Omiai

Disclaimer: As always, I can't claim credit for the wonderful world of Naruto because all characters, places and references are the copyright of the genius that is Masashi Kishimoto, and everything else is simply a figment and work of my imagination.

Summary: The war is over, the sun has set but darkness has fallen on the Shinobi Alliance. Trouble is brewing and as old grudges and new enemies are made, Konoha soon finds itself in the middle of a web of dangerous schemes and dark secrets of its own making.

Amid a world of blood, treachery and lies, Hatake Kakashi had sworn to give his body, his life and his future for Konoha since the day he had first taken up the hitai-ate. But when Danzo orders Kakashi to be married to the Godaime Mizukage as a political peace offering, is he ready to give up his heart as well?

Various pairings: NaruHina MeiKakaSaku slight AU set Post-Shinobi World War Arc.

A/N: The Japanese word 'omiai' can be literally translated into 'arranged marriage'.

A few things to note before we proceed: As this story is set post the Fourth Ninja War, I have taken certain liberties combined with what has been on-going in the manga so far as to predicting the outcome of the war while making several changes of my own to fit the storyline. I started writing this quite some time ago; so consider it accurate up to about events just after the end of the Five Kage Summit Arc, with some bits from the on-going Shinobi World War Arc thrown in.

Lastly, this chapter is dedicated to Neon Anything, for giving me that special bit of inspiration and encouragement I needed to push this out of the front door.

Prologue: Blood is Thicker than Lies

Hatred.

Revenge.

Betrayal.

Two lone figures stood facing each other, their silhouettes stark against the bloody sunset. Mountains of fallen comrades lay scattered around them, a grim reminder of the price that had been paid for the sake of peace. A few feet away, a spiral orange mask lay forgotten by the wayside, a large crack running through its centre.

Courage.

Camaraderie.

Resistance.

A slight chill swept through the deserted battlefield, making Sakura nauseous with the metallic stench of blood and gore. Closing her eyes, she could still see the vacant stares of comrades who had fought and fallen beside her, kunais through their chests and senbon piercing their throats. They didn't even have time to be surprised that their time had come so fast.

The sudden crackle of electricity sent a shock through her semi-consciousness, followed by the whistling and rippling of the surrounding air.

No, she tried to cry out but no sound came out of her throat. She tried to reach out to block them but her fingers only grasped thin air.

No! But her leg muscles weighed of steel, and they didn't move of their own accord. Waves of fogginess were clouding her senses as Sakura fought desperately to summon the chakra she needed to jolt her nervous system awake. But the fighting had long since drained all her reserves, the last of her chakra expended to heal a wounded Iwa shinobi.

A long-forgotten memory flashed through her mind's eye: onyx eyes burning with hatred, blue eyes full of hurt, the piercing scream of the young girl as she leaped forward blindly into the melee…

A familiar raucous chirping broke the silence of the dead, its discordant shrieks only partially deafened by the roaring of the wind as the two figures began hurtling towards each other, the iridescent glow of their individual jutsus lighting up the darkening sky.

Her throat ached and burned with a silent scream that never left, but in the end it was proving too much for her. As she felt her last threads of consciousness ebb away, her final thoughts were of an overwhelming sense of regret.

Forgive me- Naruto, Sasuke-kun. The one time you needed me to hold you back, I wasn't strong enough to be there for you. But maybe you were both always too far ahead for me to ever catch up.

I'm sorry.

….

It was over before it had even begun.

As the crackle of blue lightning dissipated, Naruto instantly released his Rasenshuriken and darted forwards. He managed to catch the raven haired nin as he stumbled, blood streaming from both his eyes.

"Naruto." His voice was trembling as much as he was.

Turning his sky-blue eyes to meet his former teammate's, the blonde felt a sense of déjà vu as they locked gazes. The tremor in the Uchiha's voice was unmissable, but he held his gaze steadily.

As children in the Academy, Naruto and Sasuke had first locked horns in what neither had envisioned was to be a rivalry to match Madara and the First's when a six-year old Naruto had borrowed Sasuke's blue crayon without his permission.

The young Uchiha had glared at him.

Naruto had glared right back.

An eight-year old Uchiha Sasuke had just been remonstrated by Iruka for refusing to make the Seal of Reconciliation after winning a mock-spar with Naruto.

The young Uchiha had glared at him.

