Kakashi was confused to wake up with a bundle of sunshine-coloured hair resting on his chest, quiet snores escaping his half-open mouth.

The surprise lasted for half a second, before a smile broke out on his face (which was quite visible, as he had taken his mask of). He closed his eyes and relished in the content feeling he had, as well as the satisfaction. He finally had his otouto.

A few minutes later Naruto let out a particularly loud snort before he rolled over and almost off the bed, had it not been for Kakashi's hand stopping him.

Naruto tensed and his eyes flew open as he looked around in a panic. "Wha-?"

"Shh," Kakashi soothed, rubbing his back softly.

Naruto's eyes landed on him, and his eyes re-focused. "Inu-nii."

Kakashi quirked a lip, "You can call me Kakashi, I'm off duty right now."

Naruto looked up at him, eyebrows furrowed stubbornly. "Inu-nii."

"Kakashi," the man tried.

Naruto's lip jutted out in a pout, "Nii-san." he compromised.

Kakashi sighed, "Baby steps," but his heart filled with warmth att Naruto thinking of him as his Nii-san.

Naruto laid his head back down and nestled in to Kakashi's warmth. It was nice to be warm for a change, the radiator never worked in his apartment.

His eyes flew open again. His apartment - his things!

"What's wrong?" Kakashi asked.

Naruto opened his mouth to explain, before he quickly shut it again. They were so comfortable right now, he didn't want to move. Besides, Kakashi-nii-san said he was off duty, and Naruto didn't want to bother him on his day off. He probably wouldn't want to drag him to the other side of the village just to get his plant and Gama-chan.

"Nothing."

Kakashi sat up, Naruto going up with him. "Naruto, tell me what's wrong."

Naruto looked to the side, "I don't want to bother you."

Kakashi smiled and lifted his hand to ruffle the boy's hair, ignoring Naruto's flinch from the action. "You could never bother me."

The boy on his lap looked down. "My plant and Gama-chan are still in the apartment."

Kakashi stilled.

Right.

While Kakashi had wanted to adopt Naruto for a while, he wasn't actually prepared to do so, as he hadn't thought the Council would agree anytime soon. His home was a one-bedroom apartment, and he didn't really have room for Naruto. He didn't have supplies for him either - he'd have to get more food, clothes, furniture, so much.

Hmm... He didn't particularly want to get a new apartment - he liked this one - but if Naruto was to live with him, the living situation would have to change.

Perhaps he would open up the compound again... but was he ready for that? There were so many memories in that place, and not all particularly good ones.

"I-I'm sorry, you don't have to get them - I'll be fine without them!"

Kakashi looked down to Naruto and was startled to find his eyes filled with tears.

He panicked for a second, before sense took ahold of him. The boy probably thought he was upset with his request, Kakashi can't imagine how he was treated for those back at the orphanage. His eyes darkened. He could, actually, as he had seen the reports.

But no matter, he had other things to worry about.

"Naruto-kun, I'm not upset - I was just thinking."

Naruto sniffed, "You're not?"

Kakashi's eyes softened, "No, Naruto-kun. If you need anything - you ask me, okay?"

Naruto nodded, "Okay," and sniffed once more.

There was a moment of silence before Naruto's stomach growled, followed by Kakashi's.

Kakashi let out a chuckle, as he lifted Naruto in his arms, and moved out of bed.

"Time for breakfast, I think."

Kakashi had planned for them to get ready and then eat breakfast, but it seemed he had reached a bit of an impasse.

He had wanted Naruto to take a bath, but quickly realised that Naruto didn't have any clothes here.

Time to improvise.

Kakashi had just settled down two bowls of miso soup, when Naruto wandered out from the bathroom.

He stifled a chuckle that threatened to escape, as he gave Naruto a once-over.

The shirt and shorts he had dug our from the back of his closed back from his chuunin days were quite big on Naruto, the shorts almost reaching his ankles and the shirt stopping just below his knees.

Naruto padded over to the table as Kakashi sat down in his chair, before grabbing ahold of his own and attempting to pull himself up.

Kakashi watched Naruto struggle for a few seconds as he himself fought a battle not to laugh - he didn't want to discourage the boy, after all - before Naruto finally managed to pull himself up and over the edge.

