Chapter one.

The beginning

16 years ago…

"Get back! The demon fox is destroying everything! Get your women and children out of the village now!" a 17 year old Junin with angled silver hair, one black, and one eerily scanning red eye shouted to worried villagers in the streets. In the background the crack of tree after tree breaking and splitting from its roots, pounding into the ground and the screams of those taken down with them chilled the blood of all who still remained within the leaf village. "Get out of here! By decree of Forth Hokage, all Chunin and lower ranking Ninja must evacuate all women children, and all none Nin from the village immediately!"

"Kakashi Hatake! Please, you must help me!" Kakashi turned to the pleading woman before him. she had dark hair hidden beneath a woven kasa, weeping brown eyes and clung to his arm in despair.

"Please Mam, you must evacuate the village before-"

"My baby is missing!" she cried, silencing him immediately. "I was just showing her the trees in the forest. I put her down to play with her, when the attack started and I was dragged back to the village." She whimpered. "And my baby was still on the floor! The Junin wouldn't put me down to get her! I don't even have a husband to send after her! I tried to go back myself, but I'm not allowed into the woods. Please, please!" Kakashi held the woman as she sobbed with sorry eyes. "Please get my baby. I beg you!" Kakashi looked back to the woods, dust flying over the horizon and the echo of mutilated screams ringing over the constant cries of fleeing villagers. He then looked back to the woman, who was still looking at him with all she was worth, her eyes begging alone with her pleas. "Please."

"Where did you last see her?"

"Over by the rocky clearing, where the First Hokage began his rule over Konoha." She sniffled. "If anything happens to her I'll-"

"Evacuate the village with the rest of the villagers." He looked to her sternly. "I will get your baby back and meet with you later."

"You promise?"

"I do."

"Thank you! Oh thank you so much. You are a saint." She hugged him tightly, before he passed her to a running Chunin.

Kakashi sped back towards the chaos, through the terrified masses of people running for their lives, up into high tree branches and never slowed until he reached the famous clearing.

…only to feel his heart stop beating.

The small in question babe was still there alright, on her back and looking upwards, unable to move her tiny little body wrapped up in her cream cotton blanket. She was cooing happily, softly…

…with her podgy little hands reaching up and tangling into the auburn fur of the most powerful, damned Biju demon to have ever been.

"…Kyubi…" the Nine tailed fox was snarling, all 9 tails whipping out behind him and destroying mountainsides, and acres of the forest in the distance.

And yet…his mighty neck bowed over into the sacred clearing, his colossal jaws bared angrily until all of his deadly canine fangs protruded with malicious intent, furious lips pealed back, the blood lust shining with a sickening gleam in his red eyes…

…eyes, which were focused solely on the cooing babe. "…no…"

To try and get any closer was suicide. He knew that. The fact the demon hadn't realised he was there already was fantastically unbelievable enough. He was lucky to still be alive, this close to the creature.

But the baby...what is it doing to the baby?

A giggling gurgle reassured Kakashi that at least she was unharmed, and not frightened. Oh to be blissfully unaware of the looming danger looking straight at you with eyes of assured death.

The baby would die.

There was no saving her.

Kyubi will either kill her and move on, or realise that he was there and kill her just to cause him suffering.

Either way, she would die.

I promised the child's mother I would bring her back. He closed his eyes, tears building up sadly. If only I didn't have to bring back her remains instead.

A strange sound snapped at his attention.

It was deep, baritone almost, thrumming through the clearing softly.

Is he…is the creature… He couldn't believe his eyes.

The most feared Biju of them all had closed his deadly eyes, withdrawn his hungry jaws behind furry lips and was purring softly at the baby. Impossible…

Kakashi gripped at the tree branch to his side. Never in history had the creature been recorded to experience or display anything but hatred, and cruelty.

But it was purring like an oversized kitten, bringing its face right up to the child and sniffing at her contently.

As soon as the attack had started, every child in the village between the ages of 4 and under had erupted into torrents of uncontrolled tears and screams. A known effect caused by the proximity of a Biju. But this child wasn't crying. Not a sniffle or an unpromising cringe. She was just giggling like every beautiful bouncing baby should, gripping happily at the fur between the creature's inspecting nose and lips like he was just one big dog!?!

And the creature wasn't killing her for just being there, he was playing the part of the dog, tenderly nuzzling at her. The strange sight actually calmed Kakashi's racing heart, his expression softening and his body relaxing into the tree.

