naruto. And one day, everyone will see that."

note: I've always found Sarutobi's law about Naruto's parentage and status to be incredibly unrealistic. Ninja and civilian adults alike knew that Naruto was a jinchuriki and somehow he was only ever told on purpose by a malicious traitor when he was twelve? Yeah, right. Honestly, I think it would have been much sooner than even when I've portrayed it, but for the purposes of this story that's when it happened.