Namikaze Tensai

When life hands you a Mini-Yondaime, what do you do? Train him, of course! Smart!Naruto, Minato-like!Naruto, Strong!Naruto.

I'm so excited for this story! I'm a very busy person so I won't update regularly, but each update shouldn't be more than a couple of weeks.

EDITED: 17 August 2012

My reasons for writing:

I won't be sticking to the original Naruto plot completely. There will be MAJOR changes. Such as Orochimaru, ect. It's a partial rewrite.

Although I love him, I've always wished Naruto was more intelligent and not so...well, brash. I love Minato and I'm making him a mix of his current self and his father. So, smart, strong, kind, determined Naruto. Woot.

Buy don't worry, I won't mary-sue him! Let's see, one of canon Naruto's strength was that he always pretty self-confident and when anyone, let's say, Sasuke insulted him, he just laughed/shouted it off. To balance this, i'll probably make my Naruto slightly more vulnerable. (Don't worry, he'll still kick ass.)

The Hiraishin fascinates me. I want to make it a Namikaze bloodline. It's necessary for the plot I have planned. ^^ You'll see, it won't be totally out of context.

Kakashi sucks in Naruto. Okay, I love him (favourite character alert!) but he ignored Naruto until Shippuden- so complete re-vamp of relationship! Also, It BAFFLES me that he never had contact with his sensei's son! I mean, seriously? Jiraiya was bad enough (I will not accept any excuse from him, where the hell was he?), but Kakashi is actually in Kohona.

I love partial re-writes, but they always seems to include either a Naruto who is just way too overpowered for it to be convincing, or Naruto is like, abused every day of his life. Neither theme I'm too fond of. I'm not denying the fact he may have been-in fact I have a similar incident in this story, but I'm pretty sure the citizens didn't do daily fox hunts. Heh, anyway...

There will be much OOC-ness.

Oh, also deciding on whether to do pairings or not. Poll is on my profile.

I'm giving Naruto's abilities he didn't have in canon. Nothing that makes him god-like, I'm not fond of anyone being overpowered...eh, well, you'll see in this chapter.

Anyway, here's the story!

A/N: Semi-angtsy, probably the product of watching Kakashi Gaiden again. I've never cried so much in my life.

Oh yeah, and when Naruto's a kid, i'll probably slip into my 'Papa Kakashi' tone. Sorry about that, be prepared for a lot of 'cute' and 'adorable's.

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, I'd be rich and wouldn't have to do crappy exams. Yeah.

Chapter One: Kakashi Hatake

Six Years Old

It was October the Tenth; otherwise known as the day the Yondaime died, sacrificing his young life in order to defeat the dreaded nine tailed demon, the Kyuubi no Yoko. But for one little boy, the day held a different significance; it was his sixth birthday. The jeers from the crowd and the crackling from the bonfire was a hum in the small apartment, located far away from the village centre. The boy, Naruto Uzumaki, was highly alert. It was unusual for a six year old to be able to sense other presences efficiently, but it had become a necessity. Although the Sandaime, his Jiji, ruthlessly punished, banished or executed any villager, Shinobi or otherwise, that threatened Naruto's well-being, there were those who still persisted. On his fifth birthday, the first he'd lived alone, three men had broken into his apartment and proceeded to try and kill the boy, only to be cut down where they stood. He remembered the tufts of grey hair dyed red with blood with sickening clarity. The ANBU, Wolf-san, who dealt the punishment, emitted such strong, malicious killing intent that Naruto had to remind himself how to breathe. Apart from the shock and disturbance from seeing their deaths first-hand, he felt immense gratitude towards his saviour.

He still found reason to feel indebted towards the ANBU. Along with the gift of his life, came his ever lingering company. Wolf was never far behind him; his presence was a constant buzz in the back of his brain. Although his chakra was ...cold, just by being there Naruto felt less lonely. Wolf was a friend, even if he didn't know it. Naruto knew that if he revealed his awareness of the ANBU's presence and made contact, there was the chance he wouldn't ever come back. But, being alone on his birthday, his only company being a surprisingly well-baked chocolate cake, the onslaught of solitude crushed his hesitation.

"Hello?" He spoke softly and turned toward to ANBU. He felt the chakra spike; Wolf-san probably thought there was an enemy. "Why don't you come out, Wolf-san?"

