He Belongs to Me

By Bashfulglowfly

Kakashi doesn't hesitate when he sees that the tree nearest to the tiny apartment is already occupied. He landed on the same branch as the apartment's watcher causing her to jump.

Sadly, she didn't fall off.

He feigned surprise. "What are you doing here, Mikoto-san?"

He felt rather than saw her glare since it was rather late at night. "I'm watching my godson. What are you doing here?"

"Watching over my little brother. Minato said he was my responsibility if something happened."

"Kushina said I was to take care of him in case anything ever happened to her."

"And aren't you doing such an excellent job of taking care of him."

Mikoto mocked his words right back at him.

Kakashi really wanted to boot her out of the tree but he could see a nearby ANBU patrol making their way across a roof less than a dozen meters away. If they made too loud a noise, they'd be caught and they'd NEVER have a chance to see Naruto. "Brother trumps godson." He hissed.

"I'll fight you for him."

"Fine, let's go to Training Ground 44."

Mikoto stared at him in horror. While she kept in shape, she hadn't been an active kunoichi since she married Fugaku. And Kakashi knew that. "Asshole!"

Kakashi pulled down his mask and gave her an utterly charming and absolutely insincere smile.

"Fucking asshole!"

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"Look at that! Doesn't he eat anything other than ramen?"

"In his defense, Mikoto, the boy IS only four."

"He's going to stunt his growth!"

"I know it's not all that nutritious, but we're not allowed to talk to him."

Mikoto sat, tapping her fingers against the tree trunk. "We're not supposed to talk to him face to face…"

"But?"

"But…we can leave messages…I can make meals that he can easily reheat and would certainly be better than ramen. Just put them in his refrigerator with notes on how to do warm them up. You could find recipes that require just one pot and just a few ingredients, five at the most…"

Kakashi broke in. "I see where you're going. He'd be eating better. And we'd feel like we're doing something for him."

"The problem is going into his apartment without being seen."

Kakashi smirked at her. From a pouch, he pulled out a mask and placed it over his face. Hound spoke "I'll get you one too. Then, IF we're seen, no one will think anything of it."

"Wow, you may be a genius after all!"

"Bitch!"

Mikoto gave him her best absolutely charming and unquestionably insincere smile.

"Fucking bitch!"

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Kakashi settled in next to Mikoto for their usual nightly routine of watching Naruto.

"Now that he's eating better, he's looking better." Kakashi volunteered.

"You need to kill Danzo."

"That's one hell of a segue."

Mikoto silently handed over a file.

Kakashi tilted towards the moon to catch the light.

Mikoto stared off into the distance as Kakashi read.

Kakashi began to growl.

Mikoto stared off into the distance as Kakashi read on.

The growls became snarls.

Mikoto stared off into the distance as Kakashi read further.

The snarls grew deeper.

Darker.

Longer.

"This would be considered by many to be treason." Kakashi's voice was abnormally deep.

"Yes. It would."

"The best thing would be to make it look like an accident. What about Fugaku?"

"An accident works for me. Fugaku will be returning from a mission to negotiate a trade agreement soon."

"We must protect the Pack."

"If Naruto and everyone else are to have a better life…yes."

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The Hokage sat at his desk and listened to the report about the gas explosion that killed Danzo Shimura, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane. He sighed for a moment then spoke. "So, what you are saying is that Danzo had a leaky pipe that lead to his water heater, the gas filled the house and the pilot light from either the stove or the water heater set it off."

"Yes, sir."

"Why didn't any of them smell the gas?"

"The gas we use doesn't have an odor, sir."

"It doesn't?" The Hokage was puzzled. "I seem to remember gas having a smell."

"It's an additive to the gas, sir. The one we used before came from Suna but it became cost prohibitive so the Elders ordered the gas company to stop using it."

The Hokage sighed again. "I'm sure that there is some natural resource from the land of Fire that will make the smell of gas noticeable and isn't cost prohibitive. Find it and implement it as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir."

"And the deaths of Team Fugaku?"

"Missing nin, Hokage-sama. Team Fugaku was ambushed on their way home. Fortunately, the ANBU team lead by Hound was returning from a mission themselves and were able to kill the missing nin before they got away with the trade agreement."

The Hokage nodded. "Thank you. Leave your reports. You may go." He had a brief moment of peace before there was another knock on the door. "Enter."

Through the door walked two of the last people he thought would walk side by side. "Mikoto, my deepest sympathies. Kakashi, thank you for eliminating the missing nin who killed Team Fugaku."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama."

"So, why are you two here?"

"We wish to petition for joint custody of Uzumaki Naruto."