Chapter 14

I don't own Naruto

Naruto's Baby Chapter 14

When Naruto came back to the village, he didn't immediately see his child. He had to first go through the bell test with Sakura and Kakashi. In fact, Naruto had put off seeing Ai because Kakashi had said that she was with Iruka and that they would all catch up later. Naruto was so excited. He hadn't seen her in such a long time, but he was sure that he would recognize her instantly.

After all, she was his daughter.

Naruto had decided to go to Ichiraku since he was hungry. He wanted Sakura to join, but he didn't have the cash to pay for both of their bowls after all.

He had just sat down when a girl had run up to a stool and climbed on a stool a few away from him and ordered a meal. Naruto looked over at the girl and watched as she spun around a few times childishly before she stopped and turned to him.

His jaw had dropped when he looked at the girl. Umino Ai? Umino!? What was more surprising was the girl's appearance. While she was chubby-cheeked and was smiling, Naruto saw the huge resemblance between her and Sasuke and Itachi. She had the face of an Uchiha. Her hair was even darker than it was when she was a baby. It was borderline brown. Naruto examined the girl. Her bangs were cut straight across and with her hair in the ponytail she could have been a Sasuke clone.

"Ai-chan, don't run like that. You know better," Iruka came in and laughed. He saw Naruto and smiled, "Wow Naruto, you've grown so much," he said.

"Not as much as her apparently," Naruto said and turned to Ai. The girl tilted her head in confusion. Naruto smiled and pointed to himself, "do you know who I am?"

The girl only smiled, "You never told me your name mister."

Naruto turned to Iruka with a stern expression, "why doesn't my daughter know me?" He asked. "You never told her about me?"

Iruka gulped a bit and nervously laughed, "why don't I treat you to some ramen and I'll explain everything okay?" He suggested. Iruka sat down next to Naruto and said, "Ai, move over here," he said, and Ai nodded. She got up and hurried over to Iruka and got on the stool. Naruto watched her move and smiled, "you've gotten so big since the last time I saw you Ai," he smiled. Ai gave him a confused expression, "you've met me before?"

"Yeah, of course, I'm your-" Naruto was cut off by Iruka clearing his throat. Naruto looked at Iruka. "Ai is too young to understand some things," Iruka said, and that was when Naruto realized that Iruka purposefully kept Ai from Naruto. "Are you serious Iruka-sensei? You mean you've never told her who her papa was?"

Ai turned her head sharply to the adults.

"I can't believe it!" Naruto said and looked over to Ai, kneeling down to the girl in a pleading tone, "Ai, I'm your papa. Your birth Papa! Come on baby, don't you remember me?" He said and Ai shook her head no. "You're not my papa!" The girl said in a scared tone. She visibly retracted away from Naruto. The strange man was scaring her and his loud voice was making her very upset, as though he was yelling at her like how Iruka and Kakashi would when she did something bad.

"Yes I am," Naruto said and pulled out one of his most prized possessions, a photo with him and Ai. She was a little under a year old in the picture, but she was there, being held by Naruto. "That's you when you were a baby, and that's me." Ai's face twisted to a very confused state as she couldn't comprehend this. Her eyes darted around for a source of comfort and they fell on Iruka.

"Naruto enough!" Iruka said firmly. "You're not…you're not her parental guardian anymore. Kakashi and I have been since you've been gone. Now all you're doing is yelling at a three-year-old." Iruka pointed out. Ai's face drained of color, and she was confused. What was going on?

Naruto gritted his teeth, "what the hell do you mean I'm not her parental guardian anymore?"

Iruka looked guilty, but he had to be honest now, "you signed away your rights the day you left for training. Ai's name was changed to Umino Ai because I am her parent now. I've been taking care of her. I see her as my own daughter. She's my child."

Naruto's heart swelled in his chest and deflated. He looked over to the girl, and he felt betrayed, by everyone, especially by Iruka. "You…tricked me? That day?" He asked. Iruka looked away and shut his eyes, "you don't understand. I did it to protect her."

"No, fuck you!" Naruto shouted. "You did it because you wanted a child of your own but you couldn't so you had to take mine!"

Iruka's eyes widen, and he got upset and rightly so. His chest swelled up with pained and he fought back the tears, "I don't need to be treated like this," Iruka said, and he got up. He went over and picked up Ai, "come on Ai, let's go," he said. "What about ramen?" She asked. "We'll come another time," Iruka said and carried her off. Naruto got up and went after Iruka. "Just wait a second. You're not taking my daughter with you. She belongs to me!"

"She's my daughter since you went training Naruto!" Iruka said as he held Ai securely.

"Bull crap! I said you can watch over her while I was gone. I never said she was yours!" Naruto yelled. People began to watch as the two began to yell and argue with each other. All of the yelling was making Ai crying, and when Naruto saw it, he reached out and grabbed Ai. "It's okay baby! Your real papa his here now," Naruto said, and Ai screamed as though she was being murdered. She began to kick about and when she wriggled herself away, she ran from Naruto and bumped into Kakashi's legs. He looked down and saw the girl in tears and Iruka and Naruto about to go at each other's throats. He sighed and picked the girl up, patting her head. "It's okay Ai. I'll fix this," he said and went over to the arguing idiots.

