Their first mission as Team 7 was weeding a garden. When Kakashi gathered his kids at the training ground, he gave them all a long talk about genin and D-rank missions. He warned them that they would be, basically, grunt work. They're meant to teach the kids about discipline and teamwork. Kakashi could think of better ways to do that besides menial labor, but it's tradition now. Even with the long talk, Naruto still took the mission as a personal attack on him.

'This is stupid! ' He stomped his foot on the wooden floor. The Hokage shook his head and sighed. 'We want a

real

mission! ' Before he could protest more, Kakashi landed a hand on his shoulder. The boy settled down, choosing to cross his arms and pout instead.

'Naruto. ' Iruka scratched his chin. 'It's the rules. Prove yourself with some D-ranks, and you will move up. That's how it works. ' He looked at Kakashi and shrugged. 'Right, Kakashi? '

The jounin squeezed the hand on Naruto's shoulder. 'They aren't fun for me, either, Naruto. We have to power through. It's time to show Hokage-sama how strong you are. '

The blond mumbled under his breath. Kakashi caught a couple of swear words he hoped the Sandaime didn't hear. The other two kids, who were on each side of Naruto,

did

hear. They both fought a smile off their faces. He ushered them out the door, thanking the Hokage, and shut the door behind him.

As they walked down the street, Sakura practically bounced with each step. Her pink shorts and white shirt were more practical than her previous outfit. She looked comfortable and moved more easily, her confidence beginning to rise. She giggled at something Naruto said, the sound light and airy. Kakashi smiled, happy to see her coming into her own.

'You've been talking about Ino a lot, ' Naruto said offhandedly. 'I remember you two were friends when we were younger. '

Sakura nodded. 'Well, yeah. Something got in our way, but it's getting better. ' She glanced at the boys from the corner of her eye. 'I, uh, live with Ino, now. ' They both looked at her. She didn't elaborate. Surprisingly, neither boy pushed her.

'We...we've been staying with sensei. ' Naruto's voice was soft as he spoke. Sasuke stiffened.

'Don't learn anything cool without me. ' She nudged her shoulder against Naruto, who just smiled back. Sasuke's shoulders loosened. 'Oh, sensei! ' She turned around, walking backward so she could talk to Kakashi. 'The book you gave me, it's amazing. Senju Tsunade is so smart! I want to learn more, learn how to heal like she can. '

Kakashi patted her on the head. 'Well, I can see about getting you some scrolls. Better yet, you could talk to the medics at the hospital. They might let you tag along and learn, maybe even train you if you show enough promise. ' He winked at her. 'Ino might like to join you. '

Sakura turned back around, nodding to herself. 'Yeah. Ino's chakra control was always good, too. We always competed in that. Well, we competed in everything, really. ' She huffed out a laugh. 'Not so much now, though. I'm really starting to feel like I've got my friend back. '

No one said anything for a long time. They let Sakura stay in her thoughts, a smile playing on her face when she thought about her friendship being rekindled. No one talked again until they reached the house where their mission was. An old lady, hunched over and gripping a cane in one hand, stood by an old and worn picket fence. She gave a wrinkly smile as the kids stood before her.

'Oh my, these genins look younger and younger each year. ' She laughed to herself. 'I just need a little help with my garden. Shouldn't take young kids like you very long. ' With a motion of her hand, she showed them the decent-sized garden full of vegetables and flowers. It spanned the length of her fence and wrapped around the back of her house.

The kids turned around and looked at Kakashi, matching expressions of disgust on their faces. They had better things to do than weed some old lady's garden. Kakashi knew it, the kids knew it, Sandaime knew it, and this woman knew it. Sadly, they

had

to do the job. He smiled at them, motioning for them to get going. They marched off through the gate, grumbling the entire time. He'd never seen three more petulant children. It was difficult to hold in his laughter.

