The Next Hokage
Summary: What if Sandaime and Yondaime both already had it planned out who was supposed to succeed Minato, but it never happened because of a few circumstances Danzo made? Will Konoha search for this person or will Danzo have his way?
A/N: Hello there! Here is another short story, about four, five chapters long. I hope you will like it! The idea occurred to me when I saw a picture on Pinterest and I just couldn't resist! Anyway, on to the story!
"Why have you called us here, Tsunade-sama?" Hatake Kakashi, a special jonin dressed in the customary jonin attire with a face mask covering half of his face and his hitai-ate covering his left eye, asked when the whole of Konoha Eleven and their senseis finally settled around in the Hokage's office. It was rather early in the morning, so he couldn't blame them for being so restless. Quite a few of them had just returned from long missions, including Team 7.
Before them all sat a busty woman of misleading appearances. She looked to be only about twenty when in reality, she was probably over fifty years old. No one dared ask her what her true age was, as she had quite a tempter on her. And a monstrous strength that sent even the bravest men running for the hills if they did manage to piss her off. This woman was the Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure, Senju Tsunade, one of the three Legendary Sannin. She sat at her desk like a boss with her elbows leaning against the top, her fingers at her eye level as she stared at her ninja over them, interlocked. She had blond hair held up in two low ponytails and chocolate brown eyes. She was obviously in a foul mood so even the loudest of the gathered group were quiet and serious, fearing the possibility of bringing her rage upon them.
''I have called you here because I just found a very important document regarding the Hokage post.'' That got the group's attention but they remained quiet, knowing Tsunade will continue as she sees fit. ''Rather, who should have become the Godaime.''
''I don't understand.'' Gai admitted with a confused frown on his face. ''Aren't you the Godaime, Tsunade-sama?''
''Yes, Gai, but I was the second choice. Rather, the third, since Jiraiya had turned down the post, saying I was more suited. Someone had been envisioned as the Godaime many years ago and the document had been simply lost in the chaos or hidden somewhere by someone who was not pleased with the choice. We are still trying to figure out how the should-be Godaime was prevented from taking office three years ago, but that's not why I called you here. It's regarding this person's identity.''
''Who are they?'' Naruto asked curiously and everyone looked towards the scroll and the file underneath it that sat in the middle of the Hokage's desk. If anyone said they weren't curious, it would be an outright lie.
''And since when were they chosen to be the Godaime?'' Sakura questioned, equally curious. She kind of couldn't imagine anyone else other than Tsunade as the Godaime Hokage. But, then again, that's all they knew of. It's been three years since the Sannin took the post and everyone's more than used to her being their Hokage.
''They were chosen by the Yondaime Hokage not long after he took up the post himself." Tsunade began but Kurenai interrupted her with an incredulous screech.
"But that was sixteen years ago!"
"Actually, it was a few months longer." Kakashi corrected in a tight voice and the adults winced. Namikaze Minato and his team were a very sore topic for Kakashi since he was the only surviving member of said team. It would seem the wounds caused by their deaths have yet to heal. They kind of wondered if they ever would.
"Wait. If someone was already chosen, why did my father take back the position of Hokage?" Asuma asked, perplexed. "I mean, if there was a determined successor, why weren't they immediately made Godaime and instead my father returned to the office?"
"Simple, really." The medic nin master said as she leaned back from her desk, tapping the file there with a finger from her right hand. "They were not even six at the time. They hadn't even started the Academy yet. The kid was smart and wiser than most men twice my age, but he was still only a child. And no matter how talented he was, no matter that he had made his first kill at four, he wouldn't have been accepted as Hokage at that age."
"So Sandaime-sama took up the post until the kid finished his training?" Kiba mumbled under his breath wondrously. "But shouldn't that person have been eighteen at the time of the Konoha Crush? Surely they'd be a fine ninja by then, if they were considered worthy of the Hokage post at such a young age. Why didn't they take the position then?"
"Well, for several reasons, actually. One, they didn't even know they were the successor. No one did but Sandaime and Yondaime. Two, the Council had already decided a Sannin should be Hokage, since only Jiraiya or I could match Orochimaru. Three, they weren't in the village at the time." The woman counted off and Yamato frowned.
"And his ninja rank?"
"And why didn't we just go get him like Ero-sennin and I went to get you?" Naruto asked curiously. Tsunade just sighed tiredly, opening the scroll before her.
"Because it's much more complicated than that. This guy was chosen when he was five, when people had no idea how he would turn out besides the fact that he's a genius." Kakashi stiffened a bit at this, as if sensing how this could turn out or fearing it altogether. "Today, this guy is a missing nin. A pretty wanted one, too. The price on his head is twice as much as Orochimaru's."
"Tsunade-sama, you can't mean ...?" The silver haired man asked and Tsunade nodded her head gravely. "But-"
"There's a whole other side of the massacre that is unknown to the public, Kakashi." That single 'm' word caused the other adults to pale as they suddenly realized what was going on and just whom the next Hokage should have been. "A side Sarutobi-sensei carefully added as a post note in history in this very scroll."