Naruto never forgot that glare.

Hatred; pure and unadulterated. How eyes that were so lifeless and empty could yield so much emotion was beyond him, but he knew one thing.

It scared him.

Even close to death, those same eyes never seemed to have lost that raging fire of revenge. But there was something more that seemed to burn behind that mask. A flicker of…regret? Peace? Acceptance?

"W...why?" he choked out. "Why did you come back? I could have handled Madara myself, you didn't have to…!"

And just like before, Sasuke closed his eyes.

"Sasuke…!"

"Dobe. I'm not dying."

"Huh?"

"It's chakra exhaustion. OW!"

Naruto tried to wipe away the tears that were leaking out of his eyes as he pummelled the Uchiha's head playfully.

"Teme?"

"Hn?"

"Welcome home."

Love.

Forgiveness.

Redemption.

…..

Hyuuga Neji

Yamanaka Inoichi

Nara Shikaku

Her fingers traced the slight depressions of the kanji delicately carved onto the marble surface, the texture smooth and cool beneath her fingertips. With the close of the Fourth Great Ninja War, so many new names had been added; they now ran all the way down the right side of the stone. So many fallen comrades, so many more friends to mourn.

Duty.

Honour.

Sacrifice.

And there it was. Sakura's fingers lightly glided over the characters engraved on the black marble.

Senju Tsunade

Sakura! Until you tell me where you've hidden my sake, you and Shizune are fired!

Hah! You don't need to be the sharpest kunai in the pouch to make an S-class nin crumble at your feet; boobs, butt and a few paper bombs will do the trick!

Screw the elders; if Naruto wants to fight for Konoha then over my dead body will that boy be kept away from the battle!

I am the Fifth Hokage… You've trampled on our ancestors' treasure… their dream… And you will pay the price! As the Hokage, I will put a stop to you here and now!

Life is a gamble- you never know what hand you'll get but there's always the chance of an ace.

Why do you want to become my apprentice?

I never want to be a hindrance to my team again.

Shisou…!

Blindly grasping the black marble edges as the tears streamed uncontrollably down her cheeks, she gripped it tightly.

The night of the Chuunin exams before her last match with some Suna kunoichi named Midori, Sakura was walking past The Three Ninken Friends pub when she heard a sudden roar of laughter erupt behind her.

Peeping through the grimy glass, she glimpsed a red-faced Tsunade clutching what looked to be an enormous glass of shiny brown liquid while a crowd of similarly inebriated male ninja surrounded her.

A burly blonde shinobi with the Akimichi symbol emblazoned on his shirt back chuckled as he swigged his drink. "My bet tomorrow's on that Hyuuga boy and that Midori from Suna. Great Katon techniques, and great pair of tits too!" The crowd howled uproariously again, as he mock-toasted them. "To great Katon techniques, and amazing Suna tits!"

Next to the door, a shaggy brown-haired shinobi coughed slightly, his senbon hanging crookedly from the edge of his mouth as he gulped his own cup of sake. "So gentlemen," Sakura vaguely remembered him being a proctor in her first Chuunin exam two years ago. "As of now, we have fifty bets for Hyuuga Neji, thirty bets for Midori of Suna and none for Rock Lee and Haruno Sakura. Any more takers?"

"Tsunade-sama!" The shinobi closest to the Hokage waved a stack of ryo under her nose. "I can't believe that even you bet on Midori of Suna winning tomorrow against your own apprentice."

Tears sprang to her eyes, as blades of hurt speared her heart. If even Tsunade didn't believe she could win tomorrow, who did?

The busty blonde Hokage laughed derisively, before chugging down the entire glass of brown liquid in an entire go. Wiping her mouth with her sleeve, she paused for a while before looking seriously at him. "You know Takeshi…all my life they've called me the Incredible Sucker because I've lost every single bet I've ever made. And you know what?" Smiling slightly, she bent down and poured herself another generous portion of Ginza shochu.

"I know my streak isn't going to end tomorrow."

She cried harder.

"How about the top branch, Neji? I don't want my wish to be obscured by Naruto's giant wish for a lifetime supply of ramen!"

From behind the lamppost, Sakura watched as the normally stoic Hyuuga cracked a small smile as he stood on his tiptoes, neatly tying the two pieces of red tanzaku papers to the topmost branch. "There, done. Now we can go and join the lantern-lighting down the river."