When Naruto had settled into the chair with his feet hanging over the edge and his eyes peering over the table, Kakashi handed him his chopsticks before breaking apart his own.

They ate in silence, outside of Naruto's quiet sounds of delight, before Kakashi picked up the dishes and moved them to the sink. The fact that Naruto had eaten barely half of his meal did not go unnoticed.

As Kakashi was cleaning the dishes, Naruto wandered over and grabbed a fist-full of his pants, and pulled to get his attention.

"Yes, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto looked up at him with his big blue eyes. "Nii-san, I don't have any shoes."

"Hmm," Kakashi thought for a second, "Well, I guess I'll just have to carry you."

Naruto seemed to accept that so Kakashi quickly finished up and then they were out the door.

Naruto spent most of the time burrowing his face in Kakashi's chest as, despite Kakashi's reputation - even to the civilians - as a fierce and skilled shinobi, glares still followed Naruto wherever he went. Kakashi made sure to glare extra hard on everyone he could.

When they reached Naruto's apartment that had been given to him after he was kicked out of the orphanage, Kakashi glared at the disgruntled neighbour passing trough, and quickly made his way to Naruto's door.

Kakashi just walked trough the threshold, as the door hadn't been repaired from the day before - not that he had expected it to. The place was a mess, with most of everything being destroyed or burned or both.

He lowered his voice and whispered to Naruto, "Where's Gama-chan and your plant?"

Naruto raised his head and pointed towards his bed, and Kakashi made his way over. After a few seconds of searching, he found what he presumed was Gama-chan - a frog-shaped wallet - hidden in his mattress.

He gave the wallet to Naruto, causing him to gasp in delight and grab onto it.

"And the plant?" Kakashi asked.

Naruto looked towards the window and his face fell in despair. The wallpaper around the window had been burned off, there was soot everywhere and Kakashi guessed that the empty pot standing on the windowsill used to be not so empty.

Naruto's eyes filled with tears and his lip shook dangerously.

"We can buy you a new plant, Naruto-kun," Kakashi quickly reassured him.

Naruto nodded into his chest and they were off again.

Out on the streets Kakashi moved trough the crownd, not quite sure where he was going.

He had to get clothes for Naruto, but where from? There were so many clothing stores in Konoha, Kakashi wasn't sure why there was a need for so many.

He eventually wandered into a shinobi store that catered mostly to genin and made a beeline to the clothing section.

Be perused the racks for a bit before just grabbing what he felt was safe - black shirts and black pants.

You couldn't go wrong with black.

He was grabbing som other necessities - socks and underwear - when Naruto lifted his head and whispered, "Nii-san?"

Kakashi hummed in response.

"Can I get a mask like yours?"

Kakashi stilled for a moment before smiling and ruffling Naruto's hair.

"Sure, otouto."

After hours of clothes shopping - he wasn't spoiling Naruto, was he? - he decided to shift his focus on to food, as he heard Naruto's stomach growl.

Kakashi decided to go the safe way - he wasn't quite sure which vendors "allowed" Naruto and which didn't and he didn't want to have an incident so soon, Naruto was traumatised enough as it was - so he quickly headed towards Ichiraku's.

He sat Naruto down on a stool before taking a seat himself - he didn't have to worry about bags as he had plenty of sealing scrolls.

"What can I get you?"

Naruto looked up and his face lit up. "Teuchi-jii!"

Teuchi let out a laugh, "Naruto-kun! I haven't seen you in a while, I was getting worried." While it was said in a joking matter, Kakashi could detect some underlying concern from the older man.

Naruto smiled brightly, "I've been busy! I just moved in with Kashi-nii-san!"

Kashi-nii-san, thought Kakashi delighted, that's adorable.

He nodded towards Teuchi when he looked at him. "Hokage-sama and I decided that would be best for him."

Teuchi scrutinised him for a seconds before he smiled at him, "Well, I'm glad Naruto has someone to take care of him."

"Hey!" Naruto protested, "I can take care of myself!"

Kakashi smiled at him, "Of course, otouto."

Which just made Naruto pout even more.

