Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto and I doubt I could keep it going as long as it has if I did.

Warnings: OCs, violence, swearing, and probably more….

BTW I know her wanting to be his mother is sudden but I'm basing her off of my personality a bit. When I was ten I was taking care of children younger than me and mothering them. (I could also cook for myself when I was 8ish) I was also rather outspoken and hated those who picked on others.

*Line*

"What?" Naruto stuttered out shocked.

"I could be your mother," Kaya stated. "I know how to cook and clean so that won't be a problem. Also I have a fairly steady income depending on how many missions my team takes. You don't have to necessarily see me as a mother but I would try my best to be one for you."

"You would really do that?" he asked with his eyes wider than watermelons. Kaya nodded her head yes.

"Of course, I wouldn't suggest it unless I really meant it," Kaya assured him. Naruto smiled at her before jumping and tackling her in a hug.

"So you'll take me to school and tuck me in at night and all that other stuff mothers do?"

"Yup! Although, I probably won't live with you for a while. I can't officially take you in yet since I'm too young and am only a gennin but when I'm older I should be able to," Kaya explained. She wished she would be able to take him in now but unless she had legal documentation it would be considered kidnapping. Kenishi would also get really angry with her if she suddenly brought him home. She couldn't live with him yet for the same reason. Naruto did a little dance at the fact that Kaya would be his mother only to stop when he heard she couldn't live with him.

"Why can't you live with me?" Naruto asked.

"My brothers wouldn't allow it yet," Kaya explained. "Although I can be over as much as you want so it'll be like I live with you. I can make breakfast for you and wake you up. On the weekends I'll clean, and at night I can tuck you in."

"Does that mean you'll love me?"

"Always."

"Will you always be there?"

"I promise to try my best to and if I'm not there immediately I'll race there as fast as I can."

"Why would you want to be my mother?" Naruto then asked self-consciously. Now that he was over the hype of her suggesting it he was curious and cautious. No one had ever wanted to take him in before. 'I really need to work on his self-esteem' Kaya thought sadly, hiding her disgust at the people who caused him to question such things.

"You're a cute kid and I've grown fond of you," Kaya replied. It was the truth after all. There was just something about him that she couldn't ignore. "Now it's getting late and young shinobi to be should be getting to bed." Naruto pouted at her cutely. "Don't pull that look on me. Children need supposedly nine to ten hours of sleep a day. If I wake you up at six then you need to go to bed at nine."

"Six?" Naruto asked shocked.

"Yeah, that's the perfect time to start training. You're lucky I'm waking you up then. Usually I get up around four thirty. Also I usually meet up with my teammates around eight o'clock and I know the civilian school opens around seven thirty. This gives us a chance to practice by ourselves," Kaya explained.

"You plan to train me?"

"Well yeah. I can't have my child being defenseless especially if they want to be a shinobi. Besides you want to be Hokage so it's best to start training you now." Naruto nodded his head in agreement. He wanted to be the best so it made sense that he would have to train earlier than normal.

"Can you sing me a lullaby?" Naruto asked timidly as he led Kaya towards his room in order to tuck him in.

"I suck at singing, however, I can hum you a lullaby," Kaya told him. He beamed at her glad that she wasn't mad with his request. Crawling into his bed he waited patiently. Kaya took her cue and tucked him into bed giving him a soft peck on the forehead. She then began to hum until his eyes drooped and he fell asleep. Not trusting his apartment's security Kaya set up a few traps near the windows and front door before she silently left. It surprised her that she took to Naruto so quickly but her emotions she labeled "motherly instincts" screamed at her to take him under her wing. "Mom did always say I would make a great mother," she muttered to herself.

Silently she walked home taking her sweet time. Not many places were open and those that were generally were bars and other such places. The night air did not bother her nor did the dangers of walking alone at night. Kaya truthfully preferred the night because of these things. She would admit to herself that she always felt hyperaware at night and that the day time lulled her senses. When she reached her house it was quiet and the lights were all out. Slipping into the house it did not surprise her when the lights flashed on suddenly. Her brother, Kenishi, was standing by the light switch. "Where were you?" Kenishi asked sternly.

