Move Along

This is something I came up with when I was baby sitting this really cute kid...who just happen to have blond hair and blue eyes...anyway, it got me thinking...who took care of baby Naruto? So I made Iruka do it. There's more to come, and I'm sorry the chapters are short ;;

Iruka stared down at the petite form of the newborn, safely tucked inside a bright, thick orange blanket, almost with a sense of disdain. The infant slept so soundly behind the wooden bars of his crib, Iruka found it almost impossible that such a small thing could contain something like the Kyuubi. In actuality, Iruka didn't want to be there, let alone take care of the boy. But it was assigned to him, and he wouldn't turn it down.

He stared harder as a tiny balled fist rubbed whiskered cheeks, letting a small noise –like a coo- out. Iruka began to feel nervous. He hadn't really been told what to do if any when the baby should start to cry.

"Please just stay quiet and sleep until my shift is over," Iruka sighed with annoyance. He wasn't about to forgive the Kyuubi for the damage that had been done, and though he knew the infant had no control over it at all, Iruka couldn't bring himself to really like him. He rested arms along the top bar of the crib and put his chin on his arms. While the noise was only slight creak, it was enough to reach the sensitive new ears of the infant. At first, there were only small whimpers, but they soon turned to cries, and went on to screams.

"Ah! No!" Iruka jumped up, throwing his hands in the air. "What do I do!" Baby Naruto rolled some, kicking his little legs, and making his fists as tight as he could.

Iruka panicked, only being able to think of picking the infant boy up, so he reluctantly reached into the crib. The shrill cries rose higher and higher. Iruka drew his hand back slightly, as if Naruto would bite it, even without teeth. He took a deep breath and scooped up Naruto in his arms.

"Come on now, stop crying…" Iruka rocked the baby back and forth. "…Please?"

The screaming went on.

"What do you want?" He growled. Naruto sobbed, making a few hiccup noises. The baby's large blue eyes remained squeezed shut, turning red and puffy from the tears.

Iruka carried the baby into the kitchen gently patting him on the back, while continuously giving a "Ssh". Iruka looked around hurriedly, trying to find a bottle. He prayed Naruto was hungry. The previous sitter had said that he didn't have his bottle yet. The last thing Iruka wanted to do was try to calm a baby and not know what to give it.

"Where the hell is it?" Iruka scanned the refrigerator. With a heavy sigh and a still crying baby, he shut the fridge. Something on the stove top next to him caught his eye. There, in a pot filled with warm water, sat Naruto's bottle. "They could've told me it was there," Iruka snorted, feeling a little stupid for not seeing it earlier. He shook the excess water off the bottle and found a chair. He cradled Naruto so his head rested on the bend of his arm.

He gently put the bottle to the crying infant's mouth, and much to his relief, Naruto began to drink the warm milk. Iruka was beginning to get shaky after all the crying. He had feared the bottle wouldn't have soothed the infant and he'd be at a complete loss at what to do.

Naruto sucked down the milk gratefully. Iruka watched him closely; tipping the bottle up when needed to make sure Naruto got all of the milk. The baby's cheeks were red, with small tear streaks running from his eyes to his chin. A tuft of blond hair stuck out from under the blanket. While he couldn't admit it openly at the moment, Iruka found Naruto some what cute.

Once the bottle was emptied out by the hungry little Naruto, Iruka tossed it into the sink.

"Now…what do I do with you?" Iruka asked. Naruto stared up at him, blue eyes huge, and mouth open with a trail of drool slipping past his lips. Iruka made a face. He found drool revolting. Naruto titled his head and made a gurgling noise.

"What?" Iruka glowered. He felt awkward talking to Naruto, especially since he couldn't understand a word of it. Iruka wanted the baby to go back to sleep so he could just sit until he was relieved. Naruto giggled at Iruka's facial expression.

"Stop that!" Naruto's giggle grew. Iruka gave up.

He'd never say it at his current point in life, but as Iruka grew older, Naruto grew on him.

See, really short. But don't worry! There's more!