A/N: First attempt at Naruto fanfiction in a long time. This will have at least two parts. Hopefully the second part will be up soon. Please read and enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own.
The Hokage was missing. It wasn't the first time this had happened. However, the concern was he couldn't be found at any of his usual haunts and there was an important meeting with the Suna ambassador that should have started an hour ago. And the Hokage had given the slip to his AnBu guards.
"Haruno-sama, we – where are you going?" a trembling nurse asked the pink-haired doctor. One of the AnBu assigned to the Hokage's guard had just informed the head medic of the situation.
"Not now, Ami-chan. I have a Hokage to track down and drag back to work. Honestly, I need to have words with Ibiki if this continues. AnBu training must be lacking since one man can give you all the slip," Sakura mumbled the last part as she divested herself of her white coat and slipped on her gloves.
"But, Haruno-sama!" The nurse cried as her superior walked out of the hospital.
Pakkun stared at his summoner and long-time friend. "Kakashi, why are we doing this again?" The pug hid a grimace as his ear was tugged once again by little inquisitive ands.
The silver-haired ninja looked up from the baby in his arms. "Because, Pakkun, I can't go on any missions for the foreseeable future and this helps. Plus, it keeps us young!" He turned his gaze back to the bundle in his arms and smiled softly. "Hello, Hotaru-chan. Are we awake now?" He almost cooed at the brown-haired baby.
"Pakkun-kun!" An excited cry from a young voice drew the dog's attention from the ninja. He wandered over to the speaker, a blonde little girl.
Kakashi smirked at his summon. He knew it wasn't always easy on the any of the dogs, but they did enjoy it in the end. Pups were a part of pack life and these "pack-less pups", as the boys called them, thrived on the attention from the ninken.
"Kaka-kun! Read story?" A boy, probably around three or four walked up to the ninja, green eyes sparkling with hope and joy as he held a book tightly in his little hands.
Kakashi laughed and nodded. "If that's what you want, Daichi-kun, we'll read a story. C'mere," he held out an arm after adjusting his grip on baby Hotaru. "What story did you bring to read today?"
Sakura sighed at the sight in front of her. She had finally tracked down the Hokage. It really hadn't taken her long. She knew where his secret escape was. "Kakashi," she spoke softly as not to disturb the sleeping children surrounding him, "Temari-sama is waiting. You have a meeting, remember?"
"Maa, Sakura-chan, I seem to be strapped by Hotaru-chan and Daichi-kun. If I try to leave, they will wake up and cry. And we can't have that, can we?" The silver-haired man grinned up at his former student.
Sakura sighed deeply before crouching down to Kakashi's level. "I hate to do this, but if you don't make an effort to get to that meeting, I will tell your AnBu guards this is where you run off to when they can't find you, Hokage-sama." The look in the pinkette's emerald eyes cemented the severity of the threat.
"Hai, hai, I'll get up. Daichi-kun, time to wake up. I have to go," Kakashi spoke softly to the toddler sleeping in his lap.
Daichi grumbled as he rubbed at his eyes. "No go, Kaka-kun. Stay with Daichi-kun and Hotaru-chan." The little boy clung to Kakashi's vest, refusing to let the older man go.
It took five minutes of finagling and promising to return for Daichi to let go of the silver-haired mand. Kakashi pouted when he had to hand over baby Hotaru, which Sakura silently took note of. It always amazed the pink-haired woman to see her former sensei lavish such attention and love to the children in the town's orphanage.
As the two shinobi walked back to Hokage Tower, both were lost in thought.
"You won't tell anyone, will you?" Kakashi broke the silence, turning a worried gaze to his companion. They were almost to the tower and he needed confirmation his secret getaway would stay that, a secret.
"Tell anyone what, Hokage-sama? That you sneak off to read Icha Icha in solitude? Please, they already know that." Sakura smirked, silently agreeing to keep the orphanage between them. "Now, please, Hokage-sama, go meet with Temari-sama. She's been waiting long enough."
Kakashi chuckled and nodded, disappearing to the meeting.
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