Anko received an official order from the Third Hokage to allow her to register Naruko at the hospital, give her a full medical examination, make a complete medical record of Naruko and have her receive her mandatory vaccinations, when Anko bumped into Kakashi, persuaded him to meet Naruko and made him her boyfriend.

[Well, at least she's not just attractive on the outside, so I can't really complain, even if I was roped into it.} Kakashi thought to himself, but he wasn't unhappy about it.

Naruko and the World Tree

Adoption Arc

Chapter 12 – Fountain of Youth, Might Gai

Streets of Konoha

09:00

Might Gai, the fearless green beast of Konoha, is on a top-secret Z-rank mission to spy on his eternal rival Kakashi Hatake, whom he suspects of being a Fake Kakashi, Gai had ended his own long-term mission a few days after Kakashi.

When he tried to greet Kakashi, all he got from his eternal rival was a normal greeting, not uncool, not cool, just normal, Gai expected a greeting so cool from Kakashi that he would really damn how cool Kakashi is, but no, a normal not cool not uncool greeting.

The next strange event was went Gai challenged Kakashi to one of their fiercely heated, adrenaline rushing, high stakes competitions, to which Kakashi replied that he didn't have time and was too busy and brushed off Gai's challenge successfully.

Kakashi, a man notorious for being late to everything, because it was obvious to Gai that Kakashi was allergic to being on time, had no time, preposterous, and the only thing Kakashi is usually busy doing is reading his porn in public.

Speaking of which, which happens to be the strangest event of them all, Kakashi wasn't reading his porn in public, which led Gai to conclude with solid evidence based on his observations, that this Kakashi is fake and the real Kakashi is being held captive somewhere by this Fake Kakashi.

{Therefore, I must follow Fake Kakashi to find out where the Real Kakashi is. I must save my eternal rival and eternal best friend from certain eternal doom!} Gai began his top secret mission in earnest.

Of course Kakashi knows Gai is there. {Gai is about as stealthy as a dinosaur trained to balance on a ball, but then again, a dinosaur that can do that is far more impressive than what Gai is trying to do right now.} Thought Kakashi, amused by his strange friend's antics.

{I should at least humour the man for a little bit, he's going to find out about my sudden romance with Anko sooner or later, I think it's better if he finds out sooner rather than later.} Kakashi's only visible closed eyes was the only indicator he was smiling, about to have a little fun with his eccentric best friend.

So Kakashi did what any sensible person would do when they knew they were being followed. He wandered aimlessly through the streets, took a bath in the hot springs and met a Gai with a moustache there, after he went to a cáfe to get some breakfast, he took another bath in the hot springs meeting a second Gai with a moustache but it obviously wasn't Gai because Gai doesn't have moustache, though he had a similar haircut to Gai it obviously wasn't Gai because of the Moustache, Kakashi proceeded to wander aimlessly through the streets once again, but most importantly, Kakashi pretended he didn't know he was being followed by Gai, Gai was extremely persistent to which Kakashi expected.

Two Hours Later

Sarutobi Clan Compound - Mitarashi Household

11:00

After two hours of messing around with Gai, it was time for Kakashi to meet Anko and Naruko, he had already arranged to meet them at eleven in the morning, Kakashi didn't want to be late because he didn't want to be responsible for upsetting Naruko by breaking a promise to her.

That and he was too afraid of Anko's wrath for hurting Naruko by breaking his promise. It is a known fact that all true men lose their strength to resist or defend himself when he faces the wrath of an angry woman, especially if that woman is a woman he likes, more so if that woman is his girlfriend, and even more so if that woman is his wife. And because he really likes this new Anko and she is his girlfriend, it makes him completely helpless when she's angry at him.

Kakashi arrives just as Anko and Naruko are leaving the Mitarashi household, Sakura isn't here because she's spending time with her parents today.

Naruko sees Kakashi and runs up to him. "You're here!" Naruko shouted raising her arms up.