As Kakashi took a seat on the small bench against the house, he pulled out his book and subtly watched his kids work. Several times they would turn around and glare, wanting him to come and help. Kakashi didn't budge. This might be an alternate timeline, he might be trying to save the world and make his kids better, happier, and stronger, but he sure as hell was not weeding a garden.

The old lady disappeared in the house shortly after they began working. She didn't reappear until they were done, nearly three hours later. Sakura wiped the sweat leaving a long line of dark brown dirt marring her forehead. Her long hair stuck to the back of her neck. The lady took one look at her and scoffed, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a hair tie.

'Girl, come here a moment. ' Sakura gave her a strange look but walked over. The lady turned her around, Sakura's back to her, and began braiding the long pink hair. 'Let me give you some advice, sweetie. Long hair is fine for those high-society women who sit at the tea shop all day and gossip. But women like you and me...women who do more than get their nails done and go shopping? We need something that will stay out of our face and off our neck. ' She tied off the braid and clapped her hands together. Sakura turned around to face her, running her hands over the plaited hair. 'You look beautiful, darling. ' She glanced over at the boys. 'Doesn't she, boys? '

They all nodded their heads. Sakura gave them a sheepish smile. 'Thanks. '

Before they left, mission accomplished, the old lady gave them each a bag filled with soft and gooey chocolate chip cookies. Sakura and Naruto had theirs gone before they reached the mission room. Sasuke ate one but complained they were too sweet. Instead, he divided them between his teammates. As the two of them happily munched on cookies, Sasuke stuck his hands in the pockets of his dirt-covered shorts. They were all covered in brown and green. Naruto had long since taken his jacket off, it currently tied around his waist. Sakura's white shirt was grass-stained; it would probably never come out entirely. Kakashi had a feeling that Sasuke's shorts and Sakura's shirt would become worn only for training from now on.

The kids entered the mission room, Naruto all smiles as he slammed the scroll on the table. 'Mission complete! '

Iruka shook his head, a fond smile on his face. 'Well then, should we do another one? We still have one mission left for dog walking. ' The look on the kid's faces must have been bad with the way Iruka snorted. 'Guess not, then. '

'Hokage-sama? ' Kakashi walked over to where the Sandaime was standing, his pipe balanced between his lips. 'Could I talk to you? '

'I already know, Kakashi. ' The old man puffed out smoke. It circled him, bouncing off of his hat. 'You've got both of those boys living with you, now. It's odd, for someone who fought me over taking this team, how quickly you've taken them in. ' His eyes moved between Sasuke and Naruto, then slid back over to Kakashi. 'Quite a personality change. '

Kakashi knew someone would realize he was not acting like his old self. A lot had changed in his life between getting his kids and losing them. None of this could be told to the Hokage, of course. How could he explain he's a time traveler who is fighting to save the world? He would look insane, be locked away, be kept away from them. That could not happen. 'This is why I fought you over it, Hokage-sama. I get...attached to people. It's a character flaw. '

Sandaime laughed. 'Not sure if caring for people is a flaw, Kakashi. ' Then, in a more serious tone, he went on. 'I trust you know there are things Naruto cannot be told. Him living with you does not change that. '

This

was a conversation he knew the Hokage would want to have. He'd been against hiding Naruto's heritage from him since day one. Kakashi had thrown himself into Anbu mission after Anbu mission, the more risk the better, to erase the guilt of not being there for Minato-sensei and Kushina's child. It wasn't bad enough that he couldn't protect them, but now he couldn't protect their innocent child, either. 'He's twelve, and a genin. I think he could handle it. '

'No. ' Firm and short, the Hokage barked out his answer. 'Absolutely not. '

'Then when? ' Kakashi clasped his hands together behind his back to keep from shaking the man. 'There will be a day when the seal weakens. When it doe - '

'The seal will hold. Minato did it himself, it will hold. ' Kakashi couldn't tell which of them Sandaime was trying to convince. 'There will never be a reason for him to know. '

Kakashi scoffed. 'You condemn the child to a life of hate and neglect for what reason? ' He was entering the territory of insubordination very quickly. A quick glance showed the kids still talking to Iruka, not paying attention to their sensei. 'Were you aware his apartment was broken into? Destroyed? Demon child wrote on the wall? ' Sandaime's eyes widened. 'Naruto isn't stupid. He will figure it out. And when he does who do you think he'll blame? ' Kakashi had been a good little lapdog his entire life. He'd never once stepped out of line, never once turned down a mission,

failed

a mission. He'd done everything by the book. Not anymore. Not when he knows what this path does to his kids.