Kakashi was so stunned; he didn't hear the incoming shouts of fellow Junin.

But apparently the fox demon did.

He snarled, those angry eyes glaring down at the child briefly, before snapping its head right at him.

Shit.

Kyubi brought one mighty paw up, and poised it over the baby, looking straight at Kakashi with a devilish smirk.

No, please no.

"Are you so heartless that you would kill the only innocent creature who ever showed you any sort of compassion?!" Kakashi, so furious, yelled with all the power his lungs would give him bitterly at the demon. "She is the only one who never feared you! Even now, she smiles!" Kakashi grit his teeth, using his left Sharingan eye to try to see what he was going to do next, and the best way to get to the child before that fowl demon brought his paw down on her. At the moment, all he could do was yell to distract the creature's anger. "Always you kill, always you destroy. Never do you stop. And so, NEVER will you EVER feel PEACE!" Kakashi gripped a Kunai tightly in his right hand, the left being used for balance, as an air ripping growl tore at him.

Kyubi obviously didn't take insults very lightly.

But at least it was working. Even with the paw still elevated, the child was still unharmed. "Tell me this demon, tell me this one thing. Tell me, why you always kill and destroy everything around you? Just for being there? Because we fear you? Is that it? Don't you like resentment and fear? Or do you do it because you are lonely and want to pass the time by doing the one thing you can do?!? By being a hated-" Kakashi rose to his feet. "-feared-" Kyubi's snarling growls were getting even more furious. "Blood thirsty, avoided, evil son of a bitch-" Kakashi could feel the creature's infinite Chakra building up in the atmosphere, cold, blood red, draining all hope and joy from his soul. He was livid. "-murdering MONSTER!" Kyubi roared, one of his destructive tails raising up into the air, and heading over the creature's body in anticipation of striking Kakashi down, no doubt. He knew he was going to die, you don't get this close to a beast like Kyubi and tell the tale. Because you don't live to tell it. Not usually anyway. Kakashi knew that was the risk from the first moment he turned and headed back to the forest against orders. He looked at that raised tail with glaring eyes, gripping at his Kunai.

A soft whimper, however quiet, seemed more important than either the vengeful demon, or the enraged Konoha Junin.

The baby girl was still looking up at the creature, his darkened red eyes widening slightly as he returned her unwavering gaze. She was frowning, her rounded tiny hands clenching and unclenching in the air, reaching for him.

For that monster…why? "Why would she still want you near her…after all you have done? That poor baby doesn't even realise you're about to kill her…" He whispered aloud.

To Kakashi's horror, and the horror of the arriving Junin, Kyubi brought his vast paw down on the child, and they all cringed, waiting for that heart wrenching crunch.

But they were greeted instead with a giggle.

"Kakashi? I don't understand." The woman he had shared most of his past adventures and missions with, Rin, perched right next to him.

"Neither do I…"

Instead of prematurely ending the babe's short life, the hovering paw had stopped barely inches from her delicate little body, but close enough for her reaching hands to be satisfied with feeling the underside of his paw. She giggled even louder, tugging at the fur. Kyubi lowered his paw for her, and she buried her face in his paw.

Then suddenly, he drew his paw back like she had hurt him, snarled, and his red eyes glowed evilly. Red smoke started to leak from his eyes, and his glare was centred at the child.

"His Chakra is still growing?!? Look, it's even pouring from his eyes now!" Rin panicked. "How did that baby get there?!?!"

"Left behind in the chaos. We need to get her out of there." Kakashi looked at all the Junin who had joined them.

Only 5.

Including himself, 6.

Not a hope in hell would allow only 6 Junin, no matter how skilled, to save that baby now.

"Kakashi, we can't-"

"I know Rin." He bit back. "I know." He punched at the tree bark. "But we can't just let her die!" I will not leave her behind. I refuse to lose that innocent little life to such a monster. "Formation falling leaf!

"But there's only 6 of us! We can't-"

"That wasn't a suggestion Rin, now!" his Sharingan eye span inside his eye socket, locking onto Kyubi's movement's. if he was going to Use his immense Chakra on the child instead of crush her, then he hoped to every God under and above the sky he would be able to spot what he was going to do, before he could do it.

Kyubi then opened his mouth wide, and something unbelievable happened.

Scarlet Chakra poured and flowed rapidly like a gushing waterfall from his mouth, drowning the child in it! "What the hell?!?!"

"Kakashi, is he transferring Chakra, into her?!"

