A/N: I just want it to be known right now that yes, this will be yaoi, though not until much much later in the story. Also, my twins are geniuses, and there have been documented cases of children as young as they are, speaking and acting the way that they do. So there is my reality, and also, it in the ninjaverse, so I suppose it also makes sense. Also, if I didn't explain things to your satisfaction, please tell me. I tried to make the things in here believable, as well as easily understood. *bows* Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy. ^.^

Oh, and a special shout out to Mizu Hoseki who was the beta for this, as well as my ladies on Skype.


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3 Years Old

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Kakashi


"Jiraiya! Jiraiya! Are we going to see ojii-san soon?"

The Sannin glanced up as Naruto's loud mouth interrupted his writing. Smirking, he observed the two boys as they came running towards him from the forest around the little cottage he had rented. They were both covered in sticks, dirt, some blood, and bruises. He had learned quickly enough that these two had some of the worst sibling rivalry he had ever seen. It often manifested itself with cuts and bruises, though he had heard that boys were a lot rougher than girls, so that might be part of it too.

"Yea yea gaki. We'll be going back soon. He hasn't seen you guys since you started walking, so I guess it's time."

Naruto turned to his brother and stuck out his tongue. "See? Told you Min! I knew we'd be going back soon!"

Minato snorted, putting his hands on his hips. "You didn't tell me nuttin. You just said that you were gonna make Jiraiya go back caused you wanted Ichiraku's."

"It was dad and mom's favorite! We're going back, so I win!"

Ah, the magic words, he thought, and sighed.

"What? You didn't win nuttin 'Ruto!"

"Yea I did!"

"No you didn't!"

Jiraiya just sat and watched them argue, marveling at how fast they had grown up. It had only taken him two months to feel confident enough to take them with him, and he would admit that having twin boys had gotten him a lot of women. He would never admit it to sensei though, but the twins had helped with his spy network too. It was rather alarming how charming the two of them could be, and as such, get him the information he needed out of the women. Barely even three years old, and the two of them were heart breakers already.

His eyes glazed slightly as his thoughts wandered, while still keeping an eye on the wrestling twins.

Not to mention that they were child prodigies, easily on par with Kakashi, Itachi, and the original Minato. A perfect example being their speech, and the way they easily took to chakra training. Jiraiya didn't even have to carry them around anymore, and was starting to have to work to keep up with them when they traveled. And their understanding of the world around them was amazing too…

But anyway…where were his thoughts? Oh yea…

Naruto, with his bright eyes and personality, and the bashful, huge grin. Minato, with the icier blue eyes and calmer personality, and already able to smooth talk his way out of anything, made them a devastating team. They never balked when riding on his back and he was forced to fight, and neither ever complained. In his heart, he knew that if he ever had children, he would want them to be like either boy. Essentially he already had his children. They just weren't his by blood. Though, that didn't make any difference to his heart.

His palm connected with his face though when Naruto yelled in indignant surprise, Minato having pinned him face down with his hands behind his back. He watched through his fingers as Minato gained a very smug smirk, even though he was breathing slightly heavier. Naruto thrashed around, and though he was the stronger, he couldn't get away from his twin. Finally, panting, he relaxed and scowled over his shoulder.

"Yield brother?" Minato asked, and Jiraiya couldn't help but snicker at the superior tone.

"Yea yea, now get off me Min."

He hid a sharp grin when both blond heads came up, staring with predatory intensity towards the south. He had a contact meeting him at the cottage, and he hadn't warned the boys about him. It may have been a little mean, but he wanted to see if the twins had actually learned anything from him. So far, all they had done to people they viewed as an unknown threat was prank them, and let Jiraiya deal with the hard stuff. It was nice, especially since they were geniuses at surprising people, and as such, kept his enemies off guard, but he knew that hadn't been all he had taught them. Had it?

They both disappeared into the forest surrounding the small place, leaving with a hardly there whisper of wind. He still couldn't figure out how they did that, since it wasn't any sort of teleportation jutsu he had ever seen. He knew it had something to do with their wind affinity, but that was all he could figure out. With it, they were able to move just like how their father had. Of course he had asked them several times, and each time they both said "A good shinobi never gives away their secrets." All with identical cheeky grins on their whiskered faces.

He couldn't feel their chakra anymore, so it seemed they had learned how to suppress it. He shivered at two barely there chakra flares, and chortled. They did learn his invisibility jutsu after all! He would know the tell-tale shiver anywhere.