The Sandaime drew his eyes down, his jaw set. 'I'll let this slip because of your relationship with the Yondaime, but not again. You want to keep this child in your home, then walk the line. He will not know about his parents, nor about his seal. ' One final glance at Kakashi showed his eyes like steel. 'That's my final word on the matter, Kakashi. '

The Hokage walked out the door, his robe dragging behind him. He acted old and feeble, the pipe a constant presence in his mouth. Kakashi always thought it hypocritical of him to look down on Asuma's smoking when he also smoked. But that was Sarutobi's way. He ruled over his village and the shinobi by relying on his reputation. People were afraid of him, afraid to disappoint him. The only person who would stand up to him was Danzo, and that man needed to be stopped, needed to be brutally murdered. Even after everything that man has done, including trying to

assassinate

Sarutobi, he's still walking around and doing what he wants. It baffles Kakashi to no end.

As he stood there, fuming and contemplating what to do next, his kids had finished talking with Iruka and took notice of their sensei's body language. There were shared glances between them and Iruka before they slowly approached him.

'Sensei? ' Sakura reached out, tentatively, and tugged on his sleeve. 'Are you okay? '

His anger was practically palpable, but, as he looked at his kids, he tried to calm down. This wasn't their fault. They didn't cause the pain in their lives, the struggle and anger, and the horrible situations they have dealt with. Sakura with all of her insecurities and overbearing parents. Sasuke with the death of his clan and the knowledge that his own brother did it. Naruto with the Kyuubi and all the lies that have surrounded his short life. Nothing has been fair for any of his kids. They were all born with the odds stacked against them.

'I'm fine. ' Kakashi forced a smile on his face. 'I think we should forego any other missions today. Let's train, what do you say? ' All three of them nodded, still looking at Kakashi as if he would fall over at any moment. Who knows, he might. He sure felt like it. 'But first, lunch. Sakura's pick. '

Naruto immediately began whispering ramen in her ear. His version of a whisper could still be heard from across the room. With arms crossed, Sasuke gave his best unimpressed look as he watched Naruto practically dance in place, still trying to make up Sakura's mind on his own.

'Sushi. ' She finally answered. Naruto groaned. '

But

, let's go to the one by Ichiraku so Naruto can have his damn ramen. ' The boy instantly went from depressed to elated. Kakashi smiled and patted his head.

'Okay, let's go. '

The three left before him, Kakashi could hear their voices echoing down the hallway. Before he could leave, however, Iruka grabbed his arm. The look on Iruka's face was pure concern. 'Kakashi...I heard part of your conversation with Hokage-sama. Remember, I teach children for a living, I'm good at multitasking. I just...we need to talk, don't we? ' This wasn't his ideal place to have a conversation about Naruto, but no one rivaled his love for that kid other than Iruka.

Kakashi shrugged. It never occurred to him to include Iruka in his effort to help Naruto. It might not be so bad to let the teacher know, at least about what Naruto has basically figured out on his own. 'Later. ' Iruka nodded, taking that for an answer, before letting go of Kakashi's arm. He joined his kids in the hallway, walking them to lunch and attempting to join in on their contagious happiness.

'

Tucked into the Icha Icha book, Kakashi had the training itinerary all folded up. As the three kids ran through the forest, being chased by all of his dog summons in an attempt to successfully hide and not be found, Kakashi unfolded it and looked the paper over. His careful handwriting in black ink laid out all of his plans. First of all, he was working on their stamina while simultaneously teaching them stealth and evasion. It would shock him if any of his kids could hide from his dogs, quite honestly.

