The chill of the Hokage's office faded the moment Kakashi stepped out into the broken light of the afternoon sun. He wasn't walking on air, but his feet felt grounded, anchored by a new and heavy burden. The abstract weight of his guilt and loss had been replaced by the solid, tangible reality of a life that depended on him.
Naruto Hatake.
Kakashi allowed himself one last, lingering look up at the Fourth Hokage's face carved into the mountain. The mission had a name, a budget, and a clear set of objectives, but he knew the real mission had no rank and no specified completion date. It was simply: Don't fail the last person Minato-sensei entrusted to you.
He moved with practiced stealth, utilizing the back alleys and the less-damaged sectors of the village. His first stop was the hospital.
Making a single hand seal, a Shadow Clone burst into existence by his side, he then quickly dispatched it to the administrative building so that it could finalize the S-Rank paperwork, process the immediate resource transfer, and file the emergency adoption decree.
Kakashi had little interest in the bureaucracy; he simply needed the documents signed and sealed before Danzō or the Elders could raise a formal objection. The clone would handle the tedium; the original had a much more important task.
The Konoha Hospital was a hive of organized chaos, treating the flood of ninja and civilian casualties from the Kyūbi attack. Kakashi followed the directions Hiruzen had given him, cutting through the subdued corridors until he reached the secure wing.
Room 301 was small, sterile, and silent.
Kakashi pushed the door open quietly.
The first thing he saw was a simple bassinet, and inside it, a tiny child swaddled tightly in thick, coarse hospital blankets. Naruto. The nurse attending the infant, a young woman with tired eyes and a tired smile, recognized the Jōnin instantly.
"Hatake-san? The Third Hokage sent word. He's all ready for you," she whispered, gesturing toward the cot. "He's a good baby. Hasn't cried much since… everything."
Kakashi nodded wordlessly, approaching the cot. He felt a weird, unfamiliar feeling run through him, a mix of profound dread and fierce, desperate hope.
He had faced off against powerful enemy shinobi, survived the Third Shinobi World War, and stared down the barrel of emotional collapse many times, yet this—this was still somehow one of the most nerve-wracking experiences of his life.
He looked down.
The boy was small, even for a newborn, but robust, with surprisingly unruly blonde hair fuzzing out from the blanket. On each cheek, three distinct whisker marks stood out like painted symbols. His eyes, though slightly clouded by the exhaustion of the sealing process and the aftermath, were Minato's—wide, impossibly clear blue, and staring straight up at the ceiling. They looked lost. They looked alone.
Kakashi reached out a hand, hesitating just above the child. His hand was a weapon, trained to kill with surgical precision, to tear through flesh and bone, he could still remember how the blood of his own teammate had once coated it. How was he supposed to use this hand to nurture?
He fought back his hesitation and gently reached into the cot and scooped the boy up.
Naruto felt like nothing—a warm, feather-light bundle of blankets and life. The boy instinctively rooted into Kakashi's chest, making a small, satisfied sound. The touch, the weight, the warmth—it settled something frantic and broken deep inside Kakashi's chest.
"It's okay," Kakashi murmured, the sound scratchy and low. "I've got you, Naruto. From now on, you're safe."
He turned to the nurse. "Thank you. I'm taking him home now."
The nurse offered a soft, knowing smile. "I wish you both well, Hatake-san."
Kakashi gave her a final, silent nod and secured Naruto against his chest with one arm. The other arm was free and ready, an ingrained ninja habit.
He left the sterile confines of the room, taking the fastest, most covert route out of the hospital, eager to escape the lingering smell of antiseptic and sadness.
Using a series of quick, silent Body Flickers, Kakashi traversed the half-ruined village and reached his own apartment complex on the edge of the residential district. He avoided the main streets where villagers were still nervously milling about, trying to gauge the extent of their loss.
Reaching his apartment door Kakashi came to a stop and unlocked it quietly so as not to wake Naruto.