Slowly but surely, the chakra signature came closer, and Jiraiya was glad that the man wasn't trying to mask it. He had warned him about the twins, and how they acted when they perceived a threat to each other or him. He didn't think they would do anything serious, but with those two, he never knew.

Twin flares announced them using a jutsu, followed by a very unmanly scream. Blinking wide black eyes, Jiraiya watched as blond heads appeared around the corner of the trail leading to the cottage. When he saw what they were dragging behind them, he couldn't help it. He fell off the porch, holding his stomach and roaring with laughter.

Kakashi, his contact from Konoha, was roped up and being dragged behind the twins. His normally silver hair was flashing wildly between bright neon colors. He knew what it was. It was the first seal they had ever created by themselves, though they had based the exceedingly simple design on one Jiraiya had previously made for changing hair color. He was teaching the boys everything he knew about sealing, and they had taken to it like water to a sponge. He'd never forget how they had put it, when he said he was surprised at how quickly they were learning: "It's just like a language Ero-Sennin! We know the basics already from living with you!"

It was a minute before he was able to get his breath back, and by the time he wiped away the tears from his eyes they had untied Kakashi, and were sitting with completely unrepentant grins on their faces next to him. Kakashi was smiling, but there was a tic in his eyebrow that told Jiraiya exactly how pissed he really was.

"Kakashi," he gasped, and then doubled back over in laughter when the teen looked at him. Biting his tongue, and using the pain to help him gain control, he took a deep breath. "Sorry. I did warn you about what they do."

"Maa maa," he muttered, flapping his hand. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure they'll tell me how to fix it."

Jiraiya glanced at the twins, his own smirk developing when he saw the evil light in their eyes. It grew even wider as they spoke together, their words formal. "You sure about that Hatake-san?"

The young Jounin – only 13 – glanced at the boys and saw their looks. His visible eye narrowed at them, and it only made their evil grins wider. "If not, I can make you tell me. I am a Jounin after all."

Jiraiya only shook his head in bemusement when Naruto snorted, Minato's grin falling away to be replaced by his more serious look. This was gonna be fun. He could already tell they had something planned for Kakashi.

"Eh, you might be a Jounin, but we're the Namikaze twins! If you don't want to go back to Konoha with rainbow hair, then you gotta catch us!"

Kakashi snorted, glancing strangely at Jiraiya. The toad Sennin looked as though he was having a fit, when in reality, he was trying valiantly to hold in his laughter. "A pair of three year olds is no match for me."

With that, the twins stood, Minato smirking at the older boy, and Naruto had a broad, cocky grin on his face. "Oh really, Hatake Kakashi? If you are as good as you say, you have until sundown. That's about…what 'Ruto? Two hours?"

"Yea, something like that. Hey, Ero-Sennin! Tell us when to start!"

Controlling himself, he waited until Kakashi stood, and then nodded. All three disappeared, and shaking his head, Jiraiya went inside to put away his writing supplies and get dinner ready. He was very happy that he had so much money now. He had been forced to take a couple mercenary jobs just to keep his little monsters fed. Ah well, he knew he would rather have been feeding them then letting them sit in some orphanage in Konoha.

~o~o~o~o~

He had just finished putting all the food on the table when a growl of outrage reached his ears. Grinning, he stepped through the door, and saw a still brightly colored Kakashi glaring at something on the roof. Rolling his eyes – because now he knew what happened – he rapped on the wall.

"Boys, get down here and take that seal off Kakashi. Dinner is ready."

With a whoop of happiness, Naruto landed gracefully on the dirt and launched himself into the cottage. Minato walked down the side of the building, swinging himself from the eaves and onto the porch. With a smug grin aimed at a fuming Kakashi he followed after his brother. Jiraiya shrugged apologetically at the shinobi.

"You took them up on their challenge, Kakashi. Come on in and let's eat."

He turned and entered the cottage, knowing Kakashi was following him because of the grumbling. When they were all seated, they said 'itadakimasu', and began to eat. Well, Naruto and Minato started shoveling food into their mouths, and Jiraiya watched Kakashi watch them.

"Amazing…"

"They are, aren't they?" Jiraiya answered quietly, causing Kakashi to blink his single grey eye at him, and then nod slowly.

"I looked everywhere in the forest for them, and the entire time, they were sitting on the roof. They truly are geniuses."

"Hey! Dun 'alk 'bout us li'e we're n't 'ere!" Naruto yelled, spraying a bit of food and with noodles still hanging out of his mouth. Before Jiraiya could do it, Minato smacked him on the back of the head.