"I was with a friend and we lost track of time," Kaya replied.

"And what about dinner?"

"I ate out with my friend. We had ramen together at Ichiruka's."

"You didn't think to leave a note for Akira or me? What about us? Did you think about what we would do, or how worried we would be?"

"I am not your maid. Just because I generally make dinner doesn't mean I have to do so. Besides I figured you were still on guard duty for the rest of the week and would eat out."

"We allow you to live in this house you should pull your own weight," Kenishi told her sternly. Kaya scowled at him. They had never gotten along and she doubted they ever would. He was to controlling for her to ever be on good terms with. Sadly it was common behavior that had intensified after their mother's death and she couldn't do anything about it until she moved out.

"One meal isn't going to kill you," Kaya retorted. She then began to walk away but Kenishi grabbed her wrist.

"And where do you think you're going now?" he demanded.

"To bed. I have to wake up early to make breakfast after all," Kaya replied. Kenishi let her go without another word but a scowl was present on his face. Akira who was hiding in the shadows gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze. He never approved of Kenishi's methods and would try to help her when Kenishi was being too harsh on or controlling of her. She gave Akira a small smile before heading to bed. Kaya appreciated his comfort.

In the morning Kaya got dressed quickly and rushed to prepare breakfast. She made enough for her brothers, Naruto, and herself. Breakfast consisted of omelets stuffed with cheese and mushrooms with sausage on the side. Putting them all into packages Kaya left her brothers' share in the refrigerator and took hers and Naruto's with her. Kaya looked through the morning market briefly and decided to buy some groceries for Naruto's apartment. She also bought an orange stuffed cat with a green bow wrapped around its neck. Around five forty she was finished shopping. Jumping onto the roofs Kaya ran towards Naruto's apartment avoiding the early morning crowds. She made sure to disable the traps she had set up before walking in.

First Kaya used the oven to heat up her and Naruto's breakfasts. Then she tidied up a bit before going into Naruto's room to wake him. Naruto was curled up in his bed with his pillow clutched to his chest. Gently Kaya shook Naruto's shoulder. "Naruto, it's time to wake up," she whispered. Naruto burrowed into his covers and grumbled under his breath. "Come on. It's six o'clock, the sun is out, and breakfast is done." The mention of breakfast helped stir Naruto awake.

"Kaya?" he mumbled.

"Yes, Naruto?"

"What are we having?" he asked

"Omelets with sausage," she replied.

"No ramen?" He pouted at her as he arose from his bed sluggishly.

"That's not healthy to have for every meal. Maybe for dinner I can buy you some depending on how my missions go today."

"Yay! Thank you Kaya!"

"Yeah, yeah you're welcome. Now hurry up and get dressed after we eat I'll start training you." Naruto jumped out of bed and rushed to get dressed while Kaya went and set the table. A few minutes later Naruto emerged from his room dressed in clothing similar to the ones she first saw him in. They ate quickly with Naruto asking questions about training through bites of food. Kaya gave some vague answers if she replied at all. She didn't want to give too much away. When they were done they put their dishes in the sink so they could be washed later.

Kaya made Naruto run all the way to the training field to gauge his speed and endurance. He was panting and slightly out of breath when they arrived. She had made him run at top speed after all. The run had not bothered her since she had long been used to it. "Alright, first of all we will start with taijutsu. Even if you run out of chakra or close to it you can always rely on taijutsu. I will teach you different styles and see which ones fit you the most. You will learn to master a couple different styles. This is because it is best to be unpredictable and by learning different styles you can then put them together to create a style unique to you," Kaya explained once she knew she had Naruto's full attention.

