A/N:All characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto I own nothing of naruto.


SUMMARY:

Kakashi finds himself on babysitting duty for his 5 year old daughter and Kurenai's 3 year old son after an exhausting day at the Hokage office. Iruka made looking after the kids easy and Kakashi soon find he was way out of his depth as the great copy ninja/genius/leaf village Hokage can't live up to Iruka in the kids eyes and panics when his nephew begins to cry.


Babysitting- Kakashi Style

"Right you two" Kakashi crouched to the children's level "I'll be on the sofa reading" he pointed to said couch and then tapped the infamous orange book "you both go do what children do" he said as he shooed them towards the garden. "But Daddy Ru said…" began Sachiko and found a finger on her lips silencing her. "Daddy Ru's not here" he smiled at the kids whilst internally cursing his lover "So go" he gestured urging them towards the garden "be free". He received strange looks from both children but they did as they were told.

"Is he always…"

"This strange?" he heard Sachiko finish the boy's sentence "Yes" she stated taking his hand to go play in the play house Yamato had built.

Kakashi had had a rough day at the Hokage office and all he wanted to do was lie down with his book and drink down a bottle or two, possibly three as he relaxed in one or preferably both his partners arm. He thought he wasn't a fussy man but the world seemed to disagree, or Tsunade Sama did anyway. As right now, after a hard day running the village he wasn't allowed to drink, he was stuck babysitting Sachiko and Kurenai's son Akio. He wasn't allowed to relax in either of his partners' arms as they had both left on missions earlier this morning.

Kakashi lay down on the sofa letting the padding of the couch mould to him and thumbed open his book, with a quick look to make sure the kids were safe, he rested his head on the sofa arm with a contented sigh. A smile crossed his face as he began to read where he had left off at lunch, he loved this bit and let his imagination take over…Shinji gazed across the golden rice field as the crop swayed and danced to the rhythm of the wind. On the other side lay a pond, Shinji's destination to wash away the dirt from the days travel. As he got closer he heard happy splashing and the sound of sweet laughter reach his ears. Shinji stopped as his body stirred excitedly, he crouched in the long grass crawling towards the sound where he was met with the vision of two women running and tumbling in the water there wet pale skin…Daddy.

What? Kakashi thought, Daddy? What did wet pale skin have to do with…

"Daddy" Kakashi came out of his reverie of golden fields to find his daughter staring down at him. Kakashi blinked, he must have dozed of whilst reading and was now faced with large brown questioning eyes. "We're hungry Daddy" his daughter declared. Kakashi closed his eyes again "you know where the kitchen is" he said turning.

"Daddy Ru left watermelon" Kakashi didn't move hoping they would leave him alone "you have to cut it for us" Kakashi still didn't move. "Daaaadeeeee!" Sachiko patted his cheek insistently until he opened his eyes again to look at her "I'm hungry" she frowned, a very familiar, disappointed frown.

"Not 'llowed to use knives" Akio said all matter of fact and proudly "Uncle Ru said".

"You're allowed to use a kunai and shuriken, but not a knife?" Kakashi asked, sometimes Kakashi just didn't understand his lover. "Daddy Ru said" Sachiko replied pulling her father to the kitchen. "Yes I got it, Iruka said" Kakashi grumbled, anything Daddy Ru said seemed to be final in his household, he followed his daughter and nephew who skipped towards the kitchen.

Kakashi cut the watermelon into chunks removing the hard skin quick and efficiently serving up to bowls of fresh watermelon in no time with a smile and a fork before the kids even had a chance to sit down at the breakfast table. Both the kids looked at him like he'd lost the plot. "What?" Kakashi asked slightly indignantly.

" 's not how you eat watermelon" Akio replied "should…has to be smileys" he sighed.

"Smileys?"

"Yes Daddy" Sachiko said in a huff sliding the bowl back to him "you have to cut it into smileys like Daddy Ru".

Kakashi slid the bowl back to his daughter "When Daddy Ru gets back, you can have them in smileys honey, but for now just eat them" he said through his teeth. The kids shared a look that to Kakashi said Seriously? His supposed to be a genius?

"No Daddy, Smileys" Sachiko crossed her arms with a pout. Kakashi looked over at Akio who was copying his cousin in a similar stance not quiet getting the hang of a pout and looked like he needed the bathroom instead. Kakashi couldn't help the small smile "Just eat them please, it'll taste the same whether in chunks or a smiley".

