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Chapter 3

"Do you think I'll get to meet him one day Mommy?"

"I promise I will take you to meet him one day."

"Hiroshi," Kakashi said quietly, tapping the boy's shoulder. "You have to wake up." Rather than waking up, Hiroshi swatted at Kakashi's hand, rolled over and curled into his bed more. "You have to go to school today."

"Can I just not and say I did?" he responded sleepily.

"That's not how it works," Kakashi chuckled. "Now get up."

"Fine," grumbled Hiroshi as he slowly rolled out of bed and started straightening up his bed. "I just want you to know, I would much rather be sleeping."

"So would I, but like I said, that isn't how it works," he answered back. "Now hurry up. I have to walk you to the academy before I go to work, and apparently my team wants to kill me after making them wait for a few hours yesterday or something."

"Okay," Hiroshi said as he started getting dressed and somewhat ready. "Mommy told me you were always late for things."

Kakashi was taken aback by this. He never thought Akahana talked about him with Hiroshi, but thinking on it, it'd be silly for her to not. He probably asked questions and, knowing Akahana, she probably answered them truthfully.

"Did she tell you anything else about me?" Kakashi asked, interested to know what she decided to tell their son.

"Um… well, I remember she said you were a shinobi from the leaf village and worked a lot…. That you like doggies… and that you read naughty books," Hiroshi said as he put on his shoes and tried to remember what his mom told him.

"Sounds like a somewhat accurate description," Kakashi admitted. "Now hurry up."

"I'm ready," Hiroshi said as he walked over to his dad and the two of them walked out together. Kakashi debated with himself over whether he should make Hiroshi hold onto him since Konoha is a crowed place, but the kid was pretty independent generally. That's why he was caught by surprise when he felt a small hand grab onto his pant leg. The closer they got to the academy, the more Hiroshi went from the somewhat talkative six year old he'd seen this morning to the extremely quiet six year old he'd seen the first time they met. By the time they reached the classroom, Kakashi was practically dragging the boy, who seemed to somehow connect himself to Kakashi's leg. "I changed my mind… I don't want to go."

"Too late. Just try it for today, at least," Kakashi said as he tried to pry Hiroshi's hands off his leg. "You may like it."

Reluctantly, Hiroshi let go of Kakashi and followed him into the empty classroom. Kakashi had made sure to drop off Hiroshi before other students showed up, so his newfound parenthood wouldn't be spreading like wild fire through the shinobi grapevine just yet. Iruka was sitting as his desk, grading papers when they came in.

"Iruka," Kakashi said, startling the Chunin.

"Oh, hello Kakashi Sensei. You're Hiroshi right?" Iruka said in his friendly teacher voice. Hiroshi just nodded as he inched behind Kakashi.

"What time should I pick him up?" Kakashi asked as he grabbed the boy's shoulder to prevent him from dashing to the door.

"About three. We never run later than that," Iruka said. "Hiroshi, I have your books and supplies you'll need for school. Then I can show you where you'll sit and explain some things to you. Alright?"

Hiroshi looked up at his father for an answer to what to do. Kakashi just nodded, which was all the encouragement Hiroshi needed to follow Iruka. While Iruka explained things, Kakashi disappeared, knowing that if he ran even more late, he may not survive his group of missions today.

"KAKASHI SENSEI!" Sakura and Naruto yelled angrily when Kakashi finally appeared.

"Yo," Kakashi said with a wave as he ducked and avoided Naruto's fist. Sakura and Naruto both started yelling choruses of 'where were you's and 'we waited for hours!' until Kakashi was able to get them to calm down. "I can explain… I think."

"YOU THINK!" They yelled back. Kakashi put his hands up to signal them to settle and then gestured for them to walk with him. They all walked to the training grounds together and sat in front of the memorial rock.

"Alright, how should I explain this?" Kakashi mumbled to himself. "Okay, well, you all remember those people we saw in the mission room about a week ago?" The three genin nodded, even Sasuke showing some slight interest. "It turns out he's a relative of mine and will be living with me now, so I had to make the arrangements for that."

