Chapter 4

Hinata woke the next morning to crying, loud and wailing crying. She opened her eyes blearily to look at an unfamiliar ceiling. She jumped up instantly on guard with a kunai in hand. She froze in her position standing in a fighting stance on the bed as she suddenly remembered where she was. She was in the room she had been given to stay in. She suddenly felt stupid for overreacting and embarrassed at how silly she must look standing so awkwardly on the bed in her sleeping clothes. She sighed before quickly jumping back to alert when she remembered the crying. She was out of the room instantly and running towards the cries. She burst into the Akatsuki's room and skidded to a stop. Her sudden entry silenced them.

"Oo ah ah." Hidan cooed with a smile. He could almost see panties from his seat on the floor. His view was interrupted by the slap he earned from Konan. He naturally snapped back at her with his own hand only for her to be taken out of his reach by their female caretaker. He glared after her until he realised something and glared harder. He should be the one up there, those were his tits.

"What happened?" Hinata asked looking around at all of them. They seemed perfectly fine to her. They stared right back at her. She sniffed Konan to check if she wet herself or something. "Is everyone alright? Everyone clean? Or are you all hungry?"

There was silence once more until Kisame's stomach growled. Everyone looked at him. He glared at them all then began crawling towards Hinata. She picked him up as well.

"Nobody else wants breakfast?" she asked and again received no answer. She sighed. They were so weird. One minute they're crying the next they were barely blinking. "Ok. I'm going to prepare some food. If you change your mind just follow the scent. Or something."

Hinata left the room with both Kisame and in her arms. She moved out into the kitchen with them in silence. Kisame had one hand in her hair and the other in Konan testing the difference. He was obviously bored on top of his hunger. She set them both on a section of the counter that was clear of anything breakable.

"Don't move too much now." she told them taking a step back. Konan lay on her back while Kisame stared at Hinata from his sitting position. He soon had his hand in his mouth. "Anything specific for breakfast? Can you manage solid food? Or just semi-solid food? Deidara doesn't seem old enough to not use a bottle. Do we even have food here? What are we-"

She was paused in her rambling by the blank stares she got from the two before her.

"Right. We'll just go with soup to be safe." she said to them with a shy smile. Kisame smiled at her widely. "Now let's look for ingredients."

"Here are the groceries." Kakashi said suddenly appearing by the kitchen doors with his arms full of bags. Hinata nearly jumped out of her skin. Kisame and Konan's eyes narrowed at him. He ignored them and placed the bags onto counters. Hinata came over to look into the bags.

"I'm making them soup. What would you like?" she said and Kakashi looked at her shocked. He hadn't expected her to ask after him.

"Anything?" he asked watching her closely. She nodded. "Ok. Whatever you're eating."

"Are you sure?" she asked and he shrugged. She watched as he helped her unpack the bags while watching Konan and Kisame. The two babies were watching them curiously. Kisame's hand was in his mouth with eyes wide while Konan was content to watch them from her lying position.

"Yes." Kakashi answered and watched as she set about preparing the meal.

"They're a weird pair." Konan mused to Kisame. Kisame snorted and picked up a piece of carrot he found near to him. He stared at the silver haired male a few feet away from him for a moment before launching it at him. Unfortunately his arms lacked their usual strength so the carrot only fell off the counter. Konan snorted at his failure while Kakashi gave him a smug look. He glared back at the man and folded his arms wobbling slightly. Hinata had missed everything.

"He's going to pay for that."

"Weren't you the one to throw it?" Konan stated with a pointed look.

"Yea but he's so smug looking its irritating." he stated and Konan practically rolled her eyes.

"Hinata," Kakashi began. "Where are the others?"

"In their room." she answered but continued on her work.

"You left them there?" he asked sitting up straighter. She nodded with a hum. "Who knows what they could be doing in there?"

"Nothing much really." she answered and he stared at her back disbelievingly. She didn't believe they were doing anything?

"Don't tell me you've fallen for the baby allure." he said standing up.

"No I haven't, I'm..." she was saying but he was already gone. Her eyes were surrounded by the tell-tale signs of Byakugan. She frowned and sighed. "... watching them."

She looked over at the only female Akatsuki. "Why do guys never listen?"

"You can say that again." Konan agreed shaking her head. Kisame scoffed then pouted.

"We are not that bad."

