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The summer months in Konoha were usually the busiest, as the nice weather brought about an influx of missions of every variety. From S-rank scouting endeavours all the way down to the simplest requests for fence painting jobs. Along with the increased mission intakes was an increase in tourism traffic, as well as travelling merchants, and festivities of every nature.
It seemed Konoha was flourishing more than it ever has, given that it was peacetime.
With July rapidly coming to an end, the rainy season was close on its heels. Normally, such forecasts weren’t an issue, but today appeared to be the exception.
It has been storming, relentlessly, in fact, for the better part of the day. The sky was dark and dreary and it was only getting worse as the hours ticked by. With the violent thunder rolling in the distance, Kakashi might have believed it to be the sounds of war if he wasn’t the renowned genius he was.
Unfortunately, such was not the case for his son. Even though Minato took after him in every aspect, from appearances to intelligence, there was only so much an 18-month-old could rationalize before it went beyond their nature.
In the time it took Kakashi to settle him down for bed and clean up the dining room and kitchen after dinner, his son had managed to crawl out of his bed and down into the living room to tear everything apart. He had to give the little man credit though; he was quiet up until he started to grunt from overexertion from moving the dining room chairs into the living room.
Wiping his hands on a dishtowel before slinging it over his shoulder, the new father proceeded to investigate the sounds of his son’s mischievous shenanigans. His journey through the house revealed that his son had managed to procure two chairs from the table.
Once he reached the living room, he witnessed the fruits of his son’s labour. Utilizing the two chairs, all the couch pillows, the back of the couch itself and his blanket, he’d managed to create a fort in the middle of their home.
For an 18-month-old, it was quite impressive.
He could hear the tiny grunts and heavy breathing from inside the makeshift tent and Kakashi would wager that he was still arranging his nest to better suit his comfort.
“What do we have here?” He murmured softly.
Suddenly, the noises from within the tent ceased. After a minute of patiently waiting to see what his son would do, a tiny head of wild silver hair poked out from the opening of the little fort. Big grey eyes and chubby cheeks stared up at him.
Minato didn’t look apologetic in the least.
A loud crack of thunder interrupted their brief staring contest. The house rumbled from the tempestuous storm outside while the lights flickered subtly in their peripherals. His heart nearly broke at the worried look on Minato’s face. His tiny little eyebrows were pinched and his bottom lip was wobbling.
Oh no. Oh, dear.
Kakashi sunk to his knees and held out his arms. Minato didn’t need any more of a prompt than that as he toddled into the arms of his father. With his son’s tiny hands clutching at his shirt, Kakashi crawled into the safety of the fort.
The eerie thunder crackled once more, accompanied by the heavy patter of the rain as it lit up the living room a cold blue for a split second and Kakashi felt Minato shudder in his arms. His heart clenched, knowing Sakura would have known how to best comfort their son.
He was such a precocious and good baby, far better than Kakashi deserved. Even amidst fears his little mind did not understand, he was trying his best not to show it bothered him. Like a shinobi already, at the tender age of eighteen months.
Kakashi pet his head of soft silver hair, and settled against the pillows, holding him against his chest.
He remembered hating his hair when he was a kid, and all the times his father promised it made him unique. Kakashi wondered if this was what Sakumo felt like then, with so much emotions choking his lungs and so much love filling his chest for this little life dependent on him.
He shook the thought away, still too painful to dissect.
“Mommy will be home soon,” he told Minato instead. “And then she will read us a bedtime story, you like these don’t you?”
An incoherent mumble babbled into his chest and Kakashi squeezed him tighter for just a moment, savouring seconds he knew he would never gain back. Minato seemed to calm exponentially within his arms; so much so, that Kakashi hadn’t thought it was possible his heart could melt anymore than it already did.
It was not often Minato showed vulnerability around him, preferring to share those sorts of moments within maternal comforts. In fact, he realized just now how often his son was glued to Sakura’s side. Notwithstanding the first year where mother and infants bond tightly together, in the last six months his son has exhibited that infamous curiosity and desire to seek and explore, exuding the obvious symptoms of the impending Terrible Twos.
Yet, no matter how far he strayed or how much he discovered, he always seemed to gravitate back towards his mother, with whom he shared those experiences. Though in Minato’s defence, any time he had what Sakura liked to call ‘Big Boy’ moments, his son always looked towards him. He wasn’t sure if he was actively seeking his paternal approval or if he was simply looking for confirmation that he monkey-see-monkey-do’ed whatever it was correctly.
He was certainly on track to achieving the very milestones Kakashi had done in his infancy, if not at a more rapid pace.