Kakashi lifted Naruko up into his arms and hugged her. "Of course, if I broke a promise to you I'd never forgive myself, neither would your mother." Said Kakashi in a cheerful tone.

"And of course you brought Gai with you." Said Anko smiling as she noticed Gai hiding nearby, but pretended not to notice.

"He's been following me all morning for whatever reason, but I know it wasn't anything malicious, so I just played along and pretended not to notice, besides, he was going to find out about us sooner or later, I'd rather it be sooner than later." Replied Kakashi highly amused.

"I don't mind, he's a good person and someone I can trust with my life." Anko joined in on Kakashi and Naruko's hug and kissed Kakashi on the lips even with the mask still on.

It was after that kiss that Gai decided to make his presence known, Kakashi and Anko do their best to put on a shocked act. "G-Gai, w-what are you doing here?" Kakashi said with the most fake surprise he could manage.

{Might Gai, he is a really strange man, very eccentric, and an all around a goofball. However, he is one of the most honourable and most trustworthy men I've ever had the privilege of getting to know. I actually wanted Naruko to meet him at some point, he is a truly wonderful man and despite all of his goofiness, he is the perfect male model I want for Naruko, even more than Asuma and Kakashi.} Anko has a very high opinion of Might Gai and fortunately her trust in him has not been misplaced.

Gai approaches Kakashi giving him an understanding look, before placing his right hand on Kakashi's left shoulder as Naruko is currently claiming the right shoulder. Anko had gotten out of the way, she is trying to contain her laughter because she knows something funny is about to happen, something always does when Gai and Kakashi together.

"Kakashi, I understand there are things we men shouldn't talk about, if you want to keep your love affair with Anko a secret, I completely understand." Gai seems remarkably calm about this.

"Gai." Kakashi was about to correct Gai but is interrupted when Anko wraps her arms around Kakashi's left arm due to his right arm still holding Naruko.

"Gai, you have expertly uncovered our secret love affair we've been having for four years." Anko said overdramatically. "Four because Naruko is three and pregnancy is like nine months give or take a little." Anko said in a lower flatter tone.

Anko breaks away from Kakashi as Gai suddenly started shaking Kakashi rapidly, which in turn shook Naruko as well, but Naruko started laughing joyfully, because she could sense it wasn't out of violence or aggression.

"Why are you betraying me like this?!" Gai shouted at Kakashi still shaking him. "I'm your eternal rival but also your best friend, I think of you like a brother! You didn't have to hide that you have a girlfriend, and it's Anko and have a child with her! How could you not trust me with such a secret?!" Gai crying at Kakashi's betrayal.

"You've got is all wrong Gai! Naruko is Minato and Kushina's daughter, not mine and Anko's! Anko persuaded me into meeting Naruko and to be apart of her life! And Anko has only just become my girlfriend four days ago, not four years!" Kakashi had to explain quickly, the shaking suddenly stopped and Naruko's laughter stopped along with it.

Streets of Konoha

Playground

11:30

Everyone at the playground including Anko and Kakashi, are starring wide-eyed and open-mouthed at a playground roundabout spinning at over one hundred miles-per-hour, Might Gai is sitting on it holding Naruko on his lap.

Naruko was roaring with laughter. "This is the power of YOUTH!" Gai shouted at the top of his lunges.

"YOUTH!" Naruko shouted just as loudly as Gai, hearing that causes Gai to start crying, which causes the roundabout to start speeding up to over twice as fast as before.

"Did Gai's tears seriously cause that thing to speed up?" Anko asked in almost disbelief in what she was seeing.

"I wish I could say I'm use to Gai's antics by now, but I'd be lying, I'm always caught off guard by them." Kakashi admitted that even he still can't predict Gai.

"Hmm, is a roundabout on a playground suppose to be able to withstand speeds that high?" Anko asked a little worridly.