"Stop it you two," Kakashi said sternly, and it was enough to get them to stop and turn. "You two are acting more childish than the three-year-old I'm holding," Kakashi said. "What is the problem anyways?"

Naruto growled, and as he and Iruka began to bicker, Kakashi stopped them. "Okay, enough! Until this matter is settled, Ai will be staying with me in my apartment," he said. "Tomorrow morning, both of you come to the Hokage's office, and we'll get his settled, whatever this is," Kakashi said, disappointed in both of them.

Kakashi poofed away with Ai in his arms.

Kakashi tucked the girl in his guest futon. He still lived in a small apartment, and it was the best he could do on such short notice. While he often stayed with Iruka, he had this place for some space. "Comfy Ai?" He asked, and Ai nodded. The girl's hair was down, no longer in the high ponytail that she often wore it in. Her dark blonde locks framing her face. Though it was about shoulder-length, she had very thick hair that came in only a few years ago and was often hard to brush, even for Iruka and Kakashi, who had to hold down the girl every morning to manage it or else it would be nappy. Iruka had teasingly called Ai's hair "the lion's mane," with its spiky nature. Ai was wearing one of Kakashi's old tee shirts to wear to bed since she didn't have her clothes at his apartment. "Daddy?" The girl said. "Who was the yelling man?" She asked. "The one with yellow hair?"

The gray-haired ninja sighed, "well…he's….how do I explain this?" Kakashi asked since he was unsure of where to begin this. "Well, you know how your friend Zuko has a mama?" Ai nodded. "Granny Tsu-Tsu," she said. "Right…and you know how your friend Senji lives with his papa?" He asked. Ai nodded again. "Papa and I saw him earlier. Senji got his hair caught in a tree, and we had to cut him down."

Kakashi laughed lightly, "sounds like a lot happened today for you," he commented. "Well, that man with the yellow hair…is your birth mama," he explained.

Ai thought he was kidding, "no he's not. Mama's are girls…or was that a girl?" She asked as she could have been wrong. There were many types of girls and women she had met. Sakura and Ino were among the ones she was most familiar with. "He did have yellow hair like Ino has…maybe he was a girl."

"Perhaps mama was the wrong word," Kakashi said with a nervous laugh. "Ai. His name is Naruto. He used to take care of you when you were really young," he explained.

"Then why don't I remember him?" Ai asked.

"You're too young to remember to remember him. What would you say is your earliest memory?" Kakashi asked her. Ai sat up and looked at the ceiling, thinking. The earliest memory she could picture was seeing Iruka's smiling face. She loved to reach out and touch his face scar. "Papa," she replied happily. "I remember Papa's smile."

Kakashi smiled behind his mask and said, "and Papa is the man who's always been there for you, right?" Ai nodded. Then she frowned, "he was yelling today…at the yellow haired man. Why?"

Kakashi decided to best end the night on that note. "One day, you'll be old enough to understand everything and I'll be an old man by then. Let's try not to fasten our ages shall we?" He joked with her and retuck the girl in. "Now it's night time, and I have to make sure that you have the best dreams of fighting off the evil goblins who like to eat on little girl's dreams," Kakashi said and tickled the girl a bit, making her laugh. "Stop it daddy! It tickles!" She said. Kakashi lowered his mask and kissed the girl on the forehead. "Sweet dreams Ai," he said and pulled it up, but Ai saw the small mole that was on his chin. "Night night daddy," Ai said before she turned to her side and Kakashi closed the door for her to sleep in peace.

Tsunade was on her way to her desk early in the morning and was not in a good mood. "Shizune, sake, pronto," she ordered, and Shizune sighed, "Tsunade-sama, you promised that you would cut back on the sake in the mornings," Shizune said. Zuko was following behind them as he often did in the mornings. He walked alongside Tonton and sometimes would chase the pink piggy, but the pig would always outrun the boy, but the boy found it enjoyable regardless.

When they arrived at the door, Kakashi was there with Ai. The blonde woman was surprised. "Kakashi? What brings you here so early in the morning?"

"I need to talk to you in private," Kakashi said. "And I figured Shizune could do me a favor and watch Ai," Kakashi said. Ai ran over to Zuko and hugged the boy. "Morning Zuko!"

Tsunade smiled at the girl and then back at Kakashi, but her smile turned into a stern expression. "Alright then. Shizune, drop the kids off at daycare and bring me my sake on the double."

"Yes milady," Shizune said and took Ai and Zuko's hands when they separated. "Come on kids, let's go," she said, and the two children went off without complaint.

Tsunade ushered Kakashi inside and she went to her desk. "I guess this isn't a social visit. So what's going on?" She asked.

Kakashi went straight to the point, "Naruto and Iruka argued over Ai last night in public. Naruto seems to have the idea that Ai would be given back to his custody as soon as he came back to the village," Kakashi started off. Tsunade was surprised by this, "he knows that she is legally yours and Iruka's daughter now, right?" She asked.

