A/N: I really should focus on my other two stories (particularly KnY...) but I couldn't get the idea out of my head, as per usual lmao

For plot purposes, Kakashi is 16, turned 17 by the time Naruto is born. He is a teen dad so if you have any issue with that, please exit as this might not be the story for you!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. I only own my OCs.

Numb.

It was a feeling he was starting to get used to over the years. It wasn't necessarily a good nor a bad feeling. It just existed, and he was okay with it. For a while, actually. With the loss of his two teammates, whom he solely placed the blame on himself for, and even the loss of his father before that, he didn't have much going for him.

Minato-sensei always had hopes for him even after the trauma he was put under at a young age. Then again, what shinobi his age didn't have trauma? Still, it was particularly harder to see his student suffer so, even if he doesn't physically show it.

Mission after mission, he could see his lifeless eyes growing foggier from the things he had seen in his time of being a part of the ANBU. He was a child prodigy, and he definitely held that title with how much he's progressed over the years. From graduating the academy at the age of 5, becoming Chunin at 6 and Jonin at 11, it was easy to see how skilled the young silver-haired boy was.

Still, titles didn't mean anything to the teen as he ticked off missions like they were a grocery list. And as his sensei first, and Hokage second, Minato was determined to put an end to this vicious cycle. He had every intention to assign Kakashi as Kushina's guard of sorts. They were expecting their first child soon, in just around 4 months. Perhaps being surrounded by people he trusted would bring even the smidgen of life back into his eyes.

Or so, that was his plan in the beginning. Until she came.

She can hear the rapid footsteps behind her.

Under the moonlight shining bright, hidden amongst the trees as she ran for her life, she could hear them approaching closer.

She was running out of chakra, and she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep up. She was so exhausted; having not been trained a ninja all her life made it worse on her tiring body. Basic skills were the only things she mastered; after all, she never expected to use them in life. She gasped, panted and wheezed her way through the trees, her mind getting foggy with the thought of slowing down and letting them catch her.

A wriggle against her back reminded her of why she couldn't do just that.

Her safety was much more important than anything else. Their destination wasn't too far now; another few miles and she can surrender herself.

They can take care of her; she knows this. She may not have lived in the Hidden Leaf Village, but if he was from here, then her safety was guaranteed.

A small whine resounded through her ears, and as she hopped off one branch to the next, she brought the carrier from her back to her front. She lifted the blanket off her small, pale face just a tad bit to see her frowning face and closed eyes.

"Shh, shh," the young teen whispered, cradling her into her arms as she took her eyes off her face for just a second to see gates appearing in her view. Her heart sped up a bit, fully aware this was a risk she was taking in terms of bringing her to a village where they can absolutely object her plea. "We're almost there, baby."

The trees had started disappearing and she was met with the dirt once more as she landed somewhat rough on her feet, grunting at the pressure. The little one was startled from the intrusion, prompting her to open her eyes.

Shining, red orbs stared back into her own brown eyes and they looked tired. Every right to be so.

The woman only gave her a quick, small smile before she pushed the last of her energy towards the village's gates. Absentmindedly, she wondered where were the hooligans that were chasing after her, before she decided to not risk the chance of looking back as her vision flooded with two men standing guard towards her destination.

They seem to have expected her arrival, judging by their tense forms and glaring eyes.

As she slowed to a stop, 5 feet in between while she gasped for air, the taller of the two grumbled, "State your name and business."

Exhaling harshly, she straightened up and spoke, voice wary and raspy. "My name… My name is Nana." She cleared her throat. "I ran from my village in search of sanctuary… but not for me," she lowered the swaddle blanket and showed the babe's face to the two ninjas. "Please… I can't keep her safe! She will be safer here, I know she will! Just for her, you can take her in, yes?!" The woman was hysterical at this point.

The shorter of the men approached her calmly while the taller narrowed his eyes critically. "Please calm down, miss. We're going to need an explanation as to why you came to our village in the first place, not to mention so late into the night. We can't risk anything for the safety of Konoha."

She sobbed, "I'm not some enemy! You don't even have to take me in! It's for… for her! I—The father of my child lives here! Isn't she granted some sort of citizenship for that atleast?!"

The baby girl, tired from today's events and not being fed properly for hours, let out a piercing wail that startled the three from their confrontation. She wiggled in her tight position, and Nana swiftly unswaddled the cloth to give her room.

