Almost ten years ago, when I first started writing fanfic, I would attempt my best to update a story every single day. Back then, I wrote some 1k to 3k words for each chapter, so it wasn't hard to do. I was also in high school, so I had some more free time, but meh- I'm almost done with uni. So I'm challenging myself to attempt and update every day- or, at the very least, every week. I've got twelve chapters lined up, after all, and they're all quick and simple ideas.

I'm real glad that y'all enjoyed the first chapter! And I hope you continue to like what I create!

This chapter takes place after Hanabi's born and Hiashi is still struggling to balance life as a Clan Head and single father.

From the prompt: 2. Hanabi's first word was Hina, but the second one was something like dada-Genma. The second of these in front of Hiashi, Genma, Neji, Hinata AND Anko. Hiashi doesn't even feel mad about it, he even smiles. Ninjas are gossips so everyone finds out from Anko, who teases the living hell out of Genma with Team Ro.

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CHAPTER 2: First Words

"Daa… En…"

Genma pursed his lips as the baby's chubby hands grasped wildly at thin air. He narrowed his eyes as he looked down at the pale eyed child in Hiashi's, at a loss over what she was saying.

(The first time Hanabi had said anything close to a word had been precisely two days ago. All of the Hyuuga children had been left in his care, in his apartment, while Hiashi tended to some important business about his clan with his elders.

Whenever one child appeared in his apartment, it was only a matter of time before others followed. So within a few hours, the Hyuuga children were not the only ones he was taking care of- Kiba and Ino had appeared as well.

Before they had appeared, Neji and Hinata had paid attention to only Hanabi- the baby was still a novelty to them, and they were very much protective of a person that couldn't even form words yet. But after those two had appeared, Hinata's attention had been divided and eventually Neji had convinced her to go off, he would keep watch over Hanabi.

During all of this, Genma had been forced to work hard at keeping the ever boredom-prone Kiba from becoming too bored unless he wanted his apartment to suffer yet another bored Inuzuka related accident.

When he had first heard Hanabi speak, Genma had frozen in spot and received a kick to the stomach from a flying Inuzuka as his reward for having been stupid enough to forget all of his ninja training while surrounded by no enemies, only tiny-menaces. It had sounded like a small squeal from the baby, which would have been normal, if not for the fact that there had been no following statement from Neji letting him know that his youngest cousin needed a change of diapers.

Kiba had slammed onto the ground with a growl of confusion, but Genma had ignored him to instead turn in the direction of the squealing baby.

"Hiiiya…" at first, the word had been barely perceptible and could have been easily confused for just another random sound coming from the still rather young baby. But then, when one looked at the baby, it became harder to brush it off as 'just another sound'.

Hanabi's tiny, chubby hands had groped at the air in the direction of Hinata's back. Hinata had stopped moving upon hearing the noise; previously intent on following Ino to get some treats from Genma's kitchen.

Slowly, Hinata had turned around, pale eyes as wide as saucers, to look back at her baby sister.

And when little Hanabi had noticed that Hinata was looking at her, she had repeated "Hiya" three consecutive times- leaving no room for discussion as to what she had been referring to.)

It was absolutely humbling, really, to have been lucky enough to be there when Hanabi had spoken her first word. Genma knew that it was a big steppingstone in the baby's life that he had been able to be a part of, even though it was a shame that her own father had not been around to experience such a heart-warming milestone.

(And, honestly speaking, it was just plain old adorable to know that Hanabi's first word was a nickname for her sister.)

Hanabi was now leaning precariously forward within her father's arms, her wide pale eyes staring directly at him.

"Is she attempting to say another word, Genma-san?" Neji, ever observant of the young girl who he fully believed he needed to protect as much as he protected Hinata.

"Another word?"

Genma breathed in deeply as Anko's voice suddenly cut into the quiet of the night; then breathed heavily when she popped up beside him. Genma was still looking at Hanabi (who was still reaching out for him and doing her best to escape from her own father's arms), so he didn't get a good look at the kunoichi; but he could tell just from her tone of voice that she was finding some kind of amusement in the situation.