XXXXX

In the room the remaining Akatsuki were only silent for a moment after Hinata left before jumping into a conversation about what to do about their new 'care-takers'. Zetsu was still moody because of his cow suit and Hidan was still annoyed at the two that had left in Hinata's bosom. Deidara had fallen asleep after the noise had settled down and Sasori had begun using him as a pillow. Kakuzu had instantly suggested finding a way to kill them. Pein pointed out that they would need some help while they were stuck as babies and they would be able to better take them out when the jutsu wore off. Itachi noted that they didn't know if it would wear off. Even Tobi was silent after that just considering the consequences. Itachi also continued to point out that even if it was permanent they weren't sure if that meant babies for life or growing up again.

"Hell no!" Hidan said instantly with a snarl. There was no way he was going through growing up all over again and staying a baby was not an option. He'd kill himself if he had to, screw immortality.

"No way." Sasori stated folding his arms. As if growing up normally wasn't crappy enough, if he had to do it on enemy territory would be worse. He'd swallow one of Deidara's clay birds if he had to stay a baby forever.

"I'm too old for this." Kakuzu grumbled. He had lived too long to have to go through the whole process all over again now. He did not live this long to start over or become a baby for the rest of his life.

"Currently you're no more than a few months old." Pein stated causing Kakuzu to glare at him. Zetsu and Tobi were suspiciously quiet but the others were too busy in their own thoughts to notice it.

"Then what are we going to do?" Sasori asked for all of them.

"We wait it out until we find out what's wrong then depending on what it is we decide our next move." Pein answered looking around at each of them. If his eyes paused on Tobi a moment longer than the others no one noticed. Nor did they notice the small nod he received.

"Crap. We have to spend time with these morons." Hidan grumbled irritably.

"I never said you have to be nice." Pein stated and suddenly Hidan was grinning. Itachi and Sasori looked thoroughly satisfied with that. Zetsu grinned maliciously, the cow suit was simply degrading and evil and he would have his retribution! Kakuzu was still grumbling about being too old to be going through this kind of hell.

They were just about to get into deep planning when Kakashi appeared at the door. They all froze and looked up at him. He looked at each of them before leaning onto the door frame.

"Breakfast." he said simply. They continued to stare at him. When they realised he would not be leaving them alone Pein sighed and began to crawl his way over. The others followed behind him. Sasori looked at Deidara for a moment before looking over at Kakashi then back before leaving the room. Kakashi sighed but collected the blond from the carpet, holding him a little awkwardly but safely. He followed the troop of crawling or waddling babies out of the room keeping a close eye on them.

To think, he was a babysitter now. Never in his wildest dreams would he ever consider this. The fact that it was the Akatsuki only made it worse. He looked down at the blond that he remembered fighting against when he was still normal sized and marvelled slightly at how tiny he was now. He could kill him now, it would be easy, so very easy. But that's not what had him marvelled. The blond had both his arms, he had the one Gaara had crushed during the Suna invasion and the one Kakashi himself had ripped off when they were retrieving Gaara. They were working fine if the gnawing at his shirt where one of Deidara's hands rested was any indication.

When the group finally got to the kitchen Hinata already had the soup cooling. She was setting Kisame carefully into a high chair that must have been carried in by one of the ANBUs because it was not one of the things Hinata had bought and it was definitely not a part of the house previously. There were a few others as well. He was about to put Deidara in one but he was stopped by Hinata

"He's too young. You have to hold him." she told him and he gaped at her. He had to hold the blond bundle? And feed him? "He'll need milk too."

"No. No way." he said shaking his head. She looked at him for a moment.

"I will feed him and you help the others. First transfer the soup to the bottles. Kakuzu gets the sippy cup." she said and Kakashi raised a brow at her

"Why? I want the sippy cup." Hidan whined. He had been eying the blue and purple cup since they came in. Both Kakashi and Hinata looked at him but did not understand him. Kakashi passed Deidara to her and got to work filling the bottles.

"You can have it. I want a real cup." Kakuzu growled. He was not pleased with all these demeaning things that becoming a baby once again would call down on him. "I don't need some childish 'sippy' cup."

"There is a reason they give children sippy cups before normal cups you know." Sasori grumbled but accepted the bottle that was placed before him. He was hungry after all. "You're not old enough to hold a normal cup without tipping it over and spilling. Hidan could probably manage the sippy cup."

"I'd rather have a bottle than drink from that shit." Kakuzu groused just as the offending cup was placed before him.

