Title: Repaying the Favor

Rating: T (just to be safe)

Summary: Naruto AU, after the death of Minato, Kakashi and Rin take on raising Naruto.

Author Note: So, my intent was to make this story a sequel to another story I had floating around about Kakashi being raised by Minato after his father's suicide. But! That story kind of fell flat when this idea popped into my head. Not your typical story however because I'm going to use a series of snippets of situations the new parents will be encountering as they raise Naruto.

**If you would like to see a certain situation involving Kakashi, Rin and Naruto please let me know!**

A blinding flash

A cacophony of sounds and sensations

A pulse of chakra strong enough to crater the earth and throw him from his feet

Then nothing.

The world seems to give a shudder and right itself, leaving Kakashi lying in the mud and staring up at the sky unable to comprehend what just happened. Slowly his hearing returns and the frantic calls of survivors are drowned out by the piercing wails of a baby. With a gasp the silver haired ninja forces his body to move, shrugging off the hands that try to hold him in place and growling at anyone who gets in his way. He stumbles to the edge of the crater and scans the floor of the indent, both eyes searching. The cries continue as Kakashi gathers his remaining strength and slides down the crater wall, stumbling as his sandaled feet hit the unsteady mud. His body running on automatic the young ninja stumbles toward the source of the cries and drops to his knees beside the small baby. With shaking fingers the exhausted teen reaches out and runs his dirt and blood incrusted fingers over the sparse, bright yellow hair. At his touch the wailing stops and a happy gurgle replaces the ear piercing noise as shockingly blue eyes stare up at the ninja, oblivious to the events that just occurred. With a sob the teen gathers the baby into his shaking arms and tries to stand but finds his strength failing him again. Small fingers latch onto the edge of his ANBU chest plate, blue eyes slowly falling closed. Kakashi allows himself a moment of rest, kneeling in the muddy crater created by his Sensei only moment before as he sealed the nine tailed fox inside the now sleeping baby.

But only for a moment.

"Kakashi." The ANBU looks up sharply, his senses going into overload as the surviving villagers and ninja surround the crater, their faces streaked with grime and dirt, exhaustion and anger. Kakashi can feel the strong emotions rolling off the rapidly growing crowd, his muscles tensing painfully in the face of such open hostility. With a wince he grips the sword latched to his back and draws it, taking comfort in the weight and driven by the delighted coo of the child now pressed firmly against his grimy chest plate.

"Give us the child. Your no match for all of us boy." Someone to his left snarls as the teen pushes himself to his feet, the trembling in his legs threatening to knock him back into the mud. Openly glaring at the angry crowd the silver haired teen hopes his exhaustion doesn't show openly and readies himself as the rising sunlight reflects off the sharp metal of kunai and shuriken. The baby gives a gurgling cry, his little arms flailing as the crowd of villagers make their way down into the crater, intent on forcefully taking the babe from his arms. Recognizing several of those in the lead Kakashi feels his heart plummet to his boots, knowing that these people won't listen to him.

"STOP!" the word is punctuated with a burst of chakra that pulls the murderous crowd to a stop and drops the shaking Kakashi to his knees once more, wincing as the cries of the child seem to deafen him. Kakashi blinks rapidly and dares to turn his head to take in a small group standing at the edge of the crater, familiar forms shadowed by the rising sunlight.

"Drop your weapons or deal with me." The bellowing voice of Jiraiya calls, filling the exhausted teen with relief. The Toad Sage had returned after all, but was sadly to late to save his head strong student.

"That child is responsible for this!" one of the villagers cry, a spear waving to encompass the decimated village.

"No, the demon sealed inside him is. The child had nothing to do with it!" Kakashi yells back, voice hoarse and cracking as the baby cries in his arms.

"To destroy the demon we must destroy the child!" another rages as the crowd presses foreword, forcing Kakashi to gain his feet again and raise his sword. He didn't want to have to cut down members of his own village, those he was trained to protect.

But to protect the child of his teacher, he'll do what he has too.

"Stop this all of you!" the commanding voice of the former Hokage draws the mod up short again, their attention drawn to the ridge behind Kakashi. Using the distraction to put distance between himself and the mod the ninja slowly moves backward, nerves on edge as his senses work overtime to alert him of any motion.

