Outside Naruto's home.
The blond Ghost froze at Shinji's words. Then he sprang up, his face full of shock.
"W-wait, Big Brother! My birthday?!"
Shinji stepped inside, and everyone streamed in behind him. Sasuke came forward holding a gift box.
He tilted his head and pursed his lips.
"Here. Your present. And... happy birthday."
"Huh?!"
Naruto was utterly stunned. "Sasuke, you too...? Is today really my birthday? How come I didn't know?!"
Hashirama Senju stepped forward too. He crouched down and scratched his head. "Uh, I'm not very good at giving presents, but..."
"Here."
Hashirama Senju handed Naruto a scroll. "I wrote down some things I learned in battle. It's nothing precious, but it might help you become a great ninja!"
Naruto was at a loss.
After the shock and confusion came an aching sadness.
His face wavered between laughter and tears. Eyes wet, he stared at Shinji. "B-Big Brother... is today really my birthday?"
"I... I have a birthday too, just like Sasuke?"
"Of course."
Shinji sighed and stepped aside, revealing Minato Namikaze.
"Naruto..."
Naruto felt confused, and a little frightened. Since meeting Shinji and Sasuke and making a whole group of friends, he was no longer a kid who knew nothing.
Especially now.
When he saw Minato Namikaze's face, made of something like scraps of paper, twisting as though he wanted to cry but couldn't, Naruto's heart tightened. An idea came to him.
Still, he asked cautiously, "Mister... what's your name?"
Minato Namikaze went still.
He knew what Naruto meant, but...
Naruto's surname was Uzumaki, not Namikaze.
His fist clenched.
Once again, he fell silent.
But this time, he had no one to blame but himself. He had made Naruto bear something he should never have had to bear.
Uchiha Mikoto couldn't stand to watch. She quietly turned