There was no reply, even worse, Wolf's presence completely disappeared. The back of Naruto's eyes began to burn as he felt the urge to cry. He'd half expected the reaction, but he'd hoped Wolf would've come through the window and had some of his cake. Maybe Wolf could've even been his first friend. He didn't have many friends; Jiji was more like a grandfather, but Naruto rarely saw him. The man was too busy looking after the village he hadn't yet visited him on his birthday. At least at the orphanage, even if the majority of the assistants or kids hadn't liked him, they were there. He cried hot, frustrated tears over the unfairness of it all. He just didn't understand why everyone looked at him with those fearful eyes; he loved people, especially Jiji, the nice man and lady at Ichiraku's and Wolf. But now he didn't even have Wolf! He put his fork down on the table, suddenly not feeling the slightest bit hungry. If anything, he felt sickened. It must be something I've done...

A soft knock at his door drew him away from his self-loathing. A familiar presence was standing just outside his door. He took a moment to bathe in the strange warmth the ANBU was emitting before grinning. Wolf came back, he felt so lucky! He took a couple of unsure steps before hurrying to his door; he didn't want to keep his visitor waiting, if he did, he felt that Wolf might've left. His little hand was shaking as he opened the door, revealing an unfamiliar face. Wolf-san wasn't wearing his mask! He was wearing a mask, but not his ANBU mask.

"Yo!" Kakashi held up his hand and greeting, noting the boy's shock and recent tear marks with growing guilt. Even worse, he would've probably never made contact if the boy hadn't called out to him. "Maa, aren't you going to invite me in?" One shy nod later and Kakashi entered the small apartment. He felt surprised, but prideful at the cleanliness of the room; his own apartment was probably in a worse state.

"Ano...do you want some cake?" Naruto asked bashfully. He wasn't sure why, but he felt a nervous fluttering in his stomach as the grey-haired man inspected his room. He also felt disheartened at the fact he had no idea how to interact with the man; a product of being growing up with little adult interaction. He desperately hoped Wolf-san would lead the conversation. Kakashi eyed the cake warily; he'd seen the kid bake it. He knew for a fact kids can't bake.

"Sure. Make it a big slice." He figured he'd deal with the food-poisoning tomorrow. He was soon eating his thoughts, quite literally, when he ate a bite of the cake. An onyx eyed stared in surprise at the blushing six year old. It seems, even though he's practically Minato-sensei's clone, he's inherited Kushina-nee-chan's cooking skills. Reminder to self: visit more often.

"Is it okay?" The guy wasn't saying anything. He just sat there, unmoving. Naruto was worried he'd killed Wolf-san with his cake. Strange...I thought it tasted alright...

"Maa, I think this is the best cake I've ever tasted, Naruto-chan." That was saying something; Kakashi usually hated sweets. The cute blonde blushed at the honorific, and beamed at Kakashi's praise. A feeling of bitter warmth hit the Copy-nin; he knew Naruto didn't get any on a regular basis. After he finished his second piece of cake, he decided to get serious. "So, Naruto-chan, mind telling me how you knew I was there?"

"Ano...I've known you were there for a while." The blonde swallowed nervously. Was he in trouble?

"Maa, how long's a while?"

"Well, since you saved me." He admitted grudgingly. He didn't like Wolf-san's reaction. He grey-haired man gaped at him for a while before speaking.

"You've been able to sense my presence since you were five?" Kakashi was speechless. Even Genin have trouble sensing presences, especially a damn ANBU. Even a Chuunin wouldn't have been able to know his location! "How?"

"Um... I sensed your Chakra?" Naruto had only figured out it was Chakras he could sense after reading several scrolls. They did not, however, explain that being a Chakra sensor was increasingly rare. The man's reaction was baffling to him.

"Maa, it seems you're a natural Chakra sensor." Kakashi eye-smiled at the young boy. He was already talented, even at six years old. Minato-sensei would be proud.

"Um...what's one of those, Wolf-san?" Kakashi realized he hadn't told the boy his name.

"Kakashi." Naruto blinked.

"What's that?"

"My name; it's Kakashi Hatake." He paused. "A Chakra sensor is exactly what it sounds like. Basically, it's the ability to perceive the location of people through the sensing of their Chakra systems. A sensor's skills differentiate depending on who they are." Kakashi was losing Naruto towards the end of his explanation. Naruto was smart, but he was still six. It seems the copy-nin hadn't had much, if any, contact with children.

"Differ...entiate?"

