Author's Note: One more chapter until part 2, which I will be putting up as a separate story. I will, however, post the first chapter of it here, so you all are able to find it if you want : ) Thanks for all the alerts/favorites/etc. Enjoy ^_^

Chapter 9

A few months had passed since Hiroshi's incident and it seemed as though the kid had 360ed. As soon as the boy was able to function again, Kakashi did explain to him what had happened with the thief, and he took it well, to an extent. After Kakashi explained that those were the kind of people shinobi fought; bad people who want to hurt good people, Hiroshi begged to go back to the academy, so he could protect good people. He became a lot less introverted and had started taking a liking to Naruto of all people. Along with his son's emotional development, Kakashi's son had shot up like a weed, growing half a foot within that time.

"Dad," called Hiroshi when he came home from school for lunch, kicking his shoes into the corner. Kakashi wasn't home, but training with Team 7, preparing them for the Chunin exams. Hiroshi was use to his dad being out with them, so he wasn't too surprised by his absence. Instead, he took this alone time to his advantage, taking as long of a shower as he wanted and changing into fresh clothes. "Dad?" he called again, making sure the shinobi hadn't come home.

Following the grumbling in his stomach, Hiroshi walked over to the kitchenette, but stopped when he saw the dining room table. Itcha Itcha Paradise was sitting out on the table, peaking Hiroshi's curiosity. He searched the apartment for his dad, not finding him anywhere, and then decided that it wouldn't hurt to just take a peak inside the book.

He carefully picked up the orange book, examining the front and back cover before opening it. His dad had a page dog-eared about half way through, but Hiroshi thought he'd better start at the beginning.

"I'm almost seven," he said to himself, as if that justified it. "I can handle this." He only made it about four pages through before he slammed the book on the table, his face radiating with heat. How could his dad read that? And in public of all places!

Brain jumbled with words like caress, breathless, and sweat, Hiroshi grabbed a glass from the cabinet and poured himself a glass of water. He sipped at it, trying to clear his head, but now he was too curious… Maybe just two more pages.

By the time Kakashi came home, Hiroshi had read all of Itcha Itcha Paradise. As he finished the last sentence, he could hear his father trying to unlock the door, so he hurried up and replaced the book on the dining room table, and grabbed his notebook instead. When Kakashi finally made it inside, Hiroshi was at the table, doodling.

"There you are," Kakashi said. "I've been looking for you. Iruka said that you didn't come to the second half of school."

"Oh," Hiroshi said, realizing that he completely forgot about that.

"What have you been doi-"

"Nothing," he said, just a little too quickly. His face was turning a brighter and brighter red as he remembered sections of his father's book. Now the word breasts was floating through his head.

"Oh really?" Kakashi said, sitting down next to Hiroshi. He noticed Itcha Itcha on the table and picked it up, making Hiroshi blush even more. Kakashi flipped through the book, giving Hiroshi some sideways glances while doing so. "The time just slipped by while you were coloring?"

"Uh huh," Hiroshi said with absolutely no confidence in his voice. He was lying really bad.

"I see," Kakashi said, giving him another look. "That's all you were do-"

"I READ ITCHA ITCHA!" Hiroshi yelled, slamming his fist on the table. "I just wanted to know why you always read it and as soon as I started reading it I knew I shouldn't have been but I was so curious so I decided just to read a few more pages and then go back to class but then I lost track of time and read the entire book and now I can't get the word breasts out of my head and I can't figure out why something like that would feel good and I am just so confused." Hiroshi's head fell onto the table with a thunk as Kakashi tried so hard not to laugh.

"I figured as much," Kakashi said, putting the book back in his pack. "Don't worry about all that stuff… Let's save that conversation for when you're older." Hiroshi just kept his head on the table, trying to wash his brain of that book. "Maybe this can be a lesson: Don't snoop through things that aren't yours."

"I hate you," Hiroshi said in a kidding tone. Before Kakashi could come back with a witty remark, a knock came to the door. He walked over and opened the door to find Akira, the woman who had been responsible for Hiroshi before Kakashi took custody of him.

