Belated Birthday

Today, was like every other day. Today, everyone woke up an went about their own business. People laughed and talked and mourned... there had been a lot of deaths on this day. But that was the past, and the scars embedded in their hearts weren't as deep anymore. Today..., today today today.... today... he was going to act like today wasn't just another today; Naruto decided.

The blonde was sitting on his bed -blanket laying over his lap- looking out the window watching the night stars being eaten away as the sun began to munch each away like lil' star shaped treats especially for it.

Running a hand through golden blonde hair, mussing it up. He wasn't going to bother with having an early morning shower, he'd had a shower last night... and he wasn't going to bother to make today seem like just another today. He'd do whatever the hell he wanted. And he didn't want to take a shower.

A sluggish smile formed on his smooth face. A face that had been hidden away from sight, for many reasons... yet, today wasn't normal, so his face was going to get a chance to breathe today. Yawning he walked with an eased and unrushed pace. Late? Who cares?

He put on black cargo pants. He usually wore orange... but black today. He then put on a blood crimson sleeves turtle neck shirt, it clung to a soft chiseled chest any man or woman would swoon for; it was normally hidden under a baggy white shirt with long sleeves. His leaf head band was placed around his left arm, and then a black trench coat went over all of it. The coat left open, yet it held close to the slender and lean form that was dubbed 'Naruto'.

With his sluggish smile still lingering on his face, Naruto walked out his front door. He didn't bother to close the door, or lock it, or even take the time to tell anyone he wasn't going to work today. Or that he was going to out of town today. He just... went.

No one else was awake or around yet, not that it mattered at all to Naruto. He just walked with an eased pace. He didn't try to smile, he merely did because it was what he wanted to do. He didn't leave word that he was leaving to the ANBU watching the gate, he just wove through the long grass out of the village.

He didn't stop walking for a fairly long time, and when he did, it was because he was at his spot. His, and only his. The one place he had spent his time at as a small boy, and as the man he was now. For twenty three years he'd claimed this hidden cove his. He had found it, and he had cared for the area. It was his haven, more so then the house he slept in.

He smiled fondly at the four little foxes that were now pouncing after a small frog. He inhaled the floral scents of all the flowers in their fall time finally. Let his ears be soothed by the sounds of cascading water, sorrow filled bird song and wind whispers through soft pink petaled trees. He then laid spread eagle in the middle of the small, yet so perfectly cosy, grass field. He merely sighed in content and watched with no real thoughts of anything, as the clouds fluffed by the small piece of sky he could see up through the small hole in the forest canvas of his cove.

Naruto was lost to time and care, he barely noticed when the four fox kits trotted up and made themselves cosy beside him. He merely acted on auto pilot as his hands found themselves caressing orange, red, gray and white furred kits.

His little adopted children, he'd found them crying by a dead mother fox body... years ago. He'd been what? Thirteen?... about that. He'd taken them to his cove; made the best den he could aided with Kyuubi's knowledge of how. Then he'd placed his kits inside. It had been hard... taking care of them while still having to go to missions and every other thing as well. He did it anyways though.

Now, now he had four fox children playing in his cove whenever he came home to it. He loved them, and they him. Kyuubi always was calmed when they were in this cove. The kits were very special to him as well. The white fox, Yuki, she had four tails already. Ho, the red fox, he only had three. The gray fox, Kage, he was Kyuubi's favorite, he had six tails. Then there was Yami, the orange fox. He was the runt of the litter. He was Naruto's favorite. He had only two tails, but of the four, he was the most life loving and wild. Naruto likened him to his fox form, if Naruto were to be a fox, he'd be like Yami.

So as Naruto laid among his furred children, he spared not a thought or worry to anyone. It wasn't today, it was... another day. A day he could leave his elite ANBU fox mask laying beside all of his weapons on his bedside table. A day he could just forget about having to go wake up the sleepy ANBU gate guards. A day he could skip meeting Iruka for a morning tea. A day he could blow off the fact Sakura had asked him to go see her to pick up some parcel she wanted him to give to Sasuke. A day, a day where he wouldn't spare a thought to his lazy sensei who always was late to the mission rooms and made him wait with a coffee in hand for him. And more over, today was a day where he wouldn't give a rats' ass about the Godaime and Rokudaime most likely going to skin him alive for not showing up for his guard/advisor/peacekeeping duties. Plus, the old hag didn't need him to keep her safe, and that Teme could scare the shit out of anyone who even thought about getting out of line and trying to start wars. He wasn't needed really... for this day, he wasn't going even if the village was leveled while he rested.

This was 'his' day. He hadn't taken the time to have his day before this because there was too much else to do. Wars, training and missions. Yet now, now he wasn't going to ever aim to be Hokage, Sasuke was doing a great job, and he didn't have to go against the elders favor with a sealed demon. Plus, it wasn't like he wasn't able to still make a difference. As an advisor and peacekeeper, he had gotten a great deal of respect, as well as making changes that needed to be made. Neji himself now was not a caged bird like he'd always been because of the work Naruo did. As an ANBU, Naruto didn't have to hide behind a mask, he wore one. He was only known to be himself because of the mask. No one else would dare to wear a fox mask in the village but Naruto. Naruto liked his job, he got to keep in the shadows, yet still have a great effect without all the paper work!

There was only one other benefit from his job now. One that only he, his kits and Kyuubi knew about. His job as an elite ANBU assigned to the Rokudaimes' personal safety, was that he could always be close by if anyone ever threatened his secret crush. Yeah... he had accepted the fact he was in love the stupid power hungry I-have-to-kill-my-brother Uchicha. He wasn't surprised that he liked guys more than girls, and he did mean 'more than', he had liked Sakura, but he became entranced with Sasuke and finally got to the point during the time he got his furred children that he labeled what he felt for Sasuke as love.

Sasuke meant the world to him, but he was carful in how he acted. His feelings for Sasuke were like this day. Every 'today' with Sasuke, he was a loyal friend, a trusted ally among the numbers of village clan elders. An accomplice to his escapes from the Hokage tower paper work. A sparring partner and his ears, eyes, and smell for all things containing to village security. If there was trouble, Naruto was always the first to know, and he made it his personal job to get orders from Sasuke and the Old hag.

However, like today, there would come a day, and on that "a day" he would tell Sasuke. He'd let his eyes caress over the figure that Sasuke was. He let his fingers softly brush away the black silk hair from Sasuke's eyes as he calmly looked into those black depths and told him that regardless of anything anyone tried to do, or say, even if the gods and devils alike tried. Nothing would ever make him hate Sasuke. That he loved him, and there was nothing anyone could do or say to change that. However though... it wasn't 'that day' right now... so... it was of no importance.

It wasn't until the sun was at its' zenith that Naruto, Kage, Yuki, Ho and Yami all drifted of in warm slumber. Lulled to sleep by the warmth of the sun and the song of the cove. It was altogether perfect. Only one thing could have made it better for Naruto... if Sasuke had been laying right along with them. But, as it was, it was damn well near perfect.