Naruto

Chapter 1

With a sigh, Uzimaki Naruto exclaimed to his teammates, "Hey! Where's Kakashi-sensei? He's late, again!" A pink-haired kunoichi named Haruno Sakura sighed in irritation at her noisy blonde teammate, "He's always late, Naruto-kun." And an obsidian-eyed prodigy named Uchiha Sasuke growled, "Just sit back, shut up and wait."

"What was that, teme?" Naruto bellowed, throwing his fists in the air, glaring at his rival. Sasuke gave a "humph" and said, "You heard me, dobe." Sakura sighed from the sidelines and mumbled, "Boys…"

Before Hell broke loose, there was suddenly a puff of smoke with a figure inside. A spiky silver-headed ninja named Hatake Kakashi stepped out, apparently, absorbed in his infamous little orange book.

The team of three glowered and growled, "You're late, Kakashi-sensei!"

He looked up from his book, and said, "Oh, sorry. There's no mission today, but I have a big training session in store for you three." You could tell under his mask that he was smiling mischeviously.

"Oh no…" the group groaned simutaniously. Last time they had a big training session the three were tied together and they had to fight Kakashi. He would dodge and lazily read his book.

Not to far from the Konoha village, a lone figure sat on the bank of a small river. Her azure eyes engaged on the rising sun, knees drawn to her chest. She slowly slipped a foot in to the ice cold water. She shivered slightly, and gracefully dove, body numbing from the cold.

She rose to the surface, wrapping her arms around her to grasp at any warmth. She slowly made her way to shore and quickly dressed, waiting for her companion to wake.

As she tied up her mid-length chestnut hair, a tiny cry broke through the silent air like a scream on a dark night.

She turned and smiled at the tiny figure and outstretched her arms, "Come here." Her melodious voice struck the silent air as if it were a bird's song.

The tiny child ran to her mother with a giant grin on her face, unaware of what would happen in a matter of an hour or so.

Her mother smiled, she was about to meet someone very special in her life.

She tightened the Sand village headband around her neck, put a small pink hat on her daughter to keep her head from getting cold, grabbed what food they had and double checked the abandoned site. Once she was sure she had everything, she sprang in to the trees and bolted for the Konoha village.

Kakashi glanced at his pupils from time to time. It wasn't as bad as they thought it would be. He had bound their hands behind their backs, and they had to find a way to attack each other without using their heads, feet or chakra. Right now, Naruto was hopping like a rabbit after Sasuke.

Kakashi was about to call in a break, when there was a rustle behind him. The three genin stopped suddenly, Naruto fell over on his side at the sudden stillness. Kakashi rapidly pulled out a kunai and spun around.

When he saw her, his eye widened and he froze. "What is she doing here?" he thought, pocketing the unused kunai.

In front of them stood a young woman about twenty years of age, mid-length deep chestnut hair in a low ponytail with azure eyes. Her clothing consisted of a partially mesh shirt, a skirt like Sakura's and she had a Sand village headband around her neck.

A tiny knapsack was strapped to one of her shoulders, and she held an infant, whom was fast asleep. They couldn't see the infant's hair, she had a tiny pink hat on.

This woman didn't look like a threat, she wore a gentle and peaceful expression. So why was their sensei frozen to the spot? Did he know her?

"Kazumi-chan…" the spiky-headed juunin finally managed to breath. The woman named Kazumi smiled and said, "I'm glad you remember me, Kakashi-chan."

Kakashi poked at the high campfire they had made just a few minutes earlier. It was him, Kazumi, her baby and Sakura. Naruto was out collecting firewood, and Sasuke was catching fish for their meal.

Sakura sat next to Kazumi, and they were chatting away. Every so often, Kakashi would steal a glance at Iruno Kazumi, once his old friend.

"Why are you here?"

The girls stopped and looked to the questioner. Kazumi looked down at her infant and stroked her baby soft hands, saying, "I came here to see you, silly. Do I need an appointment to see the infamous Hatake Kakashi?" She smiled in a joking manner.

"Sakura, why don't you go help Sasuke, I'm sure he could use your help?" Kakashi suggested, looking hopefully at his student. She took his hint and said, "Of course, sensei.", and walked quickly out of the site.

Sakura sped through the forest in search of Naruto. When she found him, she stopped him and they both rushed to find Sasuke.

Sasuke was poorly attempting to catch fish. "Me, an Uchiha, can't catch a mere fish!" he thought in irritation. He brightened up slightly, seeing a fish within his grasp. It was swimming right for his awaiting hands, almost there.

"Sasuke!"