"It changes." Kakashi eye-smiled when Naruto's face brightened with understanding, the boy soaked up knowledge like a sponge, just like his sensei. "There aren't many out there, which means you're special, Naruto-chan." Naruto frowned. Special? He didn't like that. He was weird enough already. Kakashi quickly changed his words. "I mean, you're talented. You'll be able to sense presences better than me in no time." This made the blonde beam, Kakashi was giving him so much praise, Naruto couldn't help the rush of joy bubbling in his chest. The blonde couldn't remember feeling so...acknowledged before.

"Maa, look at the time! Hate to say it, but I've got to go."

"Ah...okay." Kakashi frowned at his sensei's son. A sad expression had clouded the boy's face, he didn't like it, nor did he like he dejected tone. He debated spending another half hour with the blonde, but he was already an hour late for his meeting with the Sandaime.

"I'll come back when I can." He didn't want to give a date; he didn't even know his own schedule. The boy's expression brightened.

"You promise?" Naruto look hopeful and shy again. Kakashi thought it was cute.

"Yeah, I promise." He ruffled the boy's hair and winked. "Ja ne!" He disappeared in a swirl of leaves, leaving Naruto to gawk.

"So...cool!"

It seems to blonde found his new idol.

"Kakashi, I'm surprised, you're unusually early." The Sandaime and several Jounin looked thoroughly surprised. However, Hiruzen's astonishment was covered with irritation; Kakashi hadn't entered through the door. Again. What's wrong with the damn door? Why is it always the window?

"Maa, I'm early? I was under the impression I was late." Kakashi drawled. Otherwise he would've spent more time with the kid.

"By an hour. We were prepared to be waiting another two." The Jounin in the room chuckled. Kakashi recognised is friends Genma and Gai and leisurely moved to sit between them.

"My eternal rival! I'm thankful for your youthful timing, I was sure I was going the miss the festival!" Kakashi internally sighed at his close-friend's weird dialect. Though, he wouldn't have him any other way.

"Hm? Sorry Gai, did you say something?" As expected, the same sentence always works like a charm.

"...My eternal rival is so cool and hip!" Kakashi ignored Gai's rush of tears and edged towards Genma. His grown, green friend was really quite disturbing. Even when he wasn't crying.

Kakashi's thoughts were on the blonde haired boy back in the dim apartment. By the end of the annual meeting, he would tell the Hokage of his plans. He'd actually retired, only slightly unwilling, ANBU several days earlier, but had taken to watching Naruto in his spare time. Not only was it a habit, he was worried about the boy, especially on his birthday. As he remembered his first day watching the boy, he cringed; Genma narrowed his eyes in concern, but said nothing.

He'd hated Naruto. A sad truth, but a truth nonetheless; when he first saw the boy, after the Kyuubi's attack, he was so happy that not all of his Sensei had disappeared. He wasn't left alone; Rin was gone, Obito was gone, Kushina-nee-chan and Minato-sensei were gone, but pieces of the latter two were inside Naruto. So, when he found out the boy contained the very being that took two of his precious people away from him, he'd recoiled in disgust. It was like an insult, the demon lurking beneath the surface of his intended younger brother, did fate hate him?

He'd seen Naruto in the usual misguided light, for his tenant, the demon. At the time he knew it was sick, he knew it was wrong, but his utter hatred clouded reason. Kakashi started to feel the familiar sickness of guilt build up in his heart; he would probably be thinking the same of the boy if the Hokage hadn't commanded, or rather, threatened him to guard Naruto. Worse, the blonde would probably be dead. And Naruto definitely deserved to be alive.

It was little things at first. He'd try to ignore how skinny the boy was, or how small; he was obviously the victim of slight malnutrition; probably the product of neglect. He didn't know whether it was intentional or not. Still, ever time the boy passed a homeless animal, he'd break off a little of his own food, or even go to the trouble of finding them scraps. He saw how the owners of Ichiraku treated the boy. At first, he thought they were just being polite, perhaps they were desperate for customers... but he eventually saw their affection for the boy, to say it had baffled would be a slight understatement. He eventually, far too late in his opinion, saw why they liked the boy; Naruto's kind-heartedness could turn a mass murderer down a right path. There was one particular event where a middle-aged civilian woman dropped her groceries. Naruto had helped pick them up; it made his blood boil when he thought of the woman's reaction. She'd screamed at him. Screeched with fear and hatred. She'd riled up the crowd so badly the boy had to run home. He'd run in, bolted the door shut, and proceeded to bawl his eyes out. He was in such a state; it had made the boy sick. Literally. Worse, Kakashi couldn't even comfort him. It wasn't even that he wasn't suppose to reveal himself; the pain of seeing a younger version of his sensei, and the bitter knowledge of his tenant made his limbs freeze...it was too painful.