While his heart swelled with that one of a kind pride only fathers were privy to, it also swelled with an insurmountable affection with the intimate moment his son was gracing him with. Because this—this display of openness and trust—was so extraordinary and profound, that all he could feel was an unyielding assortment of gratitude and piety. This was a gift, in every sense of the word.
Minato’s breathing began to taper off to a softer, steady, rhythmic noise and Kakashi found himself relaxing and curling into their shared warmth. The palm of his hand was so large across the expanse of Minato’s small body, this tiny precious bundle. When his hand had shifted protectively, as if to shield him from the terrors of the weather outside, Minato’s smaller and chubbier hands clutched the navy fabric of his shirt tighter in response.
It was at this moment that he understood it. It was not that he was averse to the idea of procreating, because even the infamous Copy Ninja thought Saurtobi Mirai was simply charming and cute; it was just that he had never really considered children to be dealt into the cards he played. Such ideas among bloody footprints and shinobi wars were dangerous ideas for men like him. Likewise, when his eight-month-pregnant-wife told him that someday he would understand and develop his own bond with their child, the concept hadn’t yet sunk into the marrow of his bones. He figured he’d encounter it someday, but he just hadn’t expected to feel it so strongly.
It was so indescribably powerful.
He had always devoted himself to taking care of his loved ones to the best of his abilities, but tonight, he made a special promise. He would do everything in his power for his little one, would sacrifice everything, would traverse the infinite miles of the oceans and forbidden lands to capture every moon and every star in the universe if it meant preserving every shine and sparkle in his son’s eyes.
An ominous rumble began its long-drawn-out crescendo in the distance, vibrating throughout the house and into the makeshift fort. A small whimper escaped from his little boy, his instincts causing his small frame to tense up. Without having to think about it, Kakashi easily manoeuvred Minato so that he was tucked just beneath his chin, all the while rubbing his back.
“Shh. Don’t be scared. I’m right here,” he whispered. With the forearm that was supporting his bottom, he began a small rocking motion that he remembered Sakura doing every now and then. The hand on his back had moved up to that unruly head of soft, silvery hair, gently carding through it. “Daddy will keep you safe. Always.”
“P’omise?”
“I promise.” His voice held utmost conviction, a conviction he felt in his bones despite being intimately acquainted with all the ways life could go wrong. And he thought perhaps this was what fatherhood meant. This profound and fierce urge to protect despite everything.
Just then, he heard a key turning in a lock. And then he felt the familiar green chakra of his wife twist and turn around the mechanisms of the seal that protected their home.
Sakura trudged in with weary footsteps. "Babies, I'm home," she called, sounding a little breathless.
"In here!" Kakashi called just as another boom of thunder rose angrily in the background, earning another whimper from Minato.
Sakura swept into view, kneeling by their makeshift fort, her pink hair pulled back in a low bun, and a take-out bag clutched in hand.
"There you are," she said gently, with a smile, her quiet voice almost drowned out by the raging storm outside.
Minato perked up, turning his little head around, seeking out his mother. "Hi baby," she cooed at Minato.
She set down her bag and carefully crawled into their confined space. Her swelling belly made it a little awkward, but eventually, she settled at Kakashi's side, her head resting sluggishly against his shoulder. "Today was killer, I'm so glad I'm home."
"Sounds terrible out there," Kakashi agreed, pressing his bare lips against her hairline. She smelled like flowers and spring, even in the midst of winter.
A part of Kakashi warmed and melted at that. A little piece of home even in the dreary cold.
"It is," Sakura groaned softly and reached to stroke Minato's hair. "You must be feeling so scared, my precious little baby."
Minato craned his neck again, reaching forward with his dimpled hand.
Sakura easily took him from Kakashi's hold, pulling him on her lap. For a moment her nose pressed into his hair and she quietly inhaled the scent of warmth and baby powder. She exhaled with an appreciative hum, which served to further calm their son.
“Whose idea was it to build a fort?”
“Minato’s.”
Upon the prompt of his name, Minato pulled away, his big eyes staring into Sakura’s. “No scared, mommy. You safe now. P’omise,” He lifted his chin, lips puckered in determination, while his chubby hand patted against her chest softly.
When Sakura whispered her agreement, Minato turned towards Kakashi with a curt nod, no doubt miming the Hatake patriarch. He could see the resolution reflecting off identical charcoal-coloured irises. Stealthily, Kakashi winked back; the consensus exchanged between the two males was an axiomatic confabulation, similar to the way partners in crime conspired together.
“Oh, wow,” she chuckled, nuzzling her nose further into the crown of silver hair while pulling him closer. “You are your daddy’s son, aren’t you?” she cooed.
