Chapter Summary: Tenzou and Kakashi meet and form a friendship over ninjutsu (they're nerds) and how cute Naruto is.

The Mokuton, as it turns out, is nothing like any other jutsu and especially not like any other Kekkei Genkai in Konoha.

The Sharingan is a powerful dojutsu and what the Sharingan can do is basically up to anyone's imagination. But, it's also a chakra tap. It needs to be forced into action and can often only be used for a certain amount of time.

The Byakugan similarly needs conscious effort to use it and requires concentration. While not as draining as the Sharingan, it still needs a lot of effort and concentration put into it.

Like a rusty tap that refuses to budge, these dojutsu need a to be tugged and pushed to be used.

The Mokuton is ironically like a living, breathing, growing plant. Constantly trying to break out of its confines. The Mokuton is forever moving and forever growing. It needs no conscious effort to activate it if the vine persistently poking Tenzou's nose says anything about the matter.

The problem with the Mokuton is its difficulty to control.

Tenzou peels open his eyes and flicks at the vine. It retreats slightly and curls around his thy like a lazy cat. There are pink carnations blooming at Tenzou's feet and Forget-Me-Nots sprouting around his left arm where a plant has wrapped itself.

Minato watches on, and he can feel his eyebrows rising alarmingly high up his forehead but he doesn't try to correct his expression. The Mokuton is alive, just like Tenzou himself.

Minato was originally going to get some of the clan heads to give some advice for handling Kekkei Genkai but now he's not so sure any of that would be useful.

The Inuzuka can't help. Their incredible sense of smell is honed over training but it's innate to them and someone's sense of smell isn't at constant risk of getting out of control.

He doesn't think the Uchiha or the Hyuuga can, as their abilities are dojutsu and while they require finesse to control them, it's not so much in repressing the jutsu but the enabling of it. And Tenzou clearly doesn't need help with stimulating the jutsu into activation.

The Aburame might be the best help. Living with insects inside them requires a mutually symbiotic relationship and the Mokuton seems to be similar. The nature transformation chakra is sewn into Tenzou, but it's as though that Tenzou and the sheer amount of life force that is the Mokuton live side by side.

But then again, the Mokuton could also be seen as so woven into its users' that it can't be a symbiotic relationship at all.

Minato sighs quietly to himself, at a loss.

Tenzou rises to his feet and frowns at the plants curling around him. Slowly, they retreat, the flowers fold up and vines sink back into the ground.

Tenzou looks up at him and for a moment his expression reveals nothing but a smile breaks out – all teeth showing and his eyes bright.

"It just likes to grow," he says and Minato nods.

He still can't believe it. The Mokuton had become a sort of legend in Konoha, a jutsu that could control the plants themselves, and here he is watching plants bloom and bounce around Tenzou like an overexcited puppy.

Minato can feel his chakra and it's unmistakably different from everyone else's. It feels like a soft brown and light green, it doesn't feel light like Kushina's but not as heavy and thick as the Sandaime's. It's a nice balance. But, it's alive like his chakra is a life source in itself and he can't help but feel it's oddly fitting. Minato can't stop himself from breaking out in a smile as well and he reaches out and ruffles Tenzou's loose hair.

"It's amazing, Tenzou!" Minato says and beckons Tenzou to follow him out of the forest and resigns himself that he'll just have to support Tenzou by using his own knowledge of ninjutsu.

Tenzou's chakra reserves have definitely increased just in the last few months that Kushina and Minato have been personally training him.

Minato is close to promoting him to Chuunin, but he wants to send him on a few more C-ranks first. He's already displayed remarkable progress in the use of his two primary elements, water and earth and remarkable advancement in chakra control. He's progressing at an amazing speed.

The Chuunin exams aren't happening anytime soon with the war waging, and even if it was he wouldn't want Tenzou to participate in it. No one needs to know about the Mokuton just yet. He needs to keep his cards close to his chest.

The Mokuton is what Tenzou needs to focus on, now that he has a solid understanding of chakra control and manipulation and is efficient in several jutsu.

The Third Shinobi War still breathes down Minato's neck. The C-ranks that Tenzou has completed is the only contribution Tenzou has made to the war, but he'll be forced onto the front lines if the war continues for much longer.

Destroying Kannabi Bridge is next on Minato's list and how Konoha should be able to get some standing in the war but they're still losing. And his people are still fighting.

There are already enough children fighting and maybe it's selfish that he wants to keep Tenzou coddled in Konoha while he hypocritically shoves other children to face their deaths but as he looks down at Tenzou he knows this bliss won't last.

Tenzou looks up at him, peering through his long fringe and Minato feels like Tenzou can see right through him. Neither of them says anything but Minato knows he'd be stupid to think Tenzou wasn't already aware of this.