"Kakashi." His name it called and for a brief moment the ninja allows his eyes to shift from the mob to the face peering down at him. Rin's eyes are wide and face lined with worry and exhaustion.

"We've got to get out of here." She states and reaches down a hand for her friend to grab. Kakashi casts a look back at the angry mob, finding the angry expressions aimed at him holding a promise of future conflicts. In a single movement the sword is sheathed and the baby handed over to the medical nin. With a burst of energy and strength the silver haired man hauls himself up and out of the crater, taking a moment to suck in the clean air, untainted with hatred and contempt.

"Shhh shhhh. Your safe now little one." Rin sooths as the babe screams in her arms, his wailing making Kakashi wince and pull away from the noise.

"No time to rest Kashi-kid, I'm to bring you to the Hokage tower." The Toad Sage states as he moves to steady the weaving ninja, his large hands planted heavily on the slim shoulders of his student's student.

"W-what if they… try and stop us." Kakashi asks, eyes blinking rapidly against the exhaustion pulling at him. With shaking fingers he pulls down the headband, covering the taxing Sharingan eye, hoping to stem the parasitic eye from taking anymore of his strength. Rin manages to settle the baby with a rapidly wiped and cleaned finger in his mouth and watches her friend in concern. She can see the tremors threatening to knock him off balance and the grief stretched across the visible part of his face but the determination shines brightly on his single eye.

"That's why I'm to go with you. You and Rin are to take the baby and report to Sarutobi, if anyone should get in your way… well let's just say they're going to have a really bad day." Jiraiya states with a serious frown. Kakashi nods and herds Rin with a single arm toward the Hokage tower while Jiraiya walks calmly beside them aware of the burden that will be placed on the shoulders of the two before him.

Walking into the Hokage office Kakashi's heart gives a painful lurch as his eye take in the form of a silhouetted figure, standing in front of the large windows. For a moment his traitorous mind provides the wildly spiky blond hair and a deceptively relaxed posture. Rin's hand latches onto his, helping to anchor the other teen back into reality as the scene shifts, revealing the aged form of Sarutobi, his expression unreadable and solemn.

"I am glad you two made it here unharmed." He states and takes a step closer to Rin, who is still on edge from the earlier confrontation and clutches the baby closer to her chest. Kakashi tenses, expecting an angry lecture from the former Hokage but the older man only sighs sadly.

"I do not wish harm upon the child, that is why I asked Jiraiya to accompany my clone and to bring you two here." He informs before allowing a smile to twitch at the sides of his mouth as he gazes down at the small baby.

"It is a noble thing your father did little one, although foolish. I do not think he stopped to consider the burden he placed on your small shoulders and how your life will be effected now that you are a Juriki." His expression softens when one small, pink hand grasps at the older man's bony finger, a happy coo issuing from the child.

"What will happen to him now?" Rin asks as the baby recaptures her finger with bright pink gums.

"He will remain in the village, for his own protection. There are many power hungry people in the world that would take the boy and use him to harness the power of the nine tailed fox in their arsenal."

"That's if the members of his own village don't kill him first." Kakashi mutters, shifting his weight from foot to foot, wincing as the gash in his leg reopens. Sarutobi scans the silver haired teen with a critical eye before stepping back from the teens, eyeing Jiraiya as the Sage stands by the door.

"That is why I wanted to speak with the two of you. Because both Kushina and Minato do not have living relatives you two are the closest to family the baby has. My hopes are that you two- or even one- will consider taking on the role of his guardian until he is old enough to be told of these circumstances." Sarutobi explains, his calculating expression swiftly taking in the looks of absolute shock on both of the teen's faces and the sadness etched on his former students own.

"Kakashi, you were taken into the care of Minato after your father committed suicide and Rin, you were the midwife present for the birth and naming of the child. I believe that it is what Minato would have wanted; to raise his son in his stead is an honorable undertaking." Sarutobi states as he pulls a scroll out of his long sleeves ands holds it out for Kakashi to take. The young Jounin's fingers shake as he takes the scroll from the former Hokage, eyes running over the Yodamine's seal. He doesn't open the scroll, instead deciding to look at his teacher's last words when he's more at peace with the situation. Obito's eye tears steadily, soaking the blue material.