But nothing, nothing, compared to his fifth birthday. He hadn't felt such bloodlust since Rin was killed on a mission. He was completely prepared to cut them into tiny little pieces, until he remembered the presence of a traumatised little blonde.

"Kakashi?" Hiruzen examined the copy-nin in concern. The meeting had been over for five minutes and the man was just sitting there. From the expression on his face, he wasn't thinking happy thoughts. "Is it Naruto? Is he okay?" He was getting increasingly worried about the surrogate grandson as they neared his admission into the academy. He hoped the children would be kind, but he suspected otherwise. Their parents had probably poisoned their minds with their fear. For all of his love for the village, the inhabitants could be quite ignorant, and it wasn't like he could go around everyone and teach them the basics of Fuuinjutsu. He was just thankful Naruto was entering a class filled with a majority of Shinobi-born children; they didn't fear the boy. Kakashi stood up and made sure they were alone.

"Ah, gomen gomen. Actually, I wanted to speak to you about him." This raised an eyebrow. "Ah, I'd like to request that you visit him later. It is his birthday, Hokage-sama." Hiruzen smiled. It was nice to know Naruto had another to care for him.

"Of course, I was planning on leaving in a little while. What else?" Kakashi hesitated at his question.

"Before I tell you, I'd like to know if you could keep it...well, quiet, until I've sorted something out. I don't mean to overstep my boundaries, but I don't fully trust the intentions of some...people." Or rather, Danzo. Hiruzen gripped his pipe with tense hands. Kakashi never usually spoke with such a respectful tone. It had to be the Kyuubi. He nodded.

"I will."

"Ah, good. Well, Naruto's a sensor." Hiruzen blinked. That was unexpected. Surprising, but in a good way. "And he's smart. He'd been reading scrolls...what I'm trying to say is...I'd like to train him, an apprenticeship. On an extracurricular basis of course, I have no desire to stop him going to the academy." He waited whilst Hiruzen smoked his pipe. The Hokage was troubled; you could see that much by his furrowed brow.

"As much as I'd love to say yes, I'd have to inform the council. I doubt they'd agree, especially since apprenticeship comes hand-in-hand with guardianship." Not the civilian representatives...or Danzo. No, especially not Danzo. Not when he wants Naruto for himself.

"I know the clan heads. I can get their votes. And I can speak to the ANBU and Jounin representative...I guess I'd like an audience with the elders, if that's possible." The Sandaime's advisors had made enough trouble by pronouncing the boy un-adoptable. There were several reasons, some more relevant than others. Naruto and Kohona's best interests were at heart, they didn't fully trust the intentions of the Uchiha clan, and to deny them the right of Uzumaki of a child to a different clan would only serve to increase the current conflict.

Of course, Kakashi hadn't been willing to take the boy in himself, but he knew several clans had offered. The Yamanaka clan would've made a good home. Perhaps not the Uchiha, the boy was far too cheerful for their...stern way of life. It was a shock they'd even put the offer in, the main house no less! Kakashi didn't know the bastard Fugaku had a compassionate bone in his body.

"I see... If I'm correct, Koharu is in her office as we speak. There's no time like the present, hm?"

"Maa, I guess not. Thank you, Hokage-sama."

"You're welcome, Kakashi. And good luck, he would do well under your guidance." He chuckled. "I think you may find persuading her rather easy, I've always had to feint suspicion she's...infatuated with you." The thought alone made Kakashi shudder.

Kakashi nodded and made his way out of the Hokage's office. He was dreading a meeting with the female member of the elders. In his opinion, she was a cold-hearted bitch. As a clan head in his own right, he's attended a grand total of two council meetings; only when they regarded Naruto. The first was after his attack, the second for his admission into the academy. The boy had barely gotten in, product of the sharp tongue dealt by Danzo, who apparently wanted to train Naruto himself, and the hesitation of the Civilian representatives... not that they had that much say in Shinobi affairs. Of course, there hadn't been much trouble with Naruto entering school until Koharu and Homura, both respected individuals, spoke up. He would have to change her mind directly. When he reached her office door, he gave it a sharp, professional knock.