"That's what we need to get to the bottom of," Kakashi said. "Iruka said he knew when she signed the papers."

"So why do I get the feeling that it's not the case at all?" Tsunade asked aloud. Kakashi had the same feeling she had. "Something tells me that Naruto had no idea and if that's the case, him signing that paper voids it."

Tsunade groaned visibly, "get them both in here. Now!"

"I told them last night to come here. They should be here any minute," Kakashi said.

Iruka and Naruto arrived at Tsunade's office thirty minutes later. The woman had a few cups of sake by then, and she had pulled out the necessary documents needed for this issue. Kakashi was standing beside the desk, on Tsunade's left, and had his arms crossed. Shizune wasn't present in the room.

"Alright, you decided to make complete asses out of yourself, and now we have to figure out who gets custody of Umino Ai," Tsunade said.

"Uzumaki Ai," Naruto corrected and turned to Iruka, "I never agreed to change her name."

"Right," Tsunade said. "Now, when you left two and a half years ago, did you not sign this," Tsunade said and pushed the document forward. Naruto went over and looked at the paper, reading it. Iruka felt horrible because it was the same document he had lied about. Naruto re-read it, and when he saw his signature, he turned to Iruka, "you said this was a medical release form for Ai," Naruto hissed. "For in the case of emergencies!" He yelled. "You made me sign a paper that surrendered my rights to my only child?!"

Iruka stood firm and said, "I did what I thought was right for Ai! That's all I ever thought about was what was good for her well-being!"

"Changing her name and making her call you papa isn't doing her any favors!" Naruto shouted.

"CUT THE YELLING!" Tsunade shouted over them, making them silent. Iruka spoke up, "Tsunade-sama. With all due respect, I did what I believed to be in the girl's best interest. Ai has thrived being under Kakashi and I's care."

"So I'm suddenly a horrible parent? Who took care of her when she was born and every day since?" Naruto claimed.

"ME!" Iruka screamed truthfully. Naruto was taken back by that, but Iruka had continued, "I DID! You needed my help constantly! It felt like I was raising two babies when she was born, to be honest!" Iruka pointed out, justified. "Who found you that night you were attacked? Who took care of you until you decided to run off and be alone? Who took you to the doctor when you were sick and found out that you were pregnant? Who was the one who took you every single doctor's appointment and he's a bonus question, who was there with you when she was born? Think carefully. It might actually be the only test you pass!" Iruka firmly.

Everyone was silent in the room after that outburst. Iruka felt good, though. "I'm as much a parent to that beautiful child than you, and I would say even more so," Iruka said. "That little girl sees me as her papa because you had to go training and I hope it was all worth it!"

Naruto grit his teeth and felt his angry boiling, but it was undeniable. Iruka had been there, for everything. Naruto had missed out on so much! He wanted his baby! Every day he wanted his child with him.

And there were days when he didn't.

"You all told me to go get training! Every single one of you." Naruto said to all of the adults in the room. He shook his head. "I should have brought her with me. I regret listening to all of you!"

"Naruto, calm down," The Hokage spoke and tried to gain control of the room. Tsunade turned to Iruka, "did you lie to Naruto about the document he was signing, yes or no?"

Iruka turned to Tsunade and said, "I did. I lied. It was either I adopted her or Danzo would."

That certainly changed the situation. Tsunade asked firmly, "Danzo? The elder? Why did he want custody of Ai?"

"Because of her Uchiha half!" Iruka said. Tsunade didn't know that. She turned to Naruto and then to Kakashi. "Ai's father is from the Uchiha clan?"

"We have DNA evidence that her father is an Uchiha, but we don't have an exact-" Kakashi began but Naruto cut him off.

"It was Itachi," Naruto said numbly. "He told me he did it years ago. When I first traveled with pervy sage, when we were looking for you," Naruto said. "He's Ai's biological father."

Tsunade's wrinkles started to show, not because of her jutsu was wearing off, but because of the situation that was now before her. The decision on her head. She had to think if her well-being and what was best for her. Was Naruto truly the one to watch over her? She knew Iruka and Kakashi as her parents and to destroy that would only hurt her. Though Iruka had done something very illegal.

She needed a long drink.

"Iruka, what you did was very illegal. Not only should Naruto have been informed about the contract he was signing, but he would have needed an adult to see that he knew of it. I don't know why I thought I could trust you to inform him." Tsunade said and turned to Naruto, "and you shouldn't have signed things so blindly. Read things before signing," Tsunade said. She pulled out the contract that was signed years ago when Ai was born and the one that would decide who should keep her custody. She had read it and saw that it was legally binding and that put her in a pickle.

If Naruto, Iruka, or Kakashi couldn't, the Hokage could take the child in.

"Until I can come up with proper punishments and a final decision, Ai will be under my care. I don't want any of you to have any contact with her. Kakashi. Pack some of the girl's belongings, she'll be staying in my home until further notice," Tsunade said, "and as for mission assignments, I expect you both act like professionals. Kakashi, you'll have to double back here to get your team's first mission," Tsunade said. "You're all dismissed."