Konoha's New Number One....Baby?!

Looking at one's self

" I love Mommy"

He recalled his surrogate daughter's sweet words before hanging up the phone hours before. It was a long enough time without hearing her tittering laugh or confectoious smile that made him wish he could gather her up in his arms that very second.

"Stop it, it's only a matter of time before your little 'Yori-chan' forever."

Secretly, He was glad that his long time pseudo multi personality pink haired teammate(Sakura) had agreed to watch after his little bundle of joy for a daughter this evening.

If only he knew how much, he wondered. He stood from the dark leather chair in Sarutobi's living room, padding quietly down the hall towards his office.

The walls were filled with pictures that touched so dearly to his fluttering heart, many of what seemed to be taken just yesterday; His beautiful daughter's sleeping form, her first steps, her ten month milestone (followed by the subsequent photo of her greedily snatching up the treats from the hands of a weary Naruto, after one hell of a time.) The time when Keyori took konohamaru's ice cream sandwich.

And the time she stole one of Grandfather Sarutobi's favorite pipes. He arrived to his office door and entered, shutting it behind him.

The office was nothing sort of spectacular, but a woman's touch was easily tangible for such an arrangement (Thankyou Suzune-neechan!)

The chamber was cast in a mix of Maroon & Silver velvet with Gilded accented drapes. Towards the centermost part of the office installed was a desk chiseled from Sandalwood.

The orb of night bestowed celestial rays that tumbled feebly through his balcony glass doors, giving the room a somber radiance that tossed about a hazy shadow which shrouded at the heels of the Ninja.

He glided to his desk and peered at the paperwork, taking in the amount through weary eyes. He was almost eighteen years old now, that he knew, but no one would ever think that upon seeing the four day stubble on his chin.

He was quite handsome, and better yet he wasn't the one to flaunt his good looks onto females as most men his age seem to enjoy doing (Those that could get away with it).

His orbs that rivaled water of the Caribbean appraised his reflection with so much scrutiny that paralleled almost any other blue.

The reaction was always the same every single time; embarrassment.

He was wearing a Burgundy wine red sweater with a pair of Nile river brown khakis, both which accented quite nicely with the cold weather outside.

His muscles clenched with tension as he continued his inspection of the documents as he sat down. His form turned away from the desk, done with his semi-approving inspection of the amount he has to do.

Every time he had somehow managed to secure himself a babysitter he always ended up like this, bustling around his surrogate grandfathers house trying to finish his paperwork bestowed onto him by Granny Tsunade.

It was redundant...yes, painstakingly so but it helped contain his insecurities.

He never once thought he was suited for a child especially when he had trouble taking care of himself.

But, Keyori was someone he couldn't explain...someone whom he wouldn't mind putting his life on the line to save. Simply put she was his baby and he wouldn't trade her for the world.

Naruto sighed, twirling around in his chair he couldn't work today the amount of distance between him and Keyori was worrying him.

What if the Sakura left the baby to go after Sasuke. What if she took Keyori with her to gain Sasuke' s attention.

Adopting a look of horror on his face Naruto quickly gathered his things and hurried down the hall tripping over himself to leave.

Taking in a sharp breath Naruto stopped in his tracks. He was worrying to much Sakura wouldn't stoop that low especially since she had a boyfriend. Steeling his frayed nerves Naruto turned around and marched back into the room.
~¿~¿~~~¿~¿~~¿~¿~~~¿~¿~~~¿~~¿~

The young ninja held his face on the heels of his hands as he continued to flick his pen across the paper at varying types of speeds.

Lucky for him the day was almost over, though the dusk continued to linger much longer than he liked.

After he finished, minutes passed on in silence, tapping his pen on the parchment. Naruto suddenly grinned broadly.

He reached from behind his desk and shuffled through the top drawer excitedly.

He slid that drawer closed and went searching through the next as papers fluttered when he continued his search through his desk contents.

He smiled down at his lap and sat up straight at his desk with his acquired bottle his pilfered from Suzune-neechan sash just hours ago, though it technically wasn't stealing. After all, she did take them from Tsuande first.

"Sorry Suzune-neechan, but I need these right about now. He motioned his hand to the chair in front of his desk as he opened the fresh bottle of sake.

He reached into his Nile river brown khakis and pulled out two ceramic saucers for the aforementioned alcoholic beverage they were to partake in.

He poured one for himself and swallowed it down enjoying the burn that settled itself in the back of his throat.

He poured another for his old academy teacher Iruka-sensei and himself and handed one over to him reveling in the silence that overcame them.

As he put the bottle on his desk, he stood up and sipped at the saucer, peering at the contents before downing it caring no longer to see his murky reflection on its surface.

"I'm not sure what to make of this, and something tells me I'm going to regret not going."

Umino Iruka furrowed his brow, lowering the saucer from his lips as he leaned forward.

"Then tell me, you never really cared when it came to confiding in me before," he said a slight weariness shaking his tone.

Naruto watched as the wind teased the leaves and shrubbery outside.

"Keyori and I are travelling to Sunagakure."