"Swallow your food before you talk 'Ruto," he mumbled, and glared back at his brother. Grumbling, Naruto finished chewing and swallowed, settling his eyes on Kakashi, studying him.

Kakashi was taken slightly aback by the penetrating stare. There was no malicious intent in it, but he still felt as though he was being picked apart by those strangely mature, intelligent eyes. He couldn't remember if he had been this adult when he was 3, but probably not. That electric blue gaze was intense, and he actually felt the urge to squirm, a blush rising to his cheeks without him knowing why.

"You don't have to wear your mask around us Hatake," Minato said quietly, and Kakashi was suddenly treated to the double effect of both of them staring at him. He looked back and forth between them, feeling sweat begin to bead at his temples. He couldn't get away, frozen by their unnatural intensity, wanting to beg them to stop, to confess everything he had ever done. He wanted-

"Boys!"

The sharp command made them blink, and Kakashi pressed a shaking hand to his temple as dizziness overcame him, the intense scrutiny gone all at once.

"Sorry Kakashi. I think it has something to do with the Kyuubi's sealed inside them, but…" Jiraiya sighed, and the twins fidgeted under his disapproving glare. They knew better then to turn their 'look' on a friendly. He sighed again. He also knew they couldn't really control it when they were curious about someone. It just happened.

"It's almost like a version of killing intent," Kakashi croaked, and deciding to say fuck it, he pulled down his mask, inhaling fresh air without the constant suffocating feeling of the cloth.

"Yea…kinda," Jiraiya said slowly. "Instead of causing fear, it makes someone want to confess everything. Doesn't matter how small or large. You just want to spill your guts to them...trust them, if you will. A good trait for a Hokage, if you ask me."

Kakashi nodded as the boys drooped, looking dejectedly down at their food.

"Sorry 'Kashi," Naruto mumbled, glancing up hopefully. He paled slightly when Kakashi refused to meet his eyes and bit his lip, looking back down. The Jounin could feel the unhappiness and almost fear radiating off the brighter blond, and chanced a glance at Minato. His ice blue eyes were glaring right at him, and once again he was caught. It wasn't as bad as when they both were meeting his eyes, but now he could actually feel the pulses of rage and uncertainty coming from the boy.

"We didn't mean to do it, Hatake, and we both apologize for that," he said icily, his young voice nearly a hiss. "But we can control it! When we're trying to figure someone out is when it gets out of our control, and you've made us both curious. So, sorry…but...don't be afraid of us!"

He blinked slowly as Minato's voice cracked slightly on the last sentence, and blinked again when the boy looked down, reaching over and taking Naruto's hand in a comforting gesture for them both.

It was such a childish gesture, and with the uncertainty radiating off them… He was forcefully reminded that they were only 3, despite their speech and the way they acted.

These were his sensei's boys. He could at least try to do what they asked. "What…" he started, then stopped, swallowed, and tried again. "What were you trying to figure out?"

Naruto looked up through his bangs, still biting his bottom lip. "Um, well, I just wanted to know why you wear your mask. Is it because you look like your dad?"

Kakashi's world broke and reformed in a heartbeat. He was surprised that his voice came out steady. How did they know? "Yes, it is."

"But…" Minato's voice was confused, and he glanced at a silent Jiraiya before looking back at Kakashi. "We know what he did. I mean, he lost, but he saved everyone right? Jiraiya always tells us that saving your teammates is more important than anything else. That's why Konoha is so strong."

"I think it was wrong how he was treated," Naruto's voice piped up, small, but firm. "He should've been a hero! I think he did the right thing!"

Kakashi stared at them, he couldn't help it. He had refused to think of his father for so long…but hadn't he done the same thing when it came down to it? Hadn't he disregarded the mission to follow Obito and save Rin?

"You don't have anything to be ashamed of. That's what I think."

He hated the fact that he felt tears in his eyes at Naruto's quiet, heartfelt words. However, he was a Jounin, and he knew how to hide his emotions. And right now, he really needed to push them away and think about them later. So he smiled. "Yea, I think you're right. Now, let's finish our food."

The boys chorused out bright "Yeah's!" and proceeded to begin shoveling their cooling food into their mouths. Looking down at his own, Kakashi also began to slowly eat, mindful of Jiraiya's sharp eyes on him.

The rest of the night passed pleasantly, and Kakashi quickly learned that the boys hadn't been lying when they said they could control whatever it was with their eyes. It was also a pleasant surprise to find out that the cause of his constantly changing hair color was a simple seal that had been quickly drawn on the back of his neck, right above the mask. If he had rubbed it, that would have been the end of it. A simple tactic that he learned all three of them used to change their hair color, and they also tattooed it on shinobi's for a price, for better undercover work.

