Author's Note:

I'm still working on the second chapter for Dark Angel, this is just a side story to keep the muse going and to let you know that the positive input was noticed- thank you all! Your encouragements and reviews give me inspiration!

A lot of my focus is going to be on Dark Angel so I won't have so much time to put into proofreading this story but the second chapter for both Dark Angel and Ethereal Embers are in-progress, and I will try to update them once I get some time off work! Thank you so much for your encouragement and patience!

Disclaimer:

I do not own Naruto or any of its ideas. I own only Katarina and the plot line of this story.

Prologue

Sakumo and his wife huddled over the softly cooing bundle, and I pouted when the man's shoulder blocked my view.

"Fine then, don't let me see the cutest form of my favorite character ever."

I growled.

Although I understood they couldn't hear me, it helped ease my irritation.

Sulking slightly, I pushed off the ground and floated over Sakumo's head, hovering above the Hatake mother facing downwards.

The moment my eyes met my target, I paused; it's like everything was abruptly connected in that one moment, and I suddenly felt right.

His silver hair was just a tuft, his eyes were closed, and he was so tiny.

I instantly knew that I had to protect this precious baby at all costs.

My gaze flickered to the mother when she drew a particularly harsh breath, and I felt a twinge of sorrow.

She had lost a lot of blood during the birth.

Tears fell down her pale cheeks and little Kakashi let out a distressed whine as she stilled, growing cold.

Her head slumped back, her eyes glazing over, and my view was blocked by a frantic Medic Nin.

Sakumo, tears in his eyes, picked up his son and left the room; one last look at his unmoving mother and the Medic Nin surrounding her, and I followed them out.

Kakashi woke fully and he started crying in Sakumo's arms, but the stricken ninja- although he fed the baby and took care of him- didn't have the touch for handling babies yet.

He cried and wailed, and each little sob struck me somewhere deep while I hovered over the man's shoulder in the bland room with uncomfortable chairs.

They hadn't even left the hospital yet.

"Kakashi-kun~!"

I called in sing-song voice.

I blinked in surprise when the baby reacted with a hiccup, squirming in his bundling, hands reaching.

The cries resumed not long after, but I had a suspicion…

"Little One, do you want me to sing to you?"

Gently, touching my feet down in front of Sakumo, I reached out.

I expected the slightly painful mist-like feel of phasing through his hand.

I did not expect to feel a solid, tiny hand so light to the touch and yet so warm that it chased the numbness away.

My eyes widened even further if that's possible when Kakashi's tiny fist closed over my fingers.

Kakashi was able to touch me.

I can be material in this world.

I softened, gently wrapping the rest of my fingers around his hand.

And then I began to sing.

"You are my sunshine,

My only sunshine

You make me happy,

When skies are grey

You'll never know dear,

How much I love you

Please don't take my sunshine away."

I was never good at singing, but the effect became substantial when slowly Kakashi's cries subsided, to Sakumo's relief.

He yawned, and I smiled while I sung.

"The other night, dear,

As I lay sleeping

I dreamed I held you,

In my arms

When I awoke, dear,

I was mistaken

So I bowed my head and I cried.

You are my sunshine,

My only sunshine

You make me happy,

When skies are grey

You'll never know dear,

How much I love you

Please don't take my sunshine away."

Kakashi slept, his hand a phantom sensation of warmth in my palm.

I marveled at his touch, an oasis in the numbness that I had become.

I have found my place in this world.

I had nowhere to go, nothing to do, and no matter how much I tried… I could never come in contact with the Naruto world.

My hands phased right through anyone and everything I tried to touch, everyone but little Kakashi.

That's why I found myself following the Hatakes back to their family compound.

The Hatake mother was buried the next day, and Sakumo was on leave for a few weeks to look after his son.

I spent my time hovering by Kakashi's cradle calming him when he was upset, providing hugs and kisses and any close physical contact… Although the latter was equally for me as much as it was for him.

In general, aside from feeding him, changing diapers, and tucking him in, I watched over Kakashi as if he was my own.

I was drawn out of my muse when Kakashi wriggled in my arms- we were alone, so I held him out of his cradle- and I smiled automatically.

"Sorry Little One, Auntie Katarina was just thinking about-"

I cut myself off, doing my best impression of a goldfish.

Kakashi's black eyes were wide open, and shining with childish curiosity.

"You opened your eyes!"

I chirped cheerfully, and just when I thought my heart would burst, those curious black eyes focused on my face.

He can see me.

…

…

"Kakashi-kun, you can see me!"

I cried, happily spinning him in the air, and his peal of giggles brightened the room while I gently floated us above the ground to curl around him, reclined comfortably in the air with him resting on my belly.

He gurgled happily, and I gasped when I heard the quiet footsteps of Sakumo.

"Sorry, Little One- we'll continue to celebrate later."

I laughed, picking him up and placing him in his cradle, grinning and stroking his cheek with my finger when he whined in disappointment.

Just then the door opened and a tired-looking Sakumo entered the nursery, a warmed baby bottle in his hand, he approached the cradle.

I crossed my arms, grinning like the cat that ate the canary while I watched his eyes widen, and a tired but genuine smile light up his face.

"I'm proud of you, son,"

The man rumbled, picking up the curious baby and cradling him, he fed Kakashi.

"You're growing up quickly."

I floated above them in wonder, beaming down at the father/son duo.

