Treasure

When Kakashi is six, his father comes home from an important mission, successful and his team intact. His father returns a little later than usual that night, after reporting to the Hokage.

Sakumo enters the dark entryway of his home and walks towards the light emanating from the kitchen. He peers inside to find his boy asleep on the sofa. He wedges his way carefully into the room and walks over to his son, gently patting him awake.

"Kakashi," Sakumo kneels down to be at eye-level with his son, "I'm home." Kakashi opens his eyes and rubs the sleep away as he sits up straighter, "Welcome home, dad. Dinner's on the table."

A warm smile blooms on the older man's face. "Before that, there's someone I want you to meet," he twists to bring a basket on to the sofa beside his son. Curious, he lookes inside the basket and is surprised to find a baby inside.

"Due to certain circumstances, I have decided to adopt her into the family. I hope you will treat your new little sister well, Kakashi," Sakumo waits patiently. His son is not very expressive by nature, the scarf hiding most of his expressions, but he can tell by the slight widening of his eyes, that the boy was transfixed by their new addition.

Kakashi looks down at the baby as it sleeps peacefully unaware, her tiny hand closing and opening carelessly. Without thought, he puts a finger in her tiny hand and she squeezes unconsciously. His body fills with a new emotion he can't quite describe.

Without looking at his father, quietly he asks for her name. Sakumo simply answers, "Sakura."

x

Kakashi is a figure of routine. He knows it, his father knows it, and soon his little sister would learn it. Every day when the last bell rings at the academy, he heads straight out the door past all the other lingering children. He passes by the instructors and stalls at the front gate for a brief moment.

His father has taken temporary leave from active duty to take care of Sakura, something Kakashi is grateful for, as it's an added benefit of his father being home more.

Kakashi is a big boy, so he turns right and walks himself home. Asuma and Genma call out to him at the end of the street, "Kakashi, wanna go play by the park?"

He knows there is a good chance they may be teammates after graduation, and if they survive the war, comrades for life. But at this moment, his has more important concerns. "Not today," he tells them and continues on his way. He misses the shrug the other boys share. Then again to them, Kakashi has always been a little enigmatic.

The little Hatake makes his way home and enters to the off-tune singing of his father further in. He takes of his shoes and positions them neatly in the front entryway. He was a boy of routine, after all.

"Dad?" he calls out as he opens the living room door. His father is sitting on the couch with his back to it; a part of Kakashi whispers that his father is leaving himself open to enemy fire, but then he remembers that they were home. Dismissing the notion entirely, his sensitive nose catches a whiff of something not so pleasant.

He hears his father shout in triumph a moment later as he lifts baby Sakura into the air, a brand new diaper on her tiny person. Sakumo holds the girl close as he cleans up the mess and turns to Kakashi, "Ah, welcome back son!"

His son is slightly hesitant to get any closer. Sakumo laughed, "Come, this isn't the first diaper I've ever changed. You might as well learn, it might come in handy one day." Kakashi gives his father an unconvinced look.

"Come, come. Sit here with her while I clean this up and get dinner started. Tell me about your day," he pats the empty seat as he rises and sets Sakura back in her carrier seat. Kakashi gives his sister a once-over, deeming her clean enough, he sits on the seat beside her and pulls out his homework.

"Class was...uneventful," he comments as he begins to work on today's assignment, a report on Tobirama Senju. "I see," Sakumo replies from the kitchen as he throws out the old diaper, washes his hands, and rummages through the fridge for ingredients to make dinner.

Kakashi would never tell a soul that his eyes kept glancing to the clock, eagerly counting down the hours until he could be home. To be with his family, his new family.

x

It's his first day off in a while, with no assignments, no class, and no body in his age group calling him to go out and play. And so, his father decides to take a quick two day mission. "Still got to put food on the table, pup," Sakumo pats Kakashi's head as he makes his way out the door. "I'm leaving Takkun with you and the Saihara's will be over in a few hours to check in. If you need anything, go to them. And if they're not there, you remember the quickest route to the hospital?"

Kakashi nodded, his father's inner mother-hen chose the oddest times to appear.

"Good, good..." Sakumo stalled at the door and gave his son a reassuring smile, "Take care of your sister and the house and I will be back tomorrow night."

Kakashi nodded one more time before his father left. With Sakura cradled carefully in his arm, he turned to look down at Takkun, a silver husky with brown eyes. "Come pup, you should eat dinner before it gets cold," the canine nudged the boy gently in the direction of the kitchen.

Kakashi settled his sister back into her carrier and picked up his food from the table, returning to sit by her side at the table. She was 8 months now and reaching milestones a little faster than normal. He made sure her bottle was the right temperature before handing it to her. She held it easily in her tiny hands, and began to drink.

The boy ate and watched her quietly. He thinks at the rate she's developing, she might be smart or rather a genius much like the rest of her family. A feeling swells inside him, pride? Perhaps.

She finishes the bottle faster than he can his food and he stops eating to wipe her chin and place the pacifier in her mouth. But she doesn't seem entirely content. Her hands are reaching out to grab at something, but all she's getting is thin air.

Curiously, Kakashi reaches out and she grabs hold of his index finger. Satisfied and feeling secured, Sakura easily falls asleep within seconds, the grip on his finger still there. Kakashi looks from his dinner to his sister and decides that now is a good of a time as any, to learn to eat with his non-dominant hand.

Takkun huffs from his spot on the floor. He believes there will be much to tell his master when he returns.