"Lady Hokage, you said you wanted to see us?" The Chunin asked as he and the female Jonin stood beside one another, the female holding the fidgeting object in her arms.

"How have things been?" Tsunade asked Iruka and Anko who looked on at her.

"Fine for the most part, a bit tiring but we're getting by with having to look after him." Iruka answered her.

"I see." Tsunade said as Naito looked on at the Godaime and smiled cutely at her. "Curious little tyke isn't he? I must say I'm impressed; you two don't look nearly as ragged as I thought you would." She teased them and Anko wasn't in the mood to deliver a snarky response as Naito was squirming around in her arms.

Naito went as if to try and grab her pendant that dangled around her neck but Anko shoved a pacifier in his mouth causing him to blink in surprise before deciding it was good enough and lying his head on her shoulder a content look on his face.

"Would you mind telling us what is it that you wanted to see us so badly about?" Anko asked cutting to the point not in the mood to play twenty questions.

"Sure, but let's get him settled first. Shizune, will you take him to the next room and play with him for a bit?" Tsunade told her apprentice who nodded and walked over to Anko. Anko gingerly handed him over to the black haired girl and Naito began to squirm about starting to pout but Shizune held him softly and patted his back before he slowly accepted her holding him and she took him out of the room leaving the adults there with the door open so that he could see them.

"He seems to have adjusted well." Tsunade said to them

"Yes, Lady Tsunade." Iruka replied to her

"I take it you didn't just call us help here so to want to hear about how we're raising him and he's keeping us up all night." Anko said to her and Tsunade looked on at her and Anko seeing it realized that that was a look that meant things were serious

"People who are believed to be his parents were found yesterday, about three miles from where you found him Anko." Tsunade said to them.

"Really? That's great!" Anko said with a smile as it was happy news to her ears that his parents whoever they are had been discovered at last. "Tell them to come get their baby and to be responsible parents for a change so I don't have to look after him." She said hopeful that she wouldn't have to deal with him any longer now that his parents had been found.

Tsunade took a deep breath as this was never easy before she continued what she was about to say. Iruka also noticed that her usual bottle of Sake was not on her desk. "That's not what I meant. They were found, but they weren't alive."

The news hit them both like a hammer at what she had just told them.

"You mean that-" Iruka spoke up but stopped before he could finish that sentence.

"They are dead I'm afraid." Tsunade solemnly told them. "From what we have gathered they are most likely dead and apparently from what's been gathered before they died they put Naito up so he wasn't noticed or was ignored."

"How did they…" Anko started to say and Tsunade shook her head.

"All signs and reports point to that they were killed by bandits or missing nins. Our trackers have deciphered what happened by analyzing the trail and piecing the clues. Near by, there was a small home where that baby lived out with his real parents. Nothing more than rubble sadly now as it was attacked. For money, food or whatever reason it was attacked and the inhabitants which that boy in your arms was one of fled in an attempt to escape. But they were pursued by the attackers. They tried to get away but they couldn't escape with carrying the baby with them. So in order to save his life, they abandoned him in the woods near where Anko was at and ran off, they were then pursued." She didn't continue that sentence as they could easily figure out what had happened next.

Anko looked on and looked out the room as she saw the baby seated on the floor playing with blocks that Shizune had given him. Absent mindedly playing with and setting them up as he sucked on his pacifier. She turned away as she couldn't bear to look at him after what she had just heard.

"They left him, not to abandon him like it first looked like, but in the hopes that someone would find and take him in." Tsunade sadly told them. "He would've died as well if they had taken him with them, so they sacrificed their lives so he could live. It was a stroke of luck Anko, that you came to that vicinity shortly afterwards and heard his cries when he woke up." She said to them. "Nothing more could be ask of any parent than to give their lives for their son. A tragedy, even today, that such incidents still happen"

Iruka and Anko looked on at each other and at Naito who was unaware of the fact that his parents had been killed, thus leaving him as an orphan.

"Where are they?" Iruka asked her

"Their bodies are being looked for and upon being found will be buried with full honors and respect. It's for the best that he doesn't see them as the effects it would have on him would be devastating." Tsunade said to them. "An investigation is underway as to who is responsible for this heinous attack and atrocity. In his young eyes and mind you are his parents who've come back to him. He sees you as his mother and father unaware that the two of you are nothing more to him than complete strangers." She told Anko and Iruka

The two were quiet as they took in all the news, what had seemed as a baby being dropped off in the woods had turned into something more tragic than they had ever thought. Naito's real parents had given up their own lives so to save his own and now he'd never be able to see them again and was with two people who he thought were them.

Anko looked on at the baby who was happily playing, whilst Iruka was looking down at the floor.

