Homebuilder

a/n &dis: I do NOT under ANY circumstance own Naruto, Kishimoto-sensei does. I own any OCs I introduce, my plot (after the adopted chapters) and my insanity. Keep the flames down please, Tobirama, Zabuza and my other Suiton users have all run away. This is kinda AU, mostly plot faithful.

"Home sweet home, maybe." Tsunade said with only a mild hint of sarcasm in her voice. "Close enough to the village to reach it in moments, far enough away that we don't have to worry about a constant demand for hangover cures and people who can't be bothered to take preventative measures against sniffles. Kashi, your opinion?"

Kakashi blurred into visibility behind Tazuna and stepped round him. "I've looked round. It needs quite a bit of work, shingles replacing, walls repairing, windows that need glazing, but it's almost livable at this time. The garden needs some serious work before we can grow anything there."

"I spotted quite a few medicinal herbs on the way!" Shizune chimed in, looking up from the sleeping face of her new young cousin. "We can transfer some and grow a proper medicinal garden, it'll be really useful."

Tsunade nodded, looking up at the peeling façade of the large mansion.

"Oh, I found a couple of interesting rooms at the back." Kakashi added. "One of them will be perfect as a library, although the walkways are so damaged that simply removing them may be for the best. We can always use the tree-walking method to reach the higher shelves, which will also help stop the untrained from reaching them and trying to do things that they can't do. The wing next to it would be good as a hospital."

Tsunade nodded, then half-turned to look at the grey-haired fisherman standing beside her.

"Tell the village council that we'll take it." she said with a slight smile. "You have yourself a medic. But I don't do hangovers."

"Thank you. Thank you." Tazuna said with a wide grin. "That is marvelous. Our own medics at last… the house will be yours, no charge."

"Thank you." Tsunade said. "We'll do our best to help out, but I'm afraid that for a while we'll be busy fixing up this place. If there are any emergencies such as broken bones or similar, don't hesitate to come and get me."

Tazuna bowed.

"Will you need any help getting your luggage up the track?"

"We'll be fine, thank you." Kakashi said.

"Then I probably have to be going." Tazuna said with another bow. "Good luck, and thank you."

They watched as Tazuna vanished round the first corner of the twisting track that led to the village, then Tsunade turned and strode through the open doors and into the main lobby of the large, abandoned mansion. Looking round, she gave a small nod.

"Okay, we'll turn this hall into a pharmacy so we can hand out medicines quickly to those who want them. Kashi, is that wing the one that you thought would be a good hospital?"

"Yes, Kaasan."

"I'll take a look soon. The main wing is over there, let's find some rooms and set up the sleeping rolls, then check out the kitchen. I hope it's in good shape, I'm getting hungry. Shizune?"

Shizune looked up from where she was playing with Naruto, letting him grip her finger and smiling at him as she pretended to try and wrestle the finger from his grasp.

"Yes, Kaasan?"

"Come on, let's get ourselves sorted."

"Yes, Kaasan."

.

"Welcome, welcome."

Kakashi smiled under his mask as he entered the shop to the shopkeeper's greeting.

"Good morning, Inaku-san." He said politely. "Have the new books and scrolls that Tsunade-kaasan ordered arrived yet?"

Inaku grinned and bent down to pull out a large box. "Here you go, Kashi, more of those medical tomes for the village's favourite medics. And more tools for your renovations, although the mansion has never looked better as it is. The lumber you requested is out the back."

"Well, you cn never have too many sheds." Kakashi eye-smiled. "And how is Komara doing? Has he fully recovered from his fall from that tree?"

"Almost healed and a little bundle of energy." Inaku's grin widened. "Tsunade-sama said another day or so before the cast can be safely removed."

"Good to hear." Kakashi said with a slight bow as he picked up the books.

"Kashi..?"

"Yes?"

"How come you're not a medic like Tsunade and Shizune? You have skills…"

Kakashi blinked a couple of times, then he smiled. "Not all of us Senju are full medics. I deal with the other things, gardening, repairs, paperwork, finances… all the things that don't involve blood and bones. I have the skills of an emergency medic, but that's mainly keeping people alive until the experts can arrive."

"And young Ruto?"

Kakashi laughed. "He's barely able to roll over, let alone perform operations. As he grows, we'll train him in the ways of the medics and the ninja. What he chooses to do is completely up to him, though. And whatever my little brother chooses, I'll support him as best as I can."

"Will he wear a mask, like you?"

Kakashi almost blinked in surprise. Tsunade had been trying to formulate a type of makeup that would cover Naruto's whisker-markings without looking artificial, but the idea that Inaku had just innocently suggested…

"It is a Senju family tradition." he lied smoothly. "Once a boy is able to walk, he is given his first mask and he takes it off only for his family and closest friends."

"You medics have the strangest customs." Inaku laughed. "But it doesn't matter to us. Have a good day now."

"Thank you." Kakashi said as he left the store. He really would have to remember to tell Tsunade about the new 'ancient Senju tradition'. If he did it right, maybe she wouldn't increase his ninja training.

Well, hopefully not by too much. His chakra reserves were, after all, growing nicely due to her training. And his newly-learned ability to punch through boulders like Tsunade was nice. Another thing to teach his little brother when he got old enough.

.

"Catch him!"

Kakashi blinked as a giggling high-speed blond blur scrambled down the corridor towards him at a speed that would make many genin jealous, followed by Shizune and Tsunade who were both trying (and failing) to catch him and succeeding only in getting in each others way, only their ninja reflexes stopping them from measuring their lengths along the ground. Carefully placing his shopping down at the side of the hall, Kakashi moved into the path of his six-month-old adoptive brother as he tried to get past and scooped him up, balancing the giggling boy on his hip as Tsunade and Shizune finally caught up.

