Author's Note: Wow I haven't written fanfic in a long time. This idea just kind of came out of nowhere and I decided to give it a shot. I'd say time frame wise, this would take place before Team 7 takes the chunin exams but after the Zabuza saga. It's in third person, but I'm thinking about changing it to first with Kakashi narrating. If you have a particular preference, let me know in the comments please! Also, I'm not crazy about the title. If you have an idea for a better one, let me know! Enjoy
It was an almost unnaturally calm day in Konoha as Team 7 embarked on another "life-threatening" mission….
"I swear if I have to help build one more fence or rake one more leaf…" Naruto started fuming as the team trudged to the mission center. Kakashi wouldn't admit it, but he had to agree with Naruto. The amount of exceedingly pointless missions they'd been receiving recently were not only mind numbing, but not easy enough to just leave his students to their own devices, meaning no Itcha Itcha…
"Just be grateful we're even getting missions after the last time you yelled at Iruka Sensei for our assignments," Sakura scolded as they slid into the office. Inside, the team found a tall stern looking woman with her hair tied up too tightly, talking to the Hokage. Standing next to her was a small boy with a round face, cheery blonde hair and big blue eyes. He stared around anxiously, not sure if he should lean into the prudish woman for protection.
"Team 7, you all finished early," Iruka said, completely surprised as he dug through his list of missions, looking for anything for the shinobi to do.
"Yes," Kakashi said warily, handing over their mission evaluations while he looked over at the two guests. There was something about that small boy that was too familiar. He held back a shudder and turned his attention back to Iruka. "So what's our next mission looking like?"
Iruka looked at the team, back at the visitors and then back to Kakashi, trying to act on the fly as the Hokage continued speaking in whispers to the stern lady.
"I think you all have filled your quota for today," Iruka said nervously as he started filing paperwork. Now all four of the members of Team 7 knew something was up. The three genin looked at their Sensei for some sort of answer, but since he had none, he merely shrugged.
"I guess this means we have enough time for a lesson. Why don't you three take a break and meet me at the training grounds in a half hour?" Kakashi Sensei said, calculating that it should give him enough time to find out what's going on, read a few chapters in Itcha Itcha and then get to the training field on his own time.
"Thank you Sensei!" Sakura said enthusiastically as she herded her teammates out the door, rambling on about how they haven't had a lunch break in forever. As soon as they were out of the room, Kakashi turned his attention back to the anxious chunin across from him. He leaned over the table between them, so he could talk quietly without the people next to him hearing.
"Who are those people?" Kakashi asked, stealing another glance.
"Why do you think I would know?" Iruka said too nervously. This is why you'll never make it past Chunin Iruka. Not good enough at lying.
"Because you look like you're going to pass out," Kakashi said pointedly. Before Iruka could answer, the Hokage turned his attention to Kakashi.
"I'm glad you stayed here Kakashi, because this involves you," he said. "This is Sato Akira." Hokage gestured to the overly stern woman who bowed her head slightly to Kakashi. "She works in the Sand Village as the overseer of many orphaned children. And this little boy is Hiroshi."
"Um, hello," Kakashi said, still not quite sure what this had to do with him. "If that's all… I still have some things to-"
"This will only take a moment," Akira said briskly. "You see, Hiroshi's mother was a jounin of the Sand Village. She died recently on a mission. While looking for a place for Hiroshi to go, we found you named as his father on his birth certificate."
"… I think… No, I know you have the wrong person," Kakashi said quickly. "I have never signed a birth certificate in my life. I would remember that," he assured himself. "Besides, I don't have any children. I'm sorry that his mother died and that he's looking for a place to live, but I'm not a relative. I'm sorry."
Hiroshi looked down at his feet as his face turned a rosy pink. He didn't know these people and here they were talking about where he was to go now that his mother wasn't coming home. He just wants to go home.
"Hayashi Akahana is his mother," Akira said, staring at Kakashi, waiting for a response. To say he delivered one would be an understatement. Instantly, the people in the room could see his face pale a bit as his eyes rolled to the ceiling and he tried to calculate how long ago was the last time he'd seen Akahana and how old that little boy is… He didn't like the answers. "Does that open the possibility more?"
"You could say that," Kakashi said, almost choking on his own words as he looked at the boy more closely. Now he knows why he looked so familiar! Those big blue eyes look exactly like Akahana's. "How old is he?"
"Six," Akira answered sharply. Kakashi shook his head, almost laughing at how ridiculous the situation was, but worst of all, how completely possible and if anything, likely. Six years ago, Kakashi had been helping out with work in the Sand Village. He had dated Akahana for the time he was there, but things broke off as soon as he left. They both knew that was how it would work... But wouldn't she think to tell him about something like this?
"Okay," Kakashi said, rubbing his head as he tried to wash out his memories of the Sand Village. "I guess there is no real way of knowing whether he is my…"
"Son," Akira said.
"Son," Kakashi choked back. "But, I will say that it's highly probable… What does this mean exactly?"
"Well, it means that he may live with you, if you'd like, but it isn't required. I can always find him an adoptive family or something along the lines," Akira said more softly as she looked down at Hiroshi, who just became more concerned looking by the minute.
"It's not that I don't want to… I just work a lot and don't really live somewhere suitable for a child," Kakashi said to Akira. She nodded solemnly, taking Hiroshi's hand just a little too firmly.
"Understandable. Sorry for wasting your time," she said coldly. "Come Hiroshi."
Hiroshi stared at Kakashi for a second with a look of complete confusion. His eyes held more sorrow and knowledge than a child that age should have, but even so, Kakashi said nothing as the boy was swept from the room by the woman. He wasn't fit for raising that child. He could come up with a million reasons why that six year old will be better off with whoever Akira puts him with….
Yet, through the rest of the day, he couldn't stop thinking about him. Through drill after drill he ran his students through (once he finally made it to the training grounds) he was completely distracted. He walked home in even more of a daze than usual, running into several civilians on accident. Fortunately no one was hurt. He fumbled with his keys for five minutes to get in the door, couldn't find the light switch in his apartment and just decided against cooking because with his lack of focus, he'd probably burn the building down.
Not only was Hiroshi haunting him, but Akahana. While both of them would've admitted that they weren't particularly in love with each other and that they worked on more of a friends-with-benefits level, they were still close. It wasn't saddening that she was dead, since Kakashi had seen enough death that it no longer affected him. It was just…. Unsettling. He didn't like thinking that she had raised his son on her own for six years, until she died in a mission gone wrong. The fact that she felt the need to keep him in the dark was troubling in itself, but there was something else… Something Kakashi couldn't quite put his finger on… But it didn't matter. Whatever it was didn't matter. He was going to the Hokage tomorrow to find out how to contact that woman and tell her he changed his mind. Was this the smartest idea in the world? Probably not. But if Kakashi had learned anything from being a shinobi, it was that your gut instinct is generally the right answer and right now, his gut was telling him this was the right thing to do.
"It's settled then," Kakashi said to no one in particular. "Tomorrow morning…. I guess I'll be a father…"