Kakashi was unsure of what to expect when he woke up. What Haru had said to him just before they parted ways last night unnerved him. By rights, they shouldn't even know anyone here they could introduce Kakashi to.
Kakashi understood the minute he was ambushed on a rooftop by two red-haired men and a small blonde boy who seemed surgically attached to Indra's back. The boy he could only recognize as Naruto leaned over Indra's shoulder and asked in a tiny voice, "Who's that Indra-niisan? Why is his hair so sticky-uppy?" Kakashi was internally panicking, no way was he able or ready to meet his sensei's kid, not when he'd inevitably cause the kid harm in the future like he harmed everyone who came into contact with him. Aside from his extant personal worries, he also detected the agitated and disconcerted chakra signatures of the ANBU guards who had obviously been assigned to the men. It was only half what he expected, meaning the other half must have dashed to the Hokage as soon as they realized what was going on.
Snapping himself back to the conversation at hand, he heard Indra declare, "This is Kakashi-san, he's a good friend of ours, though you can call him Kakashi-niisan?" Eh? He could? Who was Indra to decide what this kid should call him? (He would deny internally that the thought of being called niisan made him feel better than he had in months)
Kakashi collected himself and attempted to make a good impression, deciding to strangle the two redheads later. Making an eye-smile, Kakashi approached gently, "Hi there Naruto-kun, it's nice to meet you, I'm Kakashi".
Haru thought this was brilliant. The introduction to Naruto had gone brilliantly, with the two introducing themselves as his cousins, and that they'd only just found out about him. Given how young Naruto was, it went much more smoothly than expected. This wasn't a 12-year-old full of notions and preconceptions, this was a toddler whose preconceptions were yet to be molded. This made it easier for him to accept them, which he did with good grace and an open heart, something which Indra said under his breath was 'entirely expected'.
"Hi Kashi'-nii, nice to meet you," Naruto said softly, still unsure about the new man, giving him a small smile from Indra's back.
Haru coughed to get their attention. "We'll be heading back to the apartment now Kakashi, would you care to join us?"
Kakashi desperately wanted to say no, and retreat to the memorial stone for the day, but a part of him, the one that craves the feeling family gives him, pack, made him accept. "I'd like that thank you Haru-san".
He was waved off. "Just Haru is fine, you don't have to be formal with me, lest I start calling you 'Hatake-san' huh?"
Kakashi realized Haru must know his aversion to that combination of name and honorific and complied with him.
Arriving outside the apartment, Indra could feel Naruto vibrating in excitement on his back. Extracting him and placing him on the floor, Indra and Haru both leaned down and looked at him. "You ready to come home little one?" Asked Haru.
Naruto cocked his head at both of them. "Home?" He questioned, the word sounding foreign to him.
Haru chuckled, while Indra suppressed a look of rage at the thought of Naruto not even knowing what that word meant.
"That's right, home is the place you can always come back to".
Naruto looked at Haru, and then at Indra, and said, "Home sounds really nice to me".
Suppressing a coo at how adorable the kid is, Haru stood up, walked up to the door, and opened it, leading a wide-eyed Naruto in followed by Indra and Kakashi.
"Woah this place is really nice Haru-niisan, are you sure I'm allowed to stay here?" Asked Naruto, clearly unused to kind treatment.
Haru smiled down at Naruto, having expected these kinds of questions, and understanding the turbulent emotions of the other two in the room when hearing questions like this. "Of course, it's okay, we're your family, it's only natural that we want you to stay with us".
He could see Naruto was trying to suppress tears now and thought it best to finish it all up before it becomes too much for him. "We'll be living here for a few years, and after that, we'll get a place that's a bit larger, so you can have your own bedroom, okay? You don't mind sleeping next to myself or Indra-nii right?"
Naruto shook his head thoroughly as if wanting his opinion reinforced. "Nuh-uh I don't mind, you're my nii-sans, so it's fine".
With that piece of irrefutable logic, the stage was set for Naruto to move in immediately. He didn't own much of anything from his time at the orphanage, and his spare clothes weren't worth keeping, so Haru sent a shadow clone out to buy some new sets for Naruto, knowing what colors he'd like.
