A/N: Happy Birthday Sasuke! Yep, this is a little tribute to the badass Uchiha, who must get his shit together in the latest cliffhanger. I love Sasuke for the record :))
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
Today was the day of Sasuke's fifth birthday and well he couldn't be more choosy with the presents he will get: it went from a toy dinosaur to a whopping real ninja weapons! A toy dinosaur was okay but the other one, over his parents' dead body!
Even though it was his birthday, Itachi was sent away to a mission two days earlier leaving Sasuke down and well unpleasant with the news that his brother will most likely not attend his birthday party. So instead of wailing over it with everyone around, Sasuke's parents decided to have no party and just have a family dinner.
Sasuke thought this was for the best also.
It was dusk and the birthday boy was in his bedroom waiting for his brother to come back from his mission. He took deep breaths as he waited for his brother to appear in time before his birthday would end. "Nii-chan.." he grumbled before he rested his cheek on his palm as he kept a look out at his window.
Mikoto peered in her son's room and watched him just stay stationary near the window. She gave a half smile before she walked in Sasuke's room. "Don't hate your nii-chan if he won't show up, 'kay?" she whispered as she ruffled his hair.
"He's going to show up!" Sasuke smiled at his mother before he continued glaring at the window, "I know it.."
Mikoto kissed his forehead before she walked to the door, "Come down in ten minutes time, okay? Your otou-san and I will have a present for you!" she closed the door gently and went down the stairs silently until she saw her husband who looked at her silently. She shook her head in return. "Sasuke's going to be let down.."
Fugaku sighed before he massaged his temple, "And it's his birthday today." he added before he pushed himself from the wall. "What was Itachi thinking anyway?"
"It's for the village and the clan, my love." she patted him on the back, "Just understand him, okay?"
He breathed in heavily, "Does it look like I have I choice?" he gave a forced laugh afterwards, "At least we bought what Sasuke wanted for his birthday, that ought to cheer him up!"
Mikoto knew better: her son wouldn't be happy even if they got him the best present in the whole world if Itachi wasn't present - she knew that, it wasn't hard to understand her child who idolized Itachi greatly.
Sasuke's eyes tightened when his pupils looked at the reddish-orange tinted sky outside, he sighed before he closed his eyes tightly. "Nii-chan.. where are you now?"
The day was drawing to a close and his brother still hasn't shown up to greet him 'Happy Birthday'. Sasuke now has got the idea that Itachi will not make it in time for his birthday - it will be a belated greeting with a 'Sorry Sasuke, some other time' he knows what's going to happen. Itachi can be read by any human being like a book.
The birthday boy jumped off his bed and hoped on the floor when he heard his mother calling his name from below, he gave a forced smile. "Coming, kaa-san!" he called back before he rushed down the stairs.
As he rushed down the stairs he gave another false smile, "My present kaa-san, otou-san!" he purged when he rushed in the living room. His eyes widened in delight and his smile widened, this time with sincerity. "...WOW!"
There was a large box that's been wrapped in his favorite color: blue with a red ribbon that kept everything together, on the center table. "Come on Sasuke. Time to open your gift!" Mikoto smiled at him sweetly as she patted on the vacant space on the couch.
Fugaku smiled at Sasuke also, or tried to smile - he wasn't known for his grumpy face for nothing. "Come on, son! Happy 5th Birthday!"
Sasuke's face beamed in happiness before he jumped on the couch, "Yay! Arigato, kaa-san, otou-san!" he grabbed the box before he started ripping it into shreds. "Awesome!" he gasped when he saw a dinosaur toy shining before him. His smile then finally faded away when he remembered his brother's absence."Kaa-san..." he gave his mother a pout, "Will nii-chan come home in time?"
His father gave an expression that answered his question very well. "Sasuke... it's your birthday don't try and pick things up that'll upset you. You're five now." he ruffled his hair. "Your nii-chan will arrive tomorrow morning."
"Hai, otou-san." Sasuke replied with his head down.
Mikoto looked at her husband before she looked back at her son, "Well are you up for some chocolate cake, Sasuke-kun?" she tried to guide him to the kitchen, "It's your birthday so you can have as much as you want!"
"Really?!" Sasuke's mood lightened up again - falsely.
Just as they reached the kitchen door, Sasuke turned around when he heard the front door close but was soon disappointed when he saw his cousin's cat trod along in the living room. 'Nii-chan..'
"I'm home."
That voice registered in Sasuke's head immediately, he ran to the front door and saw his brother in his usual ninja attire. "Nii-chan!" he shouted when he jumped to him. "Okaeri!" he greeted when he looked up at his brother.
"Happy Birthday, Sasuke!" Itachi patted his head, "Gomei I couldn't get you anything apart from this." he offered him a small dinosaur plushy. "It's the best in the store."
Sasuke took it from his brother and hugged it tightly. "Arigato! This is the best present ever!"
Fugaku and Mikoto watched from afar with confused expressions, "That toy is like 5 ryo and the one we got Sasuke was a good 50 ryo." he pointed out to his wife. "I should have known."
"No." She shook her head, "He treasures it even more because it's his brother that gave it to him. That's how much Sasuke loves him."
Itachi was shocked but the same time relieved that his brother liked it, "I'm glad.." he gave a sigh of relief.
"I don't care how cheap this is... it's from my nii-chan and that to me is the best birthday gift ever!" Sasuke claimed with blushes on his face. "Arigato nii-chan!"
Eleven years later...
"Oh, Sasuke happy birthday!" Karin greeted.
Suigetsu nodded before he smirked, "I didn't know you celebrated your birthday Sasuke-kun!" he patted his hair only to be shoved off.
"I'm not interested about my birthdays..." he grumbled before he took a seat. "Not anymore... anyway."
Jugo walked in the room with a dinosaur tattered plushy in his hand. "Look what I found!" he smiled and threw it at Suigetsu. "Cute, huh?"
Sasuke stood back up and snatched it away from the water user, he glared at the plushy in his hand before he tightly closed his eyes. "Nii-chan."