Kakashi, trying to keep his prideful ego from showing, arched a brow. “And what makes you say that?”
She tilted her head, just enough for him to see the emerald mirth twinkling under the dimness of their cover. “So strong and brave, all the time. Always looking out for everyone else,” she leaned back, facing their son now to take his cheeks between both of her hands. “And so impossibly cute! Isn’t that right?” she placed a soft kiss on the button of Minato’s nose.
“No!” Minato protested. “Han’sum! Like daddy!” His cheeks were slightly pink from what Kakashi could see as he puffed out his little chest.
The two adults exchanged a brief glance of surprise, taken off guard by the fact that Minato had always preened with Sakura’s praises. It was indelibly novel and certainly not unwelcome. After the initial surprise wore off, the silver-haired man began to feel his ego soaring again with a dash of flattery. Oh, this kid.
Sakura shook her head, trying to hold back the laughter, mumbling something along the lines of ‘stubborn, too.’
“No funnies, mommy!” he wrinkled his nose and pinched his brows together.
“Alright, you little heartbreaker. You’re handsome, too, just like daddy,” she nodded sagely, placating the fussy boy.
Minato settled, seemingly content for now. His head burrowed against Sakura’s chest, all too eager to soak up her warmth and attention while he had it.
Sakura resumed stroking the feathery hair at the nape of his neck, breathing deeply in rhythm with him. The sound of her heartbeat must have calmed him, or distracted him from the thunder, but soon his breathing evened out and he lay slumbering against her.
“He’s been resisting sleep for hours,” Kakashi told her, leaning to rest his cheek atop her head on his shoulder. “The thunder woke him up and no amount of pacing would put him back to sleep.”
“Poor baby,” Sakura murmured once more, but Kakashi wasn’t sure who she meant this time, Minato or himself. “I wanted to come home as soon as I heard the storm but I couldn’t leave my interns.”
“I know,” Kakashi reassured, pressing another kiss to her head. “You’re amazing, you manage a hospital, you put up with me and on top of all that you still manage to be a wonderful mother. We’re lucky.”
“Kakashi,” Sakura cooed in a thick voice and patted his chest. “You’ll make me cry— that’s not fair you know my hormones are all over the place.”
He chuckled quietly as she nuzzled closer to him. “I guess that’s my fault too, huh?”
“I still don’t understand how this happened you know?” She patted her belly—she was a little over five months, and her round stomach was glaringly obvious no matter what she wore. “I must have forgotten my contraceptives. I knew I should’ve stuck to the jutsu, but I don’t like how it makes me feel.”
“A little too late to lament that now,” Kakashi chuckled again, reaching over to rub her belly.
The faintest tab echoed his touch, making his mouth twitch up at the corners.
“Eh, I’m not too mad about it,” Sakura’s palm landed atop of his and squeezed. “I always wanted a girl.”
Kakashi jerked back, which caused Sakura to look up at him with an impish grin.
“It’s a girl?” he asked, suddenly lightheaded and breathless.
“Yep. Found out today. The take out is to celebrate and also to apologise for not having you there, Ino bullied me into it, that Pig. And I was dying to know,” Sakura was still grinning, but her eyes held a touch of worry.
Kakashi was too busy hearing his pulse thundering in his ears much like the skies above. “T-that’s amazing! Don’t worry about that at all. I don’t know what I was expecting— Shit we’re so screwed if she can break stuff like you.”
Sakura sent him a mock glare. “Of course she’ll break stuff like me! Minato takes so much after you, it’s only fair my daughter takes a bit after me,” she huffed adorably and rubbed Minato’s back comfortingly as if to apologise for her sudden spike in volume.
Kakashi muffled a chuckle as he drew her into his arms and pressed kisses to the side of her head. “Minato takes after you too honey, you know that. He may look more like me but there’s so much of you in him too. That’s why I love him so much,” his voice softened as he pecked her lips.
Sakura melted in his arms. “You’re awfully charming, you know?”
“Just for you,” he chuckled again.
His hand curved over Minato’s back and he gently extracted him from Sakura’s hold into his own. “Let’s get our little heartbreaker to bed and then I’ll make you a cup of tea. I want to hear about your day.”
Sakura waved after him, smiling tiredly, “Okay, love. I’ll wait here.”
“See you in a bit,” he smiled adoringly at her, strong arms protectively cradling their son.
“See you,” she echoed, palms settling over the baby growing inside of her. Kakashi couldn’t wait to be able to gather all of his little family in his arms.
It was moments like these that reminded him why life was so worth fighting for.