His theory held when, an hour later, Kakashi watched as Bisuke dragged Naruto out of the forest by his pant leg. They went into the forest covered in dirt from their mission, now Naruto's outfit looked entirely brown and covered in clumps of mud. He was cursing as he clawed at the ground. Once in front of Kakashi, Bisuke dropped Naruto's pant leg and looked up, proud of his accomplishment.

'Good boy, Bisuke. ' He dug a treat out of his pack for the dog. 'Naruto, I want you to sit here and think about what you did wrong. ' The boy sat up against the training post, arms crossed and pouting. A clump of mud fell from his hair down onto his knee.

Twenty minutes later Urushi nudged Sakura out of the forest with his nose, the girl having a dejected look on her face. She flopped down next to Naruto; her clothes equally covered in mud. 'You too, huh? ' Naruto nodded, still pouting. 'This isn't fair. They can

smell

us. '

Kakashi laughed. 'Enemy ninja won't play fair, Sakura. You have to outsmart them. ' He tapped his temple. 'Outthink. ' After patting Urushi on the head, he handed the dog a treat. 'Good dog. ' He sat there, watching the two kids talk about where they went wrong. Sakura blamed the dog's scent of smell, and Naruto blamed Bisuke for singling him out.

Another half an hour passed before Bull and Shiba exited the forest, each carrying one of Sasuke's arm coverings in their mouths. Pakkun trotted out after. Behind them, Akino, Uhei, and Guruko came out of the forest, each having a separate piece of clothing in their mouth, his shirt, his headband, and one sandal. Sakura and Naruto looked horrified as they took in what was happening.

Pakkun sat down beside Naruto, looking angry. 'The kid took off his clothes. Scattered them around the forest. He had all of us chasing ghosts. ' He scratched behind his ear. 'Damn brat. ' If possible, he frowned even more.

'So... he's still out there? ' Sakura looked up at Kakashi. 'Missing half of his clothes? '

Kakashi laughed. 'Smart kid. Threw them off his trail quickly. ' He turned back to his dogs. 'Why did you quit looking? '

'He hit the river, ' Pakkun growled out. 'We lost his scent. Can we pee on these clothes? '

'Yes! ' Naruto yelled. 'That's a great idea! ' He stood up and began gathering all of the clothes in a pile, motioning for the dogs to line up. Kakashi grabbed him by his collar and pushed him back against the training post.

'No, Naruto. No one is peeing on Sasuke's clothes. ' Kakashi shook his head. 'I can't believe I said that sentence today. ' Sakura giggled. 'Well...we did say three hours, right? We will just wait for him to come to us. You guys can go if you want to. ' He motioned toward the dogs, who all barked at him before they disappeared.

All except Pakkun. 'I'm waiting. I want to bite him. '

Kakashi just shrugged. 'Well, while we wait, let's talk. ' He sat, cross-legged, in front of the kids. 'We are going to start ninjutsu training tomorrow after our mission. You have all worked hard on your taijutsu this past week, both of you upping your skill level. I also want to add to your knowledge of ninjutsu, I want you to have a library worth to choose from. ' The two were wide-eyed as they listened to him. Mention training them, giving them a new skill, and he had their undivided attention. Kakashi could honestly say he missed these days. 'If there's anything you've seen you want to try, let me know. I'll see what I can do. '

With his kids in deep thought, contemplating on the limited ninjutsu they'd seen, he flared out his senses for Sasuke. The boy was heading back towards them, apparently having figured out the dogs weren't after him anymore. Pakkun sniffed the air and growled, also sensing the boy. It would be a while before Sasuke made his way to the training field, so Kakashi let his mind wander. He thought back to his conversation with the Hokage, trying to keep the anger low and undetected. Reaching into his pack, he pulled out the Icha Icha book and slipped the scrap of paper he'd written on from between the pages. Mainly just staring at the paper instead of reading it, Kakashi got lost in his head.