"Come in." By Koharu's tone, Kakashi could tell she was in a particularly sour mood. Not good. "Ah, Sharingan no Kakashi, a surprising visit." She eyed the young man with an arched eyebrow; the similarities to his father were uncanny. Just exiting the teenage years at twenty, he had grown into a handsome man. He was perhaps even more attractive that his late father, who had a notoriously large fan club that just loved his muscular frame. Kakashi was far more slender and elegant, it only made her wonder whether he took after his mother, a kindly, baby-faced doctor, or father under the mask.

"Ah, Koharu-sama, If I could just have a word?" Koharu raised her eyebrow. Koharu...sama? Just what does he want?

"Well? Go ahead. Don't waste my time."

"It's concerning Naruto Uzumaki." Koharu raised an eyebrow and gazed at Kakashi impassively.

"The Kyuubi child?" Kakashi tried to stay calm, but she made his blood boil.

"No. Naruto Uzumaki." He realised he was releasing killer intent and quickly reined it in.

"I didn't realize you were so fond of the boy, Hatake-san. I was under the impression you wanted nothing to do with him." Koharu was more than curious at Kakashi's change in heart. She held no ill-feelings for the boy herself, but he was a dangerous liability.

"He changed my mind."

"Oh?"

"...Before I tell you of my main request, I'd like you to meet him." Kakashi knew he was pushing it. He chose to persevere down the risky path, but if things went right, it could also be the most productive.

"I think you need to know your place, Hatake-san."

"Koharu-sama, I'm begging you for just a few minutes of your time." Being indebted towards an elder could be dangerous. I hope I'm making the right choice.

"What purpose would this serve? What are you after?"

"That will be revealed after you meet him, Koharu-sama." Her curiosity was starting to get the better of her. She sighed and grudgingly nodded.

"Alright, bring him here." Kakashi's eyed widened.

"N-now?" Well, he hadn't expected that. In fact, he hadn't expected her to agree at all, let alone be so keen. Though if what the Hokage said was true...he tried his hardest not to gag. Thank Kami she's never seen under my mask...

"I have no wish to attend the festival. Too loud." She picked up her brush and began filling in paperwork. "Well? Go on then. Don't waste my time."

"Ah, of course. I'll be right back." He shunshin'd out of the office. Koharu eyed the new pile of leaves distastefully.

Naruto had just finished cleaning away his own pile of leaves when Kakashi abruptly appeared in his apartment. He yelped and stumbled backwards from the sudden movement, promptly falling over and hitting his head on the end of the chair.

"Ouch..." He closed his eyes and gingerly rubbed the throbbing area before the pain seemed to instantly dissipate. It was strange, he never seemed to bruise. He opened his eyes to concerned Wolf-san inches away from his face.

"Maa, that was quite the bump, 'you okay?" He blinked before nodding and smiling brightly.

"Yup!" Naruto awkwardly got to his feet. "When you said you'd come back, I didn't think you meant in two hours." He teased, although he couldn't deny that he was happy his new friend wanted to keep him company. Kakashi chuckled.

"Hmm, you can call me Kakashi, Naruto-chan. I'm not ANBU anymore." This news shocked Naruto.

"You're not?" He bit his lip. If Kakashi wasn't ANBU, then he wouldn't always be around. He looked up at his cool new friend. Somehow, he found that speaking to Wolf-san was worth it.

"Ah, no." Kakashi chuckled and rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "I actually have someone I want you to meet."

"Someone...you want me to meet?" Naruto smiled at the copy-nin in delight. Another friend? Kakashi noticed how excited the blonde was and felt horribly guilty. He couldn't imagine the meeting being...pleasant. He bent down to Naruto's height, which was quite a feat considering how small the boy was, and looked him in the eye. Naruto snapped to attention, he recognised the serious body-language.

"Listen, Naruto-chan. You need to make this person like you." Naruto swallowed nervously and nodded.

"That might be hard, wo-Kakashi."

"Ah, well I'm sure you'll be able to do it." Kakashi smiled reassuringly and Naruto calmed down instantly. "Hmm... bring some of the cake." He walked over the boy's wardrobe and picked out a clean, deep blue sweater. "And put this on. I'll be waiting outside." He mock saluted the boy and exited via the window.

"So...cool!" Naruto gushed. His new friend was the best!

They arrived outside the Hokage tower in little under half an hour. Naruto was wrapped up in his puffy orange coat, an unusual colour choice, but nevertheless endearing. He was saved from the cold eyes of the villagers; the streets were sparsely populated due to the mass gathering in the centre. This didn't draw away from the fact the evening was cold and biting, an unfitting air for a child's birthday.

