Chapter 3: Chapter 3

I don't own Naruto

Naruto's Baby Chapter 3

The first thing Sasuke noticed was the expression that Sakura had on her face when she came to meet with the team. She had the expression of that of seeing a ghost mixed with confusion. He didn't bother asking her about it since he wasn't interested, but after she arrived and finally worked up the nerve, she began talking. She shook her head and got up to Sasuke, though she still kept her distance from the Uchiha as she knew he hated it when people got close. "Sasuke, I have a question," she began, "does Naruto have a baby?"

He lifted his head, still keeping his face emotionless as possible, "why?"

"Well it's just I saw him using that lame Sexy jutsu, and he had a baby with him, I think it was a girl, and he was really protective of her. He even proclaimed that she was his daughter. Can you believe it? I thought I was dreaming it at first but then earlier I saw him in that same jutsu, walking down the street with that baby again," Sakura said as she remembered just a few minutes ago. "I'm crazy right, I mean there's no way he could be a father to a baby. She must be his cousin or something, right?"

"That is his daughter," It wasn't Sasuke's voice, but Kakashi's and he was standing on his usual pole. Sakura was surprised to see him, as was Sasuke. Kakashi jumped down and walked over, "I guess you two have met Ai-chan, right?" He asked.

"So she is his child? How is that even possible? He's twelve…isn't he?" Sakura questioned.

Kakashi nodded, "yes, it's not something I'm allowed to explain, but he is her parent and has been raising her since even before he became a genin. He's actually not going to show up to practice today because he's making some arrangements for her care," Kakashi said, "Besides, I need to talk to the two of you about some things," he said.

The two knew that he must be serious since he wasn't late, nor did he have the Icha Icha Paradise book with him. Sasuke still had his arms crossed, and Sakura looked intent on listening to the man.

"What I say doesn't leave this squad," Kakashi said, "Only myself, a few selected Jonin, Iruka and the third Hokage know about Naruto's child for her own safety," Kakashi said. "Naruto came to me in private and said that you two found out about her."

Sakura looked over at Sasuke and asked, "how long have you known?" Sasuke didn't answer her.

"Naruto doesn't want anyone to know he has a child either. He doesn't want to be treated any differently because of it. While he loves his child, he still needs to be a kid sometimes, so that's one of the reasons he acts out a lot," Kakashi explained.

Sure as hell explains why you let him get away with half of the nonsense he does, Sakura thought to herself bitterly as she crossed her arms as well. She snapped her head when she remembered that Kakashi had said that she was born before they were Team Seven, so that meant she was born while they were academy students?! Her mind tried to process that information and bewildered and disgusted. Who the hell wanted to have sex with him?!

Sasuke had that same thought about Naruto…and sex. He shuddered. Yes, they knew about sex, because they needed to know certain things, but he never imagined. He felt sick thinking about it.

"Now, you two need to keep this information to yourselves," Kakashi said, "It wouldn't end well if any of your peers were to find out about his child, and it wouldn't do any favors for Naruto either. Just act like your normal selves around him. He'll appreciate it."

Naruto was walking around in his sexy jutsu when he saw his teammates and Kakashi and overheard what Kakashi had said. He had Ai with him, happily looking at him in her sling. "Kakashi-sensei," Naruto approached in the jutsu. When the gray-haired man turned, he would see Naruto breaking the jutsu and looking tired, and a bit defeated, "that's enough."

He walked over and stood before his teammates. Sakura looked down at the baby in the sling and Sasuke looked at Naruto. "This is my daughter, Ai Uzumaki," Naruto said as he showed her to his teammates. "Yes, I've been a parent longer than we've been a team, but that's not the point anymore," he said.

Sakura growled and shouted, "yes it is! You're twelve years old! What the fuck were you thinking! Having a child at your age! No, having SEX at your age! It's disgusting!"

Naruto's heart swelled up in his chest, and he felt really upset, but he firmly said, "IT WASN'T MY CHOICE!"

Sakura was taken back, and as Kakashi placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder, the blonde had looked down at his beautiful child. How she smiled so innocently, but when he saw her eyes, those dark orbs, he looked back up and looked at Sasuke. He shook his head and said, "now you know about her. She's my only family," Naruto said.

"What about the chunin exams?" Sasuke asked suddenly. "Will you still participate?"

Naruto smiled, "of course, I've just made the arrangements, and Iruka-sensei will be watching over her while I take them," he said, and Sasuke smirked, "good."

Sasuke wasn't going to treat Naruto any differently. He was still the blonde-haired knuckle-headed ninja, and Sasuke was still himself. Though he looked down and saw Ai no longer smiling, but rather saw her frowning and holding on to Naruto's jacket. Her cheeks were pink, and her eyes were looked as though they were staring daggers at the Uchiha.

Sakura went over and took a closer look at the infant and stared hard, "she doesn't look like you," she spoke to Naruto as she continued to look down at the girl. Naruto glared at Sakura and huffed, "she's mine baby regardless of who she looks like."

"Is she, though? Maybe she looks like her father, whoever he is," Sakura and Naruto's eyes widen.