The shorter man sighed as the woman frantically tried to keep her baby calm. "Look. We can take you to our hospital to check up on you and the girl. As of now, I haven't sensed any threat on your person and my partner can agree." A grunt was heard. "However, you will be heavily guarded, and you will speak to the Hokage of this. I cannot guarantee your citizenship in our village, but I'm sure he can work something for you and your baby." He paused. "And you claim that someone from here fathered your child?"

Nana sniffled, rocking the baby back and forth. "Yes. I-It was a one time thing, and I recognized him from the Bingo book…"

The taller man had to raise a brow at that and so did his partner. They had a right to be skeptical, but again, they weren't in any position to question her. No, that would be up to their Kage, or worse, the Interrogation Force.

"Teko, guard the gate. I'll lead her to the hospital and explain the situation. I'll also contact the Hokage," the shorter man, Noruko, explained to the taller man as Teko only grunted an agreement, not without sending one last glare to the woman.

Minato had to be held back into the office once more. Kushina wasn't too happy with him, but it wasn't something he could put off any longer.

He didn't want to pile on paperwork when the baby arrived. He wanted to spend a lot of time with his family. Of course, that didn't mean he could quit his Hokage duties, but it would help to lessen the workload.

So really, he wasn't expecting someone at his door so late and startled when he heard their knock. Hmm, not a good thing to do if it was enemy, he mused to himself.

"Come in," he replied, and in came one of Konoha's gates guard, Noruko. "Ah, welcome! What can I help with tonight, Noruko-san?"

Noruko could never really get over the 4th Hokage's warm demeanor. Of course, the 3rd was also a kind man, but something about the 4th being so young really caught the man off guard.

He bowed. "Good evening, Hokage-sama." Minato waved off the formal term. "We've had a bit of a… problem tonight at the gates."

"Oh?" Minato placed his pen down, giving the man his full attention.

"A woman by the name of Nana approached our gates and pleaded to give citizenship to her baby." He sighed. "She also claims that the father is also one our own residents, along with being known in the Bingo book. She's in Konoha's hospital right now with her and her daughter getting a checkup. Both seem to be fine, with the mother being dehydrated, along with chakra depletion, and daughter being hungry. I'm… not sure how to approach this. Should I send the woman to the Interrogation Force?"

Minato clasped his hands together in front of him, pondering his options. Really, he could just let Noruko send the woman to them, but what of the baby? And she says the father is well known in the Bingo book… they didn't have many residents who lived here registered in that book, so they can narrow down the possibilities of that child's father. Perhaps the woman had her own version of the book to scope out who would be registered in script.

"No." Minato finally decided, standing up from his place at his desk as he slipped on his Hokage robe. "I'll go down there myself and see if what she says is true. Thank you for your work, Noruko-san. Give my regards to Teko-san as well."

Noruko bowed once more before he disappeared, and Minato decided to walk his way down to the hospital. The breeze was nice in the night, and he needed to stretch his muscles anyways from sitting at that desk too long.

As he made his way towards the hospital, a body was slowly walking in his opposite direction, and he recognized the poof of silver hair. "Ah, Kakashi!"

Kakashi lifted his head to see his teacher waving in his direction, and he walked a bit faster to approach him. "Sensei, what are you doing out so late?"

"I could ask you the same thing," the blonde mused.

"I just came back from a mission." Minato could sense the exhaustion in his voice. "Are you headed home now?"

"No, actually I was headed to the hospital." He resumed his walk towards his destination as his old pupil walked beside him.

"Is Kushina-san okay?"

"Oh yeah, perfectly healthy and just as beautiful!" Kakashi could almost see the stars in his teacher's eyes. "She's getting rounder every day—oh, but don't tell her I said that. I mean it in a good way, but she doesn't see what I see and nearly beat me for insulting her."

Kakashi let out a small chuckle. "I read a woman's hormones are out of sorts when pregnant."

"Definitely! One day, she'll want to be at my side all the time, and the next, she wants nothing to do with me." Minato laughed. "But I wouldn't have her any other way."

The two arrived at the entrance, and Minato turned towards the teen. "Well, Kakashi. This is my spot. I hope you have a good night." The blonde gave him a meaningful look, one that Kakashi understood. A night with no nightmares is a hopeless thought.

"I'll try, sensei."

Kakashi flickered away and Minato turned towards the entrance, walking in and immediately gaining the attention of the medic-nin walking around. Bows and multiple greetings were towards him as he only smiled and bowed his head back.

"What can we do for you, Hokage-sama?" One of the doctors approached him, an older man with graying hair and a friendly smile.