"But watermelons 'pposed to be smileys Uncle Kashi" Akio stated "you can't eat em if theys not smileys"

"Right smileys" Kakashi said "but right now the watermelon doesn't want to smile. If you're hungry eat them if not go play" he was too tired to argue the finer points of watermelon smileys and chunks with a 5 and barely 3 year old, so set two glasses of milk next to the watermelon bowls with a thud and turned to go back to his reading. As Kakashi resettled into a comfortable position on the sofa he felt a shadow fall across his face. He tilted his head back to find an angry looking Sachiko hover over the arm rest looking at him pointedly. "What now munchkin?" Kakashi asked tiredly.

Sachiko didn't look at all pleased and pointed at the sniffling boy clinging to her dress behind her "you made him cry".

"I didn't make him cry" Kakashi defended sitting up once more, he wasn't going to get the rest he wanted and worse he hated crying, it made him nervous.

"Yes you did" Sachiko put her arms on her hips and glared at him. "Tell him you're not angry or upset and you'll cut them into smileys".

Kakashi didn't want to tell them anything because actually, he was upset, upset that he couldn't read, drink sake and couldn't just sleep. And he certainly didn't want cut watermelons into smileys, as he turned towards the kids to let them know, Akio let out a sob. "Ma Akio Kun" Kakashi said nervously pulling the boy to him and patting his head awkwardly; he still wasn't used to this parenting thing, especially with such a small child "it's OK I'm not angry or upset, just tired kiddo". Akio burst into more tears and wailed as he wrapped his small arms around Kakashi's neck. Kakashi laughed nervously, he hated crying he never knew what to do. "Sachi" he asked startled and at a lost for what to do. Sachiko shook her head and patted Akio's back "It's OK Akio, Daddy's not angry his just cranky because his tired".

Kakashi looked at his daughter indignantly "Sachiko" he chuckled nervously as she totally ignored his protests and worked on calming her cousin. "Akio Kun come on now, stop crying" Kakashi tried with failure as he bounced the boy in his arms. "If you stop crying, I'll cut the watermelon into smileys" he tried desperately and the crying stopped immediately. "OK" came a watery reply and Kakashi couldn't help but feel like he'd been played.

With careful direction from Sachiko, Kakashi cut the watermelon into semi-circle wedges a.k.a smileys. "Happy?" he asked and both kids nodded tucking into their watermelon. Kakashi sat down with a sigh eating the chunks he had cut previously, maybe the kids were right, it actually didn't taste as good in chunks. Once they'd finished he directed them back to the living room to play as he once more picked up his book. Before he could even open it Sachiko had climbed into his lap and Akio followed snuggling into his side.

"Read to us Daddy" she demanded wiggling to find a comfortable spot on Kakashi's chest to rest her head "Yeah" Akio agreed "you're always reading that book Uncle Kashi, read it to us". Kakashi chuckled nervously "I don't think your mother would like that Akio Kun" he said gripping the book closed tighter as the boys fingers tried to open it. "Why don't you both go do something fun".

"Reading is fun daddy" Sachiko said playing with Kakashi's Mask and settled down against him "Read please". Both the children looked at him expectantly. Kakashi let out a groan as he met the brown puppy eyes of his daughter and the blinding smile of his nephew and reluctantly found himself re-telling a story about one of the missions he and Yamato had taken.

After two more stories with voices like Iruka, Kakashi insisted the kids leave him alone and go colour him a picture. He rolled his head onto the back of the couch and looked at the book. "Do you need drinks?" No came the reply"do you need anything else?"he asked wanted to get everything out of the way No "can I read my book" he asked yes said an exasperated Sachiko "Thank You" Kakashi replied Finally he thought and thumbed the book time he got further into the book before he was distracted by Akio doing a wiggly worm dance in front of him. Kakashi looked up questioningly at the boy who just looked back without saying anything so Kakashi went back to reading. The dance slowly seemed to increase its pace, Kakashi looked over at Sachiko for any clues but she was busy colouring still. "You got ants in your pants Akio Kun?" Kakashi asked still reading and waited for a reply. When none came he looked over the top of his book and raised an eyebrow "Akio?" Kakashi said now slightly more worried as the boy looked like he was in pain. If he had hurt himself Kurenai and Iruka would have his balls.

