When hope isn't enough

By Mayashin

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto…not even Kakashi -runs to the corner to cry-

Days like this were hard to get by, a little blond boy knew it better that anyone. As he walked through the streets, black clad people looked at him, some with disapproval and others with no emotion. He walked with his head high and his eyes dry, trying not to show them how much their disgusted stares affected him. His bright orange jacket contrasted the obscure clothes that surrounded him, just as his grin contrasted the grieving expressions.

He wasn't trying to show any disrespect, far from it, he just couldn't comprehend the point of dressing in black. Just as he didn't get the fact that everyone had parents and he didn't, or the fact that every year on this same day, people's stares seemed to darken more than normal. Today was the anniversary of the nine tailed demon Kyuubi's attack to the village, the day the Fourth Hokage had sacrificed his life in order to destroy it. Today was also the day that commemorated his five years on this earth.

He kept walking until he reached one of the only places that made him feel that it wasn't so bad. He didn't even like ramen so much but there was something about the old man's eyes that made him feel safe and even welcome. The old man would always give him an extra portion when he felt down and his little granddaughter would watch him eat with a big smile on her face. No such luck today.

The big 'closed' sign on the door made him remember the old man was on vacation visiting some relatives. His shoulders slumped before he forced his face into his usual grin. No Ichiraku today, there was always instant ramen. Making up his mind, he walked to the store. In there he bought three packages and paid for them, grinning at the scowling clerk.

Now stocked with ramen, he started walking home, glad the day was almost over. People kept ignoring him, and he was fine with that, it was better than the scowling he had to endure on a daily basis. He was so deep into his thoughts that he didn't notice the shadow of a person behind him until it was too late. He hadn't had time to react and suddenly his face was on the street, his body crushing his ramen. Looking up he encountered the face of a very drunk jounin, looking down at him. Naruto just stood up and took his bag, trying to walk away from him. No such luck.

The jounin took him by the collar of his jacket and snarled.

"Why in such a hurry you little spawn?" Naruto tried his best to make him let go of him, but his grip was just too strong. "Won't you celebrate your doing?...I'll show you! Arrggghh!" His slurred speech was interrupted by a hand on his throat.

"That's enough Hiko…let him down.." The man froze when he heard the voice. Naruto couldn't understand why, it sounded like a boy to him. The man holding him was about 40 in his opinion. He didn't have more time to think about it as he was dropped unceremoniously to the ground. Then scowling he turned to look at the boy. Naruto was able to see him now and he still didn't get why Hiko would obey him so readily. He was a tall and had gray hair. His face was covered by a black mask, leaving only his eyes uncovered. At the side of his face, an Anbu mask was secured and that's when he realized he was part of the assassination squad. The drunk jounin glared at him and slurred some more.

"Mind yer own business Hatake, I was doin' nuthin' to the kid…" Naruto cocked his head to the side. So now he was the 'kid'? what had happened to 'spawn'?

"You are on duty Hiko, drinking is unacceptable if you are to protect the village. The Hokage already knows and expects your report at his office.." There was a steely edge in the young man's voice that made the older ninja blanch. Muttering a few choice curses, the man stumbled in the Hokage Tower's direction. Naruto looked at the boy in awe, nobody had ever done that for him, not once in his life. He jumped when their sights clashed. His eyes were a weird mix, one black the other red, but for some reason that did not bother him.

"Are you alright?" The simple question brought even more surprise to the blond kid. Not trusting his voice he nodded, trying to ignore the crunched bag he was holding onto like a life line. The eighteen year old anbu sighed and picked him up from the floor. Naruto thanked him in a small voice and the next moment he was alone once more. Looking at the sky he hurried towards his home, the clouds seemed to darken by the minute, it always rained on this day. He did not notice the shadow following him all the way to his home.

Why he had decided to follow the kid, he would never know. He was trying to convince himself that it was only to avoid any more altercates between the older ninjas and the Kyuubi container. He frowned and corrected his sentence. He did not want any ninja to come close to the kid, this was a sensitive day and many had lost family or comrades to the hands of the fearsome demon. For some reason he felt it was his responsibility to maintain peace on this specific day. He did not pay mind to the small injuries on his arms and his torn clothes that indicated he had recently came back from a mission.

The boy, he had seemed so alone. It was nothing surprising given the nature of his condition, but still, the way he kept smiling despite the looks and the treatment he received was something else…he shook his head trying to rid himself of such thoughts. He couldn't comprehend his sudden fascination with the kid, and he was not about to look into it. He was just going to make sure he got to his house with no trouble. He rearranged his anbu mask to cover his face and disappeared in a blur.

His golden hair hung on his forehead, already soaked from the heavy rain falling on him. This was okay, he would be at home enjoying some hot ramen and then he would go to sleep and the day would be over. He hurried his steps once more but just as he was arriving to his building he slipped, mudding his clothes and the bag. He looked inside and the contents were already ruined. No one was around when his smile fell, or when a tear escaped from his eye, he quickly wiped it anyway and in a loud voice he stated.