"I'm looking for a woman by the name of Nana. She was just brought in by Noruko-san."

"Oh!" Realization dawned on him. "Yes, right this way, Hokage-sama."

Minato mentally sighed. He'll never get used to such formalities from the citizens.

Walking down the corridor, Minato realized they were in the baby ward, judging by the faint cries from several rooms. The doctor finally found the room with two ANBU members standing guard at the door. The doctor turned to him and bowed. "She's in here, Hokage-sama."

"Thank you, doctor." Minato bowed his head back as he turned to the guards. "Thank you for your work, you two. I'll take it from here."

"Yes, Hokage-sama!" The two announced before they poofed away, and Minato knocked on the door softly before letting himself in.

Immediately, baby cooing entered his ears and his heart warmed at the sound. He couldn't wait for his beautiful boy to enter the world.

Shaking his head before his thoughts trail off again, Minato stepped in the room and closed the door behind him before he wandered in further. "Hello, Nana-san?"

His eyes landed on a tanned-skin young woman, wide brown eyes settled on his form as her hands stilled on the pudgy baby's pale stomach. Shifting his eyes, the baby's sight was set on him as well, and he almost melted at the sight that greeted his eyes.

Feline-shaped red eyes were looking straight at him, with sparse eyebrows of a newborn and settled on the top of her head was a full head of silver hair. She was well taken care of, judging from the rolls on her arms and legs, but she still looked small. He can't guess her age well.

"Hokage-sama!" The girl yelped, and she bowed until her head hit the bed. "I-I apologize for the horrible intrusion to your village! It wasn't my intention to cause harm—"

"Slow down there, Nana-san," Minato chuckled as he settled into a chair by her bedside. "Why don't you start from the beginning, hm?" He looked into the baby's direction once more. "And introduce me to the beautiful little girl you have there."

Nana blushed fiercely at the man's soothing voice. She wasn't used to having the opposite sex around her so often and the Hokage was an attractive man. Shaking her head from the ludicrousy of her thoughts, she lifted the girl into her arms and cradled her. "This is Nayuma."

"Hm? No clan name?" Minato asked, mostly to himself, but Nana responded anyways.

"No." She was hesitant. "No… my clan is pretty much dead, a-and she has another clan out there. She'd be better off with her father. You see… She's not safe in my village. I know she'll be safe here. I can't…" She sobbed quietly. "I can't subject her into my life. Please, take her. E-Even if her father doesn't want her, s-she can be adopted!"

"Speaking of such, Noruko-san mentioned the father of Nayuma is in your bingo book." She sniffled, but nodded anyways. "May I see your village's book?"

Nana reached over to the bedside where a plain, black book rested as she skimmed through the pages before she found what she was looking for. Shakily, she handed the blonde man the book, who only gave her a gentle smile in return before he looked for himself.

His breath hitched at the familiar, sketched eyes looking back at him, along with his bounty and given title.

Kakashi of the Sharingan.

When Kakashi was woken up in the middle of the night, it wasn't from a nightmare this time.

The silver-haired Jonin grunted, scratching his head as he saw a summoned bird tapping at his window in his small flat. He lifted the window and the bird cawed before dropping a scroll into his hands and flying away.

He internally groaned, already mentally ticking off the necessary weapons for this next mission as he unraveled the scroll. He paused in confusion when it wasn't a mission, but a summoning to the Konoha hospital. From his teacher, no less.

The blonde man only left a cryptic message of, 'there's something we need to discuss, now.' He almost sounded like a scolding father and Kakashi couldn't imagine what was going through that man's mind.

He dressed in a long sleeved shirt/mask combo, the typical shinobu pants and sandals before exiting his house. He made a few hand signs and in a few seconds, he was at the hospital entrance.

He particularly hated this place. Sometimes missions could get carried away, and he'd have chakra exhaustion. Tenzō would either take him, or sometimes Gai when he was allowed to.

Searching for his teacher's chakra, he immediately located him at the second level. Casually, he jumped on the wall and walked upwards, making a right before he located the right window.

He peeked in, seeing a girl around his age there speaking with Minato. In her arms, wriggled a small body, and a tiny hand popped up from the blankets and grabbed at the blonde's, which made him and the girl laugh.

Kakashi swiftly slipped in from the open window, before bowing. "Sensei."

The girl squealed in surprise and Minato chuckled, having already sensed him. "Kakashi-san. Please, have a seat. We have some things to discuss."

