Hey guys, managed to write this one up relatively fast. It's also a bit of a special chapter, in the sense that it's all in Kakashi's POV... it was an idea I got from guest reader Lazy love, and it was too good of an opportunity to pass up! I hope you all enjoy delving into the mind of Kakashi... it's a scary place haha! By the way, we've reached 300 story follows, so that's cool!

Disclaimer: All characters of Naruto and things Naruto belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

I'm Defying Gravity by ShadowedNara

XxX

Chapter 9

Kakashi POV I

The tweeting and chirping of avians all around filled the quiet of the bright summer's afternoon day. A gentle breeze rolled through the air, bringing with it the sweet scent of nature. Children played while adults worked, but everyone held a certain level of contentment in the familiarity of it all. It was a kind of day well-known to the inhabitants of Fire Country. A testament to the peace the Elemental Nations had been in for quite some time now.

Kakashi sighed softly as he turned the page in his favourite volume of the Icha Icha series, Daddy's Home. His favourite due to the fact that it was his son who'd bought it for him. It held a level of sentimental value that none of his other books could ever even hope to match. Even the special edition he'd gotten signed by Jiraiya himself. It drew a soft smile to his mouth hidden beneath his mask.

He turned the page again, not having read a word for the past fifteen minutes as he continued to turn page after page. His body was on autopilot, keeping up the illusion of reading for the effect of making him look busy. With being busy (or pretending to) came the added benefit of people not wanting to disturb him. Not that that's what he wanted now. He was doing it more out of habit than anything.

Fact of the matter was, he wasn't busy. Or not in the conventional sense at least. More lost in thought would be appropriate. He shifted his position on the branch he was lounging on, angling his gaze down below to the form of his son sitting cross legged in the tree's silhouette. His face held an intense look of concentration, and Kakashi could feel the boy's chakra stirring within, slowly but surely starting to feel more and more like the lightning nature he was training.

Kakashi smiled proudly, marvelling at the progress Shiro had made in the last month. Nature manipulation was a jōnin skill for a reason, something which took a great deal of time. Even so, his son was tackling it like everything else he did: with a keen intellect just like his own, and a passion he could only have inherited from his mother. Kakashi banished the lewd thought as soon as it ran through his mind, not quite sure how to feel about that time of his life. Just like every other time he thought about that night of heated passion however, he squashed it and buried it deep, continuing on as if nothing was amiss.

He focused back down on his son, and his keen sense of smell was easily able to pick up on the distinctly salty aroma of sweat. He glanced down at his wrist, the absence of a watch going right over his head as he realised they'd been here for quite some time now. Shiro hadn't taken a break since they'd arrived, only pausing in his training to adjust his seating and keep himself within the shade of the tree. Glancing down at his wrist once more, he stood to his feet and snapped his book shut, placing it into the pouch at his lower back.

He dropped to the ground in complete silence, finding Shiro already gazing up at him from behind his sweaty fringe, the silver locks sticking softly to his forehead. He found his son's eyes holding a certain amount of confusion. "Are we leaving already? It's only been—"

"Six hours? You're exactly right," Kakashi interrupted with an eye smile, crouching down onto his haunches and giving Shiro's slick hair a good-natured ruffle. His son for his part simply rolled his eyes, releasing a shallow breath and seeming to finally realise how long he'd been out here.

A deep grumble echoed around the clearing then, breaking the silence as well as Kakashi's perfectly schooled features. He chuckled into the back of his hand, ruffling his son's hair again as the boy shot him a look of embarrassment. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were hungry son."

Shiro folded his arms childishly, reminding Kakashi that while his son was mature and beyond intelligent for his age, he was still only eight. He was still a child. He was growing up too fast however; despite his small stature, that much was obvious. "Ha ha, what a keen sense of observation you've got there. They don't call you one of the elite for nothing."

Kakashi eye smiled as his son's sarcasm filled the air, bringing a hand up to push at the back of his ear as he leaned towards Shiro. "What's that? Did I just hear you say that you don't want to go out to eat tonight? That you've actually been begging for another helping of ration bars?"

The widening of his son's eyes and subsequent sputtering as the boy jumped to his feet with a frantic expression was well worth it, and he bit down on the triumphant chuckle that was threatening to spill from his throat.

"W-What? No, not at all!" Shiro swept around to behind Kakashi and started shoving him tentatively in the direction of the village, leaping onto Kakashi's back as soon as the man started moving forward on his own. "I was actually saying that I think we should head over to Yakiniku Q for some steak. We haven't had a stop over there for quite a while."

