Companion fic to Trinkets. If you haven't read it, it is highly recommended that you do so first.
Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, the Yondaime would be alive and Naruto would be loved and well cared for.
Pride
By Nanikato
12/23/07
Everything around him was dark. Black and dreary and the only thing he could see was a small child.
The little boy looked familiar but he couldn't figure out why. Not for the longest time. So he watched the little boy, Naruto, grow up as there was nothing else to do and his memories returned slowly but surely. With the return of his memories came the lightening of his surroundings and he could see where he was.
Sometime around Naruto's tenth birthday he began practicing with his environment. He found that with the proper amount of concentration he could move things. He was delighted and immediately began planning. He was so proud of Naruto and the way he had grown up.
When the cake had been set on the table and the note had been written, he waited patiently (well, not so patiently) for his son to return. The obsession with orange had been surprising but at the same time expected. His mother had been the same way, after all.
Naruto's reaction to the cake had been mild but he knew how much it meant by the sparkle in the boy's eyes.
He kept to keeping the house reasonably neat and practicing with his abilities. If he tried really hard he could manifest some of his items. He could even touch people.
He put this to good use when his son would accidentally fall asleep outside. Like any other caring parent, he wanted his child to be as comfortable as possible. So he carefully moved his son back to his apartment and wrapped him up in a blanket. Just for kicks, he left one of his trademark kunai on the bedside table.
Kakashi's expression was well worth the drain he felt from using his abilities.
He couldn't think of any other way to help Naruto other than leaving him little trinkets. When he realized how much trouble his son got into he found another way to help him.
It took a lot of energy but being able to stop the fatal attacks left him with a strong sense of accomplishment. It seemed like a lot of people wanted Naruto dead, he thought with a scowl.
Naruto…was so bright and cheerful, so much like his wife that at times he could have sworn Kushina was speaking through him. But Kushina was as dead as he was even though he had never seen her. Perhaps it was because she had left the living world with no regret other than the fact that she would never see her child grow while he was faced with the colossal guilt of ruining his son's life.
Every time he saw the villagers' glares of hatred, he wanted to snap and yell and curse at them—but he was dead, dead, dead and the fact that he could do nothing to stop the anger and loathing directed at his son made it almost painful to even exist.
Naruto seemingly ignored the villagers' detest but he knew better. Oh yes, he did. He knew all too well how much that cold hatred had affected Naruto. The memories of his son's cries and sobs and weeping as he asked aloud why he was hated at all still haunted him. No parent wanted to witness such a sight and the truth was that he could do nothing about it.
He felt as if he would burst from pride when Naruto managed to bring Uchiha Sasuke back to the village and intended to give him a gift to show how proud he felt. Naruto's delight at seeing the boxed gift made parting with his favorite item of clothing well worth it. Naruto's smile was worth everything.
He tailed him to the Hokage's tower and watched as his intellectual student pieced the clues together. Naruto seemed to be in a sort of shocked trance as he returned to his home.
He gave a smile that no one could see when Naruto thanked him aloud but the smile became wistful when Naruto wondered why. He felt so humbled that he had such a wonderful son even as he wished with all his being that he could have truly raised him. He ruffled his son's bright blond hair fondly as he sadly observed the way his son clung to the mahogany box he had given him as if it was his last lifeline.
Naruto was so precious to him. He only wanted him to be happy.
"Naruto, musuko, I'm so very proud of you…"
Somehow, in his heart, the Yondaime knew he had been heard.