Warily, he took a seat beside Minato as the girl followed his movements with her eyes. Now that he got a good look at her, she seemed… familiar, but not so much.

She had brown eyes, tanned skin and short, black hair that was cut to her shoulders. She was slim from what he can see, and seemed to either be in awe of him or scared of him, judging by how her pupils dilated the moment she saw him.

"This is Nana," Minato introduced. "Have you ever heard of her?"

Kakashi narrowed his only visible eye. "No, sensei. I don't recall her face or name."

Minato hummed before turning to the girl. "And you're absolutely sure with what you say?"

Nana nodded with a determined gleam. "I have no reason to lie!"

The blonde nodded before standing and letting in the nurse who was about to knock. "Please, come in." He took his place back in his seat before turning to his pupil. "Kakashi-san, would it be okay if this nurse took your blood sample?"

Kakashi casted him a look. "For what reason?"

"Ehehe… a paternity test."

"P-Paternity—?!"

"I know it sounds outrageous," Minato soothed. "But trust me on this, yes?"

Kakashi gave him one more look before consenting to the venipuncture, and it was done quickly before the medic-nin said she'd be back with the results in just a moment.

"Now tell me what's going on." Kakashi demanded when the medic left.

And so, Nana went into her story of how she ended up here in the first place.

It seemed like Kakashi was in her village at the time. Considering the fact that their village was more lenient on alcohol for the younger folks, Nana had watched from her spot at the bar as the silver-haired teen, along with a bowl cut-haired individual kept downing shots like it wasn't a big deal.

Nana was a little tipsy herself and she was encouraged by her friends at the time to approach him. Once she did, the loud one exclaimed boisterously that someone wanted to get freaky with Kakashi, which made her burn with embarrassment and Kakashi almost strangle his friend.

The night was a blur after Kakashi basically dragged Nana by her wrist out of the bar, and into a low-down motel room that he paid for quickly as they got down to their business. It was Nana's first time, not that she shared that with the glaring Kakashi who looked embarrassed, scandalized, and in denial of her tale.

It wasn't until she was four months along did she realize she was pregnant. She was never really given the sex talk, considering she'd been on her own now for 3 years, having been orphaned at the age of 13. Since then

"That's when the random visits started… Someone would knock on my door and no one was there when I answered. This continued for a few days until I received a letter," her breath hitched as she held Nayuma closer to her form. "They… they wanted me. T-They were going to take me, a-and Nayuma. I knew I couldn't stay there… for Nayuma! Hokage-sama, you must believe me!"

"Now now, Nana-san," Minato patted her head. "I've already decided that you and Nayuma will stay in Kohona. I couldn't stand sending you back out there with her. I will have a meeting with the Elders tomorrow—"

"Sensei! How can you believe this nonsense?!" Kakashi gestured to her wildly. "She's an outsider! She'll bring danger to our village! A-And me? A father? As if! I can't be a father!"

Minato gave Kakashi a meaningful look as the door knocked, revealing the medic-nin from earlier. "I have the results here, Hokage-sama."

"Thank you, miss." He took the scroll as she bowed and left. "Well, this holds the truth of it all." Minato unraveled the scroll, quickly skimming the words before reading the results. "Kakashi… your blood sample came back 99.8% positive. Nayuma is your child." He rolled it back up before standing, prompting the stunned Jonin to do the same. "Well, Nana-san, we bid you farewell! I will be back tomorrow to give you the good news of your citizenship, yes?"

…

She was gone the next morning.

It was like she had vanished into thin air. The only evidence that she was even in the room was the sleeping baby tucked into a bassinet at the end of the bed, and a note.

Minato gingerly unfolded the note, reading:

Hokage-sama,

Thank you so much for your hospitality. Without your help, Nayuma would have never gotten the chance to live. She is too precious to the world, much too innocent to live my life… Please, take care of her. This may be asking for too much, but, if she can have Kakashi-san in her life would be much better for her. No child deserves to be without parents.

Sincerely, Nana

And so, when Kushina was just finishing up lunch, she heard the door open and she perked up. "Minato! You're home so early! Have you gotten all that paperwork done—?"

She froze when a sheepish Minato stood in their living room, with a swaddled, sleeping baby in his arms. "Ah, honey… let me explain."

And she did, both sitting on the couch with the now-awake Nayuma trying to take off her mittens but Kushina only gently pushed her fists away from her face every time. Minato explained the details of only last night, as the red-head gasped in some parts and groaned in others.