Kakashi threaded his arms through his son's legs and silently thanked the heavens that Shiro had been cursed with the same small build he had had when he was younger. It meant that piggybacks like this were still on the cards for some time to come. It brought a smile to his face as Shiro chatted on about his latest misadventure with Konohamaru, detailing their latest attempt on Lord Third's life as if it was a normal occurrence. Of which it was.

He thought back to the punishment Lord Third had doled out after their most recent incident with the fireworks and chilli-pepper bombs. The three boys in question had been forced to do hard labour helping with admin in and around the Hokage's office, acting as delivery boys for scrolls and documents, as well as the occasional cup of tea or coffee and lunch.

Suffice to say the punishment would keep them down for a bit, but never out completely. The young Sarutobi kid always came up with something new to stir up trouble. In all honesty though, the sight of Ebisu in Princess Gale boxers and a pair of fluffy bunny slippers, hacking up phlegm after being subjected to a healthy dose of chilli-pepper was well worth it. It had him anticipating their next master plan with the giddiness of a schoolgirl.

Kakashi adjusted Shiro on his back before whipping out Icha Icha Daddy's Home and managing to read it even while carrying his son at the same time. It was an ability he'd mastered many years ago when his son first became old enough for a piggyback. He'd had years to perfect his form, and by now it was nothing more than a well honed reflex.

Thinking of well honed reflexes, now would be a good time to keep testing one of his son's. Kakashi momentarily placed his book back in its pouch before pulling out a blindfold, holding it up to his son's face and waving it tauntingly. "Think you've still got enough energy?"

It didn't take more than a split second for the material to be pulled from his fingers, listening as Shiro fastened it around his own head. His son tapped out a morse coded message on the top of his head that he was ready, and Kakashi pulled Icha Icha out once again, his eye subtly scanning the environment around them with a practised ease. "Ten metres, three o'clock."

The distinct sound of sniffing filled Kakashi's ears, and he waited patiently as his son sorted through the sensory information.

"Male, civilian. Not a threat."

"Seven metres, dead ahead and closing."

More sniffing.

"Male, shinobi. Scent suggests Nara clan member." There was a short pause as he tapped out a quick 'wait' on top of Kakashi's head, the target moving past them. "Dragging of feet confirms initial assumption."

"Remember, this is a scent tracking exercise," Kakashi chastised lazily, failing miserably at keeping the amusement out of his voice. "Though I commend your ingenuity. Good use of your other available senses. Moving on however… four metres, ten o'clock."

More sniffing, followed by a short pause.

"Hmm... female, uh… canine?"

"Canine?! Who said that?!"

Kakashi's eye widened in horror as he quickly took to the rooftops. He could feel as Shiro shifted in confusion, and he looked back up to his son as he gingerly lifted up one half of the blindfold. "Close, but not quite. I wouldn't repeat that too loudly however. I highly doubt the current head of the Inuzuka clan appreciated being called, for lack of a better term, a bitch."

His son's eye widened comically, and Kakashi gently patted his son's leg before dropping back down to ground level, far away from their previous position. "I think that's enough for today. What do you say we head straight to Yakiniku Q?"

Shiro still seemed to be a little speechless, but his stomach chose that moment to growl softly, giving Kakashi the answer he needed. Icha Icha in hand once again, the pair of father and son lapsed into a comfortable silence.

Kakashi regarded the small Academy leaflet sitting before him with trepidation, a multitude of conflicting feelings warring within. He sighed for what felt like the umpteenth time that morning, stealing a glance at the door to his son's bedroom. The door was slightly ajar just like it always was, and if Kakashi strained his ears enough and applied a fine amount of chakra to his aural organs, he could hear the faint breaths of his son as he got changed for another day at the Academy.

He drew his gaze back down to the form, his eyes tracing the heading at the top of the page: 'Parent consent form—early graduation.'

Those five little words were causing him a great deal of grief. The concept of the early graduation program had been revamped following the catastrophe that ensued with one Itachi Uchiha. Approval was required by both parent and the Academy instructor of the child, and a compulsory psyche evaluation by a qualified Yamanaka was to be carried out. This approval happened halfway through the Academy year, so that if early graduation was approved, the student would have ample time to prepare the higher grade material not yet covered.

His thoughts lingered on his former and final Anbu trainee. Itachi Uchiha never failed to dredge up feelings of failure, guilt and betrayal. It always gave Kakashi pause, allowing the minutest inkling of irrational fear to creep in, his mind insisting that it had somehow been his fault for the young Uchiha's mental breakdown. If that was the case, could he somehow cause someone else to suffer the same fate? His eye unconsciously flicked to his son's door, but just like that, the feeling was gone.

Kakashi massaged the back of his neck as he forcibly diverted his thoughts and contemplated this latest development. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he'd always realised that this day would come.

