Well… I guess I could not resist the thought of not continuing on with this idea. I mean, the two are just adorable little children and all, and stuff… anyways. It's time to get on with the story. I must, and I will try not to lose all inspiration too quickly, and I'd rather get it halfway done before I start slugging around. But do not fret! I am not gonna die out on any of my stories, I hope, only stall until I find the right direction. Enjoy.

"Let's get down to business." Naruto and Anko were wide-eyed at the two men who had entered in after the Hokage. Is that man Jiraiya the Sannin? He's really tall! Turning back to them, he chuckled a bit, smiling as he reached over and placed a hand on their respective shoulders, startling the two from the contact? Since when had they had so much friendly contact?

"So these are the two squirts you were telling me about. Say, Sarutobi-sensei, what do you plan on doing with these two?" Taking an excessively long drag from his pipe, he placed it down, exhaling smoke across the room as a grin cracked his features.

"Well, that is a good question. Tell me, how would you like to know about the attack on Naruto-kun last night? Oh, and the fact that not a single soul responded to the call?"

"Excuse me? I don't believe I heard you right. What happened?" His eyes darkened, a storm of emotions rose the tension within the room to a near unbearable limit for the two children, leaving them to be shielded by the other Jounin in the room from the killing intent radiated from the sage like veteran.

"I had heard a few rumors of a sort of witch hunt that happened on his birthday from a few villagers, so I searched for a bit, and coming to this very tower, there he was. I have no doubt that after all that he'd been put through, he would not remember much. So I'll put it straight. Methods similar to torture at the T&I were used, and from further analysis, it is possible he was also raped, judging by the bruises that had been left on his body left by a report by Neko." The situation had become grim. Neither of the two had expected what had happened, to happen. To Jiraiya, it was unfathomable, and in some cases, not even believable from what he was hearing. Who would want to rape a child, let alone a six year old boy on his birthday?

"Old man…"

"It's time that we all took some responsibility for our actions. Keeping what we have a secret, and the way we have done it will work no more. From the information you have been sending me, as well as the final analysis on that group of rouge nin, we have no time to waste in protecting this child, no, not just a child. His child. He will need every tool at his disposal to grow stronger to protect himself, and we cannot afford you to be outside of the village while this happens to him. He is your godson." Without a thought at hand, he opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by a fist crashing against the wooden desk, the shaking, angered hand of his teacher, mentor, the one who had been known as The Professor.

"There will be no arguing, Jiraiya. I know you have your spy network, but change is coming. You know that as well as I do." Nodding, he stood firm, taking a seat that had been next to him, tensed, ready to listen for his next command.

"First things first. Kakashi."

"Yes, Hokage?"

"You must take care of him until he graduates and becomes a Genin. No if ands or buts. That includes his friend."

"But sir, that will put this young girl at risk as well, wouldn't you rather have two people take care of them? Particularly someone less, I don't know, sought after?"

"I already handled that. I have two, Yugao and Itachi, that will watch over him from the shadows. You, my boy, are to give him a childhood, along with this girl. You might doubt my sanity, but things have gone on for too long without reprimand. As long as I am Hokage, I must take care of this village, and all of its people." Clearing his throat, Jiraiya leaned back into his chair, brushing a hand through his spiked mane of white hair.

"Where do I come in, sensei?"

"You will help train and guide these two. Bonds make people stronger as long as they are reciprocated from both sides. Which leads me to another thing that this young man must know to progress."

"Sensei… you can't be serious! That will put him-"

"I know, Jiraiya. But he needs to know. This isn't up for debate." Sighing, he calmed himself, and settled himself back into his chair, peeved, but slightly happy. I can't tell where this will lead this young man, but I hope this is for the best.

"Kakashi, I will hand you the papers for adoption of these two, do you have anything to say?" The man who had been silently leaning against the wall looked up, as if thinking, and drew his own sigh. What would you do…. Minato? Chuckling a bit, his thoughts were whisked away by the papers he had taken from the village leader's hands, staring hard at the text at the top of the paper.

"I will sign this… on one condition."

"Speak now, or forever hold your tongue."

"He will not be cooped up like some dog. I want him to be able to move free of his guards when I am with him."

"Accepted. Any more questions?"

"No." Handing back the signed papers, the Hokage brought from a drawer a stamp, cleanly pressing it into the top right corner until a red 'Accepted' sign appeared on its surface.

"I will provide money and other necessities such as wire, kunai, and anything else you may request for him as per his training. He will start the academy in two years as per my personal orders to get him up to speed and kickstart his education. Okay…" He flipped through several documents, most of them labeled 'Classified' in bold, black letters across the vanilla folders. With a small gasp of surprise, he took three of them, including an oddly large scroll, and handed them to Naruto, who, had been silently waiting, all with a mixture of shock and happiness tugging at his childish features. His smile got even wider, tears pouring down as he blankly stared at pictures and names put on the two folders in his hands. Wiping his eyes, he sniffled, and with speed unheard of, the files were strewn to the side as he tackled the elderly man, laughing as he did so.