The fish immediately bolted away from the now angered Uchiha. Naruto and Sakura were running at full speed in his direction. He stiffened, they were going to collide!

Boom!

The three genin lay in a pile in the tiny stream. "Naruto, you idiot!" Sasuke growled, throwing his teammates off his back.

"Sasuke!" Sakura said immediately, "We have to hurry back to camp! There's something going on between Kakashi-sensei and Kazumi-san!"

With that, the three rapidly sprang for camp. They "stealthily" hid behind a tree, thinking Kakashi couldn't sense them.

Kakashi looked down at the sleeping infant, and looked to Kazumi. "Is she mine?" he questioned, the look on his face was so serious, Kazumi couldn't help but smile.

"Of course."

Kakashi's heart sank as he looked from Kazumi back to his newly found daughter. He swallowed over the lump in his throat, and asked in a panic, "W-what? H-how? I-I mean…I-I-"

Kazumi forced a little smile. All men were alike. Asking questions they already know the answers to.

She whispered, "You remember, twenty-one months ago, you were on a mission in my village, the Suna. We met on the field and we became great friends. Then, the night before you left, I declared my love for you. Then…then, Sayuri happened."

"Sayuri…" Kakashi thought, looking down at his sleeping daughter, "…I'm a father…I have a daughter…" The thoughts ran through him over and over again.

"She turned one a week ago." Kazumi's voice broke his thoughts, "I thought now was the time that I finally revealed her to you." "Why not earlier?" his whisper was barely audible.

Kazumi clenched her fists as the hot tears formed in her eyes, "I thought you'd come back for me. I waited and waited, the villagers finally convinced me to give up hope. But I could never forget you, I have an everyday reminder."

She gently pulled the infant's hat off, revealing white-silver hair identical to Kakashi's. She cried in protest. Little Sayuri's eyes opened, revealing her mother's azure orbs, and she looked around at her unfamiliar surroundings. And, finally, her gaze settled on her father.

Kazumi smiled, and said gently, "Sayuri, you know who that is? He's your daddy." Twelve-month-old Sayuri smiled and outstretched her arms to the man called her father.

Kakashi wearily took the child in his arms, and stared at her intently. His heart sank deeply looking at this child. He had no clue of her existance, and here she was, twelve-months-old. Her mother suffered deeply without his presence, and here, he was having the time of his life.

"Kakashi-chan…do-do you still…feel for me?" Kazumi, once again, broke his thoughts. He looked in to her teary eyes, and was about to reply, when he heard a sniffle nearby.

He looked toward the large tree, and asked, "You okay, Sakura?"

Naruto and Sasuke stiffened at their sensei's voice. "He knew we were here all this time, yet he let us sit here?" Sasuke thought, glancing over at Sakura who was wipping at her damp eyes.

"We're caught, might as well get out there." Naruto said with a sigh.

They got up and walked down to the campsite, sitting next to Kakashi.

­The site was silent, all but for the noises of the excited infant and the genin she tortured.

Kakashi and Kazumi were sitting quietly next to each other, watching Sakura teaching their daughter and child's game.

"Yay! Sayuri, you did it! Good job!" Sakura praised, clapping her hands childishly, exciting the infant.

Sayuri looked over at Sasuke, slid of Sakura's lap and attempted to pull herself onto Sasuke's. When it didn't work, she whimperd in protest and outstretched her arms to the Uchiha.

Sasuke, never been around a baby, raised an eyebrow. Sayuri bounce on her feet, arms still in the air, whinning for Sasuke to pick her up. He gave a "humph" and looked away.

Sayuri dropped her arms, her eyes grew large and she began to wail, startling Naruto and Sasuke.

Kazumi was about to pick her up and comfort her, when Sakura picked her up. "Hey, now, cheer up. He's never been around babies before, just give him time." Sayuri rubbed at her eyes with a hiccup, Sakura smiled at her encouragingly.

Sakura suddenly set Sayui in Sasuke's lap, startling him out of his thoughts. The infant's face brightened considerably when she saw Sasuke's headband. She grabbed at his arms, standing up and balancing herself on his lap as she reached up for it. He quickly turned his head, and she ended up grabbing his hair and tugging on it happily.

Sasuke ripped her off and dumped her on Sakura. Her eyes widened and she began to wail loudly.

Kazumi picked her up, and said, "Well, we had better get going."

Kakashi stood, "You just told me she was mine, now you're going to take her away? Just like that? You're staying here with us, both of you."

"B-but, the Kazekage…I'm his right hand."

Kakashi said, "Forget the Kazekage, we'll bring him here on vacation for awhile. I'll send word in the morning."

So, it was decided, Kazumi and little Sayuri were staying with Team 7.