"What style are you teaching me today?" Naruto inquired tilting his head to the side. Kaya beamed at him for this. She was glad he was asking questions since it assured her he was interested. It also showed that he was paying attention to what she said.

"Today will be the academy's taijutsu since you start next year, right?" Kaya responded. Naruto nodded his head. "So it's an advantage for you to learn it as soon as possible so you can perfect it before you go." He seemed pleased with her answer.

At first she had to correct Naruto's form many times otherwise he would have hurt himself with how bad is form was. After a while, though he began to pick it up. Kaya praised him on his form and was reluctant to stop the session. Naruto had to go to school though and she had to meet with her team soon. When Kaya told Naruto to stop practicing he pouted. She promised him they would continue after school let out at two. They agreed to meet at that training ground because Kaya had missions to do that day and wouldn't be able to pick him up from school.

Walking to the civilian school, that was there so civilians and shinobi could learn the basics, Kaya let Naruto talk about himself. He told her about the classes he had and how mean all the other kids were. Kaya gave him some advice but told him it was also situational. She said to be on his best behavior and be extra nice to everyone. It was all she could do since she didn't know the full situation. When they arrived at the school Naruto was reluctant to leave her side. She gave him a hug and told him that she would see him after school and not to worry about anything. He nodded his head in agreement and headed into the school. Kaya watched this with a fond smile on her face. Checking the time she decided to run to the training grounds before she was late for their meeting.

"Wow, you sure are late for once," Eiji commented surprised.

"What are you talking about? There are five more minutes left until the official meeting time," Kaya replied confused. She would know if she was late as her internal clock would be yelling at her.

"Yeah, but you're usually the first one here. You're even earlier than Masao-kun who gets here twenty minutes early!" Eiji told her.

"As long as I'm on time it's okay. Besides now I have a child to look after so I'll probably arrive around this time from now on. Speaking of which, I demand you two start getting along and acting like a team. I know you two dislike each other but you need to cooperate. I believed you two could figure that out for yourselves but now that I have a kid you need to get your acts together. I need the money from these missions to support him so buck up," Kaya sternly told them. Both Masao and Eiji stared at her in shock.

"Since when did you have a kid?" Masao asked after he snapped out of his shock.

"Since about yesterday," Kaya replied. "I did mention that I had something else to do yesterday." Eiji gaped at her still stunned.

"Aren't you too young to adopt a kid?" Eiji asked in disbelief.

"Well it's not official yet but technically since I'm a shinobi I am mostly seen as an adult by law. All that is stopping me is the income needed to provide for him. I'm still planning on taking care of him though until I can do so officially," Kaya explained. "Anyways enough about the whole kid thing. Today is mission day so let's do as many jobs as possible, alright?" She made sure her last word sounded as threatening as possible. Both boys nodded their heads in agreement as a chill went down their spines. Their sensei observed this in amusement. He was hoping they would get their acts together for weeks now. They could complete missions but they took longer than needed due to unnecessary arguments and fights. Mostly it was the two boys since Kaya avoided talking to them unless necessary.

They ended up taking three D rank missions. The first involved repainting some elderly woman's house. She was too old to do it herself and had no one else in her family to help her get the job done. Kaya was their representative when it came to talking to the elderly woman. She was polite and respectful towards her earning them light praise from the woman for their manners. Masao and Eiji quickly got the job done as they made clones of themselves. Next they had to gather up crops for one of the older farmers. He was a grumpy old man who complained about their work with each breath he took. They kept working though despite him complaining about their shoddy work. As they finished he told them they did alright for being 'snot nosed brats'. Finally they had to catch Tora, the fire Lady's cat who often escaped from its mistress. Kaya contemplated killing it once the little demon was captured but decided it wouldn't help in the long run so let it be.

