May It Be

Author's Note - I must apologize for the length of time between updates. Real life is a pain in the butt and now, I'm having to job hunt right before Christmas. The job I have currently is giving me difficulties financially, which really isn't good at any time of year but worse during this time of year.

I will try to update this tale and my others more often but given my technical problems, it may be slow going at times. I'm having to write this in WordPad, transfer it to Word, and then save and post. I can't keep Word open for any length of time before it causes my computer to give me the blue screen of death. As you can see, writing for me is turning out to be an annoying process!

For those who reviewed, thank you so much for your wonderful comments! It really made me feel like I was going in the right direction with this. For the one who commented about Sasuke/Naruto stories, I enjoy them as well when they're done properly. The problem is, given my lack of knowledge on this anime, I'm working off of various sources and simply don't feel that I could pull off a realistic story between those two yet. Don't worry though, Sasuke will make an appearance!

Disclaimer - I do not own Naruto. That is the brain child of Masashi Kishimoto. I only play with the characters.

Chapter Three - Settling In

Iruka slipped into the house behind Kakashi, observing his new surroundings. The house was still in the 'moving in' stage as boxes bearing his name and Kakashi's name were stacked in various corners of the living room area.

"I think the only rooms completely set up are Naruto's, the study, and the kitchen. Although, most of what's in the kitchen is formula and some dried goods. I'll have to get some food in the house sometime soon."

The Genin responded in a quiet voice as he tucked his sandals away neatly, doing the same for Kakashi as he had his hands full with the whimpering baby.

"I can watch Naru-chan for you if you want to do that and get out for a while."

The Anbu's shoulders slumped in relief for a brief moment. It would do him some good to get out and think for a bit, even if it did mean he'd have to shop for groceries.

"I appreciate that. Let's get him fed and changed first, then we'll do a brief tour of the house before I head out."

Iruka headed into the kitchen, finding a clean bottle and mixing up the formula after reading the directions on the can carefully. The last thing he wanted was to make his shared charge sick during his first day of being the baby's caretaker.

Kakashi came into the kitchen with a clean but still unhappy Naruto just as the brunette had finished heating up the milk.

"Just in time. I just got the bottle ready."

The silver haired shinobi gestured at the kitchen table, waiting for the other to sit before handing him their charge. Iruka took him, cradling him in his arms and holding the bottle as Naruto started drinking his meal. Both of them had to smile at the little sounds of contentment the baby made as he nursed from the bottle.

"He enjoys his food, doesn't he?"

Kakashi chuckled, shaking his head as he took a seat near the two.

"He gets that from Minato-sensei. None of us ever could figure out where he put all the food he ate."

"Healthy appetite?"

That question coaxed another soft chuckle from the Anbu.

"You could call it that. I saw him in an eating contest with an Akimichi once; I had no idea anyone could eat like that."

Iruka shifted Naruto slightly to give him better support as he continued to devour his meal.

"Do I want to know who won that one?"

"It was a draw, which surprised the hell out of everyone watching. Honestly though, I think his appetite had a lot to do with Minato-sensei's abilities. So much chakra and his speed, his body really demanded a lot in the way of nourishment to replace the energy he kept burning off."

Iruka grabbed a nearby dish towel and threw it over his shoulder before resting Naruto against it, hand gently patting his back to coax out the burp he knew was coming.

"You think Naru-chan will be the same way?"

"I'd be surprised if he wasn't. We'll know soon enough."

Iruka smiled, which turned into a soft laugh when a tiny belch came from the little one.

"Goodness, I think you must feel better after that. Let's get you down for your nap, Naru-chan, okay?"

The dish towel was laid on the table as he rose, Kakashi coming to his feet as well. The Anbu led him to the nursery and watched as Iruka laid the drowsy baby down into the cradle before the pair of them slipped out of the room.

"You're good with him."

"Benefit of horrible D-ranked missions, Kakashi-san. My team pulled more than their fair share of baby-sitting missions. I had to learn what to do fairly quickly or have my hearing lost due to screaming babies and small children."

Kakashi laughed quietly, remembering that his team had pulled a few of those during their time as well. He hadn't had to actively interact with the children though as his two teammates had quickly taken to the little ones that had been under their care. Mostly, Kakashi had simply done the clean up and running errands for things the families had needed.