"Hello Mr. Hatake," she said formally as she walked inside. "I'm here for a check in, just to make sure things are going alright."

"Oh yes, things have been fine," Kakashi said nervously as the woman snooped through the house. Hiroshi went back to doodling, trying to ignore the woman that he flat out disliked. Instead of reading his signs, she sat down next to him, watching him draw.

"You've become quite the artist," she said as she looked at his drawing. "Still drawing pandas I see."

"Yeah," Hiroshi said, not making any eye contact with her.

"I heard you were in the hospital for some time. What happened with that?" she asked with a coldness coating her voice. Kakashi flinched, hoping that being in the hospital wouldn't be a good enough excuse for her to take him.

"I tripped while practicing jumping through trees," he lied seamlessly. Akira bought it and stood up to leave. Kakashi couldn't help but think it was kind of funny how Hiroshi couldn't lie to him, but lied to Akira like a professional.

"It seems as though all is well here with you two. I will return sometime in the near future," she said in a way that sounded scripted. "But, before I go, I was asked to bring you this." She set a brown package on the table. "Good evening to both of you." Once the door was shut and Akira was gone, Hiroshi started shaking the package.

"I wonder what's in here," he asked out loud as he pried open the top and pulled past the packaging paper. He stopped breathing.

"Hiroshi? What is it?" Kakashi asked, walking over to the box. Inside laid Akahana's uniform, weapons, pack, mask, and necklace. Hiroshi pulled out everything, piece by piece, starting with her necklace. Kakashi remembered the story behind it.

"My mother bought it for me as a present for finally becoming an adult," she said as she twisted the sturdy metal chain around her finger. The oval shaped locket clinked against it, the words "Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven" shimmering in the sunlight. "I never take it off. For some reason, it keeps me level headed. I wish I knew where the quote was from though."

He looked it up one day a few years later. It was from Hamlet.

Next he pulled out her shinobi pack and weapons, all of which he didn't feel any emotional attachment to, although his stomach did sit in his throat when he saw the dried blood on her kunai knife. Gently, he lifted her shirt out of the box, pressing his face into the material. It still smelled of roses, tea and fabric softener, exactly how she always smelled. He dropped the uniform back in the box and got up from the table, unable to digest all of these emotions again.

"I. I need to go to bed. I have school tomorrow," Hiroshi said simply, locking himself in the bathroom. Kakashi picked up the necklace and pack, going to put them back in the box, when two pieces of paper slipped out of the pack. Both of them had Akahana's hand writing on them.

Dear Kazekage,

I write this with a heavy heart, as I am sure that I will miss my job and all of my friends here in the village, but I feel as though my purpose is no longer to serve the Sand Village. I swear that I will never turn against the Sand Village but rather withdraw from being a shinobi until I am in my grave. This is my official letter of resignation. I will drop off my uniform, headband, and weapons within the week.

-Akahana Hayashi.

She was going to resign? This mission, whatever it was, she was planning on being her last. But why would she have resigned and where would she have worked after? He folded the note and put it back in her pack, hoping to find answers in the other one.

Dear Kakashi,

I don't know if you remember me, but this is Akahana. I really hope you do remember me. I know I told you that we couldn't be together anymore once you returned to Konoha, and that it was best for us to just leave our story at that, but now I realize how much of a fool I was. I love you. I don't know if you feel the same, but I just feel like you really needed to know that.

There's a boy I would like you to meet. He has my hair and my eyes, but your stride and voice. Unfortunately, he gained my hardheadedness, but he also gained your attitude and inability to be on time. He is sweet and loving and courageous and strong and will be a wonderful man when he grows up, but for now he's just my sweet Hiroshi, our son, who loves to draw and whose favorite animal is pandas.

I'm not telling you this so that you feel obligated to be with me. That is not my intention. I just want you to meet him and for you to know he exists. I've resigned from being a shinobi, not because I am assuming you'll want us to be together, but because I cannot kill anything anymore without wondering if they have a child. I have decided on my own accord to move both Hiroshi and myself to the leaf, and I hope you will want to bring our family together and work from there.

Love, Akahana.