I had a hard time getting this chapter to work for me, so if you like it do let me know. I had to get my mind off of the NaNoWriMo monster I have been working in and finished this. I hope it's not as choppy or rambling as I think it could be. (I haven't registered for NaNoWriMo, so it's not an official project, but still. . .)

Any way, Enjoy!


Chapter 7 New Lessons

Naruto wasn't sure exactly when he had nodded off, but the strong knock at his door brought his attention to the clock first. It had been nearly ten hours since the incident. He stood from where he had eventually given in to sleep and stretched out the kinks in his back.

After Kakashi had hidden him self away to cry Naruto had taken the time to finish up his house chores. All had been going rather well until the pine sized ninja had managed to pry the window open with a kunai.

He really was as bright as people said. Unfortunately, in his small and fevered state, he was not strong. He managed to get one arm out when the weapon slipped free and half skewered his foot. The window crashed down as well, trapping him in a painful, heavy glass and wood, trap. He'd let out a blood curling shriek, and that had brought Naruto's attention from a slimy looking past called "baby food" to the trapped tot. Rushing up to Kakashi, who was thrashing wildly and kicking, Naruto's first reaction was to try and grab him in order to hold him up while he opened the window. But the second his hand was in reach Kakashi yanked the kunai from his own foot and slammed it in to Naruto's hand.

Naruto, not having expected the attack, recoiled with an almost animal snarl. That snarl terrified his little charge so much that Kakashi froze. Hanging from the window by his arm his feet didn't quite reach the floor. As Naruto pulled the weapon out of his palm and glared at the stiff child, Kakashi's hand started to turn white where it was protruding out the other side.

Naruto had to swallow the budding anger hard as he reached forward one more time to free his charge. This time Kakashi was once more stiff as a board, making it much more easy to free him, but also gave Naruto the opportunity to examine his foot.

Blood had been dripping freely from the wound and making a little red puddle on the floor. Naruto had to bite back a second snarl as he haled Kakashi to the kitchen and dumped him none to gently in the sink.

"Stay." He'd hissed.

Kakashi had only looked up with ridged wide eyes.

The knock repeated it's self loudly, pulling Naruto from his half asleep memory. He rubbed the crust from his eyes and made his way towards the door. "Coming."

He cast a glance at his ward, who was sleeping soundly on the couch, depleted of all energy. A thick wad of duct tape covered most of his foot with paper towels sticking out in all sorts of directions from under the sticky strip. Naruto had never kept band-aids in his home, he had never needed too. While Kakashi had laid limp in the sink Naruto had made a rapid fire search of his home for some thing to stop the bleeding. By the time his eyes finally landed on the tape Kakashi had started to come out of his terror coma and was crying again. Snatching up the silver tape Naruto had readied him self for another fight. Instead the feverish child yielded with an almost forlorn hopelessness.

It had been a heart breaking sight. Sitting limp as a wet blanket and dressed in ragged cloths two sizes two big for him, Kakashi looked every bit the way ward orphan he was. With a wounded foot on top of it all Naruto was forced to take a moment to separate him self from the memories of his own childhood that came flooding back. No one would have dared come close enough to him to wrap a foot. But then again, it had never much mattered in his case.

"Naruto can I come in?" Shizune's voice called through the door.

Naruto pressed his palm to the door and unlocked it. He ran his fingers through his hair once, trying to straighten it, as he pulled the door open. Shizune stood with a big familiar fake smile plastered over her face.

"Hey, how is it going?"

Naruto tried not to grimace. "No one is dead, yet." Stepping away from the door he waved her in side. The moment she caught sight of the tot the fake smile vanished.

"Is he OK?"

Naruto sighed. "I think so." He stepped up to the couch and looked down at Kakashi. It had been easy to treat the wound while he had been so still, but it had not been easy to look in to the big brown frightened eyes. Naruto had forced him self to focus on his task, rather than the boy, and realised that his cloths were dirty and bloody. It took a moment for him to gather the courage to pull the mask off, but once he did pulling the rest of the ragged cloths off seemed easy and some how less inappropriate. Once he had pulled them off, however, a new discovery turned his stomach just a little.

His miniature sensi was going to need diapers again. Killer child genius or no he was still just a baby. With that realisation, coupled with the fact that he was already in the sink, Naruto did the only thing left for him to do. He had turned on the water and started washing the silver haired boy. At First there was no reaction from the nearly catatonic youth, but slowly he started to relax. But the time Naruto had him mostly clean he was falling asleep in the warm water.

"Don't you have any medical supplies?" Shizune asked as she started to unwrap the foot. Kakashi whimpered in his sleep.

"Why would I need Medical supplies? The demon fox in me heals every thing." Naruto grunted, tried and in no mood to temper his words. Though he felt a wave of unease roll through him. In the past just mere thought of the fox sent most women running. For a moment he was afraid Shizune was like most women.