"Thanks." Shizune panted as Naruto giggled. "If he can move that fast now, what will he be like when he actually walks?"

Kakashi nodded, mentally replaying the last few minutes in his head.

"Amazing how he moves… almost like a dog. Maybe he'll slow down a bit when he has to worry more about balancing… or not…"

Tsunade sighed and closed her eyes, releasing Kakashi from her glare. "Little gaki's getting way too mobile. And I still haven't come up with a way to hide his whiskers, he keeps smearing the makeup off."

"Ah…" Kakashi said slowly, catching the attention of the other two adults. "I came up with an idea in town about that, based on something that one of the shopkeepers said. An old Senju tradition that I came up with less than an hour ago."

Tsunade raised a brow. "I'm listening."

.

"Okay, that's this set done."

Shizune glanced over from where she was racking the scrolls and her gaze flickered across the line of books.

"Nice one, you managed to get them into the right order this time."

Kakashi gave a half-embarrassed shrug.

"How was I supposed to know how they should be arranged the first time? I only studied basic field-medic skills in the academy, not the super-advanced skills that Tsunade teaches."

"Speaking of super-advanced skills," Shizune said slowly, "Do you know any of Naruto's dad's skills? And will you teach him when he's old enough?"

For an answer, Kakashi held up his hand and a spiraling sphere of chakra formed in it.

"I will give my otouto his legacy." Kakashi said soberly and he let the sphere dissipate. "Even if I have to take a vial of his blood and infiltrate Konoha to reclaim the scrolls when it is time… actually, I may have to do that since they think he's dead."

Shizune shook her head. "I think it had better be Tsunade and myself who does that." She said. "I mean, your hairstyle is unmistakable, and although we've claimed the whole males-wear-a-mask-thing as a Senju tradition, that eye patch is a dead giveaway."

"At least Naruto and I go under different names in public." Kakashi groused and Shizune giggled.

"You both drop the first syllable. That's it." She laughed through her hands. "If that's different names…"

Kakashi sighed and turned to the next box of books.

At least the books didn't keep undermining his ego.

.

"Awwww."

Kakashi looked round to see what Shizune had reacted to and found her standing in the door to the study, her hands clasped just under her chin as she stared into the room, a silly grin on her face. Curiosity won out and he walked over to peer over her shoulder.

"Okay, that is cute."

Tsunade cracked open one eye and gave them a warning glare before glancing down and smiling. In her arms, head nestled against her shoulder, was Naruto, fast asleep with a wide smile on the part of his face that was still visible, his body limp with the total relaxation that only the very young can achieve.

As Kakashi watched, he felt Shizune lean backwards against him. A moment later, she pulled out a camera and, pausing just long enough to ensure that the flash was disabled, she took a picture of the scene in front of them. At the click, Tsunade re-opened her eye and gave a ferocious glare. Shizune smiled sweetly and held up the camera.

"For the album." She explained quietly. Tsunade seemed to consider this, then gave a slight nod before relaxing again on the couch. Kakashi tapped Shizune on her shoulder.

"Come on, let's let Kaasan and otouto get their sleep. Kaasan's been overwhelmed with paperwork and patients recently, and Ruto's obviously recharging for his next escapade."

Tsunade twitched slightly, but refused to react further as Shizune and Kakashi retreated, Shizune grinning widely and Kakashi eye-smiling. Naruto simply sighed in his sleep and snuggled closer to Tsunade.

.

"Gaah! Dammit!"

Shizune sprang though the door as if propelled by a fuuton jutsu, coming to a halt as she took in the sight before her.

Standing in the middle of the yard, Kakashi glared at the chickens around him, fingers twitching before he tried to grab one of them. The targeted bird managed to avoid his grasp, running off and Kakashi snarled in frustration as he sprawled in the dirt.

"I swear, these damned things have to be summons!" He growled, pulling himself to his feet. "No normal bird can escape me like that!"

Shizune shook her head and palmed a senbon needle, throwing it with a flick of her wrist. The needle sliced through the air and one of the chickens collapsed. Kakashi shot her a betrayed look, then picked up the chicken with a sigh.

"Give it here." Shizune smirked. "I still remember the last meal you tried to cook. You may be good at campfire foods, but anything more complicated…"

Kakashi nodded and handed over the chicken with a mental sigh of relief. He still didn't know how he'd managed to turn the last piece of meat he'd tried to prepare fluorescent green and purple, but the end result was that he'd been unofficially banned from making anything more complex than onigiri.

At least Shizune was skilled in the kitchen, as was Tsunade, and he was learning.

"When is Tsunade due back?"

"In a couple of hours." Shizune said, glancing up at the sky. "I should have the food prepared by then. How are you doing with listing your techniques?"

"Over seven hundred and fifty of them written down with full descriptions and hand-signs." Kakashi said with a slight shrug. "I hadn't actually realized that I had copied so many, to be honest."

Shizune nodded, then re-entered the house with Kakashi following her.

"Kashi, we may have a mission soon. We're running low on certain herbs and need more from the Land of Water, but they're having a civil war, so…"

"You need me to get in, get the herbs and bring them out without getting caught." Kakashi nodded, then his eye narrowed into the upturned U of his smile. "No problems. Anything else while I'm there?"

"There will be a couple of people you'll need to visit to get some medical scrolls that Tsunade wants." Shizune said as she started to pluck the chicken, dropping the feathers into a small bin placed by the kitchen table for just that purpose.

"Understood." Kakashi nodded. "So, where's the list and when do I set off?"