"Um, 'Kakashi, who exactly are we meeting?" The boy had to crane his neck upwards at an uncomfortable angle to catch sight of the Jounin's face. He couldn't deny that the silver hair, especially in the sunset, was pretty awesome.

"An elder, so remember to be...respectful." He felt slightly hypocritical. He'd love to disembowel the woman. "And look cute. Those eyes are killers."

"Huh?" Naruto asked confusedly. Kakashi just chuckled. He wasn't joking however; the blonde's big cerulean eyes reminded him so much of his late sensei, he found it hard to look at them. If he wasn't the Jinchuuriki, there'd be no limit to his admirers.

The pair entered the Hokage tower and made their way to Koharu's office. Kakashi put his hand protectively on the boy's head and death-glared at the unaccommodating staff. The receptionist had been particularly snippy, well, until she saw Kakashi. His female followers were horribly shallow, it was no wonder he was still a bachelor. When they reached Koharu's opposing office door, he decided to give his future student a few words of encouragement.

"Now listen, Naruto. This woman may be a b- not very nice person, but persevere!" He eye-smiled and Naruto blinked.

"Perse-?" Kakashi internally groaned. Talking to children was difficult.

"Persevere, it means to keep trying. Basically, just butter her up until she likes you." Understanding dawned on Naruto's face, his eyes steeled with determination. Kakashi was taken aback with the nostalgic expression; the blue held the same clarity and fire as Minato-sensei had when he set himself a goal. It was almost painful.

"Okay. I can do this! Thanks, Kakashi." Naruto smiled sincerely and knocked gently on the elder's door.

"Come in." Koharu's hard tone nearly made Naruto flinch, but only served to make him far more determined. By the end of the meeting, he vowed that she was going to adore him. She won't know what hit her. Kakashi opened to door for him and they both stepped inside. Koharu squinted at the pair and her gaze seemed to finally rest on Kakashi. "Hatake-san, wait outside."

"Er, okay. I'll wait by the door." He hesitated but eventually made his way to the door, patting the kid's head on the way out. He felt bad, leaving his future student to deal with the bitch by himself.

"Okay!" Naruto watched Kakashi leave and then smiled shyly at the elder. At first gaze he thought she seemed pretty harmless, but at a closer inspection he recognised her rigid posture and icy persona. He concluded that the woman was probably pretty powerful, so he should act respectful like Kakashi said. It seems he won't be nicknaming this old lady. He bowed at the waist. "Hello, Koharu-sama."

"Sit down, Uzumaki." Koharu wasn't sure what to think of the boy. Many times she walked in on his meetings with the Hokage. His term of endearment, 'Old man' seemed quite disrespectful. She'd assumed he was bratty. Naruto smiled shyly and sat in the chair opposite. He set the plastic container he'd been carrying on her desk.

"I brought you some cake." He paused. "I cut it into small pieces in case you didn't have a fork."

"Thank you." Naruto blinked at the elder's stiff reply. He felt the urge to groan. How awkward. He decided to go for the overly-cheery approach. He grinned at the sullen woman.

"Why don't you try some?" Koharu grudgingly opened the plastic container and popped a small piece of cake into her mouth. Her eyes opened slightly with surprise, revealing extremely dark eyes.

"This is good, Uzumaki. If I may, where did you get it from?" Koharu usually didn't like sweets, but the chocolate cake was heavenly. Naruto beamed.

"I baked it!" He exclaimed proudly. Koharu raised an eyebrow.

"You did? Did Kakashi help?" She never really put the silver-haired Jounin down as the domestic type.

"Nope! I made it by myself. I like baking." He smiled sweetly and Koharu felt herself warming up to the boy. He was interesting; his cheerful aura was inviting without being overbearing.

"That's impressive." Naruto's grinned again. Two awesome compliments in one day? Best. Birthday. Ever!

"Thank you! Hardly anyone's tried my cooking before." He paused and tapped his finger on his chin thoughtfully. "I think you'll like my cookies. I'll bring some over next time!"

"That would be acceptable." If his cookies tasted anything like his cake, Koharu hardly minded having some.

"It's my birthday today." Naruto decided to state. It wasn't news to Koharu, but she decided to humour the boy.

"Oh, it is? Did you get anything nice?" Probably not much, she thought. She was surprised to find herself feeling slightly guilty.

"Um, well, Jiji gave me some scrolls. And I made a friend! Kakashi's really, really nice." His smiled widened. "He liked my cake too."

"That's nice."