Heading back to the mission's room they reported their successes with all of their assigned missions. The Hokage paid them accordingly for the level of work they did and Kaya was happy to note she had enough to buy Naruto some ramen for dinner. Lazily waving goodbye to her teammates, Kaya headed towards the training grounds. Nothing interested her as she ran towards the fields at full speed. This was normal though as she really only seemed to become happier when Naruto was around. As she arrived she noticed Naruto practicing by himself which pleased her. It made her proud to see him using the correct forms on top of it.

"Good job Naruto," Kaya said landing a few yards away from him. He jumped, surprised by the sudden arrival. "Your form is pretty good, not perfect mind you, but good for a beginner. Now you'll have to build up some endurance. Eventually I'll start adding weights to help with that along with strengthening your muscles. We'll also work on your spacial awareness and after you officially start the academy work on anything else that I believe you should know. I want to focus on your physical body first, but we're getting ahead of ourselves just talking about it."

"Do you have it all planned out?" Naruto asked awed.

"Only the basics. I'm still deciding on a lot of what I want to teach you especially since I don't know what you have an affinity for. Training someone takes a lot of time and planning like that, especially if you have to adjust it for each person. Anyways let's continue with our lesson." Kaya gave him a few extra tips before having him repeatedly go through the motions. She wanted the movements to be stored in his muscle memory so he could do it without thinking in a battle situation, while he did that Kaya practiced another form of taijutsu. She practiced her least favorite forms in order to get them down better. She would not allow herself any weaknesses like that. Kaya usually preferred moves that relied on speed rather than strength; however, she understood the benefits of both.

Hours later Kaya had them stop in order to have dinner. Naruto cheered as she led him to Ichiruka's for some miso ramen. She let him have two bowls of ramen before telling him the rest of her money would be saved for another day. Kaya also had to pay for the groceries for dinner for her brothers considering she only bought some for Naruto that morning. She didn't want a repeat of last night with Kenishi yelling at her again. Naruto was disappointed when Kaya took him home and ran to get the groceries for dinner. Kaya then explained that her brother was a jerk who would yell at her if she didn't do it. He asked why he couldn't live with her and Kaya explained how her brother usually shared the civilian's views and would probably persecute him. She wasn't strong enough to take on her brother yet and didn't want Naruto to get hurt because he met her older brother.

After making dinner for her brothers and getting the dishes done Kaya went back to Naruto's apartment. He begged her to tell him a story which she complied to easily. She told him of brave shinobi and warriors that she remembered listening to as a child. Of battles that took place in history and anything else she thought he would be interested in. With each word spoken, Naruto's eyes drooped lower and lower until they closed. Finishing up her last sentence Kaya picked him up and carried him to his bed. She placed the orange cat that she bought earlier in his grasp for him to find in the morning. Kissing his forehead gently she silently left the room.

During the next month Kaya adjusted to her new life with Naruto. She would wake up around four thirty and quickly get dressed, and begin making breakfast. This led to an increase in groceries as she used to just make dinner for her brothers and herself. After the food was done she would set her brother's share in the refrigerator and clean up the house or do dishes. Then she would take Naruto and hers share to his apartment. If it was really messy she would clean up before heating up their breakfast in the oven. At six she would wake him up and they would begin eating their meals. Usually conversations about their plans for the day would crop up as they ate their food. Setting the dishes to the side for later she would then take Naruto to the training ground and teach him something new or reinforce an older lesson.

A little after seven Kaya would take Naruto to school before meeting up with her teammates at the usual spot. Depending on the day they would either train while learning something new or go to the mission's office to get as many D rank missions as they could. Steadily her teammates' cooperation improved to the point of them actually getting along and talking before each day. Their sensei was proud of them and told them they could expect a C rank mission soon. He hadn't wanted to take one before because of their attitudes but figured they were ready for more complicated missions. Afterwards Kaya would meet Naruto on the training grounds again and train with him for hours. This improved both his fighting style and kept Kaya in good shape. Kaya would then either treat Naruto to ramen or make dinner for everyone quickly making sure to drop off the food at her house before eating with Naruto. She was very pleased with her schedule.

