Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, I'm just borrowing the characters for fun.
"Thank you again for watching the little one, with his father off on a mission and Itachi busy at the academy I didn't really know what I was going to do with him today," Mikoto smiled at Kakashi as she handed him the yearling boy. "Speaking of little ones, how have you been getting along?"
"He takes after his mother, with some early indications of his father's speed. I've learned to think of it as endurance training," he chuckled. Yondaime had become a sort of surrogate father for the young jounin, once he had finally mellowed enough to let him in, and he had felt it his duty to look after the infant that, like him, had been left all alone. Fortunately Sandaime had agreed with the idea of an ANBU trained guardian, as any of Minato's enemies might still provide a potential threat to the boy's safety. Mikoto was one of the few who knew the identity of Kakashi's ward, having planted herself in the Hokage's office upon returning after the kyuubi attack and refusing to leave until he told her what had happened to her friend. It had taken her three days to wear the old man down.
"Just wait till he starts walking," she laughed, interrupted by a high pitched yelp from the next room. "I'd better get going or I'll be late. Bye Sasuke, Mama will be back soon."
"Well kid, welcome to the mad house," Kakashi muttered as he closed the door, shifting the boy in his arms as he went to check on his other charge. He let an amused smile reach his eyes at the disgruntled expression Pakkun wore as he entered the room. Naruto had once more latched onto the pug, arms wrapped around his neck to prevent him from getting away.
"Why does this pup persist in the delusion that I enjoy being strangled?" Pakkun growled at the silver haired teen. Kakashi merely shrugged and reclaimed his seat on the sofa, pausing only to retrieve his book and deposit the raven haired visitor at his feet. Naruto let out a squeal of glee at the sight of his new playmate and squirmed over to investigate, the small dog taking full advantage of the boy's lapse in attention to escape and hop up next to his master.
Sasuke tilted his head to examine the fluffy golden patch streaking toward him, eyes widening a bit in surprise as the younger boy tumbled into him, enthusiasm overwhelming motor control for the moment. The tot was attempting to extricate himself when a green figure leapt in through the window, rolling across the table to land posed before the teenager, waiting for him to react. Kakashi kept reading, having grown accustomed to his friend's interesting way of making an entrance and certain that he'd grow out of it before too much longer.
"Greetings my rival, I have come to challenge you!" the Green Beast howled, startling the toddlers. The jounin raised a fist, still not looking up. "No! No more Janken, you picked that the last three times!"
"Sorry then, kinda busy," his friend replied, tilting his head to indicate the little ones who were now engaged in a tug of war over a stuffed panda. The energetic grin faded as he glanced down at them, resurfacing a second later as an idea hit him.
"Well then, if you cannot come out to accept my challenge, we shall have champions compete on our behalves," he stated, finally getting Kakashi to look up.
"I'm sorry, what?" he deadpanned. Gai gestured toward the boys.
"Two children, the very essence of youth, locked in a battle for control! They shall act as our agents and the victor in this struggle shall determine the winner of this challenge!" the Green Beast beamed down at his friend, who merely shrugged and set aside his book.
"You want Naruto? He's nearly as hyper as you are, so it would seem an accurate pairing." Gai nodded, crossing his arms and turning to watch the boys. Kakashi smiled behind his mask, reaching into his vest pocket to retrieve a piece of cookie before letting out a sharp whistle. Naruto twisted around at the familiar sound, dropping the toy and crawling over to his caretaker. Using the sofa to pull himself to his feet, he grabbed the treat with his pudgy fingers and crammed it into his mouth. Gai locked eyes with his rival, less amused at how easy his 'champion' was to bribe. "What? It's a legitimate strategy."
"I would hardly consider this a fair result, you have behavioral information to draw on as an advantage."
"It was your idea," Kakashi shrugged, burying his nose in the book as the blond reached for the tail of the pug he had rediscovered. "A successful shinobi learns to make the most of a situation. If you want more information on a target try a little reconnaissance next time, utilize your surveillance skills."
Acknowledging the reasoning behind his friend's suggestion, Gai settled down on the floor to study his subjects, allowing Kakashi to read in peace. Next time, he vowed, he would be better prepared.
(A/N) Originally intended as a one-shot, but with enough interest and positive feedback I'd be happy to extend it. Leave a review, signed or anonymous, and let me know what you think. Thanks for reading . ^_^
Oh, and in case anybody didn't pick up on it, I've got Sasuke at about 1 year, which would put Naruto about 9 or 10 months, and Kakashi and Gai about 15. And Janken (according to the manga translation I read) is Rock, Paper, Scissors.
