Disclaimer: I cried myself in my pillow when I realized that I still do not own the rights to Naruto

Chapter Fourteen:

The Monster in the Closet

He felt a heavy hand land on his shoulder. Letting out a small squeak of fright, he turned his head…

"Hey, hey, I didn't mean to scare you little brother," said Iruka warmly. He looked at Naruto circumspectly and could easily see that something was troubling him. "What happened to you? Why do you have that black eye and ripped clothes?"

"Ruka!" exclaimed Naruto in relief. "What are you doing here? I've missed you." He jumped off the swing; launching himself at the young nin, and enveloped him in a hug. "I got in a small fight is all, I'm okay."

Iruka smiled at the little chibi, "I just got assigned an assistant instructor position the other day. I have been very busy, I haven't even had the time to say hello to you. Other than fighting, have you been being a good student?"

"Umm well," he hesitated, debating on whether or not to say anything. Iruka was a teacher now and Naruto was a big boy. He did not want to be called a tattletale. "Yeah, pretty good, I guess."

He noticed the way the boy avoided his eyes; something was definitely worrying him. "Is something else troubling you? Do you want to talk about it? You know that I am always here for you little brother" he asked.

Naruto smiled happily then said, "Oh, heh heh, it's nothing. My friends just got detention so I'm here alone for now."

Just then, the bell rang and Iruka reminded Naruto as he was leaving, "Try to save your fighting in school for the taijutsu classes."

"I wish I could do taijutsu," thought the boy. He was always sent to do other things like clean the blackboard or run laps for punishment. He couldn't wait for the day when he could show off his skills.

"Sure thing," yelled Naruto as he ran back to class. He raced through the hallway towards his room, when something snagged his foot. He fell hard, slamming his jaw on the floor and sliding a foot. The older kid that tripped him and another boy grabbed Naruto and dragged him into the bathroom, shoved his head into the toilet, and flushed it. When they released him, he jerked back with a wild swing.

"You better not mess with my little brother again. You don't belong here. Why don't you just leave, nobody wants you here."

Because of the water dripping into his eyes, he couldn't see properly so they were gone before he could do anything. He shoved the stall door open with a bang and then furiously kicked the wall. "Stupid jerks," he yelled. "You're all nothing but a bunch of stupid jerks." He had unknowingly built chakra up in his body so when his foot hit the wall, it went right through it. With his foot now stuck, he clenched his fists and blinked back tears of impotent fury. He saw himself in the mirror and said to it, "Someday they will all respect me. Someday, I'm gonna be the Hokage." He twisted and pulled until his foot came loose and then limped back to his classroom.

Sensei Hideo noticed his late arrival right away and said, "Well well, I see you finally decided to join us." Naruto opened his mouth to explain, but Hideo held his hand up. "I don't want to hear your excuses, Uzumaki. Go sit outside the classroom if you can manage it without getting into any mischief. We have a special lecturer today and I do not think he needs to be insulted by your childish presence." The instructor pointed at the door, not making any other comment as to why he was wet, limping, or had dried bloodstains on his shirt.

Naruto stomped out of the classroom and threw himself on the chair outside the room. "Mean jerk," he muttered under his breath. "It's not fair." He shouted at the door, "And it's Uzumaki-Hatake!" For ten minutes, the boy sat by himself fuming with the unfairness of it all. Eventually he put his head down and stared at the ground. Kakashi had always told him that there were plenty of mean people in the world and the best way to combat them was to feel sorry for them because of the ignorance, hatred and jealously. He said that karma would always get them in the end.

Still, sometimes it was hard. He decided to help karma out. As he was planning a little revenge, a pair of green clad legs moved next to him. He slowly looked up expecting to see someone wanting to tease him; his wary look changing to one of surprise and pleasure. "Uncle Guy!" he shouted.

"That's right!" he exclaimed giving his nice guy pose, "It is I, Konoha's sublime green beast of prey and the leaf's noble gentleman, Might Guy."

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Umm… yup, I just said that."

"And how is my most favorite youthful blossom doing today?" he bellowed out.

