Ch3

It took a while but finally kids were starting to show signs of life. They had dried their tears and began patching their little hearts. Although that deep sorrow did not disperse completely, Nagato was still pleased to witness just how strong the boys' spirits were. They refused to break this easily.

Thus, to close the final holes of their disheveled lives, Nagato decided to personally help the kids back on their feet. For the first time in a long time he took a vacation from his 'work'. No more clients and no more tasks for a couple of months. Not until he and the kids get their relationship on a steady go.

Nagato was ready to face that long and hard challenge that came in the form of… parenting. Sighing to himself in what would be known as self-pity, Nagato took off the lid from the boiling pot and blinked through the steam at the bubbling blob inside. The food was fucking ruined because he knew shit about cooking. But Nagato wasn't a man who whined and nor could he ever be defeated by a mere challenge such as a making food or taking care of two bratty kids. Though there was one thing which he did not expect would come facing him anytime soon, and that was the rebel. Along with that burning spirit of theirs, boys were starting to show their true colors, ergo their spoiled attitude.

"Here."

Kyuubi and Naruto both scrunched up their faces as two steaming plates of over-boiled vegetables were placed in front of them.

"I'm not going to eat this." said Kyuubi. Naruto eagerly agreed with his brother, pushing the plate far away from his face after witnessing the horrid fate of a potato popping open.

"Why not?" asked Nagato, standing next to the table with crossed arms and an expression that expected to receive nothing else but strict obedience.

"Those are vegies."

"What of it?"

"They smell. And broccolis make me sick."

"A potato exploded." Naruto added his own two cents to the argument. "Can we have something sweet instead?"

Nagato glared at them both, "No! You're going to eat vegetables and that's final. Besides, they're full with vitamins and nutrition. Everything a child should eat to grow strong and healthy." While quoting a text from an article of a book Nagato nearly bit his own tongue. Never in his life did he predict that one day he'll be standing next to a stove, with a cookbook in hand and follow the rules step by step. However he had to agree with the brats, the book was a liar, not even he found this stuff good to eat. It didn't look delicious at all, it was atrocious. The vegetables were all mashed together and looked very slimy and unappealing. But he wasn't about to argue with hundred year old facts of knowledge that concerned health and nutritious. Thank god it wasn't him who's going to eat it. "Now eat it." His foot was firm.

Kyuubi frowned at the plate before an idea popped in his mind. "What are you going to eat?"

Nagato stared at Kyuubi for a long time. One thing was for sure, his stare wasn't enough to intimidate or shut the unnecessarily curious brat up and drop the subject. "I already ate," he finally answered, cursing afterwards when his stomach betrayed him with a grumble at the thought of food.

Naruto giggled. "Liar liar pants on fire~!"

Kyuubi grinned, "Here. You can have some vegies with us."

"I'll have some coffee." dismissed Nagato, not even considered looking at that thing on the table.

"But don't you want to become strong and healthy as well?" asked Naruto innocently. Nagato wasn't sure, if the boy was blissfully ignorant or was he just as sly as his twin.

"I'm already strong. You on the other hand are puny and small."

"But that's not fair!"

"Are you afraid to eat this stuff because you know something's wrong with it?" Kyuubi was quick to attack that absurd logic with a backfire.

"There's nothing wrong with it! I cooked it!"

"That's why I'm asking."

"Why you little…"

The blond gasped. "Is Naga-chan trying to poison us?" Naruto's terrified expression made Nagato's hair stand up.

"No! God, no! Why would you even think that?!"

"Then eat it!" shouted Kyuubi.

Ohh, Nagato sure was tempted enough to smack that plate in Kyuubi's smug face. The brat knew damn well what was going on. Just a little more and he'll win.

"Naga-chan… Please…" pleaded Naruto, his eyes twinkling with tears. And there it was, the blasted redhead's victory call.

Grumbling to himself, Nagato filled a plate for himself and sat with the children at the table. "There. Happy?"

Both flashed him identical grins, forcing a shiver down Nagato's spine. Next came an awkward silence. No one was initiating the first bite. "What's wrong now?" irritated, asked Nagato.

"You're still not touching your fork." Kyuubi was kind enough to point that out.