Shizune had all but unwrapped the foot when she looked up. "Oh, right, sorry, I forgot." She smiled gently, an honest smile. "I have a first aid kit I keep with me. I'll give it to you so you can have one on hand. You'll probably need it."

Naruto manage his own smile, a touch relived. Shizune knew him as Naruto, not as the jinchiriki. Besides that Shizune had more to worry about as the Hokage's personal aid than the healing properties of a killer tailed beast. "You sure?" He asked, suddenly feeling guilty for being blunt.

She nodded. "I have access to plenty of kits, you know, and you need one."

"True."

Kakashi whimpered again and woke up. "Daddy?"

Naruto swallowed hard. Just as he had been drying the tot off after the bath Kakashi had asked for his father again. It was a weak, sickly, plea that hurt to hear. Before Naruto was able to come up with an answer to the reques Kakashi had fallen asleep while propped up against his arm.

Now Naruto knelt and brushed some of the fluffy sliver hair out of his eyes. "Your dad is away on a mission. You get to stay with me."

Kakashi was still undressed from the bath earlier. Among the essentials like pants and shoes he was also still missing his mask. His lower lip jutted out and he turned his head away in helpless defiance. It was a rejection, plane and simple, but Naruto could not find it with in him self to feel spurned. Instead he backed off a little and turned his attention to Shizune.

"Is his foot OK?"

She nodded. "The blade went all the way through, but didn't his any thing important."

Naruto blinked. "All the way through?" In truth it had been so bloody he hadn't seen how extensive the damage was.

"Yes. It's lucky his bones weren't snapped or broken." She looked up at him. "How did it happen?"

"He got a hold of a Kunai. . . and. . . pried the window open. I was in the kitchen. . . I didn't know he would be that clever." Naruto stammered.

Her frown showed her worry and disappointment. "You have to keep an eye on little children at all times."

He opened his mouth, but found words were slow to come. "I. . . He was asleep. . ."

She looked back at the sullen boy. "Just remember this for next time."

It was a reprimand and, to Naruto, an unfair one. How was he supposed to know these things? Naruto grit his teeth to keep him self from venting. Think first.

He let his breath out slowly and clenched his fists. "His foot will be OK?"

"It'll be fine." She pulled a medical kit out of her pocket and opened it. "How did he get a hold of the Kunai?"

Naruto glanced around. The weapons were stashed in a number of places. Some in the kitchen where he liked to sharpen them, and some in the living room near the door. The very old ones that he was fond of after they had served well in a battle, but were no longer field worthy, were kept in a special place under his bed in the bead room. He had to focus very hard not to snap out a sarcastic remark. "I'm not entirely sure." It was honest and just a bit curt.

"Well see to it they are all placed out of reach." She started wrapping the foot proper.

Naruto bit his lower lip and focused on breathing rather than yelling like he wanted to do. It wouldn't do any one any good any way. "Right, yes, I will do that very thing." He ground out instead.

She finished and stood, one hand one her hip, the other loosely holding the medical kit. "I have new orders for you from Lady Tsunade."

Naruto swallowed the anger that was bubbling up and turned his attention on her. Orders. . . they could only be about Kakashi. "What are they?"

"Lady Tsunade has created a cover up declaring Kakashi out on a mission of unknown length, to a far off country to keep any one who is watching for him from knowing what has happened."

Naruto nodded. "Makes sense, I suppose, but how is that going to affect what I do?"

She smiled that big fake smile of her's. "Well that means you can't let any one in the village see him, of course."

It took a slow moment for the implications of her words to sink in, but when they did Naruto's new found 'think first' mantra slipped. He growled, voice just below normal level. "Are you telling me that I'm stuck in side my apartment with him until this wears off?"

Still smiling the face smile she chuckled nervously. "Well, yes. . ."

"I have to find Sasuke!" He snapped, shouting this time. Kakashi jumped from the sudden yell and started to cry again. Shizune's fake smile vanished.

"I can't help it Naruto, that's just what has to be done!" She bent over and started to sooth the little silver haired ninja.

"Yes, you can, you can take him off my hands! I have better things to do than baby sit!" He snarled.

Shizune's eyes darted up to him, sorry now, weary. "He needs you."

Naruto swallowed a come back and drew his attention to the trembling boy. A flicker of him self, years ago, sitting alone in the street and crying in a very similar way, floated up from his long ago memories. He turned away, all to keenly aware of what Kakashi was feeling right then.

"Naruto?"

"I. . . I don't know how to do this."

There was a long moment where the only sound was Kakashi's sobs and little, soul crushing, requests for his father. Naruto closed his eyes. "How can I help him when no one helped me?"

He felt Shizune's hand on his shoulder. "Have the clones you made read those books, that will be a good start. Then just. . . be patient. He's hurt, he's scared, and he's all alone."

Naruto nodded slowly. "At least I can understand that." He looked up at her. She was holding Kakashi with the arm that wasn't on his shoulder. Feeling a new wash of regret he turned to face the little sensei. "I'm sorry."