Hiruzen sat in his office, puffing on his pipe and mulling over what the ANBU squad had just told him. He had no issue with those two taking Naruto, far from it. It was the perfect way for Naruto to gain family, something which Hiruzen had not been able to provide him thus far. Entrusting Naruto to any one clan would have put others on edge, and while Hiruzen thought that was a flimsy excuse, he had no means to refute it. However, with these new arrivals, he knew he had a solution. They could be trusted; of that he was certain. None would be able to complain about Naruto's own family members looking after the boy save Danzo, and he would have an ANBU squad assigned to them for the sake of the pretense they'd created. Repealing the law forbidding others from interacting with Naruto was something he was planning on enacting today too. There was no reason to have that law anymore when he had two people with him who would be able to protect him at all times and giving them a network of friends and clan heads to rely on would only help their plans. He felt the power those two possessed, it flowed off of them in waves, even if they were trying to hide it. It was a similar feeling to Hashirama-sama and Madara he thought, in regards to how they held themselves especially. Sasuke however lacked the razor's edge that Madara had, he felt more relaxed, and yet Hiruzen knew that he was coiled, and ready to spring at any time should an enemy appear. He doubted Naruto could have better caretakers in all of Konoha, especially knowing how defensive those two would be of him. He knew of course that Danzo would come storming in here tomorrow with schemes filling his mind, complaining about Hiruzen's 'mistake'. Unfortunately for Danzo, this is a decision Hiruzen knew to be the right one.
Kakashi thought it would be tough to see Naruto, talk to him and be in the same room as him, but as he sat at a table with Haru, Indra and Naruto all eating some ramen Haru sent a shadow clone to collect, a few minutes after his previous clone brought back Naruto's new clothes, he felt like this was right, it reminded him of his sensei, and the energetic Kushina. Haru and Naruto were both hyperactive, though Haru had a darkness in his eyes that was understandable given what Kakashi knew he'd been through. He seemed more subdued, but the personality that was undeniably Uzumaki was still very much present. Indra was far more reserved, and yet there was levity in much that he said, which was decidedly unlike that of many Uchiha. There was a look of fondness in his eyes looking at both Naruto and Haru, which bled through despite the eyes being a henge. He knew they were going to take care of Naruto whether he was present or not, but Kakashi felt as if he could afford to be here. For once, he didn't feel like his mere presence was a bad omen, or that he'd cause the downfall of these people. The two redheads in front of him had been through such hell that Kakashi thought that no amount of bad luck could bring them harm.
Kakashi was snapped out of his reverie by Naruto speaking up.
"You guys are Shinobi? That's so cool, I always hear about Shinobi in the orphanage, they're the super strong guys who protect us right? I wanna be a Shinobi, that way everyone will respect me!"
Haru chuckled at that, while Indra smirked, clearly remembering a similar statement.
"That's right Naruto," Said Haru, "A Shinobi is someone who protects. The strongest Shinobi in Konoha is called the Hokage, and everyone loves them because they protect us no matter what happens".
Naruto had a considering look on his face for a second. "But he's not as strong as you guys, right?"
Haru and Indra smiled upon hearing that. He wasn't wrong after all. "Perhaps Naruto, but the Hokage leads the village, and he only earns that role after he's shown us that he loves us all enough to lead us".
Naruto had stars in his eyes when he heard that. "Alright then, I'm going to become stronger than my nii-sans, and then I'm going to become Hokage! I'll protect everyone and they'll respect me!"
Kakashi was shocked, hearing such a declaration from a three-year-old. The determination he had when he said it was unlike empty promises made by joking kids in the playground. He had a resolve that suited someone ten times his age. Haru and Indra meanwhile merely smirked like they'd been expecting that, and to be fair they had. Naruto was always meant to lead.
Indra poked Naruto's forehead with his pointing and middle finger, "I'm sure you will little one. It's just past lunchtime now, so would you like to go to the park with us?"
Naruto lit up at the question, "Sure Indra-nii, will Haru-nii be coming too?"
Haru laughed, "Of course I will, I want to play with my Otouto too you know!"
The word Otouto clearly lifted Naruto's spirits even more, his smile all but blinding in its intensity.
"Will Kakashi-niisan be coming too?" Asked Naruto, looking inquisitively over at him.
Kakashi was genuinely enjoying himself to his surprise, however, he was due for duty in ten minutes, and ANBU didn't appreciate lateness, despite the habit he had picked up otherwise. "I'm sorry Naruto, but I have to go to work in a few minutes, but I'll make sure to come to see you whenever I have time, okay?"
