Kakashi: Aged 0

The baby's cries echoed through the walls of the small waiting room, and the lone man jumped up, rushing to the wooden door. A moment later a medical ninja opened the door a fraction, and her face told the man in a second the bad news. He pushed past her into the room and he saw his wife, spread out on the bed, cradling a tiny body to hers. Her eyes met his for an instant, and she smiled,

"His hair is a lot like yours, eh, Sakumo?" A chuckle escaped her lips, " Like a scarecrow… Call him Kakashi for me?"

Her husband rushed to the side of the bed and threw himself down beside her,

"Keiko… it's not… you're not…!" He spluttered, but she reached a hand out and touched his cheek softly,

"The doctor can't do anything, Sakumo, we always knew there was the risk-" Her body heaved with a cough and the baby began to howl louder, "I… I… love you…" Keiko's head slumped and Sakumo took the bawling child from her as the medical ninja came to stand beside him, and put her hand on his shoulder,

"I'm sorry, Hatake-san." She said softly, and the man did not respond, as a chilling shinobi calm took over his face. He stood up, taking one last fleeting glance at his wife, unmoving on the hospital bed, and left with their baby in his arms.

Kakashi: Aged 1

Sakumo rushed through the front door, barely remembering to pull his sandals off before reaching the living room, where the nurse was cradling his son. She looked up, shocked, and then her features broke into a smile,

"Hatake-san," She murmured so as not to wake the sleeping baby, "Have you completed your latest mission?"

The man nodded, holding out his arms to take the boy,

"Am I too late to take him to his check-up?" Sakumo asked, and the nurse nodded, "Damn!" He cursed,

"But there's good news!" The nurse smiled again, "The doctor said that his chakra reserves look extremely promising."

The man looked at her, "Meaning…?"

"He is going to be a very skilled ninja, sir, much like his father."

Sakumo sighed, frowning,

"Thank you for taking him, Yuki-kun. But, couldn't it wait for one day, so I could be there?"

"Sorry sir, but the appointment was today. There was nothing I could do. I did try, Hatake-san." Yuki bowed, "Um… if it's ok with you, sir, can I be excused for today? He only just went to sleep, he shouldn't wake up for a while."

Sakumo's eyes widened,

"No, no, I mean, of course that's fine. Thank you, Yuki-kun- I really appreciate your help." The girl bowed and hurried out, as Sakumo stared unseeingly at the door. The he looked back to the sleeping boy and smiled, "You're a chip off the old block, then, eh Kakashi?" He kissed his child on the forehead and carried him gently to the crib, where he tucked the baby in carefully. Then he watched the fluttering breaths of the one-year-old as he sank back into sleep. Sighing, Sakumo's eyes travelled upwards to the bookcase, where a smiling image of Keiko Hatake watched over their son. He gave a small, self-conscious smile to the photograph and then moved into the kitchen to whip up some sort of meal.

Little Kakashi's sleeping face had no frown on it, and his scarecrow hair fell across his eyes in an unkempt waterfall of grey. It barely reached his ears and yet its static nature meant that it gave him a couple of inches more height than he really had. The child's breath murmured in the room as an evening breeze from the open window moved the strands of his silver hair a little.

Kakashi: Aged 2

The nurse, Yuki, waved a toy kunai in front of the toddler's face as she held the phone to her ear,

"…Yeah… I know, honey, but I can't leave him… yeah, Sakumo's not back… He's only two; I can't leave him on his own! And anyway, Hatake-san always pays me overtime… I know… I know… he hasn't shown any particular promise, not like his father… Sakumo? He says just to give it time… He's going to enrol him in the Academy as soon as he can… yeah, but then what am I going to do? This is my best job!... I guess… ok… love you too… bye!" With a sigh, Yuki hung up the phone and ruffled Kakashi's hair, as the boy grinned toothily at her, "Man, you're a cute kid, though! Shame you're just going to be in the shadow of your father." She stood up and put the telephone back on its hook, just as Sakumo opened the front door,

"Ah! Yuki-kun! I apologise for my lateness!" He said quickly, and she smiled politely, moving back to let him into the living room, "Hello, son!" He grinned and received an answering smile from the toddler, "Yuki-kun, you can leave if you want- I'm sorry you ended up working late again."

"Don't worry, Hatake-san. I'll get my coat." She disappeared into the corridor, and a moment later Sakumo heard the door slam. Kakashi held a sticky fist out to his father and gave him the toy kunai. Sakumo rolled his eyes at the child's innocence, and sat down near him,

"Now, Kakashi," He began severely, "Have you been practising?"

The toddler pushed himself up, nodding cheerfully, and clumsily waved his hands about in the vague shapes of the ninjutsu hand signs. Sakumo sighed, and held up a palm to stop his son,

"How are you ever going to achieve anything if you can hardly make the hand signs?" He muttered under his breath, then his face brightened for his son and he stood up,

"I'll see about dinner." He was used to talking and receiving no reply; the boy could talk, but only when he wanted to, and even then his round about ramblings rarely had any significance to his father. He unconsciously smiled at the photograph of his late wife on the shelf, and trailed his son into the kitchen.

Kakashi: Aged 3

"What do you mean, a 'U'?" Sakumo roared causing his son to flinch, and even the teacher winced slightly,

"My apologies, Sakumo, but children aren't even supposed to enter the Academy this early. It's no wonder he is so far behind the other children. Maybe you should-"

"-Wait a few years? Hah! Don't mock me! I entered the Academy at this age, and I see no reason why my son shouldn't. I would have thought you, Naoki, would understand that!"

The teacher sighed, as Sakumo stood up forcing his chair to scrape back loudly, and stalked to the window,

"Sakumo… Hasn't it occurred to you that Kakashi just might not be… as gifted as you? Of course it will be hard for him to measure up to you; you are Konoha's White Fang!"

Sakumo's shoulders sagged, and he returned to the table slowly, not meeting his son's wide eyes. Kakashi had sat silently for his rant, and his face betrayed no emotion, even for a child so small.

"People did say… when I married Keiko… that our son would never be as talented as me… but I loved her, Naoki!"

Naoki looked at his hands,

"All we can do now is give him special tutoring, if you refuse to withdraw him from the Academy," he said softly. Sakumo's face hardened,

"No child has ever become a notable shinobi as a result of that kind of special tutoring." He said shortly, and looked straight at his friend, "Can't you give him another chance?"

Naoki looked straight into his eyes,

"There's only so far I can go for you, Sakumo. I'm a teacher. I need to keep my respectability," He took another look at Sakumo's fallen features, "… but I guess I can do something this time. You owe me, though! The kid's sweet, anyway."

Sakumo rolled his eyes,

"Don't call my son 'sweet'!" He replied, but his eyes had brightened again, "Thank you, Naoki, you don't know how much this means to me."

"I think I do. That's why I'll go this far for you. But, Sakumo,' He caught his friend's arm, "I won't be able to do this for you again. If he doesn't show any improvement in one year, I will have to kick him out of the Academy for the time being."

"I understand, Naoki." The White Fang stood up, grabbing his son's arm and pulling him out of the room, "Until next time!"