Chapter Five- Parenting 101

I do not own Naruto

The sound of crying was the first thing that Kakashi heard as he shifted on the coach, legs sprawled over the side and arms wrapped around his soft pillow. He waited for several more moments silently begging for the cries to come to an end as he rolled over, pressing his pillow against his ears. Only when it became evident that the child would not stop did he even dare to open his eyes. He let out a tired sigh rubbing his eyes before forcing himself off the coach. He landed on the floor with a loud thud, a groan escaping his lips as the blankets he had used fell on top of his head.

Maybe I can just sleep right here...

Another screech filled his house and the silver haired teen had no choice but to unsteadily stand, rubbing his head before slowly walking towards the room next door. He mumbled curses under his breath as he wobbled towards the door, turning the knob quietly. Switching the lights on he made his way towards the crib that had been provided with the blond toddler, peering over the side.

The boy was squirming in his blankets, arms and legs thrashing as he shook his head from side to side, violent spasms running through him. Kakashi listened closer, realizing that those cries were not filled with irritation, instead the emotion was fear. He's having a nightmare!

Kakashi quickly scooped the child into his arms, frantically looking around the room. The toddler was now awake, blue eyes filled with tears as he whimpered quietly. The silver haired jonin began to rock the baby back and forth just like Rin had done this morning. To his relief the boy began to relax in his arms, his whimpers slowly turning into quick breaths. The ANBU leader felt the toddlers little hands grip his own finger, squeezing it every once in a while.

The child looked up at him with startled, unblinking eyes as he held his finger. His grip became increasingly tight as the teen began to set the boy back into his crib. The blond let out a sharp cry, yanking on the jonin's finger as he tried to leave. The Copy Ninja's eye widened slightly before he made another attempt to free himself but to no result.

Kakashi sighed, closing his eyes before picking up the boy once more. The child let out a happy gurgle as he once again held him in his arms. Setting the child down on the chair the teen sat cross legged on the floor. The infant finally let go of his finger, bringing his small hands together and clapping in delight at the attention. Kakashi couldn't help but smile at the kids enthusiasm.

After several moments the toddler began to bang his little fist against the chair, boredom clear in his eyes. Kakashi ran a hand through his hair, tilting his head to the side as he thought of what he could do to please the child. All he had done as a child was train, read scrolls and practice some extensive vocabulary. From the looks of it, this infant wanted to do none of the above.

He was ANBU captain for gods sake, not a babysitter! He bit his lip under his mask, running through several idea's in his mind, all of which included training. He shook his head, this child was only one and a half, no where near ready to practice throwing sharp objects. Well I was already handling my first blade by that age...

He thought back to the games that Obito used to play with children that they had seen in around the village. Every time they had finished a mission the three teammates would go into the village and once in a while they would bump into a mother and her child. Obito and Rin would drool over the baby while he would simply give the infant a glance before turning away.

Ah ha!

Kakashi placed his hands over his face, remembering one of the things that Obito would always do to each child. He silently begged that the child would not scream, something that the children would always do when Obito did it. Through his fingers he could see the child's curious and intent gaze.

"Peeka-Sharingan!" Kakashi let the infant see his face widening his eyes, specifically his sharingan eye. To his surprise and relief the toddler started giggling, clapping his hands together in excitement. He pointed a tiny finger at his sharingan eye, gurgling something happily. He repeated the cycle again with his hands covering his face, shouting a quiet 'Peeka-sharingan' every time. Naruto would get shocked every time, blue eyes wide with excitement.

The two of them went on this for a while until the blond boy's eyes started dropping. He let out a yawn, stretching his little limbs before grabbing onto Kakashi's finger once more though his grip was loose. The silver haired jonin yawned, carrying the toddler in his arms, eyes already closing. He some how made it to the coach before his eyes fully closed and sleep overtook him. The last thing he heard was the infants steady breath and strong heartbeat.

Rin opened her eyes slowly, light shining through the window and in her eyes making her close them once more. She clung onto her blankets and smiled, thinking about the blond child that she was in charge of. She let out a sigh and stretched, her back aching from sleeping on the floor. She stayed in bed for a few more moments before making up her mind and getting up. Her feet touched the cool hardwood floor as she padded out of her room, night cap still on.

As she walked past Kakashi's room she sighed in defeat, seeing that his bed was still made and empty. She had tried to convince him to sleep in his bed and that she would sleep on the floor but to no result. He's probably sleeping on the couch.

That was one of the things she liked about him. No matter how many years had passed or how much he had changed he still was a gentleman, holding doors, letting the lady go first etc.

She walked towards little Naruto's room, excitement filling her. She loved working with children and the fact that this was Minato sensei's child made her more determind to take care of the little bundle of joy. As she walked into the room, she held her breath. Her eyes widened and she felt as if she were about to faint.

Naruto was gone.

His crib was abandoned and there was not a single trace signaling that he had even been there in the first place. She let out a chocked cry, taking a step back. After the shock passed through her she ran down the hall, her heart racing. Where could he be? Was he alright? What had happened? Her unsteady breaths continued as she ran into the living room.

"Kakashi, Naruto's-"

The sight that greeted her warmed her heart.

Kakashi was on the couch, his eyes closed and long legs hanging from the edge of the sofa. His silver hair was ruffled, a sign of exhaustion and a rough nights sleep. His head was turned at an odd angle almost guaranteeing him a stiff awakening. That wasn't what had surprised her, after all Rin had seen Kakashi sleeping plenty of times on their long missions back in the old days.

What surprised her was little Naruto who slept peacefully in his protective arms. His arms were wrapped tight enough so that the toddler would not fall out of his arms but loose enough that the child had room to move. Little Naruto laid on his chest gripping his index finger tightly as if his life depended on it.

Rin watched as the two slept peacefully, eyes drifting back to Kakashi. For once, his usually tense face was relaxed, making him seem quite childish in a cute way. She wished that he could always be this relaxed and peaceful, she was almost 100 percent sure that he'd be happier that way.

Perhaps the Hokage knew exactly what he was doing when he assigned this mission after all.