"Blossom?" he thought. "Umm… okay? You know, we not so'posed to shout in the hallways, Uncle Guy. You're gonna get in trouble." He loved the man, really, he did, but sometimes Naruto wondered what was wrong with him.

"Why are you not in your classroom showing everyone your splendid fiery spirit of youth?" he boomed out, ignoring the teachers that were now opening their door to see who was disrupting their classes.

Naruto avoided his eyes and said, "Uh, you see, I was kinda late to class, so I got into trouble and now I'm not allowed in." He jumped out of his chair as he remembered that Guy had been on a recent mission. "I missed you," he said as he hugged him. "Are you the guest today? I sure woulda liked to see you." Naruto gave him the thumbs up and smiled wide.

Guy cried tears of joy at his words and said, "Well alright! You must not miss my incredible display of youthful power. You need not have any worry of not witnessing my lecture, as you will be my new joyous and youthful assistant. I, the handsome and manly Might Guy, decree it. Now follow me my young stalwart one."

"Mmm okay," he shrugged and followed Guy into the classroom. Sensei Hideo didn't like it, but he didn't dare say anything in front of the jonin, especially after he had declared himself the unofficial uncle to Naruto.

"Alright then class, it is I, Konoha's sublime green beast of prey and the leaf's noble gentleman, Might Guy." Naruto rolled his eyes. "I am here to tell you about the strong fist style of taijutsu. The purpose of which is to cause external damage and break bones. This style is generally used only by extremely physically powerful and dominating shinobi…" Guy continued the lecture long after everyone kept paying attention. Finally, he said, "And now you will all go outside with my youthful protégée, Naruto and I for a wondrous demonstration of our amazing strength, speed and skill. It will be sure to fan the flames of your youthful passion until it burns brightly as the sun." He gave his nice guy pose to the stunned class.

After everyone was seated outside, Guy said, "And now to display the full glory of youth, my young steadfast Naruto and I shall show you some vigorous and amazing moves. Are you ready, my most extraordinary and talented student?"

Naruto respectively bowed to Guy, "Hai sensei." He assumed the strong-arm stance then shouted, "Leaf Whirlwind," then launched several high kicks and low kicks. He smugly smiled to himself when he heard the gasps of surprise coming from his peers. This was definitely more advanced than anything the students had been learning so far. They were still doing only strength training and stances.

"Excellent, my youthful protégée," he said giving his nice guy pose, "that is how to you show your prodigious prowess and astounding fortitude. Now, could you please show everyone the power of the Leaf Gale, followed by the ever impressive and youthful Dynamic Action."

Naruto nodded his head, "Hai sensei." He quickly spun around and sent a real low spinning kick at Guy, which actually made him move back a little step then he flipped towards the nin and attacked with a series of fast punches and more kicks.

Guy held up his hand to the boy and bowed to him. He turned to the watching students and gave another thumbs up and big blinding grin. "Okay my amazing protégée, thank you for that magnificent display of youthful spirit and might. You are a most worthy and noble opponent. Why don't you tell the class how often you train and for how long."

Panting, Naruto stood up straight and said, "Every day for two hours before school and two hours after school. An on the weekends, I do more with my daddy and his friends."

"You see class; Naruto's performance was one of extraordinary promise and skill, which is due to the power of youthful perseverance. Go out there and prove yourselves, future splendid shinobi of Konohagakure. Go out there and follow your ninja way. Before I go, remember this, for those who do not believe in themselves – hard work is worthless." He waved goodbye to the class moved so fast, it was though he disappeared. Their sensei gathered the students and ushered them back to class. The sour look he sent Naruto was priceless.

Naruto and his friends walked together into the building. Sasuke commented, "Look at Sensei Hideo. He looks like he swallowed a glass of vinegar." Kiba, Sai, and Chouji sniggered while Naruto smiled proudly.

Naruto joked, "Yup, its cause of my youthful power of glory an the flame of my youthful passion an stuff."

All the boys groaned, and Kiba teased, "Shut up son-of-squirrel-man!"

