And Naruto hadn't eaten breakfast yet, or had a bento packed. Or put on clothes.

Minato shoved himself up from the side of the tub. "Thanks, Turtle," he said wearily. "C'mon, little frog—"

"Imma shark," Naruto declared, and sank underwater.

"Not with five minutes to get ready for school, you're not." Minato braced one hand on the edge of the tub and reached in with the other. The clear, steaming water lent Naruto no hiding place; Minato hooked a slippery ankle and fished his wriggling son out upside-down. Naruto shrieked and tried to jackknife up, snapping his jaws at Minato's hand. Minato shook him, and he dropped back to hang upside down, streaming water and squealing in delight.

Kakashi had practiced his eye-roll often enough over the years that it was almost audible. "Four minutes," he drawled.

"Clothes," Minato said, and jerked a towel off the wall to bundle Naruto up.

"Go to school in my skin!" Naruto chanted gleefully.

Minato was beginning to regret winding him up with the soap bubbles. No— nothing about Naruto's transparent joy and Kakashi's fierce talent was worthy of regret. Naruto'd been late to school before, and convenience store onigiri wouldn't kill him. They'd both likely be living on conbini meals or takeout for a while anyway, until Minato found a new housekeeper.

"You can wear your skin," he said, tossing the squirming bundle over his shoulder and heading for the door, "so long as you wear clothes over it. Kakashi, could you rustle him up some breakfast? Glass of milk and a ration bar if nothing else. Turtle—"

"I'll be on stand-by to take him to school," she said simply, standing aside to let him pass. "Sagara-sama gave orders you're not to leave your quarters until this afternoon."

Kakashi covered a laugh, very badly, with a cough. "Three minutes," he said, and slipped away down the other end of the hall.

Three minutes was plenty of time to dry Naruto off with a rough towelling and help him into briefs, pants, and his favorite Captain Seaweed tee-shirt. Naruto didn't even protest much at having to wear a jacket, in case the fractious May sunshine turned to rain. "You'll still be here when I get back?" he asked for the fifth time, as Minato zipped him up. "You won't go away again?"

"Didn't you hear Turtle?" Minato asked. "The ANBU won't even let me go to my office until you get back. I'm under house-arrest."

Naruto was not, evidently, impressed by the ANBU's containment abilities. "I'll tell niisan to guard you," he decided, and pattered off to the kitchen.

Minato dragged himself after. He propped up against the kitchen doorframe in time to see Kakashi tucking a milk carton and a banana into Naruto's hands, with a ration bar stuffed into his jacket pocket for later. Naruto was chattering animatedly, but glanced back when Minato came in and lowered his voice to a secretive whisper. Kakashi nodded seriously, but Naruto insisted on a pinky-locking thumb-promise before he accepted a neatly wrapped bento, stacked his milk carton and banana on top, and smashed the whole armful to his chest.

"You stay here," he said, leveling a fierce glare at Minato.

Minato sketched a weak salute. "I'll be napping on the kitchen floor when you come back," he said.