"I think it crossed that limit ages ago, but that's Gai, logic sometimes doesn't apply to him, I wouldn't try stopping it though, I don't think the censors would be enough to block out the mess that would make." Kakashi sounded exhausted.

"Why is everything spinning?!" A mysterious voice screamed from within Naruko.

"You know, I'd hate to be the Nine-Tailed Fox right about now." Anko can somehow imagining the fox inside Naruko screaming right about now.

"I know it attacked our village, but I wouldn't wish Gai's antics on anyone, not even the Nine-Tails." Kakashi said sympathetically.

Anko eventually starts smiling. "Well, at least I know who to ask when it comes to playtime at the playground, it's wonderful seeing Naruko having so much fun playing with Gai." Anko said genuinely happy to see Naruko so happy.

12:00

It takes just over thirty minutes for the roundabout to stop spinning, Gai got off and is struggling to stay upright because he's extremely dizzy after that extreme roundabout ride, Naruko is still laughing and is somehow not dizzy.

"World still spinnin', why is the world still spinnin'?" The voice said almost on the edge of fainting from how dizzy he was.

Anko and Kakashi look at Gai with much amusement, he is stumbling around like a drunk, especially as Gai is desperately trying not to fall over, through sheer will and determination, Gai remained standing until he stopped feeling dizzy.

12:10

After playing with Gai, Anko takes Naruko to play on the swings, though it doesn't have the intensity of Gai, Naruko still has fun playing with Anko, she still laughs the whole time. Kakashi and Gai are sat down on a nearby bench.

Gai suddenly turns serious. "What a difference having Naruko has made to Anko, I barely recognise her from the last time I saw her before my mission, she's clearly much happier than she's been in a long time."

"Naruko is just like Kushina, she has the Energy of a Pure Heart, she started to heal Anko's heart from the moment Anko took her in, she's begun to heal my heart by me just being in her presence." Kakashi explaining why that is the case.

"You said it was Anko who convinced you to meet Naruko, didn't you?" Gai asked, remembering Kakashi told him Anko persuading him into meeting Naruko.

"Yes." Answered Kakashi, nodding once. "To tell you the truth, I'd have never been able to meet Naruko on my own, my grief for failing Minato and Kushina would have made me avoid Naruko, thinking that meeting her would cause all my regrets to come to the surface, I was scared to get hurt again in case I failed Naruko like I did her parents, Obito and Rin." Kakashi gave his thoughts to Gai, Gai is weird in many ways, but he's someone Kakashi trusts with his life, Gai is one of the few people that makes Kakashi feel comfortable enough to completely put his guard down around, as well as his emotional barriers.

"I'm glad Anko convinced me to meet Naruko, she helped me to see why I loved Minato and Kushina, they were like my own parents. Naruko is starting to heal my heart like she did for Anko, I'm starting to look forward to the future, I'm excited to see how Naruko grows and what kind of Kunoichi she will be, and I'm looking forward to the future with Anko who put all this into motion for me." Kakashi said every word from his heart.

"Hmhmhm..." Gai chuckled. "Honestly, if you look at Anko now without any context to what she's been through in the last three years, you wouldn't think she was someone who has been through a lot of trauma." Gai smiles trying to lighten the mood.

"Hmhmhm... yeah." Kakashi laughed as well. "All you see is a mother playing carefree with her daughter, like she has no care or worries in the world." Kakashi said in agreement with his best friend.

Gai suddenly stood. "I'll be going, I want to get some training in before the end of the day, I'll see you later."

"Alright, see you around Gai." Replied Kakashi, the two shared a bro fist bump.

"I wish you a very Youthful day!" Gai shouted and with that he left the playground.

Kakashi continue to sit on the bench as he looks towards Anko and Naruko, he starts smiling only indicated by his only visible being closed, his eye smile.

To Be Continued

Next Chapter - Chapter 13 – Inauguration of the Fifth Hokage

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