What could be amusing about suddenly popping up in the middle of the night as Hiashi attempted to hand his children over to Genma for him to take care of them while he went away on a sudden diplomatic envoy, Genma didn't know. All he knew was that he wasn't a big fan of Anko and he wasn't eager to have her interact at all with any of his children.

Right now, though, he knew he needed to count his lucky stars that the likes of Kiba, Naruto, or Tenten were nowhere to be found on this particular night. Had they been present, Genma just knew that their lives would never be the same again- in the worst way. No, they were lucky that it was just the Hyuuga children with him when Anko made her appearance. Two of them had good heads on their shoulders while the last was much too young to properly be corrupted by the insane woman.

Hiashi closed his eyes, took a moment to breathe in, and offered one quick, stiff nod.

"Apparently, Hanabi was able to call for Hinata by calling her name, Mitarashi-san."

Genma wasn't sure why Hiashi utilized the honorific for the kunoichi. Maybe he was attempting to be respectful and proper even when in the face of chaos personified? Or maybe he was attempting to demonstrate that there was a clear social gap between them and there was no reason for Anko to inject herself into their lives?

Knowing Hiashi, it was probably a little bit of both.

Anko made a noise of wonder but both Genma and Hiashi ignored her. Instead Hiashi turned to face Genma, opened his eyes, and looked down at his youngest daughter- who would have been under the danger of falling forward had anyone other than her father been holding her.

Hiashi had not been someone Genma had initially believed to be a good parent. And, honestly speaking, there were still times in which he truly believed that the older man put his clan's needs before the ones of his children- case in point, this night; instead of remaining at home with his children and taking care of them, he was handing them off to Genma to be able to take part in a mission he probably suspected he was not needed for, but would still go because it was the right thing to do by his clan's standards.

But there were quiet moments like these; moments in which Hiashi (unconsciously or consciously) looked at any of his three children with nothing short of love in his pale eyes.

At moments like these, his harsh face would lose some of the stronger lines, becoming just a tiny bit smoother; kinder.

These moments didn't happen very often… but, Genma could admit, they had begun to happen with more recurrence now that Hanabi was in their lives…

Could it have anything to do with the fact that Hanabi and Hinata's mother was no longer with them? Or was it that Hanabi arriving had unlocked something previously kept secret within Hiashi? Maybe a bit of both and some more things?

Hiashi could be an outright mystery.

"It seems that Hanabi wishes to leave with you now."

The baby wiggled about her father's arms a little more, causing him to have to move her out of the crook of his elbow and reposition her in a looser hold- even though his grip remained tight.

"Daa-En!" Hanabi followed these odd words with quick whines, a heavy frown coming over her small face as she sporadically pushed herself forward.

Genma smiled softly at her insistence and glanced up at Hiashi, "Well, we've already got everything the kids need from the shops. I wouldn't mind carrying her the rest of the way back to my apartment."

Hiashi nodded and moved a step forward to hand the child over.

With a squeal of absolute delight, Hanabi stunned them all when she let out her second fully formed, perfectly understood word.

"Dada-En!"

For a full second, Genma was sure that his heart stopped.

His arms, reaching out and in a cradle-like position to be able to carry the baby correctly, froze just like the rest of his body. His brain short-circuited. It was as if time had stopped for him.

Muffled and distant, he barely registered the gasps of surprise from those around him.

His eyes widened at the same time his eyebrows arched upwards when Hiashi finished handing Hanabi over to him without even hesitating after hearing such a thing.

As soon as the girl was in his arms, Genma's body's instincts took over and he hugged her close to his chest. Hanabi cooed and reached her hands up to his neck, giving him a tight hug to the best of her abilities.

It was Neji to break the silence that fell over them; his voice was uncertain, quivering ever so slightly, "Did Hanabi just call Genma-san-"

"She just called him her father! Oh, that's freaking adorable!"

Anko, as if Neji's words broke a spell that was keeping her cute, gleefully threw herself into a fit of giggles and taunts about Hanabi's second words.

