Just to be clear; taking care of a baby is hard. It is very different from taking care of even toddlers. Needless to say, I learned that very quickly. With the added struggle of fighting against the biological brain of a five-year old I sure had my work cut out for me. Constant mood swings ranging from super happy to brooding, mixed with my need to relearn any sort of graceful movement with my miniature body.
Whenever I can, I stretch and do workouts. Though my body is flabby and I don't have the best motor controls, Kurama has blessed me with enormous amounts of stamina even now. Pushups, situps, and running in place are the only thing I can really do at the moment.
A huge part of the problem is Naruto. He detests being put down. He is a super high maintenance baby and is constantly whining. I can only assume the feeling of Kurama's chakra is part of what is disturbing him, something I can sympathize with one hundred percent. The only time when he is completely content is when I am holding him, which is not ideal considering I have smol bean arms. Like, I seriously have the body of a five-year-old. If I didn't have the Shadows to help me with everything, none of this would have worked.
The Hokage provided me with two onesies and a swaddling blanket, along with a package of diapers and wipes. I'm not sure if he is just uneducated in the art of child-rearing, or if people advised him incorrectly, but that is not enough. Naruto, as most children do at his age, barfs. A lot. It is day three, and Naruto is currently in nothing but a diaper. Why, you may ask? Well, the nurses oh so kindly leave us alone all day except to bring me meals and Naruto milk. In other words, I am locked in the hospital room and left without a way to clean his clothes. They have almost 'forgotten' to bring us food a couple times, and only came when I sent my snake out searching. Both of those times, the nurses got extremely angry. Stop your freakiness, blah blah, you demon, etcetera. With a sigh I wrap up Naruto in my (only) spare hospital gown and strap him to my chest with shadow rope things that just jump to my aid.
"You ready, Naruto? We're going to go on an adventure!" I strike a random pose, giggling to myself in amusement. "You're welcome to come if you want, Inu-nii!" No response. Amusing, because I can feel his chakra… hiding inside the wall. Weirdo.
"Alright, then! Let's see how long we can go without being caught, Naru-touto!"
I pause.
'Hold on, how am I going to get out of here?' Chortling immediately ensues, but not from me.
'I was wondering how long it would take you to figure that out.' Kurama-the-all-knowing-Kyuubi comments, still snickering. I facepalm.
Walking over to the window, I immediately rule that escape route out. If I was a ninja, it would be no problem. However, with my lack of practical knowledge on how to walk on walls, I can't see myself scaling a vertical, 90-degree wall. In a child's body. With a baby strapped to my chest.
'Yeah, okay. Any ideas?
'Heh, you heard of the kawarimi?' I pause. Outside on the ground is a conveniently placed log, just on the edge of the forest bordering the hospital grounds. 'I'll manipulate your chakra through your coils properly, showing you how, then you can do it yourself.' I can only stiffen in shock as something inside me comes to life, leaving me wondering how I could not have noticed it before. Hot chocolate runs from my stomach into my arms and upon reaching the palms of my hands, sudden tingling breaks out all over my body.
"Yoooo..." That was... wow. "Chakra is so awesome..." I smirk. Heck yes. I have actual chakra. Not just living shadows that kill people.
'Eh, Sorry about that kit...' I sweatdrop. Well, I still have chakra and it is so much better than I could have imagined (and believe me, I imagined it)! I squeal, like a proper fangirl. Giggles, hardcore laughing, and lots of wiggling. Naruto enjoys it. His little laugh is so cute. '…' I can literally hear the stunned silence coming from Kurama. I grin shamelessly, not even bothering to comment.
Without another word, Kurama moves my chakra in a specific pattern. I practice recreating the motion of my chakra, and after a couple tries It listens and moves how I want it to. I walk over to the window once more, having moved away during my fangirling session, and look at the forest – and the little log sitting there so innocently. I move the chakra, shivering with pleasure at the feeling, and focus on the log. I snicker. Praise the log. I picture Log-sama switching places with me, and I focus intently on what it might feel like.
A woosh of wind.
I'm out.
In a matter of minutes I've boosted myself onto a nearby roof with my shadows. Now silently strolling along the rooftops with my shadows making little bridges in between houses, I admire the disaster that is Konoha. There are sections of town reduced entirely to rubble, while the parts that still stand are bustling with people. The Kyuubi attack clearly was an enormous blow to the village, but still, the people are thriving. There is a certain beauty to it, and I can appreciate just why Konoha was so precious to Naruto and the others.
After traversing several rows of buildings, I find a store that looks to be filled with what I need. Civilian clothes for children and adults, all in one place. Perfect. I jump down into an alley, and my shadows flood from wall to wall to catch me like a pillow at the bottom. I scan myself and focus on making the shadows less wispy and more... not like shadows. After a minute... Yeah, nothing happens. I scowl. I don't plan on keeping the shadows a secret, but I'm trying to be incognito. I don't want to raise any alarms before I even get what I need.