The whole school year progressed much the same way. Every night, Naruto studied hard and knew all the answers but rarely ever put ever wrote down the correct answers on his tests. He would try every once in a while to see if the sensei would treat him fairly, but each time he did, his friends would suffer. Naruto did not have to bring the quizzes home so Kakashi did not know how badly he was doing. It was a rare day when he was allowed to spar with the other children. The instructors would claim he was a cheater and punish him afterwards. At the end of the school year, sensei Hideo asked him to stay after class.

When Kakashi casually strolled in the classroom, the first thing he noticed was his glum looking little pup sitting at his desk. His face briefly brightened when he caught sight of the copy-nin then became dejected again. Kakashi leaned against the wall and coolly said to the instructor, "Yo."

Sensei Hideo; clearly surprised to see the nin, had heard from everyone that the man was never on time. He cleared his throat nervously and asked Kakashi to sit, which he declined. "Hatake-san, the reason why I asked you here today is to discuss your son."

Kakashi did not miss the pause before the man said son. He knew immediately what he would be dealing with. "Excellent," he thought, "Our laws forbid me from harming a civilian, but whatever occurs between shinobi is another matter." With gleaming eyes and a hidden smirk beneath his mask, he insolently purred, "Oh please Sensei Hideo, do go on."

Hideo drew himself up and said stiffly, "I cannot, in all good conscience, pass Naruto on to the next level. In fact, I believe that he should be dropped from the academy altogether."

"Really," Kakashi calmly replied, "Care to explain why."

"He has failed every exam I have given, he cannot sit still for longer than ten minutes, and there have been issues concerning his sparring matches."

"Issues?"

"He cheats and fights dirty."

Kakashi smiled and asked dryly, "And you have a problem with that?"

"Of course I do. We are supposed to teach these children the proper way to fight. If he is not throwing dirt in their eyes, then he is attacking when their backs are turned or distracting them at every turn. He bites, pulls hair, and gooses the girls."

Kakashi shook his head, saying, "I am so disappointed in you." Sensei Hideo nodded his head in agreement until the copy-nin said, "You do release that I am speaking to you. My son has done exactly as I have trained him to." Without taking his eye off of the instructor, Kakashi asked, "Naruto, what are my three rules of combat and why?"

Naruto felt the worst ever in his whole life. He had put his head on his desk and tried hard to prevent the tears from falling. Not wanting to get kicked out of the academy, he replied, "First rule is look underneath the underneath, which means that you not supposed to trust no one when you on a mission except your team. You never know if someone could be bad. Second rule is to always know what's going on in your surroundings because anything can be made into a weapon. The last rule is to fight dirty. If someone can beat you in a battle than you will die so you gotta not fight fair."

Kakashi smugly commented, "And that is why he will be a jonin someday. You on the other hand will remain a chunin for a long time or will die unless you understand and follow those rules."

Sensei Hideo felt his anger rise at the jonin's words. He hated the Kyuubi brat and did not want him around another year. He hastily said, "There is still the matter of his exams. He has not passed any at all." He folded his arms across his chest and gave Kakashi a smug smile.

Kakashi responded, "Really?" in a disbelieving voice. "Now, you see I find that a little odd since I have been teaching that boy since he was three. I have watched my son continue to study hard all year and I have quizzed him. I know for a fact that he is knowledgeable in this year's curriculum, next year's curriculum and the year after that." Kakashi said that all mildly, but Naruto knew he was getting angry when he heard the subtle inflection in his voice. He grinned at the way his father was sticking up for him. "Oh man, he is in a lot of trouble," he thought.

Sensei Hideo handed Kakashi a sheaf of papers, "As you can see here he has failed nearly every test he has ever taken."

Kakashi thumbed through the papers lazily then leveled a stern look at Naruto, who quelled immediately. Without turning to look at the instructor, he asked, "Why don't you ask him a question off of any of these tests?"

"I have no need of that," said the sensei stiffly.

"Oh, but I do," replied Kakashi firmly. "Naruto, what is chakra?"