His son was intelligent, immensely so. He possessed a keen intellect, dare he say only just subpar with that of a Nara's. It was an intellect not unlike his own. He analysed situations with a deadly efficiency, and while he was logical in his approach to things, he was also flexible enough to change his way of thinking if it was so required.

He was sharp and witty, something he'd definitely inherited from his dashing father, Kakashi easily admitted to himself. He was also a fast learner, grasping concepts quickly and adapting them to his needs if he felt it would help him achieve whatever the end goal was more efficiently.

Kakashi could keep the list going and going, but truthfully he felt he was failing at making an objective assessment of his son's skills and abilities. He couldn't help it though. Shiro was his son, and even if everything he did was only ten times better than any of the other kids at the Academy, in Kakashi's eyes he would always be at the least one hundred times better.

Oh if his ten-year-old self could see him now... he had once been the epitome of rules and regulations. After his father had taken his own life, Kakashi had embodied the pinnacle of shinobi conduct as he stewed in his own bitterness, floundering in the wake of shame left by his father.

Then Obito had come along and slowly started chipping away at the wall he'd put up. While Kakashi had been the epitome of rules and regulations, Obito had occupied the opposite end of that spectrum. It had grated on Kakashi's every last nerve. But in the end, Obito had opened his eyes to the truth: Those who disobeyed the rules are scum. But those who abandon even one of their friends are worse than scum.

It was extremely brief, but Kakashi found himself feeling happier than ever after they'd successfully rescued Rin, even at the loss of his own eye. But then Obito had died. That brief moment of happiness was crushed instantly, and all the walls Obito had slowly been wearing down were built right back up. Not long after that Rin followed, and at Kakashi's own hands to boot.

And then the last person Kakashi ever expected to die, the one person Kakashi thought would live forever, was taken away from him too. Minato-sensei had been the last shred of family Kakashi had left. Kushina to some extent as well. And they'd both been ripped away in a night of unspeakable terror. It had broken him. More than he'd ever care to admit.

His walls had been crushed, buried beneath a mountain of its own rubble. He'd found himself in a downward spiral. He'd hit rock bottom, but while he thought that that meant the only place left to go was up, he'd been wrong and somehow descended further beyond. His life had become forfeit as he spearheaded his Anbu career with a death wish he hoped would come true.

But then that had all changed when he'd had a gurgling infant plunged into his life. The very creation of his downward spiral had breathed life into him once again. Shiro had been the perpetual light in Kakashi's never ending void of darkness, still was the perpetual light in his life. It gave Kakashi a reason to be just that extra bit careful when he went out on a mission. To check his supply pouches and weapons caches at least one more time before walking off into battle. It gave Kakashi a reason to want to come home. To need to come home.

If Kakashi dug deep enough into his own feelings and thought about it honestly, he was scared. With Shiro out there, Kakashi wouldn't be around all the time to protect him. He wouldn't be around to keep Shiro safe. He could almost feel the unbearable worry he'd have to endure as he waited to see if his son would make it home or not after a mission. The thought of it alone was causing his heart rate to spike uncomfortably.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed softly, slowing his heart rate back down to normal. He couldn't think like that. Hell, he himself had been out of the Academy at the age of five already. And while he may have hit a few speed bumps along the way, he had survived. Because in the end, that was what shinobi did. They endured.

He had to have more faith in his son. He had to give him the trust he deserved. Kakashi had taught Shiro most everything he knew. And while there was still an endless amount of things Kakashi would continue to impart unto his son, he needed to be confident in the fact that Shiro was ready for this, as much as Kakashi didn't want him to be. As much as he wanted his son to stay the cute little boy that he was, the one that would look up at him with wonder and raise his arms as he asked for a piggyback, he was growing up. It was time Kakashi recognised that fact and embraced it.

Looking back down at the leaflet, Kakashi grabbed the pen off the table and brought it down towards the dotted line. He halted his movements a few milimetres from the page however, the pen hovering ominously.

He supposed it couldn't hurt if he called in a favour or two. He was sure he still had a number of those lying around for all the service he'd done for the village. A favour here and a favour there, and then he'd definitely feel a lot better about sending his son out into the world.

He nodded to himself before bringing pen to page and signing his name, the deafening click of the pen echoing around the kitchen. He stared down at the form and his signature at the bottom, nodding to himself silently. He had to believe he was making the right decision. He didn't want to be the kind of father who held his son back, even if the reason was the good kind of selfish. All he could do now was trust in his son. 'I trust you Shiro. I always have, and I always will.'