They wander through the forest in a comfortable silence and neither of them break it until they're through Konoha's gates.

Kakashi emerges from behind a building frowning, hair covered in specks of dirt and his shirt slightly ruffled. Likely from rough housing with Obito. He glances up, meets Minato's eyes and nods in acknowledgement.

Yet another child that Minato selfishly wants to protect.

Kakashi is a genius and keeping a valuable asset to the war away from the front lines of a war they're not winning is stupid but Kakashi is also a child. And Minato can see more child in him than genius the more he looks.

Minato is the Hokage. He's supposed to be a leader and a person who can protect but at the end of the day, will all these precious children die? He's Hokage, but at the end of the day he can't save them.

He can't stop Kakashi from been sent out, he can't stop Obito, Rin or Tenzou.

Tenzou tugs on his pant leg and it takes a lot more mental energy than it should to get his thoughts under control. He looks down into two sets of eyes – Tenzou's and Kakashi's – and forces himself to smile.

Tenzou and Kakashi share a look between them and look back up at Minato.

Kakashi turns to Tenzou and Tenzou extends his hand cautiously. Kakashi stares at it for a moment like he isn't sure what to do but eventually grasps Tenzou's hand in his.

"I'm Tenzou," he says, brushing away loose strands of hair.

"Kakashi."

Tenzou glances back up at Minato and frowns.

"Seems Kushina was right to be worried about you, I think you should rest," Tenzou says and Kakashi nods in agreement.

"I thought you said you were going to rest more, sensei."

He's getting grilled by a 6-year-old and a 9-year-old.

Minato stares and his lack of mental operation is just proving right and normally he would be embarrassed, but they're right and he's just so tired.

"You got me there," He says, and he isn't surprised when Tenzou tugs him along.

Kakashi and Tenzou don't talk the entire way back to the house. Tenzou and Kakashi are both naturally introverted kids. Put two introverts together and you get silence. Neither of them seem to mind though.

Tenzou pulls him up the steps and drags him through the door.

Kushina rushes into the hallway, ear-splitting grin and clutching Naruto in her arms. His smile fades a little when her eyes land on Minato.

She gets that look on her face that means Minato is going to do whatever she says because Kushina is not a woman he wants to anger especially when it's regarding Minato's own mental health.

She strides up to them and pats Minato's head. "You stupid pretty boy," She flicks his forehead fondly "what am I supposed to do with him, boys?"

Naruto gurgles happily in her grasp and reaches out a hand, placing it firmly in Minato's hair.

"We bought him back for you, Kushina," Tenzou says, smiling up at Naruto.

Kushina grins and pokes Naruto's cheek. Tenzou's come miles in the last few months and even if he can't sleep through the whole night or doesn't like being alone or his self-confidence is still poor it's all a work in progress and Kushina couldn't be any prouder.

"Good job Tenzou and Kakashi. Maybe I should promote you to permanent 'Hokage-sitters.'"

She gets two looks of disappointment, and she doesn't try to stop the giggle that escapes her.

"I'm going to make sure my stupid husband goes to bed, you two mind looking after Naruto for a few minutes?" She peers down at them, making sure to keep the question light. Tenzou still takes looking after Naruto far too seriously, like one wrong touch and Naruto will crumble and when she asked Kakashi the first time, he'd held Naruto while looking terrified and panicked.

Minato's groaning of "but Kushina it's only lunchtime" is drowned out by Tenzou and Kakashi's shared look of terrified determination. They're both just too eager to impress she thinks.

She hands Naruto off to Tenzou who clutches on tightly, Kakashi hovering next to him nervously, unsure of what to do with himself.

Kakashi is only nine but is already all awkward limbs and Kushina worries for this boy's adolescence.

Tenzou frowns hard and determined even when Naruto pulls on his hair and proceeds to suck on one of the long strands.

Confident they can handle it and it will be good for both of them she reaches over and grabs Minato's arm and jostles him out of his deep thoughts. He blinks down at the two boys, smiling and obediently letting Kushina drag him up stairs.

They move into the living room and sit down on the soft carpet. Tenzou grips Naruto and tries not to think about baby slobber in his hair.

Kakashi sits next to him, watching Naruto with a strange fondness that Tenzou's not sure what to make of.

He's getting better at reading people, and he can tell when Kushina or Minato is lying or sad or happy or angry but he's around them the most. He doesn't really talk to many other people which Kushina says is wrong and he should be friends with everyone.

But Kushina also says he should eviscerate anyone that angers him, so he doesn't think he should believe everything she says.

Kakashi's mask doesn't really help either.

His talking has improved too. He struggles still like the words are there, but he just can't reach them. Like they're close but still so far away.

Minato tells him to just take his time and that he's doing fine but still, he's embarrassingly behind.

