Title: "What Is Left"
Status: OneShot
Fandom: Naruto
Characters/Pairing: Kakashi Hatake, Naruto Uzumaki
Disclaimer: Copyright Masashi Kishimoto; no copyright infringement intended.
Rating: T
Genre: friendship/family, angst, H/C
Warnings: unbeta'ed
Summary: Kakashi was numb and tired, and he didn't even know it himself...
Note: Based on the theme prompt "unguarded touch."
What Is Left
The building sat in the Hokage tower's shadow. Fitting, considering that everyone inside who wasn't an employee was a warden of whoever held the highest position within Konoha.
Kakashi put his porcelain mask away before he jumped down from his perch on a tree branch; its leaves having concealed his presence. The rest of his bloodied uniform was hidden underneath his coat. This was an orphanage, it would not do to startle its residents with the sudden appearance of an ANBU.
Still, his taichou would have mocked him, coming here right after a mission, correctly assuming that Kakashi had needed to work up the nerve to actually visit.
He inhaled deeply, bracing himself, and knocked at the door.
"Coming!"
Kakashi could hear the tap-tap-tap of quick steps, but nothing else because of the late hour. The moon was already out, and the children would be asleep, just like most of their caregivers. The playgrounds were empty.
A young woman slid the door open, just enough to peer out. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously as she took Kakashi in, who smiled at her despite his mask ruining much of the calming effect he aimed for.
"Yes?"
"My name is Kakashi Hatake. I am here to see Naruto Uzumaki. The Sandaime gave me permission to come and visit him whenever I want."
She gave him a startled blink, eyes skittering to the symbol on his hitai-ate. Kakashi was two heads smaller than her, a teenage boy, and did obviously not fit her picture of a ninja. Not a native, then.
Well, she would hear the stories soon enough. The thought left a sour taste in Kakashi's mouth; one third of the village was still in ruins after the Kyuubi's attack.
"One moment, please."
Kakashi grit his teeth as wood hit frame and he was left on the street for five minutes, until an elderly woman he knew by sight as Sanae came and let him in.
"My apologies for the wait, Hatake-san," she gave Kakashi a smile full of laughter lines and wrinkles. "Yuri-chan has only recently moved to Konoha and was thus unclear on proceedings."
"Maa, that is quite alright, Sanae-san."
Kakashi was led through another door and down a corridor. He could hear faint snoring and mumbling from the rooms they passed; here and there hushed up laughter.
"Please wait here. I will bring him."
She did a moment later, coming back with a small bundle in her arms. Tufts of blonde hair poked out of the folded layers of a bright orange blanket. Kakashi's keen nose smelt sweet-chemical baby powder, cotton and a whiff of clean human. The absence of blood, weapon oil and metal was startling.
"Here he is."
Kakashi didn't hesitate as she offered him his sensei's son; the transition from one pair of arms to the other was careful, but without the awkward fumble of rearranging limbs.
"You need to - "
" - support the head," Kakashi finished for Sanae, already adjusting the baby to have it safely cradled in the crook of his arm and against his chest, mindful of the armored vest underneath his coat. "I know."
He knew because he had seen the neck of an infant snapped without effort too many times during the war with Iwa; the parents held hostage, ninjas and civilians alike.
Minato's legacy. His Will of Fire. And Kakashi's own hands were bloody, elbow deep, because even though the war was over, it had known no innocents.
He was grateful for his mask, the feeling of cloth pulled up to cover chin and mouth, because it stood between him and Sanae-san's searching look.
"Well, be careful with little Naruto-chan. Two doors down is my office, just let me know if you need something."
Kakashi nodded, waited for her to leave and then sat down in the visitor room's single chair that stood surrounded by big fluffy pillows, stuffed animals and wooden toys, some strewn over the thick carpet, others packed away neatly into boxes.
He used his free hand to part the blanket. A chubby face emerged, with whisker-marks on both cheeks. Naruto stirred, small feet kicking without any strength at all, and then the little one yawned mightily, showing gums without teeth.
"Hello Naruto," Kakashi said, because the silence began to feel oppressive and the tremor that messed up his aim since the attack came back in full force. He sighed and slumped down, wondering why he was even here. "This was a bad idea."
He moved to stand, hand the baby over and make for his empty flat, when Naruto blinked up at him. He had Minato's eyes, blue and vibrant, and it hurt.
Kakashi choked down a noise and fought to regain his composure, feeling shame burn in his gut and other emotions he did not dare examine, too focused to keep functioning from day to day; mission to mission.
Perhaps that was why he, ANBU or not, reacted too slowly when plump fingers reached for and pulled down his mask. Naruto's squinting look melted into a coo and a bright, goofy smile. Their noses nearly touched as Naruto stuffed the cloth into his mouth, drooling and sucking on it.
Kakashi could not even guess at the look on his face, but - he had Minato's laugh, too.
He held still as two tiny hands patted his face, their touch hit or miss, but persistent. Naruto didn't startle when tears that weren't his fell on his skin and ran down his stubby nose.
Kakashi held him for a long time and remembered what his sensei had lived for.
["The (unborn) children who'll grow up to be the next generation of leaf ninja... They're the king." ~ Shikamaru Nara]
The End
R&R