A/N: This chapter is dedicated to MalikaiDragonSlayer for reviewing every chapter so far. I really do value your reviews! And that goes for anyone else who chooses to review just once for my story. Thank you.

If there was one thing Kakashi knew, it was that waking up with a small pudgy foot pressed against your cheek was downright irritating. Especially, when said foot twitched/kicked his face when he tried to move the menace off of him. Sighing, he gently moved Kiyone off him and quietly got up from the bed and left the room. His team's client from their last mission, Noriko san, had given him helpful tips on how to raise a child.

Apparently naps and vegetables were important.

He got the nap part down, even if it mean sacrificing poor Pakkun's tail—Kiyone tired herself out by chasing the ninken and trying to grab his tail. Now it was time for the vegetables and by glancing at the wall clock, it was also time for dinner. Normally, he'd whip up some leftovers—typically, some fish, tempura and rice—but he kept picturing that Kiyone would manage to injure herself with chopsticks. Did toddlers even know how to use chopsticks?

Oh geez.

Just how did his father manage it with him? Then again, Kakashi already had an adult mind at age six, so that didn't really count. And at least his mother lived long enough to get him passed his toddler years.

Oh geez.

So here he was, the great Copy Ninja of Konoha was washing baby carrots and slicing grapes to check if they were seedless like the label said. And he was cooking fresh rice because the leftover rice might be too hard for his sister to eat and she could choke on it. And then there was the matter of finding another set of chopsticks that he could use to feed her with. And that was assuming she didn't hurl the food back in his face.

Even a ninja like him had babysitting experience in his early years.

Kami, this was more aggravating than attempting to get Naruto to shut up without the use of ramen. He had already set the table when a shriek of pure terror pierced him to the bone, and he was chilled to the marrow.

"Ka'shi-niitan! Ka'shi-niitan?" Kiyone's screams were frantic as they echoed throughout his apartment. More than worried—but remember! He's a Hatake, so it's not like he'd admit it out loud!—he ran back to his room and ripped open the door.

…and his little sister tumbled to the floor in front of him in tears.

Eyebrow furrowed in confusion, he lifted her into his arms and patted her wild hair. "What's wrong, Kiyone?"

As was her current habit, Kiyone hugged his neck and clung to his shoulders. "Ka'shi-niitan lef' me alone!" She wailed into his ear, "A-And the door was so high! I can' open..!" She whined miserably as she continued to cry.

Kakashi wanted to smash his head into a wall. He should have left the door open in case she woke up, or just in case she decided to wander around. At least he'd have been able to hear her. Dammit.

Awkwardly patting her on the head, he absently rocked her in his arms. "Shh, it's alright. Come on now, it's dinner time and Noriko san left me with some baby carrots for you."

Kiyone sniffled, "You has car'ots?"

"Aa, and some grapes. Would you like to eat them now?"

She sniffled one last time before wiping at her eyes and gave him a big toothy smile. "Hai, Ka'shi-niitan!"

A/N: I honestly considered ending the chapter here, but a brilliant idea struck me and now I can't resist.

He was taking her to the park to play.

It seemed to be the most logical away to entertain her since Pakkun had started to refuse his summons. Apparently on the other plane, Kiyone had become an Animal Summons' nightmare. Not even three years old and his sister had quite the reputation.

Today she was wearing blue capris and a white turtleneck. Why the turtleneck? You didn't really think that the Hatake Kakashi would be seen in public with his little sister, did you? They were going to the park in the wee hours of the morning. His little sister was apparently a night owl who required hours and hours of play time. And at least with her wearing white, she was visible to him while she played.

But as he had come to learn about life without Kiyone, nothing was ever going to be simple.

Example number one nearly trampled her in a blur of green spandex.

Kakashi glared as a second blur of green spandex had her clinging to the slide for dear life. There were times when he wanted to kill Maito Gai…usually it was when he was more obnoxious than usual, but this was the only time he would ever find peace with his sister around. And Gai just rained on his parade.

"My eternal rival!"

No way in hell was he going to expose Kiyone to that. Gently prying her fingers off the metal slide, he set her down on the ground next to him where she promptly clutched his pant leg. "Niitan, 'm scared." She whispered.

"I see you are awake bright and early this morning. The Springtime of Youth must surely be upon you!" Gai strode up to him with that horrible grin of his. He had been cued in about Kakashi's current situation and thought now would be a good time as any to shed youthful light and inspiration on the young one. "Ah, you have brought your youthful sibling as well!"

His eyes connected with Kiyone's, who outright flinched in fear. Kiyone did not like the man with caterpillar eyebrows. "Ka'shi-niitan," she mumbled, "I wan' go home."

So do I.

Then Gai knelt down and reached for something in his kunai pouch. Kakashi tensed for a moment until he saw candy in his "rival's" hand. Oh, no. If Kiyone got a hold of candy, she wasn't going to let him sleep for the next week.

Gai offered it to Kiyone with a smile that strangely projected the image of crashing waves on the rocks and a blinding sunset. Which was odd since it was barely dawn…

To a two year old like Kiyone, it was the scariest thing she had ever seen. His smile reminded her of the sharks she saw in the animal book Sakura got her. And his eyebrows outright frightened her. They were wiggling and alive. And the second his hand got close enough to offer the candy to her, she screamed.

The frequency was so high that the dogs in the Inuzuka compound were having mini-seizures.

And it was then that Kakashi decided his sister required a restraining order against Gai. And possibly his identical student, just to be safe.