A/N: And now we're back to some Iruka fun! Hooray! Major Kingdom of Secrets spoilers here, but I've given up totally avoiding them. There's still enough mystery to support the plot anyway, I think, since this is the side mystery.

I'm also just now realizing that the KakaIru part of this equation is rather…lacking. I'm going to have to fix that.

Christmas with the Hatakes
By: Reggie

December 9th: Decorations

Iruka frowned deeply, trying with little success to reach the hammer he'd stupidly left over by the last wreath he'd hung. Why couldn't tools just come when they were called? They were nearly as bad as children, except tools could actually do what was expected of them occasionally.

Iruka leaned over, stretching his hand out to try and grasp the elusive handle. This mission was aborted when the stepping stool he was on pitched forward. It wouldn't have been a far fall to the floor, but Iruka was glad when Kakashi caught him just the same.

"You know, you could just ask for my help," the Jounin grinned, setting Iruka back on his feet and moving to go pick up Sayuri from where she was playing with the ends of the garland in a corner. They didn't LOOK breakable, but then Sayuri had the amazing ability of finding the weaknesses in everything.

Iruka ran his fingers through his hair, which had been pulled back in a loose and low pony tail to keep it out of his face. "I promised Naruto he could help, since he's never decorated for Christmas before. I just needed to get started because he's late."

"Not my fault," Kakashi chirped happily, scooping up their daughter and kissing her face in a deliberately sloppy and wet way. Sayuri squealed, but whether from enjoyment or in protest Iruka couldn't decide.

"It is completely your fault," the chuunin growled, surprising even himself with how realistic it sounded, even though he didn't feel all that upset. "You and your bad habits."

Kakashi pouted, looking hurt. "No need to get angry, Iruka, I was only teasing."

"I know. I'm sorry." Iruka sighed, leaning against the wall. "This just has me on edge, that's all."

"This being the Christmas decorating thing, or the idea of giving Naruto tools to play with." Kakashi gave him a half-smile before wincing as Sayuri grabbed a fistful of his hair and yanked. She may not have been very big or strong, but Iruka knew from experience just how much the hair pulling hurt.

Iruka returned the smile and walked over, attempting to loosen tiny fists from their silver prize, "how about a little of both."

The Jounin hissed a little under his breath as Sayuri gave another tug, ignoring Iruka's hands trying to coax her to let go. "Now, is it the Christmas decorations themselves or…"

Iruka had never been so grateful for a knock on the door. That was not going to end in a question Iruka knew the answer to, he was sure of it. He walked to the door, giving Kakashi enough time to fumble with his mask while getting his hair yanked. It really was an amusing sight.

Instead of Naruto standing there with an excuse ready, as Iruka had expected, he instead found himself face to face with a massive plastic snow man. The thing was easily as tall as Iruka was, it's long plastic carrot nose nearly putting the chuunin's eye out, and its top hat was tipped down to cover its left eye. "What the…"

"Isn't it great, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto laughed from behind the monstrosity. "Tsunade-baachan gave it to me!"

For some reason, this wasn't the least bit surprising. "I really hope you're planning on taking him back with you, Naruto-kun, because I don't think he can stay here."

"Why not?" Kakashi asked from across the room, his voice only a little strained. "I think he's quite a handsome fellow."

Iruka shot the Jounin a half-glare over his shoulder, but it wasn't very effective. Kakashi was too preoccupied trying to prevent Sayuri from climbing on his head in her quest for more fluffy stuff to pull.

"Put Iruka-sensei, you haven't seen the best part!" The snowman leapt upward and forward, nearly knocking Iruka off his feet as he dodged out the way. Naruto came waddling in, his arms barely wrapping around the middle snowball. He placed it triumphantly by the tree and, from somewhere, removed a wire from the back. Iruka groaned as, once plugged in, the whole creation lit up and started changing different colors.

"Isn't it great?" Naruto grinned. "I guess it used to be Erro-sennin's, but Tsunade-baachan made him get rid of it this year. She thought I might like it."

Kakashi snickered as he appeared at Iruka's side, Sayuri now firmly in the Jounin's grasp and both hands well away from the fluff on his head. "If it really was Jiraiya's, then you should be glad that lighting up is all it does, Iruka-sensei."

Iruka snorted, and would have elbowed Kakashi in the stomach had he not been holding their daughter. And the jerk probably knew it to. Stupid Jounin, using an infant as a shield. "Lighting up had BETTER be all it does."

Naruto seemed to be ignoring them as he admired the gift. "She said it was a favorite of Dad's when he was a kid."

Both of the older ninja froze at that. They hadn't really talked about Yondaime and the revelations of that long ago mission. Naruto had left so soon afterwards, and Iruka hadn't felt that explaining why he'd let his little half-brother suffer alone for so long was something he could do in a letter.

He was just as certain he couldn't do it now.

Naruto still needed an explanation as to how Iruka's mother had fallen in love with Konoha's Yellow Flash, how they had secretly married and Minato was the only father Iruka remembered. How they had both died that night, leaving Iruka with no one to blame but his brother. It was a long, painful story that Iruka wasn't sure he had the strength to tell.

"I'm going to go put Sayuri down for her afternoon nap," Kakashi informed them, before bolting from the room. Iruka couldn't help scowling at the place his lover had just vacated. Coward.

If Naruto noticed the reaction his little comment had caused, he pretended not to see it. Instead, he turned his most brilliant smile on, and put both hands on his hips. "Guess this will be our first Christmas as a family, won't it, Iruka-sensei?"

It shouldn't have been. It shouldn't have been, but he'd been childish and it had hurt to see the boy—not the fox, the boy—that had been the reason he was so alone in the world. It had taken him so long to forgive, and it hadn't been fair. But what could he do about it now? "Yes, I suppose it will."

Naruto laughed, leaning against the snow man. "I'm glad we waited until little sister came along. It gives us something to share."

Iruka swallowed, and forced a smile on to his face. Sayuri looked a lot like their mother, had her same smile, her nose, but Naruto couldn't know that. "That's one way of looking at it."

"And I'm going to make this the best Christmas ever for her!" Naruto gave him a thumbs up, and Iruka half-expected his teeth to flash. He was glad when they didn't. "That's a promise."

The Chuunin couldn't help reaching out and ruffling the fluffy blonde spikes, the smile on his face just a little more genuine. "I know you will."

End Note: Uh…well…I came up with that side plot of Kingdom of Secrets before the information on Naruto's parents was released. I can still make it work, even if it is a bit of a stretch, so I'm keeping it. I'm happy to answer questions, if you don't want to wait. Ask away.