Sandaime had infuriated him, shook him to the core. The blatant disregard for Naruto's well-being felt like it was gutting him. He tried to remind himself that Sarutobi didn't live long enough to see the seal weaken. That the man didn't know how wrong he actually was, how wrong he

already was.

Naruto was already talking to the Kyuubi, it wouldn't be long before the boy figured out how to befriend him. It was Naruto's greatest skill, talking to people until they're friends. He fought for everything, the poor kid, and fought hard. Not anymore.

'Damn brat. ' Kakashi heard Pakkun growl, snapping him out of his thoughts. He snapped the book shut and slid it back into his pack. He heard Sasuke yelp, looking up to see Pakkun hanging off his bare ankle.

'Pakkun, let him alone. ' Kakashi half-chided. Sasuke shook his ankle until Pakkun finally let go. 'You got your revenge, now go home. ' The pug shot him a disapproving look before disappearing. Sasuke, who was standing on one foot while he rubbed the ankle with bite marks, frowned. 'Clever, Sasuke. Hiding your clothes around to throw off their scent was a good idea. ' He pointed toward the clothes in a pile. 'Get dressed, kiddo. You did well. '

Sasuke practically preened while picking up his clothes and redressing. Sakura tried hard not to make it obvious she was watching him getting dressed, her mind cataloging it to get the best reaction from Ino later. Oh, she was going to enjoy this.

'

Kakashi took the long way home, directing the boys between alleyways and around buildings until they arrived at the clothing shop. He put a hand on Naruto's back, gently coaxing the boy into the building. 'You need some clothes, Naruto. You can't wear the same outfit every day. We will pick some outfits out for now, then we can come back for more later. '

Frozen, Naruto refused to move. He remembered this place, the owner a burly man with broad shoulders and an angry face. He remembered the way the man chased him out of the store, not even allowing him to

look.

He remembered the way the man's hands felt as they pushed him, hard, onto the street. 'N-No...not here. ' Naruto tried to step back. The shop owner stepped around one of the shelves, an inventory list in his hands. As soon as he saw Naruto, the man snarled.

'Get the fuck out of my store, demon! ' The man took a step forward and Naruto nearly folded in on himself, backing up and running right into Sasuke. Kakashi put himself between Naruto and the man, sliding his headband up and letting his Sharingan spin and glow.

Kakashi stood still, not moving as the man barreled toward him. He stopped, face-to-face, and glared Kakashi down. 'Lay a hand on him and I'll break every bone in your body. ' The man just glared harder. 'Don't test me. I will win. '

The man snorted. 'You can't touch me, Hatake. I know the rules. Shinobi cannot attack civilians. '

'Unless they laid a hand on the shinobi first. ' Kakashi finished. 'And, as far as I saw, you were planning to lay a hand on Naruto. ' He glanced over his shoulder. 'Kid, do you feel threatened? ' Hiding behind Sasuke's shoulder, Naruto nodded. 'Good enough for me. ' He pulled his arm back, fist at the ready when the man's eyes went wide. With the speed a man his size shouldn't have, he jumped back and slammed his door shut. Kakashi growled, sending his fist through the man's door. Once he pulled his hand back, he turned around to face the boys. Sasuke's eyes were wide as they flickered between his sensei and the hole in the door. Naruto, still peeking from behind Sasuke's shoulder, just stared at him. 'Fuck him. ' Kakashi hiked a thumb toward the building. 'We'll get you clothes somewhere else. '

As Kakashi walked down the street, willing himself to calm down, the two boys just looked at each other before jogging to catch up. They were silent until Kakashi stopped in front of another clothing store, one that catered to shinobi. Motioning for the boys to stay where they were, he entered the shop on his own.

'Hatake-san! ' The young lady behind the counter greeted him as soon as he came into view. 'How can I help you today? ' She was counting out the yards of fabric on the bolt, hands quickly moving even as she was not looking at it, not actively counting. It just showed how long she'd been doing this for her to be this skilled this young.