Kakashi turned back to Teuchi, "I'll take pork ramen."

"I want miso!" Naruto told him.

"Coming right up!"

After lunch, they were headed back to the apartment, when a shout of "KAKASHI!" made him stop and turn around.

Gai come running towards him and stopped short when he saw Naruto nestled in his arms, face burrowed away.

"What Is This?" Gai boomed.

"Gai."

"Has My Rival Adopted A Child?"

"Gai."

"HOW YOUTHFUL OF YOU!"

"Gai."

"It seems You have Beaten Me yet again, Next Time I will-"

"Gai, you're scaring Naruto."

Gai stopped when he spotted Naruto's face peeking out, face looking more than a little traumatised.

Naruto shuddered and shoved his face back into Kakashi's flak vest, muttering things about 'green monsters' and 'don't turn out like that, Gama-chan'.

"I apologise, my Youthful friend," Gai said, a lot more subdued. "I did not mean to scare you."

"Naruto-kun," Kakashi tried to coax him out. "This is my colleague, Maito Gai."

"Hello, Naruto-kun. It is nice to meet you." Gai smiled brightly at him, and Naruto lifted his head enough to mumble out a greeting, before he hid again.

"Yes, Gai, I adopted him," Kakashi answered his earlier question.

"So he's staying with you?" Gai asked.

"That's usually how it goes when you adopt someone," Kakashi said dryly.

"But, your apartment-"

Kakashi cut him off, "I'll be moving back to the compound."

Gai looked surprised, "Truly?"

Kakashi nodded, "It's about time I go back, anyway."

Gai regarded him for a moment, before nodding, "If you're sure."

"I am." Kakashi reaffirmed.

He stepped into Yamanaka's flower shop and quickly channeled some chakra to his nose to mask his sense of smell - he'd rather not suffocate to death.

It seemed that Inoichi had a day off, because he was the one sat behind the counter, and he looked surprised att seeing Kakashi there, but quickly hid it.

"Hatake-san, it's a surprise seeing you here."

Kakashi smiled at him, "Naruto-kun was in need of a plant."

Inoichi's brows climbed up his forehead, "Oh? Naruto?"

He glanced towards the boy in his arms, who peeked out quickly but was back down before long.

Kakashi sighed, this was becoming routine.

"Hello. Naruto, was it?" Inoichi asked Naruto.

Naruto looked up at Kakashi hesitantly, but looked back at Inoichi when Kakashi nodded, "Yes."

"What plant did you have in mind?"

Naruto thought for a moment. "I want something that heals." While that was news for Kakashi, he wasn't exactly surprised. Naruto preferred healing to hurting.

"Oh?" Inoichi looked surprised yet again.

Naruto nodded, "Something useful."

"Well," said Inoichi, "there's a number of different plants that are useful in healing."

Inoichi continued, "Why don't you come over here," he motioned towards the stool stood close to the counter, "and look through this book so you can pick out what you want."

Naruto looked at Kakashi, who quickly set Naruto down on the stool. Kakashi stood back and waited in silence while Naruto skimmed trough the book and Inoichi watched them both.

It didn't take long before Naruto set the book down and said quietly, but determinedly, "I want jasmines."

Jasmines it was.

When they got back home - oh wow, home, thought Naruto - he was close to falling asleep - despite it being only three in the afternoon.

But hey, he was a kid, he couldn't really help it.

So Kashi-nii-san set him down on the bed and told him to sleep - he would wake him for dinner.

It didn't take long for him to pass out.

When he woke up, they ate dinner - more fish, rice and miso soup, but Naruto didn't mind, it was still better than most he's had.

"Naruto-kun." he looked up at his name.

"Tomorrow we'll be moving out of the apartment." Huh?

"Why?"

Kakashi smiled kindly at him, "You're a growing boy, Naruto-kun. This apartment can't fit both of us."

"Oh-kay..." They were moving because of him?

"Naruto," Kashi-nii-san said, his voice firm, but not unkind. "I don't mind, I've been meaning to move out anyway."

Nartuto wasn't so sure about that but Kashi-nii-san hadn't lied or been bad to him yet so he nodded and finished his miso soup.