"GO! NOW!" He shouted to them all, and leapt forward. "HA!" Kunai after Kunai, they formed a star leaf around the beast and bombarded him with knifes, Shuriken, and even branches they were that desperate.

Such Chakra would burn and blister such a weak little baby. It was too brutal a way to die for any of the Junin to relent their attack even slightly.

You truly are a monster! Kakashi furiously made hand signs, and gathered his Chakra in his right hand until it formed a lighting cutting mass of sparking energy. He focused in on the creature's neck, and threw the attack at him from mid leap. "RAIKIRI JUTSU!"

All it did was get Kyubi to open his mouth wider, pouring more and more liquid looking Chakra over the silent child.

Silent…is it too late? Is she already dead?!

Fuelled on by even more rage, Kakashi performed the shadow clone Jutsu, and sent his clones into the hot river of blood coloured Chakra. The worrying thing was, it actually looked and smelt like blood too.

But every clone he sent in there just burnt to a cinder instantly, crumbling to the ground meters away from the prone child.

All the Junin were sweating, distraught and a few even crying with grief.

They didn't even care that Kyubi wasn't attacking them back, like he should be.

At last, he raised his powerful head with a start, and snapped it over into the distance.

Thunder crackled, and the outline of the largest toad in existence could be seen with a smaller figure stood on his head.

It was Gamabunta and the Forth Hokage, at least.

With a snarl, Kyubi closed his carnivorous jaws. Almost right away, Kakashi dashed out under the distraction and scooped up the baby, running into the shadows. "Regroup! Now!"

An outraged roar cackled through the clearing, and Kakashi knew Kyubi was chasing him down.

So he did the only thing he could think of.

He ran towards the Hokage. Must keep going, can't slow down, can't stop! He repeated this in his head like a mantra, leaping from branch to branch before it was unceremoniously ripped from its tree bark by a livid fox Biju.

Rin and the other Junin seemed to insignificant to Kyubi, also out of character for a blood thirsty beast without cause.

In fact, it appeared as if he did have cause.

A cause, which involved following Kakashi.

And he heard it again.

That soft, melodic giggle. She's alive! His eyes were wide and his leaps grew bigger.

His heart raced faster despite how relived he was.

He hadn't been too late, he had saved her. He now didn't have to worry about handing over a still child to her mother. But a live, happy healthy child.

At least he hoped she was still healthy. She didn't seem injured, from the glances he cast down at her every now and then.

He was still being hunted by one big furious furry mother fucker, after all.

At last, the Forth Hokage and his sensei in sight, he heard Kyubi hiss in pain.

Sensei, are you doing that? Kakashi thought hopefully to himself.

He was going to live, the baby was going to live!

His spirit lifted immensely, and he summoned what little Chakra he had left to increase his speed and get back into Konoha village.

By the time he arrived, it was over.

He later learned that his beloved Sensei had sacrificed himself to seal away the Fox demon into the body of a new born child. The mother had died in labour, and the Forth kept the identity of the father secret…

But as I said, he later learned what transpired after arriving safely at the village.

Now he was looking frantically for the child's mother, his heart calm and black eye curved with beaming joy.

At first glance, he had counted this beautiful baby as practically dead. But against all the odds, he had saved her. She was going to live, and grow from a beautiful baby girl, to a beautiful grown woman. And every time he saw her, he would be reminded that good does prevail over evil. No matter how dire thing's may seem.

"Iruka!" Kakashi bellowed over the relived, albeit still whittling worrying villagers. The 12 year old Genin ran up to him, also with a scanning look in his eyes.

"Yes sir?"

"I'm looking for a woman. I don't know her name…brown hair, brown eyes, possibly still with a swollen stomach from child birth, with no child with her."

"Is that her baby?" Iruka twitched his nose, the scar over the ridge moving with his expression. "Wow, she looks cute." He then returned to looking at Kakashi. "Have you seen my parents?" he seemed urgent. "The last I saw them, they were holding the demon off on the front line. Are they with you?" he looked over his shoulder.

"No, but I'm sure they'll be along shortly." Iuka nodded, apparently happy with this answer, and ran off to keep looking.

This was actually the first opportunity Kakashi got to take a good look at the baby he just risked everything for.

And she was something to be proud of.

Perfectly peachy newborn baby pink skin, softer than Japanese silk. Her little fingers, hands, arms, everything was rounded and cuddly, healthy and glowing with purity.

Kyubi hadn't tarnished her at all.

