Unplanned Paternity

2

Eighteen months old... again

The next morning, Kakashi woke up as usual exactly three minutes before his alarm went off and swung himself off his bunk, instantly alert. Upon confirming that he was indeed still safe (relatively) in his quarters in the ANBU HQ, he sat down and stared blankly at the whitewashed wall until his alarm went off, jerking him out of his stupor.

He jumped, and blearily rubbed his hand over his face, before beginning his morning rituals of washing, shaving, dressing and breakfasting.

By the time he was done, it was five a.m. Here, Kakashi deviated from his normal pattern. Instead of grabbing his mask and moseying on down to meet up with his squad, collect a mission and leave, he swung his pack up onto his back, where it settled over his white standard-issue armour, his cloak tied to the outside of it in a neat roll. He hesitated over his mask, eventually deciding to place it over his face for the hell of it, and, after checking that he had left none of his personal effects in the room, strode out of his quarters for the last time.

Walking slowly, he made his way through HQ, heading unwillingly but unerringly towards Naruto's bedroom.

When he reached there, he pressed his hand onto the seal on the outside of the door, which was there to ensure only certain personnel could unlock the entrance to the kid's room, and as a way to keep the brat in one place dammit!

The seal accepted him, and he pressed the door open, unaccountably nervous.

It was early: the blonde toddler was still fast asleep in his cot. Kakashi took a few steps into the room and turned the light on.

The sudden brightness woke the child, and he began to move, his face screwing up in protest at the light and a hand coming up to grind into his eye, his other hand and legs moving, stuck, beneath his soft blanket.

"Uhwah?" he said blearily, looking around as he was lying down. He caught sight of Kakashi standing nearby and frowned at his upside-down view of the man. "Doggie?" he said questioningly.

Kakashi hesitated one last time. This was his last chance to make a break for it...

"Good morning, Pup – uh, Naruto," Kakashi stumbled. Had to get used to calling the brat by his name. Would look weird otherwise.

Naruto sat up, still scrubbing at his eye. The blanket fell down to reveal his right arm clamped around that ragged toy dog Mouse had gotten him two and a bit years ago.

"Wha... Doggie?"

"Yes, Pu- Naruto, it's... me. Come on, we need to leave. You're going to live with me from now on, okay? So we're going to have to leave now. We need to pack up your things, okay?"

The blonde stared at him throughout this uncomfortable speech, and the only reply he gave was to raise his free arm in the universal child-signal for 'pick me up'. Kakashi obliged awkwardly, but it wasn't nearly as difficult as it had been last time he'd tried it, when he was fourteen. Now, Naruto put a remarkably strong arm around his neck and sort of clung there himself, and all Kakashi needed to do was prop him up with his left forearm hooked under the boy's short, chubby thighs.

Letting his pack slip to the ground, Kakashi nudged it open with his foot and withdrew several storage scrolls, and set about sorting through the boy's belongings. Really, he didn't have much, compared to many devil spawnings – uh, children – Kakashi knew, and he reasoned he'd be able to bring just about all of it.

Soon, it was done. Naruto was all but asleep on his shoulder. Kakashi was highly uncomfortable.

"Okay. We're going to leave now, Naruto," he said softly. "You just sleep. We're going on a little trip. You won't be coming back here."