Chapter 1
Hiruzen let out a sigh, glancing at the crib and the sleeping baby in the corner. A little tuff of blonde hair peeked out of the blankets, one arm in sight while the rest of the child’s body was wrapped in a blanket. Hiruzen didn’t even flinch when a sudden body flew by his head, instead fixing his gaze on the Captain of the ANBU who kneeled in front of him.
“Bear-san, thank you for coming on such short notice despite the…last few nights we had.” Hiruzen glanced again at Minato’s son, laid just beneath Minato’s own picture. “Your mission is to take and care of Naruto-kun and make sure he is not hurt.”
Bear-san jolted up, “Hokage-sama, is the ANBU brackets really a place for a new born child?”
“It is where he will be safest,” Hiruzen said, “And the orphanage is not fit for him, the director would not take him in.” He paused, scanning Bear-san’s form. It was tight with tension and exhaustion, though apprehension was pouring out of his chakra. Hiruzen would bet money on the fact that no one living in the ANBU brackets would be getting much sleep unless they had noice cancellation seals. “This is your mission for the next few years of Naruto-kun’s life, do you accept?”
It took a while for Bear-san to respond, though when he did, Hiruzen wasn’t disappointed. “Yes, Hokage-sama.”
“Good,” Hiruzen nodded, “He will attend the academy at age 6.”
“Yes, Hokage-sama.”
Hiruzen watched in amusement as Bear-san walked over to the crib, hesitantly picking the child up in the awkward way an older sibling would first hold their new born younger sibling. Once Bear-san picked up the child, he bounded out of the office.
At least Naruto-kun will be safe, Hiruzen thought, lighting his pipe and leaning back in the chair. He chuckled at the faint wailing the wind carried into his office.
At least Naruto-kun would keep the ANBU on their toes.
*****
Anko watched as Bear-kaichou shunshinned into the ANBU barracks, holding a screaming baby and oozing stress and uncertainty.
She immediately burst out laughing, “Dove! Help me out here!” Bear-kaichou hissed, trying to rock the baby though failing miserably. Bear-kaichou held the baby out away from his body as the kid started kicking. “Damn it, stop crying kid!”
“What’s going on-oh…” Cat-kun paused in the door way, staring at the scene, “Are you alright, Kaichou?”
“Help me out here, Cat,” Bear-kaichou, honest to gods, begged, “The kid won’t stop scream-damn it-“ Bear-kaichou fumbled the kid, barely catching him before he hit the ground.
Cat-kun glided over, smoothly taking the kid from Bear-kaichou, “You we’re holding him wrong,” Cat-kun said, rocking the kid slightly. After a few moments of the kid continuously screaming, Cat-kun started becoming frantic and wasn’t that a sight?
Anko cackled, collapsing on the couch and holding her stomach, “Oh, this is priceless!”
“What’s going on here?” Bird-kun popped his head in, his body lighting up as he appeared right next to Cat-kun, “A kid!” He snatched him from Cat-kun’s grip, starting to toss the kid up and done.
The kid stopped screaming, instead laughing and clapping as Bird-kun continued to through him up and down. His laugh was damned brutal. It had the ability to melt the coldest of hearts and his smile!
Anko smiled as she watched the scene. “See! He just wanted some-“
And the kid coughed something up. On his mask.
This was a blast.
Anko fell off the couch, laughing as Bird-kun held the kid away. “Ew! What the heck was that, man?”
Then Hound-kun walked in. They must’ve made a sight — Bear-kaichou staying 12 feet away from the kid, Cat-kun pouting and Bird-kun trying to hand the kid back to him to try and get the gunk off his mask along with Anko dying on the floor — because Hound-kun just turned and walked away.
“Hound!” Bear-kaichou exclaimed, “You we’re around Yondaime-sama and his wife-help us! Their kid’s a menace!”
Ah, so that’s who the kid was.
Anko sat up, breathing in deeply as she watched Hound-kun hesitantly entered the room. “This isn’t in the job description,” Hound-kun said, glancing at the mess, “Has he been fed? Maybe he was hungry.” Hound-kun glanced at Cat-kun, “Can you get some milk from Mikoto-san?”
Cat-kun nodded, shunshinning out of the room. “Oh, this is hilarious,” Anko laughed, watching at Hound-kun took the kid out of Bird-kun’s hands.
“Like you were any help,” Bear-kaichou grumbled.
“I’m not good with kids,” Anko shruggged, completely unrepentant. Bird-kun ran off, wiping the gunk off his mask, wailing that he was betrayed by the kid. Anko snorted and Naruto smacked Hound-kun’s mask, laughing giddily.
One kid had been able to completely throw the ANBU barracks into disarray. This was gonna be fun.