Laughing gaily, Tenten grabbed his arm. "Come on! Ino, Shikamaru and the others are already there!"

As the sounds of their laughter died on the wind, Sakura unclenched her fist. A crumpled piece of pink tanzaku paper fell out of her palm onto the ground, all creased and scrunched up. Like it had been chewed up and spit out. Unwanted.

"Not enjoying Tanabata then?"

The Hokage bent down and picked up Sakura's paper, gently smoothing out the creases as she handed it back to her apprentice. The pinkette hesitantly held out her hand.

Tsunade looked up at the Wish Tree; a million strips of tanzaku paper- red, pink, purple, yellow, blue, weighed almost all of its available branches down. Even in a world so marked by tragedy; shinobi still found hope in wishing.

Happiness.

Peace.

Love.

Watching another young couple hang their wishes on the ancient bamboo tree, she sighed a little wistfully. "Dan and I used to come here every festival and write our wishes on gold paper, since he always said that for wishes needed to shine as brightly as possible to reflect our burning hope. He'd fold them up into paper cranes and hang them on the topmost branch after that; give them wings so that they could take flight and come true." A sad chuckle escaped her. "After he died, I felt silly continuing the tradition so I just hung mine on the bottom branches. Out of sight."

Sakura found the words stuck in her throat more than Lee's bowler fringe clung to his forehead.

Wishes are for children, not shinobi. We are merely observing tradition because it's customary.

"He'll come back, Sakura."

She turned in surprise. Her mentor's face was partially obscured by the moon's shadow, but the normally grim line of her jaw was somewhat relaxed tonight. Softer.

"Sumimasen, Tsunade-sama but everyone is waiting for you to light the first lantern." Shizune's apologetic tone sounded from behind them.

"Yosh. Let's get on with it, then we can go back to the drinking and festivities!"

Sakura watched them head off towards the bright lights dotting the eastern side of the village, down where the river was. Faint sounds of lively chatter and cheering could be heard. Smiling slightly, she quickly knotted the string around the nearest branch and after watching her pink strip flutter gently against the slight breeze; raced off after the two women towards the river.

Bring Sasuke back.

She fisted her pink hair, pulling roughly and unseeingly as the tears continued to splash down.

"Bad news Sakura-san- Hokage-sama is dead."

"No. No. Not shisou!"

"Hatake-taichou sent a retrieval squad to the Land of Iron. They found the Kage there, barely alive."

"Then shisou could still be…"

"No. Raikage-sama said that she used up the last of her chakra, her life force to save Kazekage-sama. Shizune-san went with them, she confirmed her death."

"No."

"Sakura!"

"Shisou!"

"Sakura!"

"SHISOU!"

"Sakura!"

"Sakura!" She felt herself being shaken roughly. "Sakura."

Collapsing into his arms, he held her; gently ruffling her hair until her cries subsided, giving way to little gasps and chokes. Peeping through her tear-crusted lashes, a slight warmth spread through her as she glimpsed the familiar shock of silvery hair glinting in the soft morning sunlight.

Slowly releasing herself from his grip, she turned away, wiping away the last of the tear-tracks on her cheeks. Awkwardness at their sudden close contact flushed her neck red, but the grief continued gnawing at her, eating a black hole into the place where her heart had been.

Kakashi remained silent as he slowly dropped his arms to his side. Instead, he shifted a little to the left. His lone eye flickering to those three familiar names with practiced ease, he bowed his head.

Sakura watched him quietly, not wanting to intrude on his private moment of grief. Months ago, he had finally let slip that the reason he was always late for morning appointments was that he lost track of time visiting the memorial every morning.

Sakura used to complain to Ino that Kakashi must be having secret rendezvouses with some gorgeous lady friend he was probably keeping secret from Team Seven.

Or taking some aimless walk down the road of life as he had once had the gall to cheerily announce after showing up three hours late for a mission.

Now she knew that he was taking a painful trip down the path of regrets.

Kakashi was a man haunted by them. He never said, but Sakura had heard him fidgeting, moaning feverishly at night in his tent while Naruto and Sasuke snored on, oblivious to their sensei's nightmares.

He never spoke of the past, and he never talked about Obito.

But every morning, he still went to the Konoha Memorial and he always brought three bunches of flowers.

"She wouldn't have wanted this, Sakura."

