My Lover's Keeper

Sasuke was happy when he got to spend the weekends with his brother. Sure, he wasn't allowed to spend the night with him but he got to spend the entire day from morning til 8:30 pm. That was when his current guardian would come pick him up.

"So this is going to be your room." Itachi smiled "you can think of colours and decorations and then next weekend we can decorate it together."

"You really think they'll approve you? I'm really worried"

"My job pays well and my working time is from 9 to 5. If I'm on call or have a night shift, I'll get you a nurse, okay?"  He poked his forehead like he always had "now stop worrying"

"Aniki!" Sasuke rubbed it "that could bruise" he whined and his older brother laughed at him.

They played some video games and Sasuke just celebrated his victory. Come 6 pm he was already asleep on the couch.

Itachi covered him up and went cleaning up the mess they have both made. The last time he had seen Sasuke this energetic was before the first signs of illness started showing. His baby brother was only 5 at the time. No one should have to face this.

He woke him up and had dinner together before Umino-san was at the door. 
The man was like clockwork 8:30 pm sharp, the doorbell rang.

"Iruka-san, please come in,"

"Perhaps another time, tomorrow is a school day after all so Sasuke needs to get to bed early. Sasuke-kun, say goodnight to your brother"

"G'night Aniki...I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

"I'll be there" he kissed his forehead, walking with them downstairs as he carried Sasuke's bag. "Call me if you need anything okay? I love you" another kiss on his forehead.

"Hn..." he blushed "love you too" he buckled up and watched his brother from the side mirror.

"Don't worry, Sasuke-kun. I'll do everything I can to have you two reunited" he smiled as they took a cab back to the house. It was a thirty minute drive and the fare was not cheap either. Iruka worked as a social worker, where would he get such money to afford a nice house and to afford the fare? 

He was beginning to be intrigued by it all. They got out together.
"By the way, Sasuke...tomorrow morning my partner will come pick you up for school. I have something to tend to early morning."

This sounded familiar, at least he wasn't asked to walk all the way to school, although it was only a ten minute walk from the house.

"Okay" Sasuke replied.

"Have you had dinner?"

"Yeah...I'm just gonna get ready for bed and sleep. Goodnight" he informed making his way upstairs.

Iruka had always kept a keen eye and ear around the house. He heard the running water stop after a while and then the house basked in silence.

Before the man went to sleep he walked in the teenager's room checking on him. He covered him up and left to his own bedroom.

In the morning he checked on him again, made him breakfast and left it with a note before leaving the house. 
"Hey, you're early for once" he chuckled and kissed his husband.

"I'm still half asleep...don't ask how I drove here" he brought his keys out.

"Okay well coffee is still hot so help yourself out. Sasuke is sleeping. He normally wakes up at 8...thank you" he fixed his lover's collar and kissed him again.

"You torture me, Iruka" the man sighed. When will they just move in back together, the teacher thought, at least he was getting kisses again 

"You love me" the brunet smirked.

"You're lucky I do" Kakashi pulled in for a more passionate kiss "if you don't go now I won't let you go" he whispered in his ear, Iruka immediately composed himself and slid from Kakashi's arms going to the waiting taxi.

🍙🍥🍙🍥🍙

Naruto sat down in the hospital bed, he was fully dressed and awaiting Iruka to come pick him up. If he came in time, Naruto thought he could even make it to school...maybe a bit late but he could make it.

He looked towards the door seeing the brunet standing there with a green coat. "Stay warm" he handed it to the teen.

"Thanks, Iruka" Naruto pulled the medical mask as it hindered his ability to speak intelligibly. "So how's the kid you brought home?"

"He's quiet..keeping to himself...Kakashi is going to take him to school"

"Ah...can you call him-..."

"You're not going, Naruto. You heard the doctor" he came closer and helped him wear the coat. "You need rest. A lot of it....it could take a month before you can go back to school,"

"Not fair" he pouted

"You got yourself sick....deal with it" he closed the coat tight.

"Too tight, Iruka" he pulled the zipper down as he was wearing a scarf to begin with.