His home, small and severely minimalist, was designed for maximum ninja efficiency and minimum domestic clutter. It was a single, modestly sized main room with a kitchenette in the corner and a small, attached bathroom. The walls were bare save for a calendar and a simple wooden shelf holding his scroll collection and the well-worn orange cover of Icha Icha Paradise. The bed was a futon that folded neatly into the wall cabinet.
He stepped inside, softly shutting the door behind him. The air was stale and heavy with the scent of unread books and cold dust.
Kakashi stood in the middle of the room, still holding the sleeping Naruto against his chest, and his uncovered eye surveyed the space.
It was a disaster.
This was not a home for a child. There was nothing soft, nothing safe, nothing remotely suitable for a human being under the age of six. It was a perfectly maintained bachelor's den for a lonely, emotionally crippled assassin.
First mission objective: Reconfigure the living space.
Kakashi gently placed Naruto on the softest, cleanest surface available—the middle of his futon—and set to work. He cataloged his immediate needs with the methodical precision of a field assessment:
1. Housing. The current space is far too small, and lacks the hygiene and safety standards needed to safely raise a child. He would need to talk to the Hokage about getting a new one built to better suit their needs.
2. Crib/Cot. He currently only had his own futon, which was certainly not suitable for a newborn. He would need to purchase a safe, dedicated sleeping item for Naruto to sleep in.
3. Feeding Supplies. He currently had no food for an infant such as Naruto, he would have to buy some baby bottles and formula from the shop.
4. Diapers/Wipes. Self explanatory, he needed to get these quickly before any brown disasters could occur.
5. Baby items. Clothing, Toys, Blankets.
He pulled a fresh, thick-lined scroll from his stash and quickly listed the items, creating a shopping list. Kakashi then made the hand sign for the Shadow Clone Jutsu once again, and another clone appeared in front of Kakashi. Tossing the shopping list and his wallet to the clone, Kakashi watched as it turned and left out the door, running off to purchase the listed supplies.
With the shadow clone.
The market street was quiet. Shopkeepers, still reeling from the attack, were only gradually reopening. The clone quickly located the largest general goods store and entered in a flash, instantly appearing at the back of the store, next to the aisle marked 'Maternity & Infant Care,'.
The store clerk, a nervous looking young lady, saw the Jōnin suddenly materialize and almost dropped a stack of washcloths.
"C-Can I help you, shinobi-san?" the clerk stammered, caught off guard by the sudden appearance of the powerful shinobi.
The clone pulled out the supply list and looked over at the clerk.
"I require assistance locating the following items," Kakashi stated, passing her the list.
The clerk scanned the list. 'Large box of Diapers,' 'Formula (High Protein, Vitamin D enriched),' 'Infant Sleep Containment Unit.'
"I see", the clerk said softly, she turned and pointed out the various items written on the list. Kakashi nodded to her in thanks, and picked up the various items. Before following her to the front of the store to pay for the items. He quietly purchased the baby food, clothes, disposable diapers and the largest of all the items, a heavy, flat-pack wooden cot. He paid the bill from the newly authorized S-Rank mission account and then sealed all of the items into a small sealing scroll. He then quickly left the store, vanishing before the clerk could stammer a thank you.
The clone returned to the apartment, as it arrived it nodded to Kakashi, took out the scroll, and unsealed the items before dispelling. At the same time the clone that Kakashi had sent off to handle the adoption paperwork also dispelled. Whilst Kakashi spent a moment sorting through the memories provided by the clones, Naruto continued to sleep peacefully on the futon. Kakashi then got to work.
First, the Infant Sleep Containment Unit. Kakashi unfurled the instructions which were printed on thick parchment, a scanned his visible eye over the diagrams littered across the paper.
"Step 1: Identify Components A, B, and C." Kakashi took out the specified components and stood there for a moment, as he stood there holding the wooden pieces in his hands Kakashi let out a long sigh, "This may take a while...".
Kakashi spent the next ten minutes assembling the various pieces of wood into a somewhat acceptable looking crib, feeling rather embarrassed that it had taken him so long to put together, despite all of his experience as a ninja, he had to admit that he wasn't exactly experienced when it came to putting together furniture and home appliances since he had always opted for a rather minimalist approach in regard to his living situation.