'I have a feeling I'm not going to get along with this one.' Nagato thought.

…

After breakfast, Nagato found himself admitting that the food wasn't half bad once eaten on an empty stomach. The boys however were in denial, especially Kyuubi, who was constantly whining about his tummy being poisoned with broccolis.

'Maybe I should take them out for ice-cream.' Just to appease them, thought Nagato; it had nothing to do with trying to build up their trust… probably. Though that really was an issue that Nagato wished to sort out real soon.

Among many other things he had noticed about the kids was that they only ate food which he ate himself (but that didn't concern sweets, which were on a whole different level, according to Naruto). This problem specifically had Nagato wondering if there were any trust issues forming between them. But the kids denied that, blaming everything on him and saying that it was just unfair of him to eat the tasty food while he fed them slop.

'My food isn't a slop.' And now it was affecting Nagato's pride as a first time cook too.

…

After long two weeks and a half the trust between them was earned; and beside it something else was slowly building itself up… something that Nagato refused to name. From his perspective the boys were still just a part of his job and nothing more. And all those emotions he thought he was feeling was exactly that… just a thought and nothing else.

"Naga-chan? Where are we going?" asked Naruto, clinging onto Nagato's shirt while trying to catch up with the man's bigger steps, Kyuubi tightly holding onto Naruto's other hand.

"Forget the name Naga-chan or Nagato. From now on, whenever we are in public, you shall address me as Pain."

Naruto giggled, thinking that 'Pain' was a really funny name.

Kyuubi however was more curious for the reason, "Why?"

"Pain is how people address me around this town. It's only my second closest name after my real one. Though I do not wish for it to be spouted out recklessly."

"Why would you need to hide your real name?" Nagato didn't answer the boy's curiosity. Kyuubi shrugged when Naruto gave him a questioning look. "Okay. But where are we going?"

"I'm taking you to an amusement park."

"Wha?! R-really?!" Naruto looked like Christmas came early.

"Really." said Nagato, still showing no emotions whatsoever. It was no different than looking at a rock.

Finding a nice spot by the knee-high pool and letting the boys mingle with the rest of the dozen children playing, Nagato left for 'work'; but not before catching Kyuubi and leaving him with specific instructions. "Kyuubi. Play responsibly and watch over your brother while I'm gone, alright?"

"Gone? But… where are you going?" Kyuubi was a bit saddened that Nagato refused to stay with them and have fun.

Nagato blinked at the boy's reaction but refused to pay too much attention to it. "I've got things to take care of. I won't be long. Don't leave this place without me, got it?" Unfortunately, Nagato had to place his small 'vacation' on hold, as an irrevocable target appeared and a call was made.

Something in Kyuubi's judgmental eyes made Nagato feel that the kid knew exactly where and for what reasons he was going, but that was impossible. As soon as it came, that perceptive look disappeared from Kyuubi's eyes and with an affirmed 'okay' he ran to join his brother.

"Sometimes I wonder about that boy." Kyuubi wasn't like any other five or six year old. The kid's mind was rapidly growing and developing further from his actual age. The poor boy was forcing himself to grow sooner than it was necessary.

…

"Did you enjoy your time at the park?" asked Nagato as soon as he collected the boys from the amusement park.

Naruto's mouth switched on an automatic blabber mode, retelling all the events that occurred, including a small fistfight between Kyuubi and another boy who had accidently pushed Naruto into the water. Nagato felt pride upon hearing that. Forgetting the fact that it wasn't what a parent should do once hearing his child getting into a fight. But since none of his boys were hurt and Kyuubi came out as victor, that only made Nagato forget the part where he was supposed to reprimand them.

For a brief moment Naruto stopped talking when he saw a police car zoom down the road with sirens on. It stopped near a building across the street. Ambulance was already there.

"Wow. What do you think happened?" asked Kyuubi excitedly.

Naruto however wasn't keen on expressing his nonexistent excitement and his hand reached in search for Nagato's. The orange haired man glanced at the boys from the corner of his eye. Two grown teens flashed before his eyes with emotionless expressions and bloodthirsty looks. He vigorously shook the image off. 'No. That's not gonna happen.' He would not let Minato's kids grow into criminals; he was going to create sophisticated people out of them… somehow.