Naruto abandons Tenzou's hair in favour of patting Kakashi's face. Kakashi tenses for a moment, like he contemplates moving out of range, but he stops himself and Naruto's slightly damp hand presses into Kakashi's masked cheek.

"Bah" Naruto says almost solemnly and they both startle. Tenzou meets Kakashi's eyes and for a moment they stare at each other, embarrassment eating at the edges.

Naruto breaks off into a giggle and Tenzou finds his mouth pulling at the corners. The last few months have made smiling easier but it still catches him off-guard. The warmness in his chest that expands into blissful happiness is shocking and unfamiliar.

It still feels alien on his face; he's trying to smile, but he often doubts it's really him. There's part of him stuck in that test tube. And sometimes it feels like he's not really here.

Naruto seems to help with that a little. It's hard to feel like he's in another place when there's tiny gurgling human in his lap.

Kakashi smiles back after a moment, feeling the effects of its infection and doesn't try to fight it.

The silence is only interrupted by Naruto's periodic mumblings of infant intellect they couldn't hope to understand.

Tenzou searches for something to say and his mind recalls Kakashi referring to Minato as 'sensei'. He's not sure if that's a good conversation starter but Kushina says he needs to make friends so he has to try.

"Does Minato train you?"

Naruto tilts his head back, straining to see him. Tenzou turns him slightly so he won't hurt his neck.

Kakashi nods after a moment, distracted.

"Yeah. And my team," Kakashi says and appears content not to elaborate, focusing on Naruto's chubby cheeks instead.

Tenzou prods, "he's taught me some things too."

Kakashi looks up this time, an eyebrow raised curiously and asks, "The Mokuton?"

Tenzou nods and there's a glint in Kakashi's eyes. "Can you show me?"

Minato and Kushina had said he shouldn't go around and tell everyone, but Kakashi is Minato's student and close enough to be allowed into the house without question.

Tenzou holds out his palm, keeping one arm around Naruto and focuses. The Mokuton always comes as easily as breathing and sometimes it's nice to just let it grow and explore but something in him wants to impress Kakashi.

He channels the chakra to the palm of his hand and lets it bloom. A bud comes to life in his hand. Weeks of growth packed into a few seconds.

The bud blooms into a blue Iris and Naruto giggles from his lap, tiny hands reaching out to grab it.

Kakashi barely reacts but his eyes widen slightly and he leans forward in anticipation.

Tenzou beckons out another flower, this time a pink gladiolus, and prompts it to grow. The flower nudges Kakashi's cheek and he pokes it back curiously.

Tenzou pulls them back slowly, allowing the two spectators to see the petals fold and shrink back into Tenzou's palm.

Naruto reaches out grabbing Tenzou's hand with both his tiny ones and holds it to his face.

Kakashi looks up at him then, his eyes gleaming, "cool," is all he says but Tenzou feels his face warm regardless.

He's getting better at controlling the Mokuton, and he's impressed with himself. To control it to that degree just feels amazing. He doesn't try to fight the grin off his face. Kakashi smiles back at him, eyes scrunched up in a smile.

Naruto gurgles and smiles along with them just as Kushina appears in the living room. There's a lazy grin on her lips and she shakes her head fondly mumbling about a 'stupid pretty boy'.

She grins harder at the sight of them and sits beside them, Tenzou shifts Naruto back into her lap.

She looks between their awestruck faces and snorts "Did you show Kakashi your Mokuton or something?"

Tenzou nods and ducks his head as Kakashi rubs the back of his neck.

Kushina laughs loudly and freely and she rubs a hand across Naruto's hair absently.

"So, what do you think Kakashi?" she asks.

Kakashi looks at Tenzou and says "It's going to be really cool to use, in a battle or out."

Kushina nods in agreement and rubs her chin thoughtfully for a moment. "Hm, if want maybe you two could train together!"

They both stare at her for a moment but she continues before either of them can say anything. "Tenzou's not a Chuunin yet but Minato's going to promote him soon, you could help him get some more experience."

Kakashi doesn't answer for a moment but looks at Tenzou in the eyes and nods determinedly. "Tomorrow?" he asks.

Tenzou finds himself playing with a strand of hair, twirling it in his fingers as Kakashi talks. "Thank you, Kakashi" he says and tries to cover up the embarrassing blush that's creeping along his face by watching Naruto try to fit his entire fist into his mouth with worrying success.

Kushina probably planned this somehow, he thinks, and wonders if the part of him that's still in the tank is a little happier now.

This chapter was originally going to be Tenzou discovering he had the Mokuton but my brain said no and I accidentally wrote this instead… heck.

Anyway, if you want to see any specific characters or something let me know and I'll see what I can do!

(comment to help me survive exams kids)