One day though Naruto asked something that reminded her as to why she couldn't officially take in Naruto. He asked why he never had lunch like the other children did or new clothes. "That's because I'm not rich nor do I make a lot of money. I could probably start making you some lunches every now and then but not every day yet. You see I have to help pay for the house my brothers and I live in, groceries, and I save the rest of my money in case of emergencies," Kaya explained grimly.

"Why would you have to help pay for all of that? Don't your parents pay for that stuff?" Naruto questioned her curiously. She had never talked about her parents but Naruto assumed they were the ones who took care of everything while Kaya was with him.

"I don't have parents," Kaya admitted. "My mother died a couple years ago due to some disease while my father is missing, presumed dead. My brothers and I take care of each other. For the most part my brothers take care of any expenses around the house we live in but every now and then I have to chip in. hey do make me pay for all the groceries though. My unofficial job is then to cook and clean since they both work all the time. Not that I'll admit it to Kenishi..."

"Why do you help me when you have so much to do?"

"Because I want to."

"Aren't I being a burden to you?"

"Not really. I just have to stretch my budget a little further and even if you were I don't really mind all that much."

"Is that why you haven't really adopted me yet?"

"Pretty much. I figured after I became a chuunin I could apply and have a better chance of being accepted. That and I could pay for more stuff for you." They sat there in silence together going over the conversation in their heads. Dinner time was quiet as Kaya made them stir-fry.

"I'll stop asking for things then..." Naruto mumbled after dinner.

"No, you don't have to do that. It'll just be a while before I can get it for you. I really don't mind."

"You don't have to do that!"

"So? I want to."

They continued to lightly bicker back and forth about it until they began to clean up. Naruto helped her with the dishes after she changed the subject to how school was going. Kaya showed him how to wash them properly so if she had a long term mission they wouldn't pile up as much. It would also teach him responsibility, at least according to her deceased mother it was a good way to make someone responsible. The atmosphere between them was warm and welcoming. It was all too soon when the clock struck ten and Naruto had to go to bed. Kaya tucked Naruto in as usual however this time Naruto mumbled, "Night mama..." before falling asleep. Kaya was surprised yet elated with that one sentence. She hoped he would start calling her that from now on and that it wasn't a fluke. She wanted to linger there for a while longer but she had to go home. She had to go back to the lonely, empty house and clean up plus cook their meals for in the morning.

The next morning when she arrived at Naruto's apartment she carried a huge cork board with pens and paper. A few people gave her odd stares on the way but she ignored them. She placed everything on Naruto's kitchen table and spread it out. Kaya then started her normal morning routine as she prepared breakfast and cleaned up anything left over from the night before. When Naruto woke up and saw the cork board he was confused. "What's that for?" he asked curiously.

"I figured we could write down our schedules on this cork board. Basically we would have a calendar to know where the other is," Kaya explained. "I figured it would be better to get in the habit now before either of us gets too busy. Next year you'll be starting the academy and soon I'll hopefully be on my way to becoming a chuunin.

"So I'll just have to look on the board and it'll tell you where you are?"

"For the most part if something comes up that I didn't predict it wouldn't be on there."

"What happens if you're late? Or something happens?"

"Then you can scold me as you see fit or check with the Hokage as to my condition. So do you want to help me decorate our calendar?"

"Yeah!"

In the end their calendar was orange and blue with scribbles of ramen and pocky. Neither of them were artists but they had fun with it. There were even swirls and zig zags all over the paper. The only thing slightly organized about it was the lines dividing everything and the dates. Having completed it they hung it up in the kitchen since they always walked through there. It was Saturday so they decided to play some games inside like blackjack and any board games they could find. Saturdays were usually the days they tended to relax a bit since both of them would have the day off. Kaya usually allowed him to sleep in until eight or nine depending on their plans for the day. Around eleven they would begin training but stop after a few hours. Saturdays were peaceful days.

