Naruto Hatake

Handful

                              

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Kakashi was sleeping in his bed when his alarm went off. He groaned and slammed a hand onto the evil device as he pushed the covers away. He yawed and reached for his mask putting it on and getting up. He looked at the time and groaned, it was one of the things he hated about being an ANBU Captain, and that was getting up early for team meetings and reports. If he had known that he wouldn't have taken the promotion two years ago but it offered him more time with Naruto and better pay.

That was something he needed, having a kid was expensive that was for sure. Plus the fact that Naruto ate what seemed like his own body weight at times, where it all went he had no idea. After showing and changing into his ANBU uniform he looked in on Naruto's room. It had changed over the years, gone now was the crib and other baby things, now the room held a toy box, a bed and a night stand with a lamp and clock next to it. There was a small shelve of books that he used to teach Naruto to read but mainly for him to read to Naruto at night.

It was strange how in the past four years he felt less and less like a guardian and more like a father. He had few memories of his own father and the Fourth was the next best thing he had, so he had been playing it mostly by ear. He had asked a few others in ANBU for advice who had children, and thank god for that or else he would have been totally lost. But looking at the small boy who was sleeping soundly in his bed, holding the fox toy that he had as a baby he couldn't help but smile.

Unfortunately it was breakfast time and he knew that Naruto could be hard to wake up and the Hokage had a mission for him so he wanted to say goodbye before he left. He left for the kitchen and cooked up some ramen. It was odd how Naruto loved the stuff, he had the same love for it as Kakashi had for his Icha Icha (which he kept locked up so Naruto would never find them even if he was still learning to read).

After the ramen was finished he sat down and then took a breath. "Naruto, the ramen is ready!" He called out. He raised a hand and ticked off five seconds with each finger, as soon as he made a fist meaning zero, Naruto burst into the room and jumped onto the chair wide awake and still in his orange PJs.

"Cool! Thanks daddy!" He said smiling happily as he dug into his food.

Kakashi smiled behind his mask, Naruto had been calling him daddy since he could talk and in truth he liked it. Although daddy had been his second word, his first was ramen, which he said for an entire day none stop. So no wonder he loved that food, he watched as Naruto just inhaled his meal.

"Naruto I got to go to work today, you think you'll be okay for a bit? I have to arrange for someone to look after you before I leave." He told him.

"'Kay daddy, is it going to be Iruka again?" He asked.

"We'll see Naruto, now finish up and wash up okay?"

The young Genin named Iruka had taken care of Naruto a few times, but at the moment he wasn't sure. The Chunin exams were coming up and Iruka was going training since he was going to enter this year. It was nice but he was one of the few people he trusted with Naruto. Over the years he had been aware of certain things when Naruto was alone out on the streets.

Like potted plants would fall and he just managed to pull him out of the way of them, or a cart that just happened to lose control nearly crashing into him. One night he had known someone had snuck into his home and looking around he found a few black widow spiders in Naruto's crib. They were random and spaced out but he knew that someone or some ones were targeting Naruto. He told the Hokage of course but the only thing he could do without evidence was to increase ANBU patrols around Naruto just in case. This of course lessened the 'accidents' but still they would happen.