"I'll do it." He breathes shakily, words barely there as he fixes his single eye on the former Hokage. Rin tightens her hold on the small baby and smiles sadly down at him before also looking up, determination flashing in her eyes.

"Me too. I owe Kushina." Rin states with a tremble in her voice as the memory of the dying woman flashes into her mind. Kushina didn't have much time with her son, just long enough to hold him and whisper his name.

"Naruto." At Rin's soft declaration the three males look at her. She smiles sadly and shifts the small bundle in her arms before running a light hand over the sparse yellow hair.

"His name is Naruto." It takes a moment but then a sobbing chuckle escapes the Toad Sage, followed by a snort from Sarutobi. Rin and Kakashi share a knowing smile, allowing the teens to bask in the private, happy memory of the lunch spent listening to the two bicker over names.

It was a memory to be cherished.

The moment of reflection only lasts for a short minute but it was long enough for the two teens to assure themselves that the decision to raise little Naruto is the right one. Sarutobi notices the change in the teens and quickly turns back to the business at hand.

"I am going to take Naruto from you." At the shocked looks and opened mouths in protest the former Hokage holds up a hand, silencing the teens.

"My wife will look after the baby until you two are rested and have had time to recover enough to take up the duties. It is no trouble, Akemi loves children and hasn't had the chance to care for once since Asuma grew up." He smiles at the two, noticing the distinct pull of fatigue and grief on the two faces of the teens.

"I will be sending an ANBU with you, as a guard for the day, incase someone wants to retaliate against the both of you." The narrowing of a slender silver eyebrow alerts the former Hokage to the formulation of a protest.

"Kakashi, I believe you returned from a three day mission involving the whereabouts of a missing-nin, only to return to jump into the fight against the Kyuubi. I'm sure your still standing due to that strong Hatake stubborn streak, but face it boy your in no shape to fend off an angry villager without doing something…extreme." The silver haired son on Sakumo drops his eye and nods silently.

"Neither of you should be asked to fight any longer, so you will accept the escort and the body guard and go, rest and mourn . My wife and I will look after young Naruto until you feel your ready to take up this mission." The older man states and gently nestles the yawning Naruto into his arms with practiced ease.

"Go, everything will be fine." He orders and with a final glance at the happily cooing baby the two teens follow after the man who taught their own teacher. Sarutobi sighs as te door is closed and smiles down at the small baby, finding the shocking blue gaze staring back at him.

"Three generations little one. Three generations of Teachers and Students and you'll have them all wrapped around your fingers." Naruto coos and wiggles in his arms as the older man returns to looking out the large windows, surveying the damage caused by the Kyuubi's rampage.

"Your going to be a handful though, just like your father won't you?" he asks the child, not expecting a response. Little Naruto giggles and gives a contented sigh just as the former Hokage's arm is hit with a warm, wet sensation. The man curls his lip is disgust but doesn't move from his current position.

"Yes, you'll be a real handful."

That night Rin and Kakashi recline on the small bed in Kakashi's small apartment, their legs dangling over the side as they stare at the ceiling, each caught up in their own thoughts. They are silent for a while, just content to be when Rin's snort interuppts the comfortable silence.

"You know, Obito and Sensei are probably laughing at us right now." She laughs and it takes a moment for Kakashi to comprehend and process her words.

"Or taking bets. At least he's stopped crying." Kakashi mutters, idly rubbing at the transplanted eye.

"I keep thinking he's going to burst through the door, yelling out excuses and laughing at the fact that we believed his prank and demanding Ramen as his reward." Rin sobs, rolling towards her team mate and uses his shoulder as support. They had done this often after Obito was killed, they would huddle together while Rin cried out her emotions, content with the silent support Kakashi offered. Kakashi wipes idly at the tears pushing through the closed lids of his transplanted eye and allows those falling from his own onyx one to fall steadily.

"There's no reason for you to cry Obito…. You have Sensei and Kushina to accompany you now." Kakashi whispers and beside him Rin sobs harder into his shoulder.

They both cry for the injustice of it all.

Author Note: Scrap it? Like it? Hate it? 'Jebus Wah what in the world were you thinking!?' Leave it in a review please.