Kakashi stepped forward and placed a hand on Sakura's shoulder, "you should stop talking, right now," he said. Sakura looked at her sensei and then back at Naruto, who looked like he remembered something horrible. Naruto's jaw tightened, and he gritted his teeth. He shook his head once, and said, "Ai is my daughter, and I'll always love my daughter." Naruto turned walked away, holding Ai close to his chest and jumped up.

He decided that today wouldn't be a good day for training.

Ai sat in her high chair, playing with a mush of baby food that was spread out on her plastic tray that also kept her in place. Naruto was watching her in his usual chair, and looked really depressed. His arm was resting on the table, and his head was resting on said arm. He wasn't in his orange jacket or wearing his forehead protector like he would when he was in public.

He watched as his child laughed and made a mess. She wasn't harming anyone or endangering herself, so he let her have at it. It was better for her to tire herself out before her nap. Eating wasn't much of an option at the moment. She had her bottle, and while Naruto had been transitioning her to more solid foods, it was a no-go on her part.

And he would have to clean up the mess anyways.

When a bit of food got on his cheek, Naruto moved and looked at his baby straight on. He smiled exhaustedly to his daughter, "I'm sorry Ai you had to meet my teammates like that," he said, and Ai looked over as she was sucking her hands that were once covered with food. Some of the mush was in her hair and had completely ruined her onesie she was wearing.

Even if she couldn't answer back, talking felt good for him because he felt like he was not judged, and talking was helping Ai develop her language skills.

Naruto reached over and offered his finger to the girl. Ai took the finger in her left hand and was back to laughing, which made Naruto feel better.

Seeing his child like this made him happy.

She doesn't look like you. Naruto's eyes widened when Sakura's voice came to him, and he pulled away from his baby. In his mind, he saw his baby girl, but behind her was like a dark shadow and emerging from the shadow was a man that have an eye revealing, that was purple with black rings in it and the black comas. It was something Naruto had never seen before. He remembered when he tried to describe it, since that was the only thing that was so significant about his assailant, but he was told that he had to be mistaken, that someone like that couldn't exist.

Naruto held his head as he remembered that man. There were times when his repressed memories would resurface. If he let them come back, then he would be called crazy again.

When he felt something splat on his head once more, Naruto snapped up and saw the infant, laughing and reaching out to him. "You're nothing like that man, are you?" he said and reached back out, and Ai took hold of his finger, laughing and making cooing noises. "No, you're not, you're a good girl," Naruto said.

While Naruto was relieved, he still held that repression within him. He carried a large cloud over him, and he wondered if his child will grow up to be a good person and a great kunoichi, or will she be just like that man who caused her existence?

"Ai," Naruto said softly to his child, "I hope that no matter who you grow up to be, that you remember one important thing," he said and stood up, and walked over to the high chair. He looked at her in the eyes, and while they were as black at the night sky, and his own eyes that were as bright as the day sky, he said, "remember that you are loved. I'll always love you, baby," he said. Tears began to stream down his face. He sometimes wondered if, whoever they were, his parents ever said those words to him when he was a baby.

Well, even if they didn't, he would always say it to his child.

He leaned down and wrapped his arms around his baby, "your papa loves you Ai. Always know that. Even if I can't be with you every day, know that you are loved. That's why you are named Ai after all." As Naruto paused, he realized something else that he hoped for and that made him shed even more tears, "and I hope one day…you'll forgive me…"

Naruto spent the remaining time to taking care of his child. It wasn't until the night before the chunin exams that he dropped Ai off at Iruka's apartment. The man happily accepted the child and wished Naruto luck on the exams, and while Naruto put on a brave face, he was actually nervous but excited none the less.

So when he woke up the next morning without his child, he felt strangely well-rested, not having to wake up in the middle of the night to change diapers or rocking Ai back to sleep, or even waking up early to tend to her needs. It was strangely nice.

He pumped himself up and left his apartment to go forth and to meet Sasuke and Sakura at the exam hall.

When he got there, he saw Sasuke and smirked, "Hey Sasuke! You excited for the exams?" He asked. Sasuke turned to him and said, "you seem well rested, did the baby not wake you up in the middle of the night?"

Naruto took offense to that, "no, she didn't. She's being watched over by Iruka-sensei while I take the exams," he said. "Why do you care anyways?" Naruto asked, and he smirked jokingly at him, "are you jealous that I have a beautiful baby or something?"

Sasuke looked at him like if he was a dumbass and said, "you're twelve years old and have a kid, that's not something to be proud of."

Naruto's playful façade turned into an angry demeanor, "I think I'm doing pretty well considering," he stated coldly. "I have a family now, and she needs me to provide for her."

Sasuke could say a lot of cruel things to hurt Naruto. Very cruel things. Sasuke could point out that if Naruto were to disappear, she wouldn't remember him when she got older. Not even a fragment of him would remain. He could also point out other cruel things. Sasuke was smart to not say these things, though, as he knew it wouldn't do him any favors. He merely spoke, "for her sake, I hope she'll have more brains than you do."

"WHATCHA SAY!?" Naruto got fairly upset like his usual self would be.