"Let's just go" he fixed his son's beanie, tucking in the yellow strands of hair and then pulling the coat's hoodie over it. "It's cold outside" he reaffirmed as if to himself.

Naruto didn't dare argue, he pulled his mask on and held his mother's arm as they walked. Once back in the cab, Naruto laid his head on Iruka's shoulder then closed his eyes falling asleep.

When they got home, he found his spouse at the front door. Kakashi walked to the taxi when he noticed the boy was sleeping. With Iruka's help, Kakashi carried their son on his back.

Sasuke saw a taxi pull up. Then the teacher went to it. As the Uchiha stepped out of the house, he saw his sensei carry a boy his age on his back. 
Sasuke couldn't tell any of the teen's features, except he was not as tanned as Iruka. He thought perhaps he took after his mother.

In a few minutes, Kakashi was at the front door. 
"Sorry for keeping you waiting..." Kakashi closed the door "let's go"

"It's okay" Sasuke said walking to the light blue car. It was just the kind of car you'd expect a teacher to have. "Sensei....was that Umino-san's son?"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow as Sasuke formulated the question like that but didn't ponder on it. "Yeah...technically...our son."

Sasuke found it all too weird and he had a thousand follow up questions but he asked only one. 
"What's wrong with him?"

"He got a lung infection last week. He should be fine soon."

"Sensei...aren't you worried?"

"I've been in the hospital with him all week...of course I'm worried" Kakashi confessed with sad eyes. "I hope my substitute was good" he tried to change the subject.

Sasuke had heard his friends talk about how Naruto's disappearance was so convenient with Kakashi's. But now knowing he was with his son, he wanted even more to know where the blond was.

Kakashi was surprised Sasuke let him be seen with him. Naruto had always demanded to be dropped off a block away from school because he had a 'reputation' to take care of.

He suspected that only one person in the entire school knew Naruto was his son and that person was Nara Shikamaru.
"I'm gonna be in the teacher's room after class, just text me whenever you want to go home. Okay?"

"Okay, thank you" he got out of the car. Since teachers had their own parking area he was a bit at ease from having rumours circling around him and Kakashi.

He walked in to class. His group of friends were a bit in shock as if he wasn't supposed to be there.
"Sasuke!" Sakura gave herself the liberty of hugging him. "We were so worried about you. Yo-..."

"Uchiha Sasuke please report to the principal's office. Uchiha Sasuke please report to the principal's office" it repeated.

The boy grunted as she broke off the hug. she was a bit too rough. But he genuinely saw tears in her eyes. He didn't ponder on it, choosing to go to the principal's office.

He found Kakashi at the end of the hall. 
"I don't assume you know why the principal wants to see you,"

"No" Sasuke informed "Kakashi sensei can you take me? I...I've only been there once..."

"Sure, follow me" the older male lead the way and Sasuke followed making sure to keep a bit of a distance.

Sasuke was used to only walk to his class that he forgot how big this school was. He didn't join any clubs, didn't take any extra fun classes and didn't play any sports.

He made sure to be never want anything of life. 

No expectations meant no disappointment. 

"I'll be right here...if he tells you he needs to contact your parents tell him I'm your guardian, okay?"

"But...Umino-san is my guardian...",

"And he's my husband...so I'm-.." he heard crying on the other side of the door. 
Kakashi was meant to open the door but Sasuke's hand stopped him.

"My parents are here..." He spoke in fear. Kakashi had never seen a kid so scared of people supposed to be his parents. He looked as if he had seen a ghost.

Kakashi could visibly see him shake, mumbling how they won't rest until they kill him. 
"That's not going to happen okay? Iruka and I won't allow it" he reassured him. Looking in those friendly pitch black eyes managed to calm the distressed teen.

But the door was open and the panic rose again. Their arms reached for him but then someone stood in between them.

The woman who was wailing pretending to be worried about her son was nothing but angry with Kakashi. And so was her husband.

"Hatake-san, they're his parents...it's okay" the Principal tried to reassure to teacher.

"Not since Friday they're not...I don't know what game you two are playing but I know you're aware the state had revoked the adoption."

"Nonsense, is that what Sasuke has been saying? Poor thing must have been delirious..." The woman tried to play it off and the principal seemed to be falling for it.

