Kasi sat quietly on a high branch, watching the village below. Naruto was training in the yard, laughing as he tried to land a jump just right. Kasi's lips twitched into a small smile.
He had been observing the boy for a week now. Naruto was loud, reckless, stubborn… but kind in his own messy way. Kasi knew he needed to figure out how to introduce himself. He couldn't just show up out of nowhere — it would scare the boy.
As he thought, something clicked.
Tomorrow…
Naruto's eighth birthday.
Kasi leaned back, letting the idea settle. Maybe… maybe he could do something small for him. Nothing big, just a gesture. A way to let Naruto feel seen, even if the boy didn't know who he was yet.
He thought further. Maybe invite some of his little friends… the ones who are genuinely kind to him.
Sasuke? No. Too emo and distant. Sakura? Hmm… the pink-haired one. She might be okay, but Kasi wasn't sure yet. Ino? Maybe.
Sika, Choji, Kiba, Shino, Hinata — yes. Those kids were good to Naruto.
He started visiting their houses one by one.
The Nara house was quiet, as always.
Shikaku was seated at the table, a shōgi board half-finished beside a stack of papers. When the door slid open, he looked up—and stopped.
For a moment, he simply stared.
Then he leaned back in his chair and let out a slow breath.
"…So you're awake."
Kasi inclined his head. "I'm keeping it quiet."
Shikaku nodded once. That made sense.
"did you inform hokage-sama" he asked.
"Yes."
Shikaku clicked his tongue softly. "Troublesome."
"I'm putting together something small," Kasi said after a moment.
"A birthday. For Naruto."
Shikaku paused, fingers resting on the edge of the table.
…Naruto, huh. so he is really his son.
He didn't sound surprised just thoughtful and little guilty
"I don't plan to show myself," Kasi added.
"I just wanted to invite a few kids for his birthday."
Shikaku studied him for a long second, then looked away toward the open window.
"Shikamaru," Shikaku called.
The boy's voice came from inside the house. "What is it?"
"There's a birthday party,would you like" to go there Shikaku said.
A pause.
"…Whose?"
"Naruto's."
"…I'll go," Shikamaru said.
Before Kasi Leaves
Kasi stopped at the doorway.
"Thank you," he said.
Shikaku didn't turn around.
"Don't make it a big thing," he replied.
Kasi nodded.
As he left, Shikaku sat back down at the table, eyes drifting to the unfinished shōgi board.
He nodded and moved to Choji's house. Same reaction. Choji's parents were surprised but they also agreed.
Kiba, Shino, Hinata — all reacted the same way. Shock, then agreement. No one refused. Kasi only smiled faintly at their reactions.
Good, Kasi thought. This will be fun for naruto.
He closed his eyes for a moment. Tomorrow, he would start slowly to make things better for his neo yondime. Just small steps to make Naruto's day better.
By the time naruto reached school something happened that made him freeze.
"Hey! Happy birthday, Naruto!"
Shika ran up to him. Behind him came Choji, Shino, Kiba, and even little Hinata, shyly peeking from the back.
Naruto's jaw dropped. He had never been greeted like this before. Other kids nearby muttered and whispered in groups, but he barely noticed. Sasuke glanced at them for a second and looked away, as usual.
Even Ino, who usually ignored him, piped up with a quiet "Happy birthday, Naruto."
Naruto's chest tightened. For the first time in his life, he felt… he had friends. Real friends.
His eyes started to water. The tears burned a little, but they were good ones.
"Th… thank you," he stammered, voice choked with emotion. "thank you!"
The other kids froze, stunned. The loud, brash Naruto — always teasing, always joking — had never reacted like this.
From the shadows, Kasi watched quietly, a faint smile on his face.
"Happy birthday, buddy," he whispered softly. "Wait till your birthday party… it'll be fun."
Naruto blinked, sniffled, and smiled again. He didn't wonder how they knew it was his birthday — he was just too happy.