Kakashi slipped out of his chair as he left the pen atop the signed leaflet, silently strolling through the apartment until he came to a stop at the bathroom, leaning casually against the door frame. He folded his arms and watched as his son went about finishing his morning routine with toothbrush in hand. Kakashi had applied all his skills as a trained Anbu captain while stalking into his position now, so it came as no surprise that his son still had no idea of his presence.

He decided to take advantage of that fact and gave himself this time to just watch his son. His thoughts eventually strayed back to Shiro's first day at the Academy, watching from this exact same position as his son had prepared himself for the day ahead. While he hadn't grown all that much in height, there was no doubt that he had grown. Was still growing in fact.

Looking at him now, he was wearing his white short-sleeved shirt with a long-sleeved black undershirt; a pair of navy blue shorts that stopped just above his knees; bandages starting from just above his ankles, winding down into a pair of navy blue sandals. His mask was hanging around his neck, ready to be pulled up over his face as soon as he was finished brushing his teeth. His inherited silver hair was sticking out in messy spikes with a few stray strands beginning to obscure his right eye, and while Kakashi's gravitated towards the left, Shiro's gravitated towards the right.

The clothes might have changed, his hair might have grown, his son had even gotten a little taller, if only slightly… the fact remained that Shiro was still his son. His expression softened as his earlier thoughts reiterated their previous notion: his son was growing up. While the thought made him sad, he was filled with an overwhelming sense of inexplicable pride. Despite his initial misgivings, he'd somehow managed to raise a baby into the young boy that stood before him now. And he'd done a bang up job if he had to say so himself.

He wondered if he'd made his own dad proud. If his dad—Shiro's would-be grandfather—would've been proud of the man he'd become. If his dad would've been proud of the man Shiro made him want to be. If his dad would've been proud of his grandson.

It's strange, but while he finds himself wondering about his dad's opinion, he's more interested in what Minato-sensei would've thought.

He's suddenly filled with shame as he thinks of his sensei, moreover his sensei's son. How he hadn't done anything to make the kid's life any easier as he was burdened to live with a demon hanging over his head. He was the village pariah in every sense of the word. He was ignored and avoided, driving him to extreme lengths in order to get attention, the good kind or the bad.

In the beginning, it had been too much for Kakashi. His wounds had still been too deep and too fresh, and one look at little Naruto was too much of a reminder of Minato-sensei. It had only served to chip away a little more each time at Kakashi's waning sanity. The solution had been simple enough though: he'd just avoid his sensei's son too. That way he wouldn't need a constant reminder of those caring blue eyes that had given Kakashi more than he could ever possibly hope to repay.

Then he'd had a son of his own, and things had changed. And while that should have made him more empathetic, more inclined to want to help his sensei's son out, he'd hesitated, ultimately deciding against it. He was ashamed of himself for it, but he hadn't wanted to burst the perfect yet fragile bubble he'd found himself in. Just him and his son, kicking ass and taking names (i.e. changing nappies and not starving to death). He didn't want anything to potentially compromise the normalcy he'd found himself in.

But he was going to make it right. He owed it to Minato-sensei, to look out for his son while he himself could not. And he had the perfect opportunity presenting itself in the form of this year's Academy graduating class. Minato-sensei's son was twelve now, due to graduate at the end of this year. And by hook or by crook, Kakashi was going to make sure he was the boy's sensei.

He'd already spoken to Shiro about signing himself up for a genin squad, and his son had been all for it. In fact, Shiro had wondered why it'd taken Kakashi so long to decide to take on a team of his own. Needless to say that with his son's easy acceptance and permission, he found himself quite excited with the prospect. He would make sure to do right by little Naruto. He would make things right.

A sort of peacefulness washed over him, and he continued to just watch his son, releasing a small sigh of content. His son's eyes finally peered at him through the reflection in the mirror, a look of confusion on his face as he pulled the toothbrush from his mouth. "Wha's up wif you?"

Kakashi's eye closed in an all too familiar eye smile, his peaceful expression never leaving his face. His son spat out the remaining toothpaste, gargling some water in his mouth before turning around to face him with a towel in hand. "Seriously, what's wrong with you? You look weirder than usual."

Shiro's words were drowned out by Kakashi's current thoughts however, and how he really just wanted to give his son a hug. He advanced then with arms opened wide, same eye smile on his face, unwittingly giving himself a somewhat crazed look. His son made several attempts to escape the bathroom, but in the end they all proved futile. Kakashi held his struggling son securely in his arms, hugging him for all he was worth, eye smile never leaving his face.

"Ugh, dad… this is not cool."

Ice-cold double-thick milkshake with chocolate ants sprinkled over top for your thoughts?

What's your favourite flavour milkshake? Mine's strawberry!