"Kakashi-..."

"My husband and I have custody of Uchiha Sasuke...I'll kindly ask you two to leave" he bowed to them.

The man, Sasuke's father, was of a big build. He was easily the tallest of all four adults. And as far as he knew the fastest and sneakiest. He saw the son he despised so much stressed. He could go with their plan, Sasuke would be unconscious in 2 seconds. Then they could shift their attention to Sasuke and blame Kakashi for causing stress to their son and ultimately his unfortunate untimely death.
With the grey haired man bowing that was exactly the opening he waited for.

He reached to strike but the next thing he felt was pain as his arm was broken. The hand that was on his wrist belonged to the teacher. 
"Kocho sensei, call the police" Kakashi calmly ordered. "Are you okay, Sasuke?"

"Y-yeah..." He was very afraid of them. He stayed behind Kakashi, his hands holding onto the back of his teacher's coat.

"Go sit down, it's okay" the man with the eye scar seemed to be relaxed in this high stressful situation.

The woman got a knife out of her purse, they both have been planning to kill him by poisoning him but Kakashi had ruined everything.

She attacked the teacher whom she assumed was focusing on her pathetic excuse of a son, the man stopped her hand without even looking at her. Then a crunch was heard as he dislocated her shoulder. She dropped the knife from the pain.

Her husband tried to run but Kakashi broke the man's leg the moment he knelt to stand.
"Let's be clear, the next broken thing will be a spine" but his warning was not heeded as the woman took the knife with her other hand. 
He kicked her in the stomach and as she leaned forward in pain, a roundhouse kick was delivered straight to bottom of her spinal cord.

She plopped down on the floor unconscious. Sirens sounded in the distance and Kakashi walked to a vending machine buying a drink. 
"Here you go, ease up. You're in safe hands."

He sat down next to Sasuke. His eyes fixed on the two criminals in front of him.

It might have been a long time since he worked in the force, he thought he was a bit rusty still.

"Hatake Kakashi in the flesh...should have known you would be the cause" Saiko was an officer straight out of video games. She was wearing blue short shorts, a white blouse and a bullet proof vest, her badge dangled as a necklace around her neck. The cold didn't seem to bother her one bit.

"You need two ambulances...the woman's got a dislocated shoulder and broken spine, the man has a broken arm and leg. And you, kind lady, have two possible murder weapons." He took the tissue from her and walked to where the thin needle was sitting. "I expect this to be poisonous...so be very careful" he handed it to her.

"Cool as always, senpai" she took it and gave an order through her shortwave radio. She bagged the first evidence, then the second one.

"Are you feeling better?" Kakashi kneeled down in front of the teen.

"I think so...I just am a little bit..." His eyes watered and he started crying. They have actually tried to kill him.

Kakashi sat next to the boy and held him close. The school was suspended until further notice, in regards of the safety of the students.

Though it was an exaggerated precaution, it was better since they didn't know what these two maniacs could have done to get out of the lawsuit.

The two police officers stood by Kakashi and Sasuke waiting for another ambulance.
The man's phone rang, he wasn't surprised to see it was his husband. 
"Hey..."

"Kakashi! Don't hey me! I just saw the news why didn't you call sooner...are you okay? Is Sasuke okay?" The brunet yelled through the phone panicking.

"Sorry I didn't call...I just finished giving my statement to the police. We're fine...we're both fine...I'm sure it was exaggerated on the news"

"That's what you always say...hand me Sasuke"

"Guilty as charged" he chuckled trying to ease up the situation "Iruka wants to talk to you"

"Ha," he took the phone "Iruka-san"

"Hey sweetie, how are you feeling?"

"I'm okay...Kakashi sensei is going with me to the hospital to get checked..."

"Tell him to send me the hospital name, i'll meet you there"

"Iruka-san, it's okay. Your son is sick...don't leave him alone. Kakashi sensei is here so it's okay"

"He's not alone...so I'm coming over"

Kakashi just chuckled having overheard "if he made up his mind you can't deter him" he said as he took the phone "hey babe...I'll text you the name once I know okay?"

"Okay...Kakashi...you definitely weren't hurt right?"