He quoted, "It's the molding of physical energy and spiritual energy that you get from exercise and experience. You can use it to make a jutsu."

"What is the shinobi rule number four?"

He answered quietly, "A shinobi must always put the mission first."

"What are the five great nations?"

"Fire, Earth, Lightning, Water, and Wind."

"Why haven't you answered any of these questions correctly?"

He stammered, "Well, he always says I'm cheating off my friends when I get an answer right and then punishes them and it wasn't fair and I tried to tell him I wasn't cheating, but he wouldn't listen so I started putting the wrong answers so my friends wouldn't get into trouble and I'm sorry daddy I'll never do it again I thought I was being a big-boy-and-big-boys-do-not-tattle-and-I-am-so-sorry-daddy." Naruto rubbed his eyes and moved in front of Kakashi, relieved to get the truth out.

"Whoa, whoa son. It's okay. Go wait outside for me while I have a friendly chat with your instructor, okay pup." Kakashi ruffled his hair and gave him an eye smile.

"Uh okay, daddy." He walked out of the classroom the hesitated; looking back at them, he noted the angry lines in his dad's posture. As he was closing the door behind him, Naruto saw his father push himself off the wall and prowl like a predator towards sensei Hideo. He held his hands up as Kakashi was pulling his hitai-ate up, exposing his Sharingan.

The loud squeak of the opening door caught the attention of the waiting boys. Turning their heads, they saw Naruto come out with a smile on his lips. Relieved, they rushed over to him and asked what happened.

Sai asked quietly, "Does this mean you will be with us next year, banana-head?"

"Banana-head, Sai? You can do better than that. Anyways, I think so. My dad was not happy. When I was leaving, he was showing sensei his eye. No one sees the eye unless that person's in really big trouble. Uncle Hayate says no one's ever been left alive after they see it."

Sasuke, who knew what was under the hitai-ate, said in awe, "Your dad actually showed sensei his Sharingan? He must really be mad."

Kiba snorted, "Good thing they weren't outside."

"Why do you say that, dog-breath?"

He ignored Sai's jab and continued, "Squirrels."

The boys all laughed than Naruto said, "Yup, but there is always the thousand years of pain – pencil style!"

"He could glue him to the wall and covered him in paper cuts, kitty-face."

Kiba shouted, "Thousand years of pain, stapler style!" They boys were all laughing and even Sai had a small smile.

Kakashi silently walked up behind them, "What's so funny?"

"Nothing!" they all said then laughed even harder when Kiba asked him if he had anything he could write with.

Kakashi, knowing that he really did not want to know what they were laughing about, said, "Come on boys, let's go home. Naruto and I will walk with you."

"Daddy, do I get to pass with my friends?" asked Naruto.

"Yes," he sighed then sternly said, "but from now on you need to tell me what's going on. That means at school, in the village, wherever. Do you hear me? I cannot help you if I do not know you need help."

"Okay… what about sensei Hideo? We are supposed to have the same instructor every year. Will he be back?"

"Not unless they can find him," he thought to himself. Kakashi smiled beneath his mask in satisfaction, "No pup, I think he just discovered that doing missions for the village is far safer than being an academy instructor to a bunch of five and six year olds."

Kiba nudged Naruto and whispered, "Your dad is so cool."

"Yup, he really is," said Naruto proudly. "Believe it!"

"So son, who have you been goosing?" asked Kakashi.

"Who hasn't he?" sniggered Kiba, "All the girls don't wanna spar with him no more. And neither do a lot of the guys ever since he gave that super wedgie."

"Hey," defended Naruto, "My dad says there is no such thing as fair in a battle! Besides, it's fun. Daddy, I got bossy old Ino so mad at me in our spar that she ran away before I could even get into my stance."

"What did you do?" he asked.

"I told her that she was so cute when she tried to be tough and that she could be my seme any day." Kakashi's mouth gaped open before he started to laugh heartily.