Naruto decided her liked the lady. Sure, she was pretty intimidating, and didn't seem very friendly, but her chakra was nice. Being the open child he was, he decided to tell her.

"Y'know, you have really nice Chakra." He paused, taking in the feel of the elder's Chakra. He wasn't sure how to explain it, but it felt sunshine and dried grass. "It kinda' reminds me of summer."

"Pardon?" She was speechless with the utter oddity of his statement. Feels like summer? Is this the Kyuubi? Naruto froze and the change of tone and smiled shyly.

"Ano...Kakashi says I'm a Chakra sensor." Koharu just shook her head. It seemed to boy was full of surprises. A six year old master chef, jinchuriki and a sensor? Oh dear.

"Well, that's quite a rare talent." Not that he wasn't special enough already. The boy smiled gently at her praise.

"Thank you!" His brows furrowed and he pouted cutely. Koharu was not a wall of impervious stone; she knew when kids were cute, even if she did not dote unlike others her age. But, it seems Kohona's resident jinchuriki was too adorable to disregard to fact. "I don't get why it reminds me of summer though."

"What does Hatake-san's remind you of?" Naruto seemed to ponder this for a moment.

"A storm! A thunder storm." Koharu nodded in understanding. Thunder meant lightening. Summer meant fire.

"Everyone has a different elemental affinity. Mine's fire."

"Oh." Naruto nodded the cogs in his brain working overtime.

"Hatake-san's is lightening." Naruto's eyes lit up with understanding.

"Oh!" He grinned at the new piece of information. "That's pretty useful, right?"

"Indeed, it's quite the advantage." She agreed.

After a couple more minutes of small talk, she decided enough was enough. Her curiosity had reached its peak.

"Hatake-san, come in." She waited impatiently for the lazy jounin to saunter in, orange book in hand. She shook her head disbelievingly at his choice in literature. "I do hope you weren't reading that in front of Uzumaki-kun." Kakashi raised his eyebrow. Kun? This meeting went far better than he expected.

"Maa, of course not." He snapped the book shut and eye-smiled. "Naruto, why don't you go visit the Sandaime?" He turned his aloof smile to the blonde who looked uncertainly between the two. Finally, he nodded and beamed.

"Okay! I'll go visit Jiji!" He hesitated by the door and gazed wistfully at the Jounin. The gesture didn't go unnoticed.

"I'll come fetch you after I'm done." The blonde gave a sunny beam and ran to go visit his Jiji. Koharu turned her hard glare to the Jounin.

"Alright, Hatake-san, I've met him. Now, just what are you after?" The jounin smiled mysteriously, not revealing anything.

"Did you like him?" Koharu hesitated with her answer. God forbid she actually admits she found the boy quite charming.

"He wasn't what I expected."

"He is quite surprising isn't he?" Kakashi's voice turned a tone cooler. Any lesser person would've froze at the iciness of it. "For a supposed demon-brat." Koharu sighed at the accusing glare.

"I'll admit I haven't been an avid supporter in the past. The Kyuubi is dangerous, it requires delicate handling..."

"Naruto isn't the Kyuubi." Koharu blinked at the ferocity of Kakashi's voice

"My, you are quite attached to the boy, aren't you?" Kakashi said nothing. "I do wonder why that is?"

"I have been guarding him." Kakashi's eye couldn't have possibly got any colder. Koharu tried to resist the urge to smirk.

"He does look quite familiar, doesn't he? Has the Sandaime been keeping secrets?" Kakashi froze at the implications of her sly accusation. The only people who knew of Naruto's heritage were the Sandaime, a few on Minato's old friends and himself. He wanted to keep it that way, but it seems, with Naruto's blatant resemblance, it was going to be hard to keep.

"It seems you've worked something out by yourself." Koharu took this as a 'yes'. She sighed and rubbed her throbbing temples. The boy was becoming more and more quandary by the minute.

"Then he potentially can use the bloodline." She paused. "And he's a sensor. Not to mention his...tenant."

"So it seems. Keep it in mind that this is an S-class secret...punishable by death." Her head snapped up to look Kakashi in the eye. He was frustratingly passive.

"Just what are you after?"

"I want to train him." She froze.

"Absolutely not." She answered out of habit. Though, she wondered, what would be so bad about it?

"May I ask, why the hell not?" Kakashi was furious, Koharu could tell that much. When his voice held tightly controlled fury, he was his most dangerous. She knew from experience, his father was the same.

"What if the Kyuubi got out of control?"