"Well that's alright! Instant ramen is not very good anyway!" His smile was strained and his voice was cracking under the pressure of his tears. When he couldn't hold them anymore, he ran inside the building and into his apartment. He locked the door and sat on the floor, his back supported by the door. Small sobs started wracking his little body and hot tears ran down his whiskered cheeks. Some minutes later his sobs turned into hiccups and finally there was silence as he fell asleep.

Standing on a branch, Hatake Kakashi witnessed his fall and was tempted to come down to him, but was stopped by the kid's grin and his defiant shout.

"Well that's alright! Instant ramen is not very good anyway!"

His interest was definitely spiked by this kid's attempt to look strong no matter what. He of course wasn't fooled by it, no matter how much he yelled, the desperation was clear in his voice. Promising himself that he would leave after the kid entered home, he jumped on to another branch and looked through the window only to see a heartbreaking scene. He watched as his shoulders shook with emotion until he had stopped moving. He was about to leave when his acute senses picked something out. The kid's breathing was irregular, and his cheeks had taken a scarlet hue. Sighing, he jumped into the apartment and walked up to the little form slumped on the floor. He picked him up and wondered as he realized how tiny this little boy really was, he would be short when he grew up.

He was not an expert with kids, but he certainly knew how to treat a fever. At the last thought he frowned, the Hokage had once explained Naruto's condition and he had also said the fox prevented him from being injured or sick. That didn't seem possible as the sleeping boy moaned having what appeared to be pain. He thought about his options for a moment. First he would have to get him out of the wet clothes, then he would take him to the Hokage Tower, surely by this hour the memorial was already over. He rummaged through the drawers and finally found something suitable, a pair of blue pajamas. With as delicacy he could muster, he took off the wet clothes and replaced them with the dry new ones. Then, taking off his cloak, he wrapped it around the tiny body and secured him in his arms. Checking the door was locked, he was about to jump out of the window when he noticed something. A little penguin shaped hat was lying on the floor. He looked back to the golden hair that stuck out of the cloak. Balancing Naruto with one arm, he took the hat and put it on his head. Then they were gone in a puff of smoke.

Seconds later, the puff appeared in the Third's office. The mature man looked up from his work, already used to ninjas appearing in his office. What he wasn't used to, was to receive one of his best ninjas holding the nine tailed demon's container. His eyes widening, he stood up, the papers on his desk forgotten.

"Kakashi, what is the meaning of this?"

The silver haired ninja looked straight into his eyes and started explaining. At his story the Hokage's expression changed into a frown and then his eyes widened momentarily. With all the arrangements the village had gone through for the memorial, he had forgotten it was Naruto's birthday today. He explained the last thought to Kakashi who had lifted an eyebrow when his eyes had widened. Kakashi's head lowered and he looked at the sleeping boy in his arms and immediately remembered the reason he was there.

"Hokage-sama! Naruto is…" His sentence was cut when he realized the golden haired boy was breathing normally and a little smile adorned his face. This was not unnoticed by the village leader who smiled at the tender expression on the teenager's face. Kakashi noticed after a while and with a small blush hidden by the anbu mask, he cleared his throat and took the little boy to a couch nearby. He placed him on it with great care and once more secured his mask to the side of his face. He was stopped by the Hokage before he could leave.

"You should stay here Kakashi-san, it is pouring out there and you wouldn't want to catch a cold before your next mission. I know you've been working non stop and I am grateful for it, so let this old man show he is not a heartless boss." Kakashi was about to reply but Sarutobi would have none of that.

"If you excuse me, there's something I need to arrange before the day is over, it won't be long, please watch Naruto." Not being the one to deny his Hokage, Kakashi only nodded. The minute Sarutobi exited the room, Kakashi took off his mask completely and left it on the table, then he sat on the couch next to Naruto. He watched the little boy sleeping, it was unbelievable that in such an innocent creature a demon inhabited. The only sign of it being the whiskers adorning his cheeks.

He was startled to hear a groan coming from the cloak, it would seem the little one was awaking. After a few shuffles, a little head peeked out, followed by a pair of blue sleepy eyes and a yawning mouth. Naruto sat up, the cloak falling to his waist and looked at the stranger that was looking back at him. He blinked twice before looking at his surroundings, he recognized them as the Hokage's office. He had been in there before, when he was chastised because of a prank he had made. He wondered where the old man was right now.

Kakashi seemed to guess his thoughts, for he responded. "Hokage-sama had some things to arrange, he told me to wait in here with you.." Naruto nodded and then he couldn't hold his question any longer.

"Did you bring me here mister?" Kakashi chuckled and nodded.

"My name is Kakashi." Naruto made an 'oh' sound and a memory of warmth came to him, he was being held and it had felt wonderful. Not even the old Hokage had done it. A moment of silence passed between the pair. Naruto shuffled his feet, looking at his wiggling toes not really knowing what to say. Kakashi was pretty much in the same situation, not used to having kids as company. For some reason this boy reminded him of a certaing Uchiha he used to know. Once again he shook his head to the boy's puzzlement. Naruto seemed about to ask what was wrong but the door interrupted him.

"I see you're awake Naruto…" The rough voice of the Hokage made both turn around.