A soft warm breeze caressed his face and caused the trees to sway gently, rustling the leaves. It was a perfect day to be alive, he thought as he came through the trees. Down by the small lake stood a wooden dock where his best friend sat waiting for him. He ran to meet him, eager to play with their shuriken. Sasuke, hearing his approach, turned with a smile on his face, but when he faced Naruto, his smile froze then was replaced with a look of terror. "Naruto," he whispered, "The monster… the monster is behind you." Naruto, frightened by its return, squeezed his eyes tight…

…and awoke. He heard the hushed creak of the closet door opening slowly. He saw the hairy, clawed hand followed by that face. It had been months since the monster last paid a visit. Its red eyes bored into his, the creatures harsh breathing punctuated by small snarls cause him to tense up tight. "Go away," he moaned, "Please go way. Monsters aren't real." It was fully out of the closet now and lumbering towards him.

Five feet away… he could see the dark matted fur and bulging muscles.

Four feet away… saliva dripped off its sharp pointed teeth.

Three feet away… the claws on it feet made a scraping and tapping sound on the wooden floor.

Two feet away… the strong eye-watering stench of rot and decay filled his nostrils, gagging him.

One foot away… it spoke with a voice that sounded like ground glass, "Almost big enough to eat. Real soon little one, very soon I'll have you for a snack. Sleep well."

He screamed.

Kakashi came rushing into the room, flipping on the light and pushing the chair away. "What is it? What happened?"

"He's back daddy. The monsters back. He says he's gonna eat me soon. I told him to go away, but he didn't listen to me. He kept coming closer daddy!" he bust into tears and buried his face into Kakashi's chest. He sobbed out, "I tried to be brave daddy; I really did."

"Don't worry, pup. I know how brave you really are. Do you remember what I said about nightmares? Your mind is tricking you into believing it is real. If it will make you feel better, you can sleep with me." When he nodded, Kakashi picked him up and carried him to his room then lay down with him.

"Please sing to me daddy," asked the sleepy boy. "Cause I'm still scared."

It's okay to cry if the night is scary.
You just need to welcome morning with a smile.
No matter how much you are worn out today,
the remainder of today that you have yet to see will be beautiful.

Naruto was nearly asleep when he commented, "Daddy, he had the Sharingan eye like you, only it was in both his eyes. Does that mean the monster is an Uchiha?" Naruto dropped off to sleep before he could get an answer, safe and warm in his father's arms.

Kakashi stiffened, thinking hard. It clicked… "Sharingan eye… genjutsu…"

The chair. There is something about the chair.

Naruto said that the monster was moving the chair, taking its place. A substitution jutsu then.

Fugaku could have sent someone to torment the boy. He would not put it past that man at all. It would be extremely difficult for most nin to get past the barriers and complicated traps he had around the house, but he knew there were a few Uchiha that would be capable of doing it.

He held the sleeping chibi closer. Nobody messes with a Hatake. He was going to set a little trap for the "monster" and he was not going to tell the Hokage about this, as much as he loved and respected the man, this was a family matter. The Hokage might get embroiled in a political position. The "monster" had to die and he was not going to wait around for it to happen. He considered every angle until he came up with a good plan.

Ūhei slept in Naruto's bed every night as he was close to the boy in size. His pup slept safely with him. For a month, nothing happened then one night the seal he placed in his wall to warn of uninvited visitors began to glow, waking him. He put his hand gently on Naruto's mouth, waking him and opened his uncovered eye. He placed the boy under a genjutsu so he would not wake back up and be scared. Moving towards the other bedroom, he touched several seals, placing an unbreakable barrier around the house. No one would be able to enter or leave until he released it.

He shunshined into the boy's room and saw the creature with outstretched arms inches from where his son was supposedly sleeping. Growling low in his throat, he leapt towards the "monster", banishing the genjutsu. Ūhei sprung out of the bed, attacking the man with vicious barks. They were both like wild rabid animals protecting their pack.