As Jiraiya helped them get ready for bed he sat on the porch, a cigarette smoldering in one hand as he stared at the stars. Absently, he reached up with his free hand and rubbed his fingers across his lips. Tonight had to be the longest he had gone without wearing his mask since his father had died when he was 5.

Once he had gotten to know the boys better, he had realized that their eyes were mostly just their personality. He had forgotten that his sensei had been like that. The intense, piercing, sincere blue eyes that the twins had also belonged to the original Minato. He had always believed it to be the mark of someone with a strong, unyielding spirit. A stubborn, curious soul too tenacious to ever give up.

Exhaling forcefully, he took another deep drag, and let the acrid smoke trail out of his mouth. He didn't usually smoke since the mask got in the way, so it was a nice change. Being out of the constant flux of people in Konoha was a nice thing too.

He glanced to his right when Jiraiya exited with a bottle of saké, saying nothing as the Sannin sat next to him.

It was another few minutes before Jiraiya actually spoke. "Orochimaru is with the Akatsuki now. I haven't been able to get much information on them, but tell the Hokage to be on the look-out."

Kakashi nodded and stubbed the cigarette out, flicking it into the darkness. "How are the boys coming along?"

Jiraiya snorted. "Well, despite their massive chakra reserves, inhuman stamina, and unhealthy fighting habits, they're doing well. I plan on taking them to see sensei here in a few weeks."

"Is the ability with their eyes a Kekkei Genkai?" he asked quietly, and Jiraiya hummed softly in thought.

"I don't really know. I think I've developed immunity to it of sorts, because it's rare when they can use it on me. It's possible that the Kyuubi's chakra altered something, but it's also possible that it's just the nature of their personalities." He hummed again, relaxing against the front of the cottage. "For ones so young, they are more jaded then most, but they are completely and utterly trustworthy. If they make a promise, they will do whatever it takes to keep it, and if you tell them a secret, they keep it to themselves, even under torture."

Kakashi looked sharply at Jiraiya at this admission and the Sannin looked back, completely unrepentant. "How do you know this, exactly?"

"They understood my job when they were only a little over a year old, Hatake," Jiraiya said in a slightly cold voice. "Those two are true child prodigies. Don't let their size or age fool you."

Jiraiya took a sip of his saké, humming in appreciation before continuing. "They understood how much of a liability they were for me, especially since I am Konoha's spy network. They agreed to it, because the boys told me they understood what would happen if one, or both of them were to be captured. I was only planning on using a mild torture genjutsu, but…" He smirked a little, his deep grey eyes far away. "They told me it wasn't authentic enough, so they told me to step it up. I ended up using a few techniques I've used on enemies, and neither of them even flinched. And before you get more pissed, I told them I wouldn't test them until they were two. The only thing that has me worried is if their loyalty is more to me then to Konoha."

"Then as long as you're loyal, they will be too," Kakashi said quietly, lighting another cigarette with a small chakra fire.

Jiraiya laughed softly, and saluted Kakashi with his saké. "How very true Kakashi. Now, tell me all the dirty gossip."

Kakashi laughed and they spent a pleasant night exchanging stories, and when he started going on his way in the morning, he was stopped by a tug on his pants. Looking down, he blinked at Naruto's earnest, smiling face.

"I want you to have something, 'Kashi," the boy said with a sheepish grin, holding up what looked like a plain piece of black granite. As soon as it hit his hand, Kakashi almost dropped it. There was so much chakra contained in the stone, he was surprised it wasn't melting! It also took him touching it with his skin to feel it, which was impressive. Examining it critically, it took looking at it with his Sharingan to finally see the thumbnail sized seal embedded within the stone itself.

Blinking in wonderment, he stared at the boy. "What does it do? How did you make it?"

Naruto's eyes flashed red, and though his large, charming grin never left the whiskered face, Kakashi was suddenly very, very wary. "Naruto…"

"The Kyuubi's protects their own," he said with a laugh, pointing at his uncovered Sharingan. "You weren't born with it, but you've done good with it, so they don't care." He then pointed to the stone. "There are three stages to that stone. A little chakra will tell us that you need to talk, more…say, the amount you use for a regular clone, means that it's urgent but not life threatening." Naruto's eyes darkened slightly, becoming very serious. "Any more than that and it better mean that your life is in danger, because we'll be coming to you immediately. And that works no matter where you are, got it?"