"When are you going to teach me some really cool jutsus?" Naruto complained after a bit. He still trained hard in the taijutsu styles Kaya taught him but he wanted to do some big, epic finishing move.

"Patience. I'll teach you genjutsu in a couple more months...or well I'll try my best I know the theory behind it better than the practice...Anyways after that I'll go into some ninjutsu. Currently I just want you to build up strength, speed, and endurance first," Kaya told him calmly. She tried not to roll her eyes and laugh fondly. It was something Naruto had been bugging her about for weeks now. "Being a shinobi is not only using jutsus but having other skill in case they fail you. As a shinobi you should always have one or two back up plans even if they are last minute ones."

"But mama," Naruto whined. It was the first time since his mumbled goodnight that she had heard him say this. Kaya was pleasantly surprised he would call her this so soon, or well it seemed soon for her. It had only been a little over a month now since they met. She quickly recovered.

"No buts. I will teach you at my own pace," Kaya firmly stated. "While you have been doing well with taijutsu I still haven't introduced any weapons or anything. There is of course the basic kunai and shuriken throwing however I want to see if you have an aptitude for anything else."

"You mean I can start using weapons now?" Naruto asked wide eyed. That was one of his other complaints. He wanted to use a weapon saying he was ready to handle it.

"Yes," Kaya replied.

"What kinds of weapons will we be using? When do I start? I bet I'll be the best shinobi there is at the academy next year! When can we-" Naruto rambled on excitedly.

"Calm down Naruto," Kaya ordered gently. "First we'll go over kunai and shuriken. I'll teach you how to properly maintain, throw, and wield them. After you are far enough along with that I'll see about other weapons, okay? Also we can start training today." Kaya pulled out a few kunai from her pouches and handed them over to Naruto. Once she explained the proper way to maintain them she began telling him how to hold it. "Remember to keep a firm grip but not too tight in case you have to throw it at a moment's notice," she reminded him as she showed him the proper way to hold it. He nodded his head and tested it out. At first his moves were a bit clumsy and unsure but with Kaya's encouragement he became more confident. "You know where to aim when you're attacking, right?"

"Chest, arms, and legs," Naruto replied with a concentrated expression on his face.

"Close enough. Yes, those are the areas to aim for depending on the situation. If you want to only incapacitate them or injure them but not kill you would go for the legs, arms, or maybe the stomach. Medical help can stop them from dying from those wounds unless a vein is hit and can't get to them in time. Now if you have to kill them then the neck, chest, or head would be your targets. Usually people go for the chest because it's a bigger target and even if you miss your intended target by a few inches, like the heart, you can still hit something vital. Only go for the head or neck if you're sure of your aim, alright?" Kaya explained patiently.

"Okay! Naruto agreed nodding his head eagerly. Kaya could tell he didn't get everything but understood the basic gist of it so let it go.

"Now the basics of throwing are..."

Kaya told him how to throw it correctly and gave him a big target. It was a tree stump used for such purposes in the training grounds they often visited. She corrected all of his mistakes whenever they popped up. Soon he was able to hit the edge of the target. It took a couple hours but Kaya was pleased with the result. Naruto told her he would be perfect in no time. Kaya chuckled saying 'of course' and then decided to award him with miso ramen at Ichiruka's. Naruto cheered when she announced this and jumped on her as he hugged her to death. Kaya hugged back and they made their way over. She limited his ramen intake to four meals a week. She told him it was so he could have the proper nutrients to grow big and strong and a more balanced diet. He wasn't happy about that but he always forgot about it whenever she treated him. Laughing happily they were both content with the way things were.

*Line*

TBC!

I hope everyone likes this. If you have any comments please tell me and tell me how I can improve! Once again I want to know who I should pair with Kaya. Granted it won't be for a while yet but I would like to maybe add hints and get a general idea. There is a poll up about it. Now if you haven't realized it yet Kaya is based off of my own personality. Please R&R!