The copy-nin was so fast, Tekka did not know where he was until a focused blue light and chirping sound came from behind him. He realized an instant too late that Fugaku was wrong… this man is no 'has been'. He was not able to move fast enough as the lightning cutter hit him solidly. Death came an instant later. Kakashi opened his eye to reveal the Mangekyo Sharingan. He used Kamui to get rid of the evidence; the last thing he wanted to do was start a civil war. He dragged his chakra-depleted body into his room, released the genjutsu and passed out.

When Naruto woke that morning, he was surprised and a little scared to see his father on the floor. He crept down next to him and whispered fearfully, "Daddy? Are you okay daddy?" he shook him, "Wake up daddy, wake up."

Ūhei, who was sleeping next to the nin, perked his ears then opened his eyes and said, "Don't worry about Kakashi, he just needs to sleep for awhile." He rolled over and exposed his belly, "Give me a little scratch, would you please, puppy?" he sent the boy his cutest most soulful look followed by several mournful whimpers.

Naruto giggled at the ninken then moved closer and scratched his chest and neck. He thought about what the hound had told him, but was confused. Why would he need to sleep longer and why was he on the floor? Moreover, his daddy never slept that deep ever before. He was a ninja and ninja always sleep light. Something was not right. "Ūhei?" he asked, "Tell me the truth. What's wrong with my daddy? Did the monster hurt him?" Feeling sick with worry, his eyes began to prickle with unshed tears and his lip quivered.

Ūhei wagged his tail, smacking it into Kakashi's face, then gave a doggie grin and said, "Nah, he just got a little sick last night. He was training and used a little too much chakra, that's all." He leaned forward and licked his puppy's face. "Don't worry."

Naruto sniffed then looked at the greyhound suspiciously. Ūhei was the jokester of the pack and was known to tell a tall tale occasionally. "So what do I do today? School is out, so should I go get help for my daddy over at Kiba's house?"

"Yeah, about that… you are going to have to stay here because your sire has not released the barrier around the house. It's locked down tight; no one can enter or leave." He laid back and said, "Keep scratching puppy. A little lower," he whined and began to kick his leg. His wagging tail kept hitting Kakashi in the face again. "Good puppy!"

"What should I do?" asked Naruto.

"I don't know little one, what do you want to do? I cannot even go out the dog door to do my business." Ūhei growled out, "What should I do?"

Naruto's brow scrunched together thoughtfully, "I dunno Ūhei, but you better not go pee in the house cause my daddy will get real mad and kick your little doggy butt. Oh hey, I got it! You can go in the shower in my daddy's room an I can rinse it out with water." Suddenly the boy thought of something else. His face broke out in a great big smile and he raced out of the room.

"Hey," yelled Ūhei rolling over, "Where are you going?"

"We can do whatever we want until my daddy wakes up. I'm having cookies for breakfast," Naruto shouted back. "Come on, you want some hot dogs to eat?" Ūhei's ears perked up and he stepped on Kakashi in his haste to race down the stairs after his favorite little chibi in the whole wide world. When he trotted into the kitchen, Naruto commented, "After we eat, we can jump on the couch and play ninja in the house!"

"Now you're talking my language, puppy. I knew there was a good reason why Kakashi brought you into the pack," he joked when he got to the kitchen. "You are a very good little puppy."

Around early evening, Kakashi finally woke up. He has a pillow placed under the head and a blanket covering him. Naruto had all his ninja figures in the room and was using the shinobi's body as his battlefield. The boy saw him move a little then slowly open his eyes. He looked around in a confused manner.

"Daddy!" squealed Naruto, "you're finally up! Are you okay? Do ya need anything? I'm so happy you're awake."

"Water," he croaked.

Naruto ran down the stairs into the kitchen and came back with a glass water. In his haste, half had spilled down his shirt. He clumsily poured the rest into the shinobi's mouth, nearly chocking him. Kakashi nodded to him, "That's good pup, thank you. So, is the house still in one piece? You weren't too scared were you?"

Naruto's little chest puffed out in indignation. "Yup daddy, I'm okay. I'm almost six now and I'm a big boy. Oh, an guess what daddy, I even made my own lunch." He got quiet and bowed his head, "Only…" he hesitated, "Only, I couldn't leave because you got a barrier round the house. I wanted to get a doctor for you, but Ūhei said you were fine, but I was worried anyway daddy. An daddy, could you not do that again because I didn't like it. An I couldn't go outside to play or train neither.