"I think every Genin team has had a baby-sitting mission at least once. I never could understand why. Minato-sensei wouldn't answer me on that one at all."

Iruka nodded, remembering his last few baby-sitting missions and what he'd figured out about those. Once he'd told his sensei, the older man had congratulated him on it and the chocolate eyed Genin never complained about those types of missions again.

"It's a lesson in patience for one thing. Children are vulnerable and demanding because they can't actively take care of themselves. We learn to keep our tempers and focus on the situation. In turn, that helps us when the dangerous missions come up that require a level head and a lot of patience to finish."

A dark eye narrowed thoughtfully at the Genin's words. He hadn't seen it that way before and now that he thought about it, Iruka was right. Funny how a genius had simply focused on how annoying the missions had been instead of seeing the value of them and lessons they taught. The teenager would be an asset to the fledgling household, not only for his help with the baby but also his insight. Kakashi had a feeling he'd be relying on that a great deal as they raised Naruto together.

"I'm going to go and see about getting the kitchen stocked. Do you know how to cook?"

Iruka rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish smile.

"I know the basics and can cook some simple meals."

"All right then. Why don't you explore the house and pick out your room while I'm gone. Mine is right next to the nursery. The others are open for you to pick from."

Kakashi disappeared from the house then, leaving the chocolate eyed teenager on his own. Determined to take advantage of the time that the little one was sleeping in, he explored the house to find a comfortable study with shelves containing scrolls, along with several other rooms that simply held beds and storage units for clothing. The living room had tasteful furniture that would be enjoyable to relax in after a hard day's training.

Iruka chose the room right across the hallway from Naruto's, wanting to be nearby in case the baby needed him at night. Once the decision had been made, he started unpacking his boxes, putting away the clothing and equipment he used for his training.

A surge of pain hit him as the family pictures were unpacked and placed in various locations in his room. Gently, he trailed a finger over the cold glass as he stared at the smiling image of his parents.

From the moment the threat had cleared, Iruka had been too busy to even think about his own losses. He'd helped clean up, take care of the younger orphans, and now was responsible for helping someone raise the baby who held the spirit of the nine-tails.

In the course of one night, so much had changed. He would never be able to practice taijutsu with his father or help his mother on the training field as she worked with the Academy students on their weapons training. No more listening to them playfully argue over dinner or playing cards on Friday nights if all of them were home and not on missions.

Pain tightened in his chest, making it difficult to breathe as tears filled the warm brown eyes. He sank to his knees on the floor, gasping softly for air as he wept for the loss of everything he'd held dear.

How long he sat there mourning, he couldn't say. It was only a soft little cry from the nursery that pulled him out of his thoughts and forced him to focus on what needed to be handled. Rising, he scrubbed the tears from his face and went into the baby's room to see what Naruto needed.

After changing a dirty diaper, Iruka sat down in the rocking chair, cuddling the drowsy baby as he stared into his face.

So many losses had occurred over the last twenty four hours and yet, looking down at Naruto, the Genin was struck by the fact that Konoha had been given a priceless gift during this time of loss and chaos. There was now an heir to their strongest Hokage, an heir that had been adopted by one of the most prized shinobi in their village. This little one would grow up to continue the legacy of both the Yondaime and the Hatake clan.

Callused fingers gently stroked the soft skin of Naruto's cheek, mesmerized by the innocence that surrounded the little blond. An innocence that had everything to do with youth and ignorance of what lay ahead. It was an innocence that would be lost as Naruto grew and was faced with the bitterness and hatred that was sure to be shown to him.

That thought made Iruka's eyes harden and determination filled him. For better or worse, Naruto had been given to him and the Hatake to raise into manhood and he refused to allow the stupidity of the villagers to corrupt this little one. He would help raise Naruto into the man and shinobi that Yondaime wanted him to be and would give him the love that the child deserved.

"I promise you, Naru-chan, you won't be facing all this alone. A promise of a lifetime, little one."

Author’s End Note – Good place to leave it for the moment, I think. Naruto’s family is starting to gel up! I hope everyone has enjoyed this installment and will leave reviews to let me know what you thought! See everyone next time! Laran