"I want it!" Hidan said instantly reaching his hands for the cup. With a grunt Kakuzu batted it across to him. It stopped just out of his reach. Why was Kakuzu that far away from him anyway? He should be beside him dammit. Kakashi took up the cup and but it back with Kakuzu who batted it away and towards Hidan again. Hidan had just about snatched it when it was suddenly in Kakashi's hands again. He growled in frustration. Kakashi looked between the two of them.

"You're switching." he said. Hidan nodded and continued reaching for the cup. Kakashi placed it before him and gave the bottle to Kakuzu.

By the time they were finished with feeding and Hinata had burped a few of them Kakashi had somehow mastered the art of burping the other. It was odd to say the least. Many of them had dozed off afterwards and were put to rest on the huge blanket laid out in their room.

Hinata was just taking care of a lazy eyed Hidan, when there was a knocking from the front door. He kept trying to wiggle down to her breasts from her shoulder. Seeing that Hinata was busy and not wanting to pick up Zetsu Kakashi went to check who it was. He easily recognised the chakra signature of Inochi Yamanaka.

"Hello Yamanaka-san, how are you? What brings you here?" Kakashi said when he opened the door. His usual eye crinkling smile was in place.

"Nothing much. Just checking up on the itty bitty reds that I hear you're harbouring. It's time for their psyche evaluation." Inochi said with a smile. Kakashi nodded before letting him in the ANBU wouldn't have let him pass if he hadn't been cleared. Kakashi lead him to the room that the baby Akatsukis were using. Hinata was still trying to get Hidan to burp.

"Ah, Hyuga-san, you look lovely." Inochi said the moment he saw her. He smiled brightly at her shy smile. "Have you ever thought of having your own children?"

"W-what?" she stuttered becoming red in the face.

"Leave her alone." Kakashi told him with a dismissive wave. Inochi smiled been wider and took a step closer to Hinata.

"Don't tell me you don't think this little guy looks like your kid. You two could pass for his parents." Inochi said and Hinata was blushing deeper now. Hidan was trying to look over her shoulder at him with a baby frown and Kakashi was looking at him as if he was crazy. "He's got your hair and his eyes are that cookout that you could say was a result of a clash between your grey and her milky lavenders."

"Just shut up and do what you came for." Kakashi

"Don't snipe so much." Inochi said taking Hidan from Hinata to the albino's great distaste. He eyed the glaring bundle before him before handing him back to Hinata. "Sit down, hold him in your lap and turn him to face me."

Hinata complied with no complaints and Inochi settled down before her. After performing the necessary jutsu he was in. Hinata and Kakashi watched wearily as he worked. Hidan seemed to have quieted down and was only staring forward with a blank look.

After several worrying minutes Inochi in his own body took a deep breath. Hidan blinked before promptly falling asleep. Hinata instantly began to panic.

"Don't worry about him. Just a little mentally tired after going through that." Inochi assured her with a smile. She nodded still a little nervous and went to lay Hidan down with the others. Inochi turned to Kakashi. "May I have another one please?"

"You make it sound like food." Kakashi grumbled but picked up the one closest to him that happened to be Sasori. Sasori was looking at Inochi with wide eyes. He was attempting get away from Kakashi. Kakashi held him still as Inochi once again did his jutsu. Soon Inochi was out again

"Unusual." was the blonde's first comment. He gave Kakashi a quizzical look. "He was dead."

Kakashi nodded. Inochi gave Sasori one more thoughtful look before looking back at Hinata and Kakashi.

"From what I can tell they remember everything. However there is something there in the back of their minds that is bothering me. I can't tell what it is right now, so I'll have to come back and go through this again. Plus I have to check the others as well." Inochi told them. They both nodded and Kakashi followed Inochi to the door.

"Should I be worried?"

"Depends on what you mean." Inochi answered. "If you mean will they suddenly return to their usual selves then I don't know but they might plan a rebellion despite being baby. They understand each other surprisingly well."

"We know that already."

"Already referring to yourselves as a pair I see." Inochi said with a smirk.

"Not happening."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Inochi said feigning innocence. "If there is anything you should be worried about is that they all seem to really hate you and will have no problems with making your life a living hell. They don't mind the young Hyuga but they really don't like you."

"We kinda figured that out already." Kakashi stated. "You're not much help are you?"

"Not to you maybe." Inochi stated and Kakashi rolled his eye. Inochi gave him a bright smile before walking away gleefully.