Everything was where it was meant to be. The small button nose, the expressive thin lips, puffy rosy cheeks that were more than kissable, with the cutest whisker marks he had ever seen. 3 on each side; he assumed them to be birth marks of some sort.

Gods, she even smelt adorable!

Before he realised what he was doing, Kakashi was leaning back happily against a tree bark, with the babe spooned with one arm against him, the other hand touching her delicate little nose a few times, grinning madly with a blissful look in his eyes, and pulled his mask down. Like every good Ninja, he had merged out of sight, faded into the background, so no one saw him coddle the heavenly baby in his arms. He lowered his lips to her forehead, and was rewarded with a hiccupped giggle. "There there little one." His heart melted as she started to suck on the end of his finger like it was a bottle. Or nipple, from the look of her. She can't be on the bottle yet. So young, and already you've had a big adventure, haven't you? He chuckled, nuzzling her face with his nose. "You are so beautiful. You're family will be proud to have such a daughter in their clan." Finally, his mind returned to the mother, who would no doubt be frantic by this time. As happy as he was to bring her back safely…he started to wish he didn't have to. Kakashi wanted to be selfish and keep this perfect child for himself. It was as if she had cast a spell over him.

Well, at least this way, he could learn the name of the softly cooing babe in his arms. And it was the right thing to do…

He sighed, and pulled his mask over his face.

She whimpered at first after losing the comforting finger, and Kakashi didn't think twice about returning it. "Is that better little one?" he pulled away from the tree, and headed back into the crowds. People were starting to settle with relief; it would be easier to find her mother now. "I wish I asked your mother's name before…"

His heart stopped. Again.

Laid on the floor with a blanket pulled up to her chin, was the baby's mother. One of many in a long line of poor victims.

Her face was blank, and her eyes glazed over. From what he could see, one of her arms were either missing, or had been crushed in the shock wave tremors caused by one of Kyubi's tails. He knew for a fact that half the mountain side opposite the great Hokage wall was missing. And so would all the homes in that area. "…how…"

"She either got caught under the landslide over there-" the Junin beside him pointed to his left into the distance. "-or got trampled under the chaos of the evacuation. That's what this line is for." The same man sighed. "The line behind it is the one for the bodies of the recovered fallen Ninja."

"From the battle against Kyubi? How many?" Kakashi cupped under the baby's head, and cradled her to his chest. She didn't have to see this.

"Over half the village's Junin, a quarter of the Chunin, and the Genin were forbidden from involvement. Though…there are still some younger tragedies." Everyone around them made pockets of relived, or mourning groups. But non stood by them, looking down at the bodies, made a sound.

What was there to say? When faced with such meaningless death?

"Yours?" At first Kakashi had to look at him to realise it was Asuma, another Junin only a year younger than himself. Another confused look, and it took an indicating nod from the Junin to realise that he was referring to the baby. At the same time, he lifted a lit cigarette to his lips, and took a deep drag. Kakashi subconsciously shielded her from the toxic fumes.

"No…" he looked once again to the mother.

I don't even have a husband to send after her!

An orphan… "Yes." He then looked sternly to Asuma.

"Huh?" he could have sworn he'd just heard him say no.

"Yes, she's mine. My…niece."

"Oh, looking for your sibling and their partner then huh?" I didn't know Kakashi had family left…well. He never talks about anything personal. It isn't impossible, with how secretive he is.

"No…they're dead." He gulped. This was true, his family were dead. But that had already happened. And now he was lying, just to keep her for himself.

"I'm so sorry." He placed a hand on his shoulder. "We've all lost someone through this. My condolences."

"Thank you." He nodded, and Asuma left to recheck the increasing body count.

Kakashi Hatake, at a slight loss at what to do, wandered around for hours while order was restored. It turned out that half the village's population had been lost in the madness. So no one questioned his claim to his lost 'sister' as he told them, or his new niece. Although, the Third Hokage eyed him slightly as he told them his story, but didn't question it.

It was only later that night, in the safety of his apartment could he collapse in grief on his own bed.

If I hadn't hesitated, if I had run quicker, wasted less time…perhaps you could be in your mother's arms right now. Not mine.

Kakashi sighed.

If he hadn't allowed selfish fantasies of keeping this gorgeous baby girl for himself, didn't admire her from the shadows, maybe, just maybe…

Maybe I could have prevented your mother's death. Maybe not. At least I would have tried.