"Okay son. I am okay now; I will try not to do that again. I am proud of you for being such a big brave boy for daddy." He lifted his weak shaky hand to his mouth and pulled something out. "Why do I have dog fur in my mouth?"

Ūhei tucked his tail between his legs and slunk down sending Naruto a pleading look. "Gee, I dunno daddy. Probably because you was on the floor all day," said the boy ingenuously.

"Hmm," said Kakashi eying the guilty looking hound. He heaved himself to a sitting position and made several hand signs, releasing the barrier jutsu on the house. He then fell back, exhausted by the simple movements. "Why don't you go put on you jacket, pup and then go down the street to Yugaō's house and get her for me. Can you do that, son?" She was the closest shinobi he trusted that lived nearby. The Inuzuka clan was closer, but he did not want to involve them, as Tsume was on the council.

"Yup daddy," he said proud to be able to help.

Kakashi said to Ūhei as soon as Naruto left the room, "Safeguard him. I do not know if this was a lone incident or part of a larger scheme." He was extremely worried and did not want the boy to leave the house, but they were very vulnerable at the moment. He did not want to send the boy's only protection away.

"Hai," said the ninken and ran after Naruto. "Protect the puppy, right, protect the puppy," he mumbled.

Ten minutes later, Kakashi heard the front door bang open and Naruto's loud voice holler up the stairs, "Daddy, I'm back." He raced into the room and pulled up his father's mask before they could see his face. "I brought Yugaō and Hayate, daddy. Guess what they were doing daddy? They were kissin' daddy… on the mouth," he said pretending to gag. "You shoulda seen where his hand was." He whispered, "It was on her butt!"

"Hey, you little tattletale!" Hayate, who just entered the room, playfully swatted at his favorite little "nephew" then squatted next to Kakashi. "What happened?" Kakashi pointedly looked at his son, who was gazing adoringly at the Anbu nin, Yugaō.

Hayate, getting the hint, asked, "Naruto, can you please show Yugaō where the kitchen is and maybe sweet talk her into warming you up a little food."

Naruto smiled charmingly at the girl and took her hand. "Okay, follow me Yugaō." He gave her a wide-eyed innocent look and asked, "Can you carry me?"

As soon as they left the room, Hayate put Kakashi in the bed then waited for an explanation. Trusting his friend completely, he gave him the full story. Hayate was shocked. "What does this mean, Kakashi?" he asked.

"I only wish I knew. I have to wait and see if anyone else makes a move. I just know that Fugaku has something to do with this, but I have no proof."

"I'll leave you now with Yugaō and bring back a medic. We will stay with you until you recover fully. What shall I tell the Hokage?" asked Hayate.

"I will simply tell him that I was training with the Mangekyo Sharingan and I exhausted myself. With that man, it is always best to stay as close to the truth as possible. He is way too perceptive. By the way, just where was your hand at again, hmm? I have a spare room for you and Yugaō if your need it." Kakashi gave him a leer and weak chuckle.

Hayate turned a little red. "At least I do more than read about it; I'm not a celibate monk like you," he shot back with a snigger as he left.

Three days later, Kakashi had enough strength to get out of his bed to use the shower. Upon entering the small space, an unpleasant odor hit him. Not finding anything, he shrugged and turned the water on. As he was about to get in, he noticed something. "Why is there dog poop in the shower?" he yelled.

AN

Thank you all for reading my little story, it sure means a lot to me when I get favorited and even more when I get comments. I really hoped you liked the chapter. And by the way, sorry if there are spelling errors. Most of which are due to Naruto speaking like a child, so are on purpose.

The lullabye is Newsong fron Naruto. It's my favorite!

The three rules of combat are basically from the story "The Mouse of Konoha", if you haven't read it, I highly recommend it. It is enormously long, but good. I was toying with a similar idea when I read it.