"Not a scratch" he reaffirmed.

"Kakashi...I love you"

"I love you too" he smiled having finally heard it from him again. "See you soon" he hang up.

He helped Sasuke on the stretcher and kept holding his hand. The raven hated his luck, if only someone as loving as Iruka and Kakashi took him in and his brother.

🍙🍥🍙🍥🍙

Iruka had gotten ready in a hurry. Shikamaru sat down next to his friend's bed reading a book. The blond's been sleeping since his arrival.

But it was the abrupt shut of the front door that woke him up. 
"Kurama?" The boy called in a haze.

"That was just Iruka...he said he'll be back soon. How are you feeling?"

"Shikamaru" he closed his eyes "you shouldn't be here...I'll get you sick,"

"I'll be fine" he argued "you're just being a big baby..." He small smiled bringing him water and sitting him up to drink. "So uhm the rumours about you and Kakashi sensei are getting worse"

"Blekh" Naruto made a face "why did you remind me of that? They can say whatever they want...I don't care" his voice was hoarse and weak. "How's the girl...?" He took a second to remember her name "Hinata"

"She was absent for the week but she showed up on Friday, she got a cold I think. I'm gonna get you breakfast so you can take your meds"

Shikamaru didn't really go to school and apart from Iruka telling him he had to go urgently he didn't know what was happening.

The dark haired teen had just gotten downstairs when he heard the doorbell. When he opened it, he saw the aforementioned Hyūga girl and from the looks of it her father as well.

"Shikamaru-kun" she bowed to him. "Sorry for coming unexpectedly. Tou-san wanted to thank him personally"

"Ah..." Shikamaru's hopes of lying crushed down with the sound of Naruto's coughing. "He's in his bedroom upstairs. He's sick so I'm afraid he can't come downstairs"

"That's not a problem" the man walked in first without invitation. He did not think he was in need of an invite. He was Hyūga Hiashi, he could buy this whole house with a snap of a finger.

Shikamaru was then forced to invite Hinata who courteously awaited by the door. 
He sighed and was about to close the door when around a dozen servant had walked in.

The house was swarmed by Hyūga servants. The head of the Hyūga household and companies cleared his throat. Shikamaru got the cue and lead the way to Naruto's bedroom.

Shikamaru opened the door walking in first and he hated every second of this encounter. 
Hinata knew the boy had gotten sick because of her. 
"Naruto-kun"

"Hinata-chan?" He tried to sit up when he noticed he had visitors but he'd be damned if he had strength to even lift a finger.

"Uzumaki-san, please stay rested. I have personally come to deliver some token of gratitude for bringing my daughter home safely. She would have gotten severely ill if it weren't for you."

"I didn't help her to get anything in return...I just-..."

"Please do not refuse as I would take great offense" the man bowed to the teen. 
Naruto had no option but to accept. He did not want to offend anyone. 
"Ah good" he stood tall again "is your illness of any gravity?"

"No no not at all. I was out of town and caught a bad cold yesterday. It'll be over in a week" Naruto had to lie, otherwise he felt the man was going to give him half his estate or something that drastic.

"Mhm...I wish you a speedy recovery" he bowed to the teen.

"Thank you, sorry for troubling you" Naruto just nudged with his head. He watched the man walk away.

"Naruto-kun, thank you for lending me your coat" she put it at the edge of the bed along with a rectangular box which he assumed was the token of gratitude.

Shikamaru came back upstairs to his friend once he had seen out the Hyūga and their servants have left.

"That was intimidating" Naruto relaxed "I was scared he would offer me Hinata-chan to marry. It's a small box..."

Shikamaru could read the nervousness on Naruto's face and didn't bother to tell him of the other gifts that were downstairs. 
He opened the box for him and showed him the red scarf.

"It's beautiful" Naruto smiled "hands down the best thank you gift I have ever received" it looked handmade, simple but elegant. He absolutely loved it.

"You haven't seen the rest of them",

There was a shattering sound so big heard all over Konoha. People thought that was just some bad thunder but that was the sound of Naruto's reality breaking.

"Ha?" He looked at his friend in disbelief.