"Then the Godaime should have been ... ?" Kurenai couldn't bring herself to finish so the Hokage did it for her.
"Uchiha Itachi." A deathly silence filled the room as Tsunade flipped open the file on her desk. There they saw the official files and profile of Uchiha Itachi, along with his picture for each rank he rose to. The statistics they were showed said the older Uchiha was adapt at every skill, with his IQ somehow being higher than even a Nara's, or so most of the group noted. "He, I am sure you all know, is a part of Akatsuki and the reason Sasuke joined Orochimaru. But that aside, he is called the Clan Killer. And while that may be true and a very well known fact among shinobi all over the world, what isn't known by anyone is the fact that the massacre was ordered. By the Council of Advisors. By Shimura Danzo, to be more precise."
"What?!" Everyone flinched at the cold hiss that came from one very enraged Kakashi. Yamato had tensed up, probably feeling the same rage, but he wasn't showing it. Those two are probably the only ones allowed to feel anger. After all, once upon a time, some seven years ago, Itachi had been their teammate in an ANBU platoon that went by the name of Team Ro. They had taken his crime half as badly as Sasuke had and they feel responsible for the path he took. Now, they weren't so sure as to what they should feel.
"Don't get so worked up. You haven't even heard the worst part yet." Kakashi's glare got even worse and Naruto started fearing that strange technique he used to severe Deidara's arm will appear again. "He wasn't just ordered - actually, he wasn't really ordered to do it, but rather offered - he was threatened into it. The Uchiha were planning a coup d'tat. Itachi was used as a double agent on both sides, that is by both the Uchiha and the ANBU. He informed Sarutobi-sensei and the Advisors of what his clan was planning and Sarutobi-sensei tried to get a better solution than to murder a clan of long lasting allies. But Danzo was impatient and he gave Itachi two choices: stand by his clan as they are all murdered, let a war start, but remain loyal to his family or kill the entire Uchiha Clan sans Sasuke, become a nukenin but prevent the war and as such save Konoha. I think his response was obvious. Sandaime learned of this only after the deed was done. Itachi reported he'll be staying with the Akatsuki, since they were offering him a safe haven and then just left. In the morning, they found the two teammates Danzo had assigned him when he became an ANBU Captain dead, having stabbed themselves through with their swords. Sandaime suspected Danzo sent them to kill him."
"They didn't stand a chance." Kakashi said with a sick sense of pride. He had been one of the two people who influenced Itachi's fighting style the most.
"No, they didn't. He apparently had them under a genjutsu since his last promotion." Shizune revealed, placing another two files on the table, both opened at the medical page and showing the report. "That was months before the massacre and, ultimately, these two's deaths."
"He held a genjutsu that long?" Kurenai couldn't help but wonder, stepping closer to see the three files. She frowned when she looked back at Itachi's. "But that doesn't make any sense. It says here Uchiha Itachi has smaller than average chakra reserves."
"That may be, but Itachi-kun has always had extraordinary chakra control. If I had to bet money on it, I'd say he could take down the Kyuubi with half his chakra reserves." Gai stated, looking grimly over to the two ex-ANBU who had worked with the weasel. When they nodded, tension filled the room.
"You said all of this was only a footnote." Shikamaru reminded, looking back at Tsunade. "What's the main story?"
"Itachi was born in a time of war," the Senju woman said. "Uchiha Fugaku met Minato on the battlefield while Minato was still only a teenager. They hit it off pretty much instantly, despite the age difference of some odd six years. By the time Itachi was born, they were the best of friends. The fact to prove this was that Minato was Itachi's godfather." Apparently, no one knew this, as even Kakashi, Minato's student, arched an eyebrow at this. "Itachi idolized his godfather and Minato pretty much adored Itachi. But then Itachi's potential started showing when he could outdo grown, trained, experienced shinobi in accuracy." At the confused looks she got, Tsunade elaborated. "He could hit more targets with kunai and shuriken at three than most shinobi at thirty could. Simply put, he's a genius."
"You've got to be kidding me," Neji uttered, staring with new fascination at the picture of the raven haired shinobi. "I know I grew up in a time of peace but my first training session was not until I was four!"
"I only started training at five, which is when I got Akamaru, too." Kiba whispered and Akamaru barked in agreement.
"I started in the Academy," Sakura volunteered and Ino just nodded, as did Shikamaru and Chouji.
"I don't remember when I started, but I was pretty young, too." Sai said and most of the jonin nodded along.
"What talent ..." Lee murmured. "He must be a tough opponent!"
"I wouldn't cross his path if I could avoid it." Kakashi said in reply to Lee's observation.
"Then he's strong. And that's good, if he's really going to be our next Hokage." Tenten said optimistically until she saw the look on Tsunade's face. "Right?"
"That's the thing. We have no idea if he'll even believe us even if we do find him. I mean, even if he's a genius, it's pretty far fetched that he'll be chosen as Hokage at what? Six?" The Hokage's assistant said.