Kakashi knew he wasn't doing a good job of keeping the skeptical look off his face. Even with the Kyuubi's – since the Bijuu were twins now too – they shouldn't have been able to make something like this. Naruto sighed and grumbled a bit, giving him a peeved glare.

"We had to have Jiraiya and the Kyuu's help us. We get the sealing thing pretty well, but this one was way beyond what we know." He hummed thoughtfully. "It was really the Kyuubi's that made it possible. It's their chakra after all…"

Kakashi nodded dumbly. Well that made more sense now. The rock that he held in his hand, something that was no bigger than a small leaf, was suddenly more precious to him than anything else that he had ever owned. Besides Obito's eye, but that was to be expected.

"I…I don't know what to say Naruto," he said quietly, crouching down so he was eye level with the boy. He smiled, reaching out and ruffling the blond hair, and received an indignant squawk in response. "I swear on my honor that I will use it only as directed."

Minato walked up then, smiling slightly. "He probably forgot to tell you, but in order for it to work it has to be touching skin. So make sure it doesn't get taken from you, and keep it touching your skin at all times for at least a month." His eyes took on a thoughtful air, and he blinked. "You know what, let me see that again."

Kakashi handed the stone back over and watched in amazement as the twins completely enclosed it in their hands, working seamlessly together without words. It was something that he had only ever seen twins able to do. They were so attuned to each other, that no words were even needed.

A bubbly red chakra formed around the two of them, forcing him to step back away from the scorching heat. It was enough to instantly kill all the vegetation that they were standing on, and Kakashi swallowed at the raw power that was coming from them. It lasted no longer than a minute, and when the cloaks disappeared they turned to him with beaming grins, and Minato held the stone back out to him.

It was no longer rough. A flat, matte black, speckled with white and silver, it was now a perfect circle, and engraved on it was the symbol that his dogs wore. How they knew that symbol he didn't know, but he also didn't question it. It was obvious by this point that the twins knew a lot more then they let on. There had a small hole at the top, just big enough to fit a chain through. He took it back, and grinned.

"That's better," Naruto said, and both boys nodded their heads in agreement. "Now you can put it on a chain, because it has to…uh…shit! What the hell is that word Min?"

"Resonate? Acclimate?"

"Acclimate! Yea, that's it! It has to acclimate with your chakra so you're the only one that can use it!"

He blinked when a plain silver chain was dangled in front of his eyes, and as he took it, he glanced at the man who had given it to him. Just barely he could see a similar chain around the Sannin's neck. Humming, he fed it through and slipped it over his head, tucking the stone under his clothes so it lay flat against his skin. As soon as they touched it flared with chakra, and then went completely quiet. Staring down at where he could feel it, he tentatively fed it a small amount of chakra. He gaped in surprise when the pair of black plugs each twin wore flashed a very muted white. Why was he just now realizing that the boys not only had their ears pierced, but they were stretched as well?

Naruto laced his hands behind his head, giving Kakashi a smug smirk. "Yea, that's how you do it. You like the earrings? We were just gonna have a bracelet or something, but they were to obvious, and regular sized earrings weren't big enough for the seal, no matter how small we made it. So we had to stretch our ears, and no one thinks to look there!"

Kakashi shook his head in amusement and awe, acting on impulse and bent down to grab them both in tight hugs. They squeaked, but almost instantly hugged him back.

"Thank you both. You two are one of the best gifts I have received." He smirked at them, and vanished in a poof of chakra smoke.

Rolling his eyes, Naruto put his hands on his hips and glared towards Konoha. "Friggin' Jounins. I swear, you gotta be insane as hell to be a Jounin in Konoha…" He trailed off and blinked, looking at a stunned Minato, and a grinning Jiraiya. "He did just say that we were the best gift, right?"

Jiraiya nodded and Naruto blushed, both boys looking absurdly pleased. They jumped when Jiraiya clapped his hand.

"Alright you two! Time for your leaf exercises!"

That was met with two groans, but Jiraiya was happy to see that there was a new lightness in their eyes as they went about gathering their leaves. Kakashi was the only one so far who had spent time around the twins – besides him – that knew of the Kyuubi's, their heritage…well, all of it mostly. He knew that Kakashi was a special case, but he sincerely hoped that the rest of Konoha could do what the Jounin did: look underneath the underneath.


A/N2: Yes, I tweaked Kakashi's age. *smiles* I do know his real age, and by this point he should be 16 or 17, but I needed him younger.