"Aww!" Sakura squealed.

"Kakashi Sensei raising a kid? I think that's you're weirdest excuse yet," Naruto said with a laugh. Kakashi just rolled his eyes.

"Is he your nephew or something?" Sakura said with complete interest.

"Not quite. He's actually…" Kakashi groaned. Did he really have to explain this to his students? The answer was no. "He's actually none of your three's business or concern. Now, we have missions to do, so let's go."

"Sensei, can you help us?" Naruto asked as he held up part of a bookshelf they were building for some old man.

"You three can do it. I have faith in you," Kakashi said with mock enthusiasm from behind his book. "Besides, how will any of you ever complete missions higher than D rank if you can't put together a bookshelf?" Naruto grunted angrily and then screamed when Sasuke "accidently" hit his fingers with the hammer. A second after that, Iruka appeared in front of Kakashi with a frantic look on his face.

"Have you seen Hiroshi?" Iruka asked him.

"No, he's with you, remember?" Kakashi said, obviously annoyed. He never really liked Iruka.

"About that…." Iruka trailed off, making Kakashi put his book away and stand up. "He was with me, but then it was time for lunch and usually the kids go home for lunch. I told him where you all should be and to go find you, but he never came back."

Kakashi felt a feeling never felt before. It wasn't just anger because he knew that feeling well. It was a mix of anger, annoyance, and worry, but mostly worry.

"And you didn't go look for him?" Kakashi yelled as he summoned Pakuun.

"That's what I'm doing right now, isn't it?" Iruka defended himself. Kakashi answered him with a glare as Pakuun appeared at his master's feet.

"Yeah Boss?" He asked.

"I need you to track this scent," he said, holding out the part of his pant leg that Hiroshi had been clinging to so dearly. Pakuun smelled for a second and then was off with Kakashi not far behind him.

"Wait!" Iruka said, but it was too late. He looked over at Kakashi's team, who was still struggling with the book shelf. "Here… let me help…"

Finding Hiroshi didn't take very long at all. Pakuun had found him within five minutes, but in those five minutes, Kakashi's brain was thinking of the worst possibilities. What if he was kidnapped by some weird child molester? What if he's being sold into human trafficking right now? Or worse, what if one of my enemies found him and is torturing him or something?

Turns out, Hiroshi went to the Konoha gates and sat down right next to them, unsure of where to go and too afraid to ask the Shinobi who were guarding the gate for help. Absolute relief washed over Kakashi as he started walking towards him. He didn't get too far until Hiroshi ran to him and grabbed back onto his leg.

"C-c-can we go home?" He asked. Kakashi nodded and in a puff of smoke, they were home. Hiroshi let loose, weeping into Kakashi's leg. Following his instincts, Kakashi picked the boy up, sat down on his bed, and held him while he cried.

"It's okay Hiroshi," he said quietly, slightly worried that the boy might hyperventilate.

"No… I couldn't find you and I tried looking everywhere and asking people but no one would stop and then I tried to find the Academy but I was lost and then I thought that you might have disappeared and that I was alone again and I'd have to go back with Lady Akira who is mean and scary and I don't want to go back with her because I like it here but last time I left someone I loved they never came back even though they said they would and I don't want to go back to school," flooded from Hiroshi along with some indecipherable sobs. Kakashi just rubbed the boy's head until he passed out from emotional exhaustion.

Kakashi may not have caught all of what he said, but he caught enough. The kid was having separation issues, and who could blame him? After losing his mother out of the blue with no understanding of why, he was worried that if anyone else left him, he'd never see them again. Even though this wasn't a possibility, at least not at the moment, Kakashi knew Hiroshi wouldn't understand that and that there would be no way he could function well at the academy. At least, not yet… He'd have to stay with him and come on the D ranked missions of Team 7, just temporarily…