Genma sent a quick glare in her direction, wishing nothing more than for a hold to suddenly sprout up from the ground to swallow her up. But his annoyance with her was less than his guilt for what he had unwittingly done to ruin Hanabi's perception on family, so he quickly turned towards Hiashi to bow down and apologize for having stolen Hanabi's second word; and having accidentally acquired a title he did not deserve.

He had fully expected to find the angered and hardened face of a displeased Hiashi Hyuuga. He had expected to find the man with his arms crossed and a frown so etched into his face that he looked as if he had been made out of marble and was not a true human being. He had expected to receive a barrage of scathing yet concise words about how he had crossed a line no non-Hyuuga should ever attempt to cross and to have the children ripped away from him because Hiashi could leave them in the care of their clan.

Instead, he only found Hiashi smiling down at Hanabi with a softness to his whole face that he suddenly appeared younger.

He didn't seem etched in marble; he seemed as if he was light and carefree. His shoulders were even less squared than normal, making him seem… happy.

"At least I was around to hear these words." Hiashi turned his gaze up to Genma, his smile widening instead of withering. "I have a feeling that Hanabi will become much more of a handful now that she has learned the secrets of forming words."

There was no anger in his voice; there were no scathing double meanings or hidden insinuations.

Hiashi Hyuuga was honestly, genuinely, truly happy to have heard Hanabi.

He wasn't angry that Genma had stolen the title of 'dada' from him. He was truly just grateful to have been around for one of his youngest daughter's first words.

It was during moments like these that Genma got to see the kind of father Hiashi truly was; and it was because of these moments that he slowly began to see Hiashi as something separate from the stern and cold Hyuuga archetype the clan head emulated during most of his life.

"Oh, this is gold."

The calmness and bliss of the night was suddenly shattered when Anko opened up her mouth at the same time she sidled up beside Genma and began to poke at Hanabi's cheek.

Even Hanabi lost her smile, instead frowning over at the purple haired kunoichi that was now bothering her.

"I always knew Genma had lost his edge, but I had no idea he had become so domestic." she turned a toothy grin up at him and Genma frowned back, narrowing his eyes ever so slightly.

The last thing he needed to hear was someone else making fun of him over his supposed transformation into child-caretaker.

"Dada-Gen, I think I'll start calling you that." with this, Anko turned around and began to walk away. As she went away, she called out, "Wait 'til I tell Ro about this!"

Who Ro was, Genma didn't know. He didn't care, either, because Anko wasn't someone he should allow himself to waste brain-cells on.

With a sigh, Genma looked back at Hiashi and offered a soft, apologetic smile. "Let's just ignore her."

The Hyuuga nodded, "Let's."

~/~

Genma still had no idea who Ro was. But he was beginning to to piece it together from the shinobi that called him Dada-Gen.

Kakashi ribbing on him was nothing new and it was no secret that Anko had a network of human disaster shinobi as friends; so it wasn't surprising to find that word had eventually reached the jerk.

Although the first time Kakashi had called him such an absurd thing, the only thing that had stopped Genma from throwing hot coffee at him had been the need to not be a bad example to the Hyuuga children; coincidentally; under his care.

(He made a point of not noticing how Neji and Hinata giggled and seemed much too happy over the title)

Then, on a mission he went on with two other kunoichi- a simple stake out that meant he would be able to return to Konoha in time to take care of the children before a big Clan Head meeting- Yūgao Uzuki made a small comment about how they needed to keep Dada-Gen safe because the Hyuuga might turn on them if anything happened to him.

Genma respected Yūgao a lot; but after this, he lost some respect for her. The kunoichi had always seemed intelligent and wise. But there was clearly something off with her if she hung out with Anko.

But then Genma lost all reason to live when Itachi; sweet, adorable, respectful Itachi Uchiha called him Dada-Gen.

Hiashi still didn't mind and Genma guessed that the guy had no ill-will towards him... but there was just something wrong about stealing Hanabi's first words and also being seen as a parental figure when he wasn't.

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Genma's the thick-headed; but we still love him.

Please review and let me know what you thought! Next chapter'll probably be a fast-forward into some relationship dynamics between these three after they've become a full-on throuple. That or some more chibi-Hyuuga hijinks.