Sachiko hearing the slight panic in her father's voice looked up to see Akio squirming in front of her father. "Think he might h need the bathroom Daddy" she said, honestly she thought her father was useless. Oh Kakashi replied and pointed towards the bathroom "it's that way". Akio whimpered and Kakashi once again felt at a loss "Sachi, munchkin?" he called out.

Sachiko groaned "his too small Daddy he needs your help, don't you know anything". This now definitely had Kakashi panicking "help?" he asked as he saw the dance become more instant "what kind of help?"

"I don't know" she shrugged "Daddy Ru helps him" Sachiko said annoyed. Of course Iruka helped him Kakashi thought because Iruka was supposed to be here taking care of the kids, but had decided no, he would be the good citizen he was and step in for a sick colleague leaving him with the babysitting. You'll be fine babe he had said when Kakashi had protested use your instincts. Well his instinct right now told him to retreat and come back and attack with a better plan "think his going to wet his paaaants Daddy" Sachiko sing-songed.

Kakashi turned to glare at his daughter "you're not helping munchkin" he gritted out as he grabbed the small boy and rushed to the bathroom. "Right Akio Kun, how do I help you?" Pants the boy cried. Pants? Kakashi thought and then looked at the boy's trousers, no wonder he needed help! What was Kurenai thinking?! The trousers were constructed of too many buttons! As he got one undone Akio let out a mumbled hurry through tears and Kakashi tried to hurry but fumbled with the next button. As he undid that he found he had to undo another and another! Finally he was able to pull down the trousers and lifted the boy onto the toilet just in time to avoid any splashes on himself. He got Akio cleaned up and redressed but the crying didn't seem to stop. "Sachi" Kakashi called out "Sachi he won't stop crying" Sachiko came to the bathroom to find an upset cousin and just as upset father.

Kakashi was promising the boy a number of things "Akio Kun what's wrong buddy?" Kakashi asked bouncing the boy in his arms "you want smiley watermelons?" he got a shake of his head "you want chocolate, we have chocolate just stop crying please" another shake of the head "how bout Mochi?" No. "Ice cream?"

"I want mummy" the boy cried. Kakashi was now into full panic mood as the tears wouldn't stop and the boys breathing was becoming laboured from all the crying. Just as Kakashi was thinking of teleporting the boy over to Gai to look after whilst he searched high and low for Kurenai to take over her mission, so she could come back to her son and stop him from crying he heard the front door open. "I'm home" called out a warm voice "and look who I found".

Akio run out of Kakashi's arms straight into Kurenai's shouting Mummy as she walked into the living room ahead of Iruka. Kakashi let out the breath he didn't know he was holding. "And how's my princess?" Iruka called out as he walked into the room himself, arms open wide.

"Daddy" Sachiko smiled dropping her colouring pen running towards Iruka but found her path blocked by Kakashi. "I think" Kakashi said to his daughter "you'll find that he was talking to me" and fell into Iruka's open arms. Iruka and Kurenai shared a glance and laughed as Sachiko rolled her eyes at her father as Iruka embraced him. "I don't know how you both do it" Kakashi said, "their monsters".

Sachiko looked at Kakashi with a frown "His been cranky all day" she said with a sigh shaking her head causing Iruka and Kurenai to burst into further laughter as Kakashi hid his face in Iruka's neck.

Kurenai took her leave with a tired Akio snuggled in her arms kissing Sachiko before turning to Iruka and Kakashi thanking them. "See you seen Sachi, Iruka…you too princess" she said with a smirk as Kakashi grumbled. Iruka tried to hold in his laughter but failed as he let out a snort and knelt to pick up Sachiko. "Long day honey?" he asked her "the longest daddy" she said with a sigh looking at Kakashi as they directed the tired Shinobi to the bedroom. Kakashi was vaguely aware of Sachiko re-telling the day's events to Iruka and how useless Kakashi had been. But he found he didn't care to defend his action, as gentle caressing hands helped into bed for a well-deserved nap. Iruka kissed Kakashi's temples and was left wondering who had actually looked after who after Sachiko had finished her tale and shook his head with fondness watching his lover sleep.


I had Yamato's first attempt looking after Sachiko so thought it would be good to write Kakashi babysitting his daughter in addition to Kurenai's.