Shizune let his shoulder go and handed Kakashi over. At first the little exhausted bundle tried to flee, but he ran out of wenergy quickly and slumped, whimpering, against Naruto's chest. Naruto wrapped his arms around him and, only half awair of his actions, started to rock the boy back and forth. "I didn't mean it. I don't want to hurt you, OK? I don't want you to be scared of me. I just want all of this to go away."

Kakashi whimpered and it almost sounded like an agreement.

"I brought some things." Shizune said, waving towards the bags she had set down. "Diapers, some children's books, a stuffed animal..." She stepped up to the bags and opened them. "Do you now how to change a diaper?"

"Um. . ." Naruto sighed and shook his head. "Not part of Ninja training."

"Well, it's not hard." She waved him over. "I'll show you how to put one on."

Naruto looked down at the half asleep baby and ran his fingers through the tuft of silver hair. "I guess that's some thing on the 'must do' list."

"Oh, yes. A very big must do." She motioned for him again. "Come on, you can't afort to feel embarrassed about this now."

Naruto nodded, knowing that she was right, yet unable to shake the odd twisting in his stomach about it all. Kakashi had been a masked enigma for as long as Naruto had known him and this seemed to go so hard against the grain that it almost left him cringing.

"He'll never remember any of this." Shizune added.

"You sure?"

She smiled, a real smile, and nodded. "Do you remember your diaper days?"

Naruto shook his head 'no'. Hesitantly he brought the little bundle over and set him down on the table. Kakashi jutted his lower lip out in a pout.

"No!" He tried to roll away. Naruto set his hand softly down on the still overly hot chest.

"Hold still Kakashi-sens. . . Kakashi." The little one was far from being a teacher at this moment.

Shizune grabbed his little kicking feet and quickly wrapped him before he could get away. "Now, don't you feel better? Less cold?" She asked sweetly.

The glare she got from Kakashi was so vicious that Naruto couldn't help but laugh. "I don't think he thinks it feels better."

"No. . . No I don't think he does." She let his feet go and instantly he tried to wriggle out of the diaper.

"Oh, you'll have a fit over the mask, but you want the world to see your ass?" Naruto asked, scooping him up. "You must read to much of Jiraya-sensei's drivel."

Kakashi tried to free him self, but like before the struggle was short lived. He slumped, panting, and closed his eyes with a shiver.

"His fever should go away by morning." Shizune said, now reaching back in to the bag. "He'll feel better then, and be less moody."

"I hope so." Naruto was rocking him again. "What if it doesn't?"

"I'll be back to check up on you both. If it hasn't gone by then I'll give him some medicine. Till then try to get him to rest."

"OK."

She held out a book with corners that were chewed to bits. "This was mine from when I was little. All you have to do is read it to him."

Naruto shifted Kakashi to one arm and took the book with his other. Wearily he scanned the cover. "My Piggy Is In The Pen?" He felt one eyebrow lift and he tried to comprehend just how this book was supposed to be of any use to a future ninja.

Shizune laughed. "It's a bed time story! Didn't you ever. . ." She stopped her self and then looked a little sad again. "Oh, well, um. . ." Nervously she rubbed the back of her neck. "It sooths kids to hear stories, even if they are silly, especially if they are silly. It's comforting."

Naruto eyes the book slowly. "It looks silly all right."

"Just read it out loud to him. I have others in the sack as well."

Naruto folded the book under his arm and re-embraced Kakashi. "OK. . . If you think it's a good idea."

"It is. Once your clones absorb the info in the books and give it to you you'll understand why. At least I hope you will." She stepped away from the table and towards the door. "Any way, I should go, I still have a lot of work to do before my day is done."

Naruto tried to smile. "Thanks."

"It'll be over before you know it, you know, so please, try to enjoy this time with him."

"Enjoy it?" He looked down, almost incredulous. "I don't see what could be so enjoyable about this."

"You will, and then just like that, it'll be gone." She opened the door. "Read to him tonight. Then tomorrow it'll be different."

"I will."

She gave him a smile and he couldn't tell if it was fake or not. "See you in the morning." She slipped out and closed the door behind her.

Naruto, still rocking Kakashi, sank in to the couch, the book still under his arm. He sat in silence, staring at the four walls of the room, and sighed. "I sure hope you grow up fast."

Kakashi whimpered a little and fisted some of Naruto's shirt.

"I know. This isn't your fault."

Little brown eyes turned up and for the first time weren't completely terrified, shocked, or filled with pain. Naruto managed a little smile at their sudden innocence. They darted back down again and Kakashi reached out to finger the book's spine.

"Bright, isn't it?"

Kakashi huffed and looked back up.

"Well, I don't know what sort of lesson this is supposed to teach, but here it goes. . ." Naruto pulled the book from his arm and opened it. The first page was mostly one big picture of a farm yard with a fat little pig in a very big empty pen.

"The little pig was in his pen. . ."

Kakashi settled in and sighed, sickly and hot, but no longer fighting.

"The pen was very big, but the pig was all alone. . ."