"Is it true, jiji? He was my… my…"

"The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, was your father. His wife, your mother, was none other than Kushina Uzumaki, last in direct lineage of the Uzumaki Clan's hierarchy. Her father happened to be the Godaime Uzukage, Sho." He was bouncing around the walls, boundless energy being released all at once. Rather, he had to be held by Kakashi's side in fear of destroying something precious within the office. Questions spilled out of his mouth at a million sentences a minute, enough that he had found himself running out of breath quicker than he thought.

But there was one thing that remained to be important. This was the rebirth of a young man who would have normally found himself alone. One, who, regrettably, had been subjugated to the cruelty of the world much too early. But he had a mission- to become strong!

The Following Morning…

"Where are we going? Can I take off my blindfold? Am I learning how to use jutsu? Is it-"

"Naruto, you can take off your blindfold now. You too, Anko." Naruto grinned, ripping away the cloth strip with wide eyes, gazing at the two legendary Konoha-nin with nothing less than excitement. An oddly large bedroom, much larger than the old, worn studio apartment that he'd been staying at, was boldly printed on a white canvas that loosely hung from the ceiling. Welcome Home Naruto?!

Tears spilled from his eyes, and he gratefully wrapped his arms around Kakashi's legs, head buried into his stomach as happy cheers erupted from his parched throat. The normally stoic Jounin felt pride well up inside of him, a twinge of a forgotten feeling that had long since passed. Jiraiya, who had been stuffing away random assortments of things in each corner of the room, embraced the idea full force despite his earlier objections. Naruto parted, looking at the Sannin with curious cerulean orbs, complaining as his large hand ruffled the hair wildly spiking atop his head.

"I haven't been the best godfather, and not the guardian you deserved, Naruto. I hope you'll forgive me for being a bit late, Naruto."

"I don't care, jii-chan. I have a new otou-san… and I swear I'll make you proud!" Jiraiya's eyes went wide, staring at the boy, who, in all audacity, jumped into his arms without hesitation. He'd been expecting curses, inflammatory and inarguable disdain or at least something as penance, but it gave him a clear reminder of the child's personality- his iron will that would remain unbroken. Naruto… he's got a bit of his parents in him, but he's so happy, kind, and strong at his age… much more than I was when I refused to put him in danger.

Anko nervously traced circles with her foot at the ground, uncomfortably silent at the familial reunion that she had desperately needed. Naruto came full force at her, much to her chagrin, and hugged the smaller girl with a smile.

"Don't be a stick in the mud, Anko! I'll be there for you too, ya hear me?!" Kakashi rubbed the back of his head, looking over to the two cloaked Anbu quietly standing at the doorway, awaiting any instruction from the man they regarded as their leader.

"Ne, Itachi… Yugao? How do I take care of a kid?" They both facepalmed as loudly as they could, mimicking the other's actions through their respective masks with a pop. Itachi groaned as he stared at the rather awkward parent, blankly staring at the Jounin with a mix of shock and exasperation at his ignorance on the subject. Of course he'd ask… between those two, I'm not sure which one will be more mentally corrupting for the boy in the long run.

A few days had passed, quietly swept along by the newfound, and more than likely dysfunctional family found themselves reading parenting guides and other material, finding solace in Jiraiya's oddly wise advice when it came to taking care of children. Such a thing might not have been expected from the perverted sage, but stories do unravel themselves over time, so from Kakashi's perspective it was more of a learning curve than anything else.

Jiaiya, who had made himself a home in one of the guest rooms, was quietly sipping at a mug of coffee from earlier that morning, glancing between the clock and his newest piece- an adventure novel, much to the other's surprise. Naruto and Anko made their way down the stairs, quickly turning the corner as they awaited the most exciting day of their lives.

"Anko, hurry up! We're gonna be late for the check-in!" He attempted to dart out of the front door- dressed in his newer clothing, a gift from the newly-made father and uncle, in an entirely black outfit. It was strange, seeing the small child take to the color so easily despite his obvious love for orange, but they paid it no mind, only whisking away to block them from leaving the two-story home. Kakashi, without his mask for the first time in a while, leaned down to ruffle the small boy's hair with a small smile.

"You two need to eat. Young ninja can't survive on empty stomachs, after all." His eyes sparkled, only now noticing the scents of the freshly cooked meal as they wafted to his nose. Naruto happily skipped along, stopping and clambering atop the quietly writing Sannin's head with mixed curiosity.

"What's that, Jira-jii?" The man grinned at the question, standing tall as he proudly displayed a hand-drawn picture at the front of the cover.

"This, Naruto, is the epitome of all literature! A true masterpiece, one that fills the hearts of young minds with adventure, of course!" Naruto's eyes sparkled as a wide smile making berth to his face, gleaming in admiration to the sage, enraptured by his child-like nature. His smile fell to a pout, and his arms crossed in front of his chest as he looked away.

"I thought it was stuff to make me a super awesome ninja, Jira-jii." The man heartily laughed, picking the blonde up and setting him into a chair at the table with a wag of his finger.