He then picked up several blankets from the pile of items he had purchased and layered the cot with them, ensuring a soft, secure place for Naruto to sleep. He then began the task of re-evaluating his home.
The sheer volume of new gear—the crib, the diapers, the formula tins, the small mountain of clothing, blankets and toys—had completely overwhelmed the single room. More pressingly, he had to consider the long term.
"If I am to raise and train a child, a Jinchūriki child at that, then this apartment is going to be insufficient," Kakashi concluded, sitting cross-legged next to the crib.
After some thought he concluded that he would need the following things:
1. Security and Seclusion: A private space, removed from the prying eyes and fearful whispers of the villagers, and secure against internal threats (Danzo) and external ones.
2. Dedicated Training Space: A private ground where he could focus on Naruto's development, practice high-level, potentially very destructive jutsu and hone the boy's Jinchuriki abilities.
3. Accommodation for Staff: Separate bedrooms for himself and Naruto, plus a secure guest room for Guy and Kurenai, as per the mission parameters.
The logical solution was to request a full property upgrade. He would draft a follow-up request to Hiruzen: A house built on an abandoned, secured training ground. The seclusion would be perfect. He could use earth-style jutsu and various pieces of equipment provided by the Hokage to create custom training environments for Naruto, without having to worry about sharing the training ground with anyone else.
Just as he was drafting the formal mission addendum on a scroll, the door to his apartment exploded inward.
It didn't shatter; it simply swung open with massive force, revealing a figure silhouetted by the afternoon sun.
"KAKASHI! MY ETERNAL RIVAL! I HAVE RECEIVED THE SCROLL PROCLAIMING OUR GLORIOUS YOUTHFUL MISSION!"
Might Guy, clad in his signature green spandex, stood beaming, a massive, ridiculously cheerful smile adorning his face. He carried nothing but a bright red tote bag, its contents unknown.
"Guy. You could have knocked," Kakashi said, his eye already beginning to take on its characteristic bored droop.
"A ninja must always be prepared for anything Kakashi! Besides, the Third Hokage informed me of the sacred trust bestowed upon you! To raise the little hero that is protecting our village from that un-youthful beast! A responsibility of boundless YOUTH!" Guy boomed, stepping inside and spotting the crib.
He stopped, his demeanour softening instantly. He walked over to the cot, looking down at the sleeping infant. Naruto's small, calm presence seemed to immediately deflate Guy's boundless energy, replacing it with a quiet, genuine respect.
"This is Naruto Hatake," Kakashi said with a soft smile hidden behind his mask. "And from today onwards, he's my son." Guy gently reached into the cot and gave Naruto's hand an exaggeratedly gentle squeeze. "Then I am his Eternal Uncle, dedicated to ensuring he is raised with maximum enthusiasm and a powerful dedication to the principles of sweat and effort!"
"Your role, Guy, is primarily physical training and emotional support—the latter for Naruto, and perhaps for me," Kakashi admitted, rubbing his temples. "And to take Kurenai's shifts when she's needed elsewhere."
"Done! I shall be the wind beneath his wings, the spring in his step, and the primary instructor of the ways of pure taijutsu!" Guy paused, frowning suddenly. "Wait, Kurenai? Isn't she that promising chunin who specialises in Genjutsu?"
"Indeed", Kakashi said, "Hiruzen's choice. She's stable and empathetic. Needed when I'm on required missions." Kakashi gestured to the surrounding chaos. "First, however, we have a more immediate crisis."
"A threat to the village? A covert attack?" Guy instantly fell into a martial stance.
Kakashi pointed to the kitchen counter where he had left the formula bottle and a half-full tin of powder. "The crisis of inadequate nutrition and imminent faecal distress."
Guy looked utterly bewildered. "Faecal… distress?"
The rest of the afternoon descended into a series of domestic humiliations for the two Jōnin. Kakashi was quietly preparing several bottles of formula. Guy, meanwhile, was attempting to clean the apartment with the enthusiastic vigour of a hurricane.