He placed his hands on the counter, the knuckles of his right hand ripped up and bleeding. 'My student needs clothes. Badly. If I bring him in here, will you have a problem with it? ' He tilted his head toward the door. 'The boy in dirty orange. '

She leaned to the side to see around Kakashi, taking in the kid he was talking about. 'Oh, is that the boy...? Yeah, bring him in. ' She shook her head. 'People in this town are stupid. They're all sheep who just follow whoever yells the loudest. The kid has never done anything to me so I have no reason to turn him away. '

Kakashi practically dropped in relief. He turned around and motioned for the boys to come inside. Naruto was still hiding behind Sasuke. 'Naruto, take a look around. Find anything you like, let me know. ' He tried to keep the frustration out of his voice. None of this was Naruto's fault. This tailor was right, it was all the older generation running their mouths. 'No commenting about who's paying for it, either. Just look. '

Naruto nodded. His hand wrapped around Sasuke's wrist and wouldn't let go. For once, Sasuke didn't argue with him, just let himself be dragged along. Twenty minutes later they had clothes in their hands and laid them on the counter. Kakashi shuffled through it and deemed it good enough for now.

'Honey. ' She leaned over the counter to better see Naruto. 'You are welcome in here whenever you want, okay? ' Naruto's mouth dropped open. 'You never tried to come in here, did you? '

'Not since you've been here. '

'Oh. ' The woman shook her head. 'The previous owner was my uncle. Yeah, if you came in then...well, it's different now. '

Once the clothes were paid for and bagged, Kakashi led the boys home. His hand was aching where his knuckles were torn. The bleeding had stopped, coagulated, and scabbed over. Everyone was quiet, save for the bags crinkling as they walked. As soon as they entered the apartment, Kakashi stole away to the bathroom, gripping the counter and leaning his head forward. He's already in trouble with Sandaime. If the shop owner tattles on him...

'Sensei? ' Naruto's small voice floated under the door. 'I'm...I'm sorry. '

Oh no.

Kakashi whipped the door open. He dropped to his knees and grabbed Naruto's shoulders. 'No, Naruto. None of this is

your

fault. Absolutely

nothing

that happened was

your

fault.

I

am sorry. I'm sorry that I never thought to ask you where you felt comfortable going. I'm sorry that I put you through that. I'm sorry that you were scared. ' He dropped his head, trying to reign in his emotions. So much had happened that day that Kakashi was losing his grip on his sanity. 'I don't want you to ever feel like that again. I want you to feel safe with me, with us. Understand? ' Naruto nodded. 'She offered to tailor some clothes for you, which will help you out. Nothing you got today was orange, so I'll make sure she makes you something in your wild color palette. '

Naruto nodded. 'I don't mind if it's not. I, uh...I wore orange because then people noticed me. But...but I've got you guys and Iruka-sensei now. I'm noticed now. '

Thankful for his Anbu training, Kakashi held his emotions back until the boys ate leftovers and crawled into bed. Naruto chose the clothes Kakashi gave him as his nightwear. It made the jounin feel something warm inside. Kakashi went to take a shower, cranking up the heat until his skin turned red. He stood there, one hand bracing him against the wall, and let the emotions out.

Everything he'd been holding back, everything that had happened to him, clawing inside him. The previous timeline where he couldn't save anyone, couldn't protect anyone, destroyed lives and failed so many. The battlefield as he watched comrade after comrade die, Gai, Inoichi, Shikaku, Lady Tsunade, Shizune, the so-called Rookie 9, all broken and bloody and

dead

. His father, lying in a pool of blood, dead by his own hand. Obito lying crushed under a rock, his dying voice and bloody eye socket seared into his mind with the Sharingan, a power he didn't earn, wasn't supposed to have. Rin, the shock and pain on her face as his hand, sparking and chirping with a jutsu of his own creation, was clean through her chest.

For the first time in a long time, Kakashi cried.