'Hey, Kurama? Any advice?'
'Hate to break it to you, but it's not possible. At least, not yet. The shadows are packed full of chakra, and unless you have superb chakra control you won't be able to completely stop the excess from leaking out.' My mind scrambles for options, and my gaze shifts to the quiet Naruto. My eyes narrow. Why on earth is he so quiet? He's just looking at me, his eyes wide open, barely fidgeting. He's a newborn. Why isn't he fussing? Then, it comes to me – and not how you'd think. All at once, he dirties his diaper. The smell quickly reaches my nose, and I start to cough.
"What the heck Naru-tou? Take it easy on your big sis!" I quickly make a decision, and my shadows adjust Naruto to lie lengthwise in my arms with his head in the crook of my left elbow. Once he is secure, they recede and quickly fade into nothing. Trace amounts of chakra stream through my little arms, strengthening them enough to hold my baby without a struggle. With my nose still crinkled up I walk to the opening of the road and quickly turn the corner while pretending that, yes, I am totally allowed to be here. In all of our hospital gown-clad glory, I skip into the shop. I feel Kurama's chakra lightly touching my eyes, not enough to change their colour but enough to let him see out of them.
'To the left, kit. Diapers, tiny clothes and pyjamas.' Without a moment's hesitation, I steer to the left, entering the aisle set up against the wall. I get a few curious or concerned looks, but nobody stops me. Once again, I reach a bump in my planning. My arms... are full. I feel like I need to just lie down and have a nap. Curse this small body. I look up at the shelves, full of things I need. I glare at how high up they are. Naruto starts mewling. He is obviously in need of a diaper change, and he is probably hungry by now.
'Can I place him on the ground? No, that's not good to do... right? And I can't use my shadows in here unless I want to draw attention...'
'Kit. You've got company.' My gaze is directed to the right, and I am shocked at who is standing there. 'Great, just the person you needed to see...' He is as small as I am, but that is all that we have in common. He has long black hair, pretty black eyes, and two small vertical lines on either side of his nose.
'I..tachi? Oh my gosh – don't freak out. Don't freak out. Don't–'
"Would you like some help, miss?" I freeze. 'His voice... his freaking voice it's so adorable I can't freaking handle it–'
"Yes – please. Thank you. I didn't think it through, I can't grab the stuff while holding this guy – hehe..." Pause. Itachi looks at Naruto with wide eyes.
"He is... very... adorable." I hear muffled giggling, which causes me to look up and scan our surroundings to find the source. A short way away is a dark-haired woman bearing a startling resemblance to Itachi; Mikoto. My attention is drawn to the tiny form she holds in her arms as Itachi continues. "That is my mother and... my little brother." I smile widely.
"What a lovely family you have," I look down at my baby boy with a slightly dimmer but still heartfelt smile. "This is my little brother, Naruto. My name is Mishina. We, uh, we've been in the hospital but I needed more supplies for Naru-tou so I had to – uh, come... buy some?" My statement ends up sounding more like a question, and I mentally facepalm. Itachi just stares at me with a somewhat blank expression, pausing once more before turning towards the shelves.
"What do you need?" I point out what I need, and soon enough He has provided me with a basket full of baby supplies.
"Thank you for your assistance, uh, mister," I say with a blush, realizing he had never introduced himself. Instead of providing his name, the chibi Itachi merely nods before leaving to find his mother once more. I stand in the aisle for a few moments, waiting for Itachi to leave my sight.
There is a whoosh of air, and I jerk in shock as I feel a hand set down on my shoulder. I flinch away in shock, quickly identifying the chakra that appeared out of nowhere. I'm surprised to find it is Kakashi, confirmed by my eyes as I spin around to see him in ANBU uniform.
"Inu-nii!" I laugh, stepping closer to him and giving his leg a one-armed hug. Naruto squawks in protest at the motion, and I'm reminded of his diaper that still needs to be changed. I groan and look at my basket of supplies. "I need this stuff for Naru-tou, Inu-nii, but I don't have any money." I look up at him, widening my eyes and scrunching my eyebrows slightly. I pucker my bottom lip a tiny bit and bam. I see him flinch almost imperceptibly. He sticks his hand in his pocket reluctantly and pulls out a blank (and tiny) leather wallet. I immediately smile and laugh, hugging once more before pushing the basket of supplies towards him with my feet.
I can proudly say that the shoppers were stunned by the positively fantastic sight of an ANBU buying a bunch of baby stuff for two blonde children, one of which was hyperactively thanking him over and over again.