"Justice will be found for them and him as Konoha is not going to tolerate open attacks on its people or in the Land of Fire." Tsunade explained to them. "ANBU are looking and exploring for any places or holes these murderers may hide in but they will not be able to hide for long." She vowed as she was also appalled at the cruelty of actions of such men who ravaged and killed innocents for no reason at all.

"Lady Tsunade," Iruka said suddenly speaking up.

"What is it Iruka?" She asked as he lifted his head up to look at her.

"I…I…I wanna adopt Naito." Iruka said speaking up catching them off guard.

"What?" Anko said caught off guard not expecting him to say that.

"He needs me right now, Lady Hokage." He pleaded to her "I'm the only one who understands him now and because that to him I am his father if you took him away now it'll shatter his fragile mind if you do. He lost his parents and now he thinks he's got them back, if we leave him, he may never recover from it. I'll change my job at the academy to part time so I can take care of him full time." He said to her who looked on

"Iruka." Anko said to him. Despite only having him for a few days, Iruka was wanting to adopt and raise him as his very own.

"Please Tsunade," The Chunin said to her. "Let me do this."

"Iruka, as noble as your intentions are, you can't do this alone as it takes a lot to raise a baby and with you having to give up teaching, where are you gonna get the money to provide for him?" Tsunade asked. "He'll have to go to the orphanage." She told him

"But,"

"They're good people, they'll provide him with good care and food there and there's plenty of people in Konoha who'd want to adopt him and be able to give him support." Tsunade said to him. "It's probably for the best if he went there." She said as she was being realistic, a Academy Teacher's salary wasn't enough to provide care and nourishment for an infant. As much as she wanted to support him in this, she knew that alone he wasn't enough to provide care for him. "A single person is not enough to raise a baby. The only way I could let you do that is if someone else also helped you with it and you raised him together."

"I'll find someone who can, Naruto would be willing to help me out when he's not on missions, and I'm sure that there are others as well who'd want to and can help out." Iruka said to her but she wasn't convinced.

"Iruka, your heart is good but you know how child laws are." Tsunade told him. "They find one thing wrong with him even if he's missed feeding time even once they'll take him away. And I'm not sure someone like Naruto would be the best fit to raise him with you. Child raising is no easy task to do."

"But," He started to protest but she cut him off.

"I'm sorry but you can't do this by yourself, it's for the best if he does go to the orphanage, and I'm sure there's plenty of people in the village who'd be more than willing and happy to adopt him and raise him as their own."

"But he only wants to be with us." Iruka said under his breath.

"It'll be another day or two before the arrangements at the orphanage can be made and they can prepare and make room for him there." Tsunade said to the two. "That'll be all, you two are dismissed."

"Yes, Hokage-sama." The two somberly said and exited the room. Anko got Naito and scooping him up she and Iruka walked out of the building and onto the streets of Konoha. Neither said a word between them after what they had just learned from there.

Naito was frowning and whimpering in her arms as if he realized that something was wrong with the way they were acting. Iruka looked on and smiled sadly at him

"I'll guess I'll see you around Anko." He said and reaching up softly patted the infant's head as Iruka walked away and Naito began to cry and fuss reaching out towards him not wanting him to leave. Anko held him as the baby continued to cry as tears streaked down his cheeks as Iruka went out of distance.

"It's okay, you'll be alright." Anko said as she gently stroked his back attempting to calm him down. "C'mon stop crying." She told him as she rocked him in her arms. "You'll be fine I promise Naito." She said to him as she took him home as she walked through the streets towards it.

Taking him home, she made supper and ate and feed him as well, dinner was easier than lunch and breakfast had been today as he ate the food with little complaint. She allowed herself to smile as she looked on as he smacked his lips and gums together whenever he took a bite.

After a while it was time for bed and she scooped him up and carried him to his room.

Anko sat Naito in his crib who shifted a bit as she tucked him in before dozing off and falling asleep. She looked on at him, the baby unaware that his entire life had been changed forever. She didn't say anything as she stared down at the infant. She didn't know what to say or think after the whirlwind of events that had happened today. It wasn't right, no child should ever have to lose his parents and be all alone. He was just another victim of the cruelty of the world, and he hadn't done anything to deserve to have this happen to him, he was just a baby and hadn't hurt anyone.

Her arms dropping down, she suddenly lifted Naito up out of the crib and placed him on her shoulder. He shook his head a bit and his hand clung to her shoulder but didn't waken as Anko walked out of the room carrying him towards her bedroom and unfolding the covers laid down on the bed with him lying with her in it.

"I'll protect you." She promised softly as she kissed his forehead.