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“Sakura-chan! Come ON!” Naruto launched himself onto the stool at Ichiraku, looking back at her with large, blue eyes. “You said you and teme would pay for my ramen!”
“I know.” Sakura retorted. “It IS your birthday after all.”
Naruto nodded, grinning eagerly.
Sasuke merely gave a grunt, sitting down in his own seat.
“Are you sure this is all you wanted for your birthday, Naruto?” Sakura asked concernedly, her eyebrows knotted a bit in worry. “I mean, we could have bought you something too. Ramen isn’t much of a present.”
Naruto’s gaze turned thoughtful for a moment, before he gave a slow nod. “I guess there is one thing I want more than ramen for my birthday.”
“Really?” Sakura perked up. This would HAVE to be a lot more interesting than ramen, for Naruto to get THOUGHTFUL.
“Yeah. It’s really important.” Naruto continued.
“Just tell us already, dobe.” Sasuke cut in.
Naruto glared at him. “Teme.” But he merely breathed in deeply, before he smiled softly. “I want you two to be there for me when I become Hokage. And we can go out for ramen on my birthday just like this, and we’ll be a family, just like we are now, ne?”
There was a moment of silence.
“I mean,” Naruto began. “I’m going to need you two to help, and we’ll all be really strong, powerful ninjas by then, ne?”
Sakura nodded, smiling. “Hai!” She blushed and giggled, looking to Sasuke. “What about you, Sasuke-kun?”
Something dark flitted in his eyes, before he shrugged. “I guess it’s ok, until something more important comes up.”
The two suddenly found themselves crushed against Naruto, as he grinned madly at the two of them. “Thanks guys. You’re the best.”

______________________

She just sat down at the bar silently, ordering her drink in a soft voice, barely audible. Naruto and Sasuke turning to look at her: Naruto’s face shocked, while Sasuke’s was indifferent.
Sasuke gave a small grunt, before he turned back to his own sake. His ANBU mask was propped against the large bottle. It was almost reminiscent of her own, and she vaguely remembered her own days in ANBU. But she said nothing, as she noticed the tense rigidity of Sasuke’s shoulders, knowing that he had no intention—or want—to speak with her.
She held the sake cup in her hand, staring down at her reflection. None of them spoke. The air was full of a tense, uncomfortable silence. Sasuke and Sakura waited, hoping Naruto would say something, do something stupid, anything that would break through the emotional barriers they’d all built around themselves.
But he said nothing, merely watching them both with weary, old eyes.
“No ramen?” Sakura finally murmured softly. It was a pathetic attempt at conversation, but she needed something. The silence was unbearable.
Naruto blinked at the sound of her voice, startled out of his own thoughts. He turned to look at her with a tremulous smile, his eyes crinkling at the edges. She hadn’t noticed the small crow’s feet before, but they were prominent now. It was a horrible thing to see, that time was taking its toll on such a lively man. He was too young for such things.
“No ramen.” He finally said, his voice devoid of the old excitement and vibrancy of life it had once held.
“Hn.”
They both looked to Sasuke, who took a sip of his sake. “Dobe.”
“Teme.” Naruto shot back automatically, and Sakura gave a small smile as she watched the two of them. Sasuke made a comment on how disgusting ramen was and Naruto was now passionately defending the noodles. Sakura’s hands tightened around her small saucer. She felt out of place, watching the two of them. What could she say? SHOULD she say anything? For a moment they were as they had been, and she never wanted it to end.
Perhaps they saw her forlorn gaze, because they grew silent.
“Sakura-chan?”
“Hm?” She mumbled.
“Anything wrong?”
She shook her head. “No. I’m fine.”
“Che.” Sasuke snorted. “Stop being so annoying.”
Sakura blinked, before she turned away from the two of them, face drawn. This wasn’t exactly the outcome she had expected.
She took a sip of her sake, her gaze weary and pained.
She tried to ignored Sasuke’s cold glares, and Naruto’s sympathetic gaze. She was there, just like she’d promised. The village hated and distrusted her, her own teammates doubted her words, and Sasuke despised her. But she’d kept her promise to Naruto. She could withstand the hate and pain, just for him…right?
"Happy birthday, Naruto," she whispered to herself, knowing that he hadn't heard.

___________________________

This is a little snippet from the next chapter of Maelstrom, which does, in fact, include Naruto's birthday! And yes, I also did this because Naruto's birthday is today (Oct 10)

Please, for the love of god, ignore the crappiness of this picture. (including the half-assed background *shudders) I had planned on doing a LOT more with it, until I noticed how late it was and realized that I'd have to rush if I actually wanted to get it up on Naruto's birthday. Oi. Well, I hope you all like it. It's a sad birthday present, but I still think it's a good one. It shows team 7's devotion to each other.

So...HAPPY BIRTHDAY NARUTO!

Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke belong to Kishimoto

Description
“Sakura-chan! Come ON!” Naruto launched himself onto the stool at Ichiraku, looking back at her with large, blue eyes. “You said you and teme would pay for my ramen!”
“I know.” Sakura retorted. “It IS your birthday after all.”
Naruto nodded, grinning eagerly.
Sasuke merely gave a grunt, sitting down in his own seat.
“Are you sure this is all you wanted for your birthday, Naruto?” Sakura asked concernedly, her eyebrows knotted a bit in worry. “I mean, we could have bought you something too. Ramen isn’t much of a present.”
Naruto’s gaze turned thoughtful for a moment, before he gave a slow nod. “I guess there is one thing I want more than ramen for my birthday.”
“Really?” Sakura perked up. This would HAVE to be a lot more interesting than ramen, for Naruto to get THOUGHTFUL.
“Yeah. It’s really important.” Naruto continued.
“Just tell us already, dobe.” Sasuke cut in.
Naruto glared at him. “Teme.” But he merely breathed in deeply, before he smiled softly. “I want you two to be there for me when I become Hokage. And we can go out for ramen on my birthday just like this, and we’ll be a family, just like we are now, ne?”
There was a moment of silence.
“I mean,” Naruto began. “I’m going to need you two to help, and we’ll all be really strong, powerful ninjas by then, ne?”
Sakura nodded, smiling. “Hai!” She blushed and giggled, looking to Sasuke. “What about you, Sasuke-kun?”
Something dark flitted in his eyes, before he shrugged. “I guess it’s ok, until something more important comes up.”
The two suddenly found themselves crushed against Naruto, as he grinned madly at the two of them. “Thanks guys. You’re the best.”

______________________

She just sat down at the bar silently, ordering her drink in a soft voice, barely audible. Naruto and Sasuke turning to look at her: Naruto’s face shocked, while Sasuke’s was indifferent.
Sasuke gave a small grunt, before he turned back to his own sake. His ANBU mask was propped against the large bottle. It was almost reminiscent of her own, and she vaguely remembered her own days in ANBU. But she said nothing, as she noticed the tense rigidity of Sasuke’s shoulders, knowing that he had no intention—or want—to speak with her.
She held the sake cup in her hand, staring down at her reflection. None of them spoke. The air was full of a tense, uncomfortable silence. Sasuke and Sakura waited, hoping Naruto would say something, do something stupid, anything that would break through the emotional barriers they’d all built around themselves.
But he said nothing, merely watching them both with weary, old eyes.
“No ramen?” Sakura finally murmured softly. It was a pathetic attempt at conversation, but she needed something. The silence was unbearable.
Naruto blinked at the sound of her voice, startled out of his own thoughts. He turned to look at her with a tremulous smile, his eyes crinkling at the edges. She hadn’t noticed the small crow’s feet before, but they were prominent now. It was a horrible thing to see, that time was taking its toll on such a lively man. He was too young for such things.
“No ramen.” He finally said, his voice devoid of the old excitement and vibrancy of life it had once held.
“Hn.”
They both looked to Sasuke, who took a sip of his sake. “Dobe.”
“Teme.” Naruto shot back automatically, and Sakura gave a small smile as she watched the two of them. Sasuke made a comment on how disgusting ramen was and Naruto was now passionately defending the noodles. Sakura’s hands tightened around her small saucer. She felt out of place, watching the two of them. What could she say? SHOULD she say anything? For a moment they were as they had been, and she never wanted it to end.
Perhaps they saw her forlorn gaze, because they grew silent.
“Sakura-chan?”
“Hm?” She mumbled.
“Anything wrong?”
She shook her head. “No. I’m fine.”
“Che.” Sasuke snorted. “Stop being so annoying.”
Sakura blinked, before she turned away from the two of them, face drawn. This wasn’t exactly the outcome she had expected.
She took a sip of her sake, her gaze weary and pained.
She tried to ignored Sasuke’s cold glares, and Naruto’s sympathetic gaze. She was there, just like she’d promised. The village hated and distrusted her, her own teammates doubted her words, and Sasuke despised her. But she’d kept her promise to Naruto. She could withstand the hate and pain, just for him…right?
"Happy birthday, Naruto," she whispered to herself, knowing that he hadn't heard.

___________________________

This is a little snippet from the next chapter of Maelstrom, which does, in fact, include Naruto's birthday! And yes, I also did this because Naruto's birthday is today (Oct 10)

Please, for the love of god, ignore the crappiness of this picture. (including the half-assed background *shudders) I had planned on doing a LOT more with it, until I noticed how late it was and realized that I'd have to rush if I actually wanted to get it up on Naruto's birthday. Oi. Well, I hope you all like it. It's a sad birthday present, but I still think it's a good one. It shows team 7's devotion to each other.

So...HAPPY BIRTHDAY NARUTO!

Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke belong to Kishimoto