Authors Note: I do not own Naruto, the characters or anything.

I always hated that Naruto didn't have a family and often imagined what it would be like for them if they did. I centered this around a fictional sister because she would not be Jinchuuriki, she would be in the shadow of her family, and heavily protected by them. Also, I wanted to have Iruka and Kakashi find love in each other, because I always wished they would. Please review!


Minato labored to lift himself out of bed. Sitting up, he let out a yawn that indicated his desire to stay in bed. Rubbing the left side of his neck with his right hand, he stared at the clock. '6:30AM' it read. Since he only went to bed at midnight, he was especially frustrated. He looked back at his bed to see his youngest curled up in his bed. Kushina was away on a mission and had been gone for two weeks to the Hidden Cloud. Minato's duties as Hokage had been not as critical, so he thought it would be a good idea to spend some quality time with his children.

The first few days had been fantastic. Kakashi had returned home from a mission, and the 19-year-old for once did not behave like he was too cool for his family. 6-Year-Old Naruto had started at the Academy before Kushina's departure and was all too eager to recount his day over dinner. And sweet 2-year-old Menma was just as cute as ever helping her Tou-chan clean and organize the house and setting the table for meals. Of all of his children, Menma was most like him. She had a sweet politeness about her, and a nervous laugh that Kushina swore was the spitting image of Minato.

By the second week, things began to take a turn for the worst. Kakashi started to become increasingly annoyed at Naruto and his loud braggadocios behavior at meal-time.

"Oi! Kakashi-nii! Do you know how to do a mud wall jutsu?" Naruto yelled across the table to his brother. Kakashi's eyebrow twitched as he set his book down for what seemed like the 100th time that meal and sighed. "Of course, I know how to do a mud wall jutsu. I am a jounin. If I didn't, I would be a joke." Kakashi's eye drifted towards his father's direction. Minato knew that Kakashi was becoming irritated, that's par for the course with siblings, but Kakashi also knew that we practice patience with our younger siblings because they still had to grow. Minato shot Kakashi a stern look and Kakashi asked to be excused. Minato nodded, and Kakashi poofed away. This obviously irritated Naruto because without asking he immediately left the table and ran towards Kakashi's bedroom.

"Stop right there," Minato said in his most stern dad's voice. Naruto stopped in his tracks turning back towards his father with the cutest pouty face. It didn't work "Kakashi is older than you and needs his privacy. Please respect his boundaries."

"..But tou-chan! I want to show him what I know how to do!" Naruto whined. "Well that may be so, but you can wait until Kakashi is ready." Minato did not have to look at his son to know he was heading back to his seat and sitting down in a huff. Minato felt a little bad for Naruto; he only wanted to be acknowledged by his older brother. Watching the little shinobi crossed armed across the table made Minato smile a bit. "How about this, it's still bright outside, why don't you and Menma go play in the backyard?" Naruto did not seem interested in this suggestion. "Menma is a baby; I don't want to play with a baby." His pout was deepening as he said the words. Minato's eyes narrowed, being upset that his older brother isn't paying him any mind is one thing, being mean to his sister is another. "Naruto, either you take Menma to play, or I will personally ensure that you do not get any ramen for the rest of the month." Naruto's eyes widened at the proclamation, and in a flash, he was up and grabbing the arm of his little sister to take her outside. Throughout this ordeal, Menma had been happily eating her eggplant and humming songs to herself unaware of the subtle shift in behavior.

As all the children had departed, Minato arose to clean up after dinner. While being a parent was cumbersome, it wasn't without its rewards. His children were increasingly moving towards a world without war. In their lifetime, they might know peace.

As he put the dishes in the sink, a crackle of thunder filled the air. "Oh no, rain, right now?" Minato sighed as he walked towards the backyard to tell his two youngest children to come in. Before he even had a chance to call them into the house a downpour started. "Oi!" he cried as he swung the screen door open. Naruto and Menma ran into the house drenched.

"Tou-chan!" Naruto yelled attempting to get his dads attention. "The rain came out of nowhere!"