Naruto looked a little dejected at that but perked up at the thought of Kakashi going to work. "Okay I understand niisan, after all, you're a Shinobi so you've got to go to work".
Kakashi gave the kid an eye smile as he stood up from the table, the others following. Walking over to Naruto, he ruffled the kid's hair, which Naruto pouted at, before giggling a little. "See you later Naruto".
With that, Kakashi left in a Shunshin, heading to the memorial stone before his ANBU duties began.
Haru shook his head internally when he felt Kakashi's signature head to the stone. That was a habit he'd have to break at some point, it was hardly doing his mental state any good.
Indra looked down at Naruto. "Would you like to try on some of your new clothes?"
Naruto looked excited by the prospect, "Yes please niisan!"
Indra took the bag full of clothes from the floor before picking out a hoodie and some shorts for Naruto, the hoodie, of course, being orange, before helping Naruto change into the clothes. They were rather big for him, but he was sure to grow quickly, and they'd be good for insulation on cold days.
Haru and Indra took Naruto's hands on either side, as they left the apartment and walked down the road to the park they both remembered from their childhoods. They noticed eyes boring into Naruto, whispers erupting along the street as they walked. He'd hardly left the orphanage and the village already knew about him. That would be a pain to deal with. The ninja of the village were tolerant of Naruto, as they understood sealing practices, and the principles of Jinchuuriki were understood by Chunin and upward. There were exceptions of course, such as Mizuki, who Indra would have to keep an eye on at some point no doubt, and people who had lost people in the attack, who were upset from blind anger, such as Iruka, who would change their opinion once exposed to Naruto. The civilians were the problem. They'd been fed all sorts of baseless rumors, and of course had no knowledge of sealing practices, leading to misplaced anger or fear. This time Naruto had family, however, and they knew that he'd find friends who he could rely on. Arriving at the park, one such example was right in front of them.
Hinata Hyuga was playing on the swings, being watched by a bodyguard from the Hyuga clan.
Indra snapped his eyes to Haru, unsure of how he would handle seeing Hinata. Haru had loved Hinata immensely and realized how he felt a week into the war. To many people, their love was a bright spot at that point in time, a source of strength for people to gather around. Indra learned that while the Uchiha were famed for the depth of their love, an Uzumaki in love was wild and beautiful, and he had never seen Haru as devastating in battle as he had been when Hinata died. He was a maelstrom, true to his name at the time.
Haru was surprisingly at ease seeing a young Hinata. Perhaps he may have got stuck in his own head at one point, but the knowledge that they would prevent Hinata from dealing with the strife she dealt with in her life calmed him down and instead filled him with relief and calm.
Haru crouched next to Naruto, "You see that girl on the swings? She looks pretty lonely, and I think she could use some cheering up little one".
Naruto looked at Haru, clearly nervous about making his first friend, before a determined expression appeared on his face. "Okay niisan, it's my job as future Hokage to cheer her up after all".
With that, he let go of their hands and ran over to the young Hyuga.
Hinata was lonely. Her father was always cold to her, and she didn't see her mother as much as she wanted to. She'd been taken to the park, but no one else was here apart from the guard her father had sent with her. However, all of a sudden, an orange blur raced towards her, startling her slightly as she looked at the boy who seemed a few months older than her. Hinata was turning three soon, something which she heard a lot about from her family. Apparently, it was a big deal, and her cousin who she always tried to get along with was a part of it for some reason. "Hello, I'm Naruto Uzumaki, what's your name?" The boy, now known as Naruto asked in rapid fire. "Uh, my name is H-Hinata Hyuga, nice to meet you, Naruto-kun".
Naruto beamed back at her. "Nice to meet you too Hinata-chan, would you like me to push you on the swing?"
Hinata blushed at the honorific but nodded all the same. As Naruto started pushing her, his hands on her back, she felt oddly calm as she held onto the swing.
Indra and Haru watched from a distance, standing in the shade as they watched the interaction, thankful that Hinata's guard hadn't stepped in, simply watching the interaction from a distance. Indra lowered his voice when he asked Haru a question, "Are you doing alright Haru? It's not too hard for you, is it?" Haru shook his head, warding off Indra's concerns. "I'm fine. Knowing that we're here to help her is making it a lot easier to see her. I was more shocked when I saw Sensei to be honest".