"Kakashi, my rival, you must measure the water precisely! The path of young shinobi requires perfect, healthy digestion!" Guy insisted, holding the bottle up to the light.
"I was off by one millilitre Guy. It's hardly the same as botching the Chidori," Kakashi grumbled, setting the bottle down. It was during this tense, silent moment of scientific formula preparation that Naruto awoke. He let out a low, rumbling cry that quickly escalated into a high-pitched, insistent bellow. And then, there was a distinctive, wet sound that cut through the noise.
Both Jōnin froze.
"What was that sound, my rival?" Guy asked, wide-eyed.
"Fecal distress," Kakashi sighed. He retrieved the diapers and wipes from the counter, approaching the crib like it was a trap armed with tripwires.
"I have faced many adversaries, Kakashi. I have fought through three days of starvation. I have endured your terrible punctuality. But I have no experience with this… biological output." Guy looked genuinely horrified.
"You're on an important mission, Guy. It requires the full participation of all assigned personnel," Kakashi stated, pulling on a pair of rubber gloves found in the cleaning supplies.
He peeled the blankets back, and the sight that greeted them was a chaotic mess of baby and expelled formula. The smell was surprisingly potent.
"By the gods, Kakashi! This is a B-Rank Biohazard!" Guy cried, retreating slightly and waving his hands.
Kakashi, focusing with the concentration of a surgeon, ignored his rival. He methodically detached the soiled diaper and quickly replaced it with a fresh one, securing the tabs with precise movements. He worked quickly, efficiently, and with a visible air of disgust.
"Do not panic. Focus on the objective: Containment and Cleanliness," Kakashi told himself, placing the soiled diaper into a double-bagged pouch and sealing it with a specialized knot.
Naruto, now clean and dry, immediately stopped crying. His blue eyes, wide and clear, looked up at Kakashi. He reached out a small fist, his fingers instinctively curling around the edge of Kakashi's black mask.
A warmth spread through Kakashi's chest, overriding the nausea caused by the diaper. He gently disengaged the tiny fingers, feeling a moment of unexpected, profound connection.
"You're fast, my rival. Truly fast!" Guy cheered, returning once the immediate threat had been contained. "You turned a biohazard into a mission success in under sixty seconds! The pinnacle of tactical diapering!"
"It wasn't exactly challenging, Guy. Now, I have another issue. This dwelling is unsuitable," Kakashi said, moving to the futon and retrieving his scroll. "I am submitting an immediate request to the Hokage for a custom property. A secure environment with dedicated training space, away from the civilian populace."
Guy listened intently. "A secluded estate for training the ultimate warrior! A wise and youthful pursuit! Perhaps near Training Ground 44, the Forest of Death! The natural predators would provide excellent motivation!"
"Too noisy, and too dangerous for an infant. I was thinking of the abandoned Observation Post near the southern sector. It has the elevation and the space for a new compound."
"A fine choice, Kakashi! I shall personally assist in the construction! With my boundless youth and your cool-headed brilliance, we can have it ready in a week!"
Kakashi looked at the sleeping child in the crib, then at his frantic, loyal rival, and then at the mountains of baby gear cluttering his former sanctuary. He was exhausted, confused, and smelled faintly of baby powder and something unpleasant.
But for the first time in years, he didn't feel hollow.
He approached the crib where Naruto was now soundly asleep, his chest rising and falling rhythmically. Kakashi bent down, gently pulling the blanket up to the boy's chin.
"Rest, Naruto," Kakashi whispered, his voice soft, almost a vow. "You'll be the splendid ninja they expect. You'll be the boy your father entrusted to me. I won't fail this mission."
The day had been a brutal initiation—a confrontation, a shopping spree, and a baptism by biohazard. But as he watched the boy sleep, Kakashi realized that this life—this quiet, complicated, messy life—was now his truest mission. He would face the enemies outside and the demons inside, but he would do it with a small, warm bundle held to his chest.