"You can only be the best of ninja, little Naruto! But I warn you, training is going to be difficult with both Kakashi and myself here, so buckle up!" A plate was set before him, filled to the brim just as he liked it. With a silent prayer, he quickly devoured the heaping pile of food, even licking the plate clean with his abnormally ravenous appetite. He would have normally groaned at the thought of eating the several vegetables inside of the omelette- but it tasted better than he envisioned, so he made it a goal for later to give the healthy choice of food another chance. Swallowing the last bit, he quickly chugged the glass of milk, sighing as he smiled bright at his two oddball guardians, a small speck of grease on his cheek in the process.

Kakashi smiled, opening his eyes and uncaring of the heterochromatic display, wiping away the foamy mustache at the top of his lips. He did the same for Anko, who had refused to lose in the odd duel, tossing the object into the trashcan in a nearby corner.

"He's right. We'll start training you after orientation to the academy. Make sure you're ready for what you wish for Naruto, Anko." Cheering, they scampered off, quickly grabbing their respective backpacks as they made headway through the streets- clearly excited for what was to come. The front door to the Hatake Manor stalled for a bit, letting them watch with grins as the two dusted off in the direction of the Academy. Close behind, Kakashi followed him, surprisingly finding it hard to catch up to the two's natural speed. All the while, Jiraiya calmly made his way from the table, whistling to himself as he rested his pen on the small diary at the table's behest.

Once he'd caught up, he coaxed them into a walking pace, eye-smiling beneath his mask and hitai-ate as he covered his eye from public view. It wasn't like it was a secret, but his style had grown on him, much like the two bundles of energy walking beside him were continuing to do.

"What are we going to learn today, dad?" He twirled around, walking backwards with his hands resting against his head, tilting a bit at the odd chuckle in return. Kakashi took him by the shoulders, gently turning him to face what was in front of him, making him gaze back up at the taller man.

"First, we need to unlock your chakra. It won't be easy, but based on what me and Jiraiya see, we'll come up with something you can start with. Of course, while you're in shape from all that exercise you get, we need to make sure you gain weight and grow properly, so we'll do some physical training before anything else. That includes you too, Anko." The small girl smiled, laughing happily as she leaned against Naruto- who reflected the action in kind. For two kids who met less than a week ago, they're getting along really well. This is what you wanted, right… Minato-sensei?

The Konoha Ninja Academy came into view, and many other parents and their children came into view. He shook off any lingering thoughts, following close behind despite the odd stares directed at his person. I guess it's hard to believe that I have two kids now… people are bound to be curious, I suppose.

"I'm so excited! This is going to be awesome, I just know it!" Kakashi perked up, his solitary eye curiously gazing towards a rather tall man, blonde, walking beside a small girl no larger than his hip. With a small smile, he waved over to him, coaxing along what he assumed to be his daughter as she nervously approached.

"Kakashi, when did you… you adopted him? I'm so glad... forgive my manners. This is my daughter and future clan head, Ino Yamanaka." He gently prodded her forward, to which she shyly waved, embarrassedly blushing as she looked away.

"H-Hi… I hope… we get along together." If her face had gotten any redder, one might've mistook the girl's face for a hot iron pan under an open flame. Naruto being, well, Naruto, excitedly wrapped his arm about her shoulders and unceremoniously dragged her along with his antics. It left the two men chuckling, and only stopped when they approached the rather sensitive topic that had yet to be brought out to the table.

"I heard about what happened to Naruto… the poor boy. I was trying to adopt him, but you of all people stepped up to the plate." Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck, looking away lazily as the notion came full force to his lips.

"Well, more or less I was forced, and then accepted. I'm still trying to figure this whole father figure thing out, still." Inoichi smiled gratefully, clasping a hand on his shoulder as they looked towards the now playing Ino, happily laughing and running along the sandy hollow in front of the Academy's open doors.

"Still. You've done nothing less than something amazing, and I'm sure he would be especially proud of you. Let me know, Kakashi, and immediately, if you need anything for young Naruto. He's a kind, caring, and thoughtful child, and I only wish the best for him and my daughter." Kakashi silently nodded, still watching as the children scampered about, not before being called inside, where they filed into the doors of the Academy with wide smiles and open hearts. Inoichi…

"I'll keep that in mind, Inoichi. Minato would want only the best for his only son, so I'm going to be training him through everything I can, and be the guidance he needs for the future. He deserves that much at least, given his treatment." The two nodded, walking off and chatting away, and before they knew it, the day would long since pass through the four-hour day of Konoha's Ninja Academy. Soon enough, young Naruto would discover his own way, a path that would lead to greatest ninja of all, one to illuminate the darkness of Konoha's heart.

Please don't hate me, I really tried to make time, I swear! It's just… well… I was a bit preoccupied with my studies, so things were going a bit slower than they normally would. That's enough for the explanation, and I'm sure many of you understand the sentiment. See all of you later in the next chapter!