"I won't allow it. I'll be careful." Koharu sighed.

"I have no doubt you'd be careful, but..." Her voice was doubtful, Kakashi found her lack of faith infuriating.

"Uzumaki's possess special Chakra. Minato chose Naruto for a reason." He paused. "Plus, his seal is a work of art. Surely you don't doubt the seal he gave his own life for?" Koharu would have usually kicked Kakashi out for his blatant disregard of authority, but she was not a woman who did not see reason. Kakashi was making valid points.

"No. No I do not."

"Kushina Uzumaki, the former Jinchuriki, once told me that the only way to overcome the Kyuubi's hate... is with love." He gave her a pointed look. "He needs this. He has no one. The council made very sure of that." The unfamiliar feeling of guilt arose in Koharu's heart. It wasn't as if she set out to make him miserable, but she sure damn well played her part.

"I have always tried to do the best for Kohona as a whole. If that meant protecting them from the Kyuubi, I would ruin one child's life for the good of the population."

"How very...noble of you." The tense atmosphere was broken by Koharu.

"So, what do you propose? How exactly would you train him?" Kakashi tried his hardest not to grin triumphantly. A small smirk, however, he could not help.

"Uzumaki's have unusually large Chakra reserves... Imagine a Ninjutsu master with additional tracking abilities. No, imagine a tracker with the Hirashin." Koharu and Kakashi tensed at the possibilities. "He might turn out to be as great as one of the Sannin."

"And he would not without your training?" Kakashi knew the implied question she was asking, why him?

"I have several reasons why I would be the best to train him, Koharu-sama." He paused and gave her a 'this is so obvious' look. "Do you really think the all of the academy teachers will treat him fairly? I mean no disrespect, but I can't put my faith in the entire faculty, there's bound to be a Naruto-hater involved. I won't tolerate his potential being stunted."

"Agreed." Koharu couldn't deny the fact. The academy instructors were just at the right age to feel the brunt of the hatred. Many had lost their parents in the Kyuubi attack. Some would be prejudiced, extremely so.

"I'm a tracker myself. Naruto has shown the ability to feel different Chakra signatures. You should know how useful this can be. With the addition of Ninken..." This caught Koharu's attention.

"You'd allow him to sign the Hatake contract?" Koharu asked in disbelief. Sure, he was fond of the child, but this was unheard of. He frowned slightly.

"I would let him if I could. Our summoning contract has to be signed with Hatake blood. We'll cross that path when we get there." He smirked. "I'm also close friends with the only three people in the village with any knowledge of the Hirashin, not to mention I'm the only one with knowledge of the Rasengan...well, until Jiraiya returns, and that could be years from now."

"I do have to admit...this is sounding extremely promising. What are your plans?"

"I'll teach him most nights after the academy, unless I'm on a mission. Though I want him to graduate at a normal pace, he's showing signs of being a genius already. He's just like his father."

"That I can't deny. Although he seems to have picked up his mother's famous cooking prowess." Kushina's cooking ability had been famous throughout Kohona; she'd cooked for a stall on New Years. It had been, by far, the most popular stall to date. Kakashi eye-smiled and nodded.

"I'm guessing you liked the cake?"

"Indeed, I did. Alright, Hatake-san, what do you want me to do?" Kakashi sighed and gazed impassively out the window.

"Everything concerning Naruto is dealt within the council. I can get the clan votes, I already have the Hokage's vote, I'm respected by the Jounin and ANBU's representatives, but I also need your vote."

"You seem to have a lot of support already. Why would you need me?" She shuffled her paperwork, already knowing the answer.

"The civilian council are ignorant, but their vote hardly matters. It's Danzo I'm worried about. He would want to train Naruto himself." He knew he was treading dangerously. Koharu sympathised with the old war hawk.

"Why would that be a problem?" She stood up for her old friend, but the doubt was already flowering in her heart. Kakashi gaze grew icy once again.

"Naruto needs companionship and positive training, not to be turned into some sort of emotionless weapon. Not only would Kushina hound both me and you in the afterlife, he simply won't respond to that sort of treatment. He's far too gentle." Koharu cracked an uncharacteristic smile at the mention of the 'Red-Hot Habanero.' She had been a prominent Kohona Kunoichi; it was quite hard not to notice her. "And it's inhumane. You like him, don't you Koharu? His smiles are infectious." He paused for effect. "Imagine him never smiling again."

"Alright Kakashi, you've made your point." Her next words carried the news he'd been hoping for. "You and Naruto have my support."