"Whaaa! Kakashi-kun is a daddy!" She squealed, stars in her eyes. "That's actually really cute!"

Minato chuckled. "Yes, that is the case. Though, he didn't seem quite… enthusiastic about the news." The blonde sighed, absentmindedly playing with a silk of hair on Nayuma's head. "I'm not really sure how to proceed, but ultimately, it's up to him on what he wants to do. After all, she is his daughter."

Kushina looked down at the baby. "I kind of see his features in her… the nose, especially. But you said the girl looked completely different, right?" When he nodded, she continued, "Then where did those red eyes come from?" She mused. "Is it some sort of genetic mutation of the Sharingan?"

Minato shook his head. "As far as I'm concerned, pure Uchihas are the only ones who can pass that bloodline limit down."

Kushina hummed before swiftly picking up the 1-month old, startling both Minato and Nayuma. "Well! No time for twiddling our thumbs! You go get Kakashi down here and I'll have a talk with him while I feed this little darling!"

"H-Honey, I have to go back to work—" He regretted saying anything when he saw her infamous Red Habanero rage seeping through her eyes. He sighed. "Yes, dear."

Kakashi was actually sulking on his way to his teacher's house.

Yes, sulking.

He wanted nothing to do with the baby. Plain and simple. A paternity test says nothing. He doesn't have time for babies. It's not in his plans for a long time if ever. He was a shinobi, in an organization where he's only home ever so often. He's one of the best, and though he doesn't pride himself in such, it's just facts. He simply cannot fit a baby into his schedule.

He hasn't been around a lot babies, but he knows they need constant attention and affection. He shuddered. No. He was going to let Kushina-san down gently and perhaps convince her to send the baby to an orphanage.

So why did that thought cause a pang to his heart? He scoffed to himself, knocking on the door and dreading this visit.

Kushina opened the door with a bright smile. "Come in, Kakashi-kun! I just finished the soba!"

Kakashi left his shoes at the door, muttering a thanks as he followed her into the kitchen. When he stepped into the room, he spotted the bassinet by the table and swiftly avoided the object as he sat on the other wise.

Kushina rolled her eyes as she set his food down, before she set her own down. They both clasped their hands and thanked for the meal, before digging in.

It was just a few minutes of silence, along with the occasional slurping of noodles. Kushina respectfully kept her head down as Kakashi ate with his mask off. He was thankful for her and Minato for learning his mannerisms.

As the meal was coming close to an end, Kushina suddenly started stood from the table. "Ah! Gotta pee, gotta pee, gotta pee!" She murmured to herself as she swiftly left the kitchen and towards the restroom, while Kakashi slowly blinked.

It was at this moment where Nayuma started fussing, and Kakashi's trained ears started picking up on her small sobs.

He was all intent on ignoring her completely, but his instincts started coming into play and he couldn't deny them.

Go. Go comfort your pup, now.

The silver-haired teen sighed heavily as he stood from the chair, coming around the table to the whimpering baby. Slowly, he tucked his hand under her head and back before bringing her up to his chest. It was awkward with the blanket being in the way, but he managed to get her cheek and little fists resting on his chest as he supported her.

She was still whimpering, so he started patting her back gently. It seemed to be doing the trick for her as her head started lolling, and soon enough, her cheek was squished against him and her lips were parted, causing her to snore.

Kakashi only huffed a laugh, because he could admit it was an adorable sight. As he slowly rubbed her back, he did a mental checklist of her fingers. All 10; he'll have to do her toes later. He brought his nose to her hair and inhaled, finding her scent… comforting.

He studied her features closely, and he could see some of his own on her. His nose, his lips, and she even has a tiny mole on her chin like he does.

No… he didn't want to be a father; he was afraid to be one. He didn't want her in his life lest she be subjected to death, like his father, and his teammates. He didn't want to feel vulnerable again and have another life to care for just so it results in the same way.

From the way his life was leading up to, he wasn't expecting marriage or a family to settle down to. He didn't want to tie his life to anyone. He was a walking curse, only promising death in the future for anyone who dared to get close.

But as he continued to stare down into her sleeping, peaceful face, he knew he wanted to be selfish just this once.

Please, Kami-sama, he thought to himself as Nayuma drooled through his shirt. Don't ever let me lose her.

Kushina almost let out a squeal as she peeked from the corner, finding the whole scene as adorable as she predicted. Gingerly, she sneaked a picture on the camera she nabbed before coming back into the kitchen, and told herself she'd have Minato make copies for just the three of them.