"Did he even make his first kill at that age?" Asuma asked. He sure as hell had, and Kakashi most certainly did at that age. They were the kids of war. They grew up pretty quick, even by shinobi standards.
"According to his record, he made his first kill at four, which is when he first saw the war battle ground." Shizune read, startling the group with the age they heard. "Apparently, his father took him out to see the battle. From a safe distance, of course, but Itachi had went down to give water to any survivors. An Iwa nin tried to kill him after Itachi gave him water and Itachi slit his throat before he could attack." She looked up at the gawking group of ninjas. "Or so the official report says. I somehow find it fitting. After all, we're talking about the youngest ANBU in history here."
"Youngest ANBU?" Ino repeated questioningly and Kakashi and Yamato nodded.
"He was only eleven when he picked up the mask." The brunet replied. "And he was a jonin for half a year before that and a chuunin half a year before that. He was a genin since seven, having spent barely a year in the Academy."
"He graduated with grades that were competing with Kakashi's and Minato's, which is a 100% in every subject, on every test, in every single one of the simulations and the such." Tsunade went on. "They would have sent him off earlier among the genin, but they thought he was too young. He left the Academy when they realized he'd been sending a Kage Bunshin to the Academy almost since the first week while he trained elsewhere."
"What!?" All present screeched. Even the adults hadn't known this. Most of them had never even managed to learn the technique, either the teens or the adults. It was, after all, a kinjutsu of the jonin class. Rare few ever mastered the jutsu, genius or not.
"Just what kind of guy is he!?" Kiba exclaimed, staring horrified at the picture of the Uchiha when he was promoted to genin. He thought back to the time he was this kid's age and could only remember days spent mostly running around and playing with his friends.
"The kind of guy both Yondaime and Sandaime wanted as the next Godaime." Tsunade replied with a tired sigh. "Minato wrote this," she gestured at the scroll. "A year before his death, meaning Itachi was five back then. This thing says that by then, Itachi hated war and had sworn he'd one day find a way to stop all wars. As a Hokage who had fought as a soldier in the war that had just ended, something tells me Minato wanted to give Itachi a stepping stone to achieve this. Sarutobi-sensei seems to have agreed, stating in the footnote that he had not met an old sage that could be wiser than the six year old Itachi he first personally talked to. From all that we've told you, you can guess why Itachi would be the perfect Hokage."
"So why did he never become Hokage?" Naruto asked curiously. He had always thought negatively of Itachi, but it was justified on his end. Itachi had killed the Uchiha Clan save Sasuke, who left the village in order to search for enough power to kill his brother. That lead to Sasuke becoming a rouge and Orochimaru's next container. And that's not even mentioning the crap he put them all, especially Naruto, through as an Akatsuki member. But it would seem that he wasn't such a bad guy after all ... if it were all true, that is.
"We're guessing Danzo found out about this scroll and tried to hide it. He couldn't destroy it since Sandaime and Yondaime made it from a special paper that cannot be destroyed and the words are written with chakra, rather than with ink or something else, so it can't be erased or edited." The busty woman explained, once again tapping the scroll. "He could only hide it."
"Why are you so sure Danzo-sama hid it?" Sai questioned, although he sounded more curious than defensive or disbelieving. He may still wear a ROOT uniform but his loyalties are now to the Hokage and to Team Kakashi first and foremost.
"Who else would it be but Danzo?" Asuma answered instead. "He's been wanting the title of Hokage almost as long as my father could remember and he's hated dad and Minato-san. This was his chance to get the post and to wring it out of the hands of an Uchiha, no less. It'd be too tempting not to."
"He's got a point." Shikamaru agreed. "If Danzo's really been after the office as much as you all say, then he'd definitely be the prime suspect in this situation." The others either nodded or said nothing at all. "What doesn't make sense is that, if Itachi was such a threat to Danzo, why didn't Danzo just have him killed?"
"Because of his greed and his lust," Kakashi immediately answered. "Itach was something like Neji in the Hyuuga Clan, only for the Uchiha. There was no one as gifted as Itachi when it came to the Sharingan. And Danzo's revealed that he wanted the Sharingan even before Itachi joined the ANBU." Yamato nodded along.
"So he's like Orochimaru? You know, wanting someone else's power as their own and willing to do anything to get it?" Naruto asked curiously although there was some disgust in his voice, as he was obviously disturbed by these thoughts.
"I shudder to think on the matter of whether or not Orochimaru, too, wanted Itachi's body as he wants Sasuke's." The Sannin said with a shiver. "Sasuke's a genius and very talented, but he's no Itachi. The only thing that Sasuke has better than Itachi is chakra reserves. A Cursed Seal would take care of that with ease, if Orochimaru ever got the chance to do it." She shook her head. "Anyway, the point of this meeting is to give you all a very important assignment: get Uchiha Itachi back to Konoha and to accept his rightful position as the now Rokudaime Hokage!"
"WHAT!?"