Naruto took his usual pose with his hands behind his head and started speaking very loudly. "Old man! What am I doing here?" Sarutobi's eyebrow twitched at the 'old' part but he responded calmly.

"Well Naruto it seems you were sick and Kakashi-kun was gracious enough to bring you here.." Naruto frowned.

"But I feel fine…" Sarutobi nodded and said nothing more, before Naruto could ask why a knock interrupted their conversation and the Hokage sighed in relief. He gave permission to enter and one of the servants entered with a small cake with five candles. Naruto's eyes got really big as he saw the cake but he still waited for the old man to speak.

"I'm sorry Naruto, I hope you forgive this old man for not being able to visit you today. The good news is we still have two hours to celebrate your birthday!" His kind eyes crinkled in a smile. Kakashi's eyes widened as he realized the irony and the sadness Naruto had to confront every year. Naruto's eyes were suspiciously bright, but he didn't let the tears fall and instead responded with his loud voice.

"No ramen?" The Third shook his head laughing and explained. "What kind of birthday is celebrated with ramen instead of a cake?" The boy scratched his head sheepishly and laughed too. Kakashi watched this with amusement and also with a little smile on his face, since it was covered by his mask it was not noticed by the other two occupants of the room. Once more the Hokage spoke.

"Very well, let's light the candles and then Naruto can have his wish, you're not escaping that easily Kakashi, you'll have to sing with us…"

If only for two hours, Naruto was sure this was the best birthday he had ever had. The weird happy birthday song, performed by the old man and the shy anbu was the best song he had ever heard and the small cake was the most delicious thing he had ever eaten. Five hours later he was snoring softly on the Hokage's couch covered by Kakashi's cloak. Both adults watched him while they chatted.

"He is in for a hard life." The Hokage nodded with a somber look in his eyes.

"I've heard about it, they seem to think he is Kyuubi. The only thing I could do was to forbid the adults to tell the younger ones, but it is useless. The kids are already following their parents' steps. But I do trust Naruto, he is a strong kid and most importantly his heart is in the right place. We do this every year you know, I visit him on his birthday and we have a small celebration. This year was too busy with the new treaties and all so I couldn't go to him. I guess faith didn't want him to be alone so you found him…I'm glad.." The two adults were silent, each deep into their thoughts. Sarutobi broke it once more when he stood up and got a bottle.

"Let's drink to Naruto's future, that he finds happiness and the hard years never erase his smile…" Kakashi took his cup and clashed it with the Hokage's.

A few more drinks later the old man's cheeks were rosy. Kakashi had not drank as much and remembered something.

"There has been some complaints from the women of the village, apparently there has been a peeping tom at the public baths…I find it strange since Jiraya-sama has been on a mission for a month now…" The Hokage's cheeks took a more intense shade of red and he coughed. "Well Kakashi-san I think you should go home, a healthy young man should sleep enough and you have a S-class mission tomorrow don't you?" Kakashi frowned and then understood. He should have expected it, after all they were teacher and student. He stood up, with one last glance at the sleeping boy and a bow, he left with a puff of smoke.

The Hokage looked at the place Kakashi just had been in. "Kids…" He then looked at Naruto and decided to leave him there to rest and he left to his own chambers.

Some minutes later, Naruto woke up and immediately sat up wondering if everything had been a dream. The anbu mask on the table made him remember, and with a big smile he went back to sleep.

"If you eat only ramen you will die…" 12-year-old Naruto rolled his eyes at his sensei while he held a basket full of vegetables in front of him. He stuck his tongue at the jounin and crossed his arms with a pout.

"Those taste awful!" Kakashi narrowed his eyes making Naruto yelp and grudgingly stand up. He took the veggies from Kakashi and went to the kitchen to put them away. Kakashi waited with a smile and looked around the apartment. His gaze stopped at a very familiar anbu mask hanging from the wall. Memories came back to him and only the loud voice belonging to Naruto snapped him out of his reverie.

"Ne, Kakashi-sensei what are you looking at…" Naruto looked in the direction Kakashi was seeing and his eyes widened, before a happy smile made its way into his face. Kakashi noticed it and ruffled his hair.

"You know what Naruto? I think training can wait a bit, let's go and get some ramen…" Naruto's eyes widened and he asked his sensei.

"B-but we're already late and Sakura-chan and Sasuke-bastard will be angry and…"

"We'll just tell them an old lady needed our help…" Naruto couldn't understand the sudden change in his sensei's demeanor, but wasn't about to complain. Kakashi leaped out of the window and Naruto was about to follow him when he looked back at the mask and then at the window Kakashi had just jumped of. Freezing, something occurred to him. The image of a young hero flashed in his mind, but he immediately chased it away.

"Could it be…?... NAAAHHH! No way!" And leapt of the window as well, only to find his teacher gone.

"KAKASHI-SENSEI COME BACK HERE!"

The end

Author's notes: This is just a fluffly piece of nothing I wrote when I was bored. I hope you like it, I'm more of a romance writer but I always get mad at when the villagers and ninjas mistreat Naruto-chan…boo! Anyway this does not follow the anime line, but I think Kakashi had to have seen Naruto at least once before team seven right? Oh well…c yaa!