Kakashi let his weary black eye gaze at her, that delicious babe that had ensnared his heart for all eternity. Now I will never know if I could have saved your mother. For all I know…I could have killed her by hesitating. When you grow up, will you ever be able to forgive me for that?

As if on cue, she gurgled adorably, her thick lips opening to show her toothless smile at him. He immediately felt himself smile beneath his mask at her. How could such an innocent action consolidate him so? And she wouldn't even realise she was doing it.

"You're beautiful. Your mother would be proud. And I will honour her, by raising you in the best way I can. And I will never try to take the role of your father. I have no right to that title." A tear fell from his dark, emotional eye, and splashed gently on her forehead. He chuckled, and cradled her to him on his bed. "Kami, I never even got your name…"

What would her mother have called her?

He took another look at her. She was so tiny, she couldn't have even been in this world very long. A day or two at most. Possibly not even that. That woman did look very swollen to have just given birth… "I guess…I'll just have to name you myself."

But he couldn't do it. He just couldn't bring himself to give her a name her fallen mother would not have given her. Assuming she had even had time to officially name her yet.

He shook it off, looking once more at the beautiful child in his arms. And he opened his eyes wide.

Her eyes were still closed, but they were scrunching up. She was making soft pining noises, and her podgy little hands gripped at his green Junin jacket. "You know, don't you. You know your mother's…" he couldn't finish the sentence. Not for her to hear.

Maybe she could feel the newly forming bond of mother and babe tearing away into nothing, leaving her alone and abandoned, with no family to love her. "But I'll love you. With all that I am. I swear it." He placed a lingering, meaningful kiss on her smooth forehead, noticing something that wasn't there before.

A soft, slight wisp of red hair?

No, auburn. It wasn't quite red or ginger. "How cute." He chuckled, and then saw her scrunch her eyes up again. "Shhhh." He rocked her in his arms, delving deep and finding maternal instincts he didn't know he had. "It's ok. Uncle Kakashi is here now. Nothing to fear, ever again."

Of course, he couldn't say the same thing to himself.

She would need her mother's milk, at her age.

How would he feed her?

When she needed to be burped, would he know when and how?

What if she grew ill, or unhealthy somehow? Would he be able to heal her?

I'll have to learn how. I'll just have to. He then thought to himself. Perhaps I could ask Rin for some 'tips'. She has a smaller brother, doesn't she? Or even one of the nurses at the leaf hospital…

A soft yawn took his attention, and he smiled. "Tired? I know I am." He sighed with content. "It seems fate has made me an Uncle, and bound us together. I hope you can stand me. I have some rather annoying and 'odd' habits at times. And I do snore, my room is always a mess and I reading tastes aren't exactly tasteful." He laughed, out loud, happier than he had been all day.

The relief of the village's safety, of her safety, it was finally sinking in. He had survived what will most likely have been the worst day of his life, and his toughest mission yet. Now my next mission, to be a father and a mother for you. Now THAT is going to be hard. He chuckled, lowering the bundle of snuggling delight within his own blanket, against his own pillow, and circling her with his own jacket too. He stood over her by the bed, not daring to leave her side as he changed into his night shorts and curled himself around her. Tomorrow, I will have to sort all of this out. But until then… He reached over to his curtains, about to block out the moon light when she opened her eyes!

At first, she only opened her left eye.

His heart fluttered, and he beamed.

A bright, happy, brilliant blue eye. Like a deep sapphire had been carved to fit perfectly into her iris, with a warm coal centre. Such a beautiful eye.

And then…she opened the other one.

Kakashi was frozen.

His hands gripped at the bed covers by the side of her head, his heart starting to beat erratically.

It was only when he heard a soft whimper did he realise how horrified he must look.

And he was starting to scare her. "Sh Shhhhh." He stuttered, trying to get a hold of himself. "It's ok. It's ok." He wasn't just reassuring her either. "You're still beautiful. And I'm still here. I'm not going to leave you. Shhhh, get some sleep now little one." He shakily kissed her forehead again, and she settled and closed her eyes.

He didn't know what to think. I suppose…you can never really be that close to evil, and not have its mark left on you somehow. He closed both eyes, and returned to his cuddling state. He knew exactly what hardships she would have to face now. But don't worry, I'm going to help you through it. Kakashi finally relaxed his breathing, and fell asleep. You know…you look just like a little kitten curled up like that…

And that was the day everything changed forever. The day Naruto Uzumaki became cursed to a tortured childhood…

…and the day Kakashi became an 'Uncle' to an angel child.