I do not own Naruto

Oneshot 4: It Won't Be Like This For Long

Kakashi sighed as he walked through the village after returning from another ANUB mission. It felt great to be home and it would feel greater to Kaiya's laughter around him.

Gai's wife Ai had been good friends with Airi and agreed to keep the little one while he went on missions.

As Kakashi approached the house he could hear the sounds of clapping and Gai's little son Lee cheering loudly.

When he walked in he was shocked to see Kaiya walking into Gai's arms.

Ai smiled brightly at him not sensing his internal pain, "She just staring walking yesterday, went right to Gai."

As if knowing that she was being talked about, Kaiya giggled before wobbly walking to her father. When she reached his feet she flopped on her butt to smile up at him with her arms raised up.

"She's still not talking?" he asked keeping his voice calm.

Ai shook her head, "But I have a good feeling she's getting there. She doesn't like it when Lee tries to out do her."

Kaiya tugged lightly on a piece of her father's silver hair regaining her rightful place as the center of attention.

"Ready to go home then, kiddo?" he asked smiling under his mask at the squeal of laughter he got in return.

Gai walked in with Lee under his arm laughing, "I have the feeling that these two are going to be bigger rivals then we are."

As if knowing that they were being talked about the two kids giggled

Kakashi chuckled. "Thanks you guys," he said walking out the door.

Kakashi couldn't help but smile as his daughter spoke in the language of babies with the natural sort of innocence that could only belong to that of a child. But his smile quickly dissolved when he realized that she was growing up faster then he thought and he was missing out on a lot of it. Being an ANUB he was always being called on for missions that took him away for days or weeks at a time.

He had missed her first time sitting up by herself. He had missed her first crawl, hell he had even missed her first laugh, and now he missed her first steps.

Something had to be done and he knew just what it was.

The Third Hokage stared at the always impassive Copycat ninja with a mental smirk.

"So you wish to be a Genin instructor," he said repeating Kakashi's request "Is that right?"

"Yes, sir," Kakashi said nodding his head.

Sarutobi had been expecting this request ever since Airi and Kushina had been kidnapped but he wanted to hear it for himself.

"Care to explain?"

Kakashi sighed, his shoulders slumping a little, "I'm tired of missing out on Kaiya's life. I want to be able to come home to her every night, and not just for a couple of days."

Sarutobi smiled, understanding what Kakashi was going through as a father himself.

"Request granted."

Ai had taken the two kids to the park where they were playing happily in the sand.

Kakashi smiled as he watched his daughter laugh happily with her friend. He wasn't going to miss out on anymore of her life.

Kaiya turned her head to see her father watching her intently as always. Standing up on her still wobbly legs she put her arms out before yelling loudly and clearly, "DADDY!"

A certain type of unnamable joy rushed through Kakashi as he scooped his giggling daughter in his arms. She was his joy in life, no doubt about it.

REVIEW! IT'S NOT HARD. This title is from Darius Rucker's It Won't Be Like This For Long. Really good song. Really good singer too.