"I know, I'm not pleased about it either," Minato stated in a tone that could only be described as a matter of fact. Poor Menma was shivering as she grasped her father's legs. "Papa! Achoo! I gots all wet!" she cried. Menma hated getting messy. Minato furrowed his brow once more. 'Oh no,' he thought 'she will be getting a cold from this.'

"Let's get you both cleaned up. We can get in our pajamas and read more of the Gutsy Ninja!"

Minato said with a gentle smile. Looking at Naruto, Minato could clearly see this wasn't pleasing to him. Naruto was young, but he did not want to get lumped in with being a baby like Menma, something that he and Kushina still had the tendency to do. Menma however was very pleased with the idea of a bath and story time and smiled at Minato as wide as she could. Her blonde strands with red highlights sticking to her face couldn't be cuter. "Naruto, you don't have to read with us, but I would like it if you did." Naruto seemed pleased with having the choice and confidently shook his head.

As Minato led the two little ones to the bath he thought of how his children had grown. It seemed like only yesterday Kakashi had come to live with he and Kushina after the death of his biological father and even sooner since Naruto was born. Kushina swore that they would never have another child after that faithful night, but without any planning Menma was conceived. Now Kakashi was a Jonin, soon to take on his own team. Naruto was at the Academy and would soon graduate and take on his own missions, and Menma…well Minato had some time before she would be old enough to go to the academy. He enjoyed the dependence she had on him and Kushina. Entering the bathroom Minato was jolted back to the present when Naruto exclaimed

"I can bathe myself you know!"

Minato embarrassingly rubbed the back of his head. Naruto was so much like Kushina at times

"Well of course you can. But Menma needs help! You are the big brother, aren't you?"

Naruto puffed out his chest. He was so proud to be a big brother to Menma like Kakashi is to him that he was easily influenced into doing what his parents wanted. Minato sometimes felt bad about this, but he also just wanted to get bath time over with.

After soaping the kids up and rinsing them off, Minato set the kids in the tub to soak a bit. While Naruto was a chipper and talkative as ever, Menma seemed relatively quiet and her face was a bit flushed. Minato knew that this meant trouble.

"Are you alright Baby Menma?" Minato cooed while slicking her wet hair back. The red highlights in the blond made her hair seem almost orange when it was all wet.

Menma looked at father, small round face turning a little red in the hot tub. "I fweel icky Papa." She said barely above a whisper. Minato's heart ached for her. Menma was the youngest, and so she was often overprotected, especially by Minato.

"Well I supposed bath time is over then, why don't we get you into bed and read you a story?" Minato said to his youngest. "Naruto, why don't you play on your own for a while?" Naruto looked up at his father with wide awe filled eyes.

"Is it because I am older than Menma, and I need my privacy?" Naruto asked in the cutest voice. Minato stifled a chuckle.

"Yes, of course, but in the house and quietly!" Minato reminded. Naruto practically jumped out of the bath drying himself off hastily, missing several places and would definitely track water around the house. He wrapped the terrycloth towel around himself and ran out of the bathroom. "Don't run!" Minato called after him, but it was too late as he heard Naruto slip and hit the wall.

"I'm fine Tou-san!" Naruto called back to the bathroom hoping his father wouldn't rescind his offer to leave him to his own devices.

"Ok!" Minato called back turning his focus back on the toddler he had scooped out of the tub moments before. "How about you and I read the Gutsy Ninja and go to bed Baby Menma?" The toddler snuggled closer to her father as he carried her to her room and put her in her pajamas.

Laying her in her tiny bed, the cerulean eyes looked up at her father expectantly asking, "Sweep with you?" How could Minato say no to that? He took the warmed toddler to bed and read her the Tale of the Gutsy Ninja until she fell asleep.

Going around the house to lock up for the night, he came across a sight that he hadn't seen for a long time, Kakashi sprawled on the couch, a book nestled on his face with Naruto cuddled close beside him. He smiled warmly at the sight and threw a blanket over the two. It seems Naruto convinced his brother to spend time with him after all.

Minato returned to the room he left his little girl in. Wary and tired he settled down beside her. Minato felt the tiny fingers cling to his shirt as she fussed in her sleep. While quiet and polite she was a wild sleeper like her mother.

He gave a little peck to her forehead saying, "Never grow Baby Menma." Finally letting sleep overtake him