You gotta tell me what normal is, first ♪. [A smile found its way on Ban's face when he considered the prospect of normalcy, especially when compared to other villagers and people from Raven. It was difficult to even think of himself as normal on a human level even omitting the prospect of magic and strength. To begin with, even when he wasn't strong and had powers--people would have considered him subhuman for being a street urchin and even lower for becoming a thief.

He snickered, though there wasn't any real humor in the gesture.]

Can't say I'm at all normal, either way. Before or after.

[Then, with a smile that contained absolutely no joy or promise of a punchline, Ban looked to Naruto and admitted something he hadn't said aloud in over a decade--]

I thought I'd drink it because even though my life was crummy from the start maybe if I lived long enough, something good would happen to me eventually.