There was hope for them yet.

Kakashi was fussing, and there was nothing I could do about it.

His diaper was full- I could smell it from across the room- but Sakumo had been called away for an urgent mission for the war, and it was so last minute there was no babysitter until Dai decided to stop in.

Frustrated, I tried again, but although I could move Kakashi, my fingers continuously phased through the pin holding the diaper together.

"Damn it!"

I hissed while his piercing cries cut at my heart.

At my surge of anger I felt a small, strange energy leak into my fingers, and I watched in shock as the pin opened.

No time to waste.

With a well-practiced hand I whisked the dirty diaper into the trash, cleaned him, and wrapped him up in one fell swoop.

The energy gave out at the last moment and the pin closed slightly crooked, but Kakashi's unhappiness subsided, leaving a tired baby and an exhausted ghost.

After I died I felt no urge to sleep or eat, but whatever I did took so much out of me.

I let my legs give out, floating peacefully in the air to the sound of Kakashi's sleepy sounds while I shut down.

Sakumo came home an hour later, and the man was absolutely exploding with curiosity and worry.

Dai had intercepted him on his way home, seeming surprised that Sakumo had 'found another friend he trusts with his son'.

When he got past his shock and the spike of panic to ask what Dai meant, his friend went on to tell him how Kakashi was cleaned up and well-looked after, if a little hungry, and the state of things suggested that someone else had been there.

He shunshined directly home after that.

He checked the house, but all the traps and seals were in place, and aside from Dai his inner-circle friends had not visited.

Kakashi being the exception, there was simply no trace of an uninvited guest.

Frowning, Sakumo spent that night and many after it adding more seals and sleeping close to Kakashi, much to my amusement.

I was worried.

Kakashi's face had been twisted into a very serious and determined expression all morning, and he had been staring at me the entire time.

His diaper was clean and he had been fed; in fact, Sakumo had been taking extra precautions and spent a lot of time with Kakashi, as much as he could between missions.

Who'd have thought Maito Gai's dad was such a good babysitter?

Anyways, not even Sakumo knew what was making his infant son act so intense, but he had been hovering like any concerned parent until the Hokage called him away via messenger.

This was the first time we'd been alone today.

"Hey Kakashi-kun! What's with the long face?"

I floated above his cradle with a huge grin, but he only seemed to look more determined, if that was possible.

"Still going to be a tough little cookie about it?"

Playfully I reached out and poked his nose with my finger.

I giggled when his face scrunched up briefly, before returning to its tensed expression.

"That's fine, Little One. I have one last trick up my sleeve!"

Grinning full tilt I pretended to drift in zero space, waving my arms and legs erratically and tipping upside down and sideways whilst moving about, but not even my usual crazy antics got a rise out of him.

Typically my proudly self-proclaimed Zero Space Jutsu had the baby pitching a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

Pouting, I arranged myself face-down parallel to the cradle, staring directly down into resolved onyx eyes.

"Kakashi?"

The toddler raised his arms up with a small demanding noise, and I had to stifle a coo at the absolute adorableness.

Lowering myself until I gave the impression I was walking on the ground, I reached over the rails and picked the baby up under the arm pits, hoisting him onto my hip and smiling into his face.

"What's bothering-"

"Kat'ina!"

I froze, my eyes bugging out.

"… Kakashi?"

The toddler then smiled, relaxing in my arms and grabbing a fist full of my long, bright tawny orange hair.

"Kat'ina."

He spoke in serious no-nonsense voice despite the smile on his face.

I have no shame in my next actions.

"Kawaii!"

I squealed, spinning us both around until the infant in my arms laughed.

"Kat'ina!"

He complained, eyes shaped like twin sliver moons to compensate for how big his smile was.

I felt like I was about to burst with pride and happiness.

"You said my name!"

I floated in the background, glaring petulantly at the heads of the people that showed up.

They were all crowded around a table and I could only get glimpses of colorful frosting, candles, and wrapped gifts before Dai- with a tiny version of Maito Gai perched up his shoulders- shifted and blocked my view.

I couldn't even phase through them, it felt…

Unnatural.

Painful.

I didn't like phasing through anything.

As such, I moped while I floated up the wall until my feet touched the ceiling.

I stayed up there for a while, playing with the dust motes and pretending to stroll around upside down, mouthing along to the "Happy Birthday" chorus out of envy.

What can I say? I wanted to crowd the birthday boy too!

My brooding intensified, I finished counting the dust bunnies stuck on the ceiling and moved on to playing with one of the candles in the chandelier, watching with fascination as the tiny flame curved around my finger.

"Kat."

I looked up…. Or down? … At Kakashi, who stared up at me with a partially exasperated and mostly bemused look on his face, standing steady for a toddler his age.

The last of the guests had left without my notice and Sakumo was busy cleaning the table, evidently not paying attention to the air his son talked to.

Then I noticed; he was wearing his signature mask for the first time, covering those cute pouty cheeks and freckle.

I leapt from my perch on the ceiling, crouching in front of him with a big smile, and I held a finger to my lips.

He blinked at me, but complied when I ushered him to his room.

As soon as I had the privacy, I gave Kakashi a big hug that the toddler returned with eager arms that belied the more pensive expression he had been growing into.

"Happy Birthday, Little One!"

I chimed happily.

My favorite character was growing up.

I got to watch it happen, and I will do my best to keep him safe and happy.