Indra was glad Haru was coping with the situation well. He was dreading seeing the Uchiha clan, and his family, which seemed so far behind him now. Haru knew as much, which is why he hadn't made any specific plans regarding them yet. They would wait to gain information on ROOT before making any concrete plans regarding the Uchiha. There was also 'Tobi' to take into consideration, and neither of them were entirely sure how to deal with the issue.
As Hinata was being pushed on the swings, Naruto asked her a question. "Hey Hinata-chan, would you like to be my friend?"
Such an innocuous question would leave most with a simple answer of yes or no, and yet for Hinata, the question confused her. Why would Naruto want to be friends with someone like her? She was shy and stuttered all the time.
"Ano, Naruto-kun, are you s-sure you want a friend like me?"
Looking over her shoulder, she saw Naruto wearing a blinding grin.
"Of course, Hinata-chan, you'll be my first friend!"
Hinata felt light as a feather just then, so she smiled back and said, "You're my first friend too Naruto-kun".
Naruto's eyes widened before he ran round to face her from the front before he wrapped her in a hug. "Then we'll be best friends Hina-chan!"
Haru and Indra chuckled at the scene, having overheard the conversation. "She's turning bright red", Indra teased, "How did you not realize how she felt about you earlier?"
"Shut up teme, romantic opinions coming from you is way too weird".
"Hn, whatever you say urasatonkachi, I'm good at romantic stuff".
A deadpan gaze from Haru stymied any attempt Indra made to back that statement up with evidence. Indra nearly pouted, but he didn't because Uchiha's don't pout, even if he wasn't one officially anymore. "Not like you're any better dobe".
"Hey I'll have you know I'm good at romance, you should know considering you heard everything," Haru said, raising his eyebrows.
Indra threw a disgusted look at his brother. "Do you have to be so crude? I swear you picked up some bad traits from your sensei".
Haru snickered, "At least I didn't pick up a curse mark from mine".
Indra's glare was devastating after that, but Haru knew he won that round.
After an hour or so passed, Hinata was taken home by her guard, after exchanging goodbyes with Naruto, who was still excited from the thrill of making his first friend.
"Did you have fun with your new friend Naruto?" Asked Haru, already knowing the answer.
"Yeah, I did Haru-niisan! Hina-chan is really nice, and now we're best friends!" Said Naruto, vibrating on the spot. The kid still had a lot of energy, and they had to find a way to burn it off.
Indra had an idea that could solve their problems. "Hey Naruto, would you like to learn how to throw kunai and shuriken?"
Haru side-eyed Indra, wondering what his plan was. Teaching him how to throw kunai and shuriken wasn't a bad idea necessarily, they were already planning on training Naruto from an early age, but on their first day with him was a surprise.
Naruto's answer came in the form of a loud "REALLY?" from him, which sounded like a yes to the two brothers.
Indra turned to Haru. "Could you send a clone to go buy some practice kunai and shuriken? We can take him to a training ground and show him the ropes".
Haru understood the hidden message of, 'we can tire him out and teach him the basics at the same time' and created a shadow clone, which took some money from Haru before heading out to a shop.
Haru and Indra led Naruto to a training ground, one Haru had used when he was a child, with dummies for practice with aiming weapons.
A minute later, the clone appeared with the practice projectiles, before dispersing after handing them over. Haru knew Indra would want to teach this, which he had no issue with. He wasn't an expert with kunai and shuriken like Indra was, he was adept, but Indra was a master just like his brother had been. They stood a fair distance from the posts, and Indra showed Naruto how to hold the shuriken properly and how to weigh his throws while Haru watched standing next to them.
"Can you show me how you throw them niisan?" Asked Naruto, peering up at Indra.
Indra showed a small smile, "Okay kid, watch carefully", he said, as he threw three shurikens from his left hand while looking at Naruto. Naturally, the shuriken all hit the wood, before falling down, due to being practice shuriken.
Naruto had stars in his eyes, "Wow niisan you're so good! I'm gonna be that good one day just watch!"
"I know you will be, and I look forward to seeing it little one".
Haru was more relaxed in that moment than he had been since arriving in Konoha.