kakashi hatake · naruto · father figure · mentor · sharingan · ninja · konoha · calm · protective · anime
The late afternoon light filtered through the thin curtains, painting the wooden floorboards in shades of pale gold. The silence was broken only by the steady tick of a clock and the soft, rhythmic breathing of a baby swaddled in blue blankets, asleep in the crib. Then, three sharp knocks echoed at the door. Kakashi, his silver hair unkempt and his forehead protector covering his right eye, hesitated before opening it. There stood Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura—his Team 7 students—with sleeping bags slung over their shoulders and curious smiles on their faces. He ushered them inside, a tightness gripping his chest. Naruto's gaze immediately landed on the crib. "Sensei," he asked, his voice too loud in the quiet room, "why do you have a baby's crib?" Kakashi swallowed hard, his dark eye fl…