His soft baritone barely registered in the midst of her turbulent thoughts. Kakashi's eyes were still fixed on the cenotaph, but he was clearly addressing her. "We both know Tsunade, and this is the way she would have wanted to go. Doing what she did best; saving lives and kicking ass. She gave her life gladly for Konoha, with no regrets."

"It's just so…sudden," Sakura mumbled, tears still leaking out of her eyes as she didn't even bother dabbing them. "Everything just hasn't sunk in yet. The war. Naruto. Sasuke. Madara. Obito. Shisou. Neji. I walk around Konoha as if I'm in a dream; where I'll just wake up and everything will be back to the way it is. But it's not. The village is destroyed, thousands of people, both shinobi and civilians are dead and shisou is…shisou is…" she hiccupped again. "Gone," she whispered.

He lifted his gaze to hers, and a tinge of sadness replaced the usual indifference in his lone charcoal eye. "You know, after Minato-sensei died, I thought that I was going to go crazy."

She glanced his way, but he had gone back to staring at the columns of names engraved on the memorial stone.

She had forgotten that she wasn't alone.

"Kakashi-sensei."

"Mmm?"

"Do you still… miss them?"

It was a stupid question; one that Sakura already knew the answer too, but she needed someone to say something, anything to give her the assurance that everything would get better with time. That it would stop hurting so badly.

And Kakashi heard the rest of the unspoken questions behind it.

Her emerald eyes met his charcoal black one, the red of the left Sharingan eye obscured by the hitai-ate pulled low over it.

"As much as if they had just gone yesterday. But it gets better." His lone eye creased a little. "And you tell yourself that they're in a better place than this one anyway."

Despite herself, she couldn't help raising her eyebrows. "For a moment there, you sounded just as disillusioned and jaded as Obito, sensei."

He closed his eye, and for one heart-stopping moment Sakura was scared that she'd gone too far.

Sakura had never asked what had actually happened between Kakashi and Obito during that final, terrible confrontation. By the time her silver-haired sensei had materialised back to the battlefield; bloody, wild-eyed and thoroughly depleted of chakra, the battle had already been won and Naruto was being hoisted onto the shoulders of a thousand exhausted, but exhilarated, cheering Allied Shinobi ninja.

No one had given Kakashi a second glance. They were all too busy celebrating the defeat of Madara and the Juubi by Naruto, Sasuke and the reincarnated Kage. Everyone had presumed Obito to have been defeated by Kakashi in the other dimension, or that even if he did return to the battlefield he could easily be defeated, now that they had been victorious in subduing the greatest foe the Ninja World had ever seen.

But Sakura had turned back, had seen the blood on his hands and the stricken look in his eyes as he fell out of the Kamui vortex. He didn't say a word as she bathed his cracked ribs in healing green chakra and wiped the blood staining his torn flak jacket. He remained silent as he took in the cheering crowd, a faraway look in his eye. He seemed so calm and composed, answering "Yes, I'm alright" to every question she asked him with the dignified assurance he had worn for as long as she had known him; yet Sakura felt she had never seen anyone as broken as the man that had sat before her.

And somehow, she knew without having to ask, that Kakashi had killed Obito.

It could have been a trick of the light, but he raised his right hand to his eye and any moisture there was gone in an instant. Raising his gaze back to the black stone again, he remarked, "I often wonder what it would had been like if Obito had lived."

She smiled a little. "Maybe we would have finally found someone who came up with lamer excuses and was later to all his appointments than you."

A brief chuckle sounded by her side. "Perhaps. Whenever I pictured Obito, I always imagined he'd still be wearing those ridiculous orange goggles all the way into adulthood, and he'd be giving me even-more ridiculous reasons why he'd been two hours late for our latest A-Rank mission. Likely the black cat and old lady he always blamed had probably died by then, but Obito would probably swear either its kittens or her grandchildren were haunting him."

Naruto goggles and half-baked excuses; not flanking the most villainous shinobi of all time and controlling the most dangerous primordial demon since the dawn of the Rikudo Sennin. Not with a fistful of lightning through his chest and a curse on his lips as he lay dying, bitter and unrepentant to the very end.

That's how Kakashi-sensei remembered Obito. Or wanted to remember Obito. When the dead die, do we simply erase their sins, whitewash the black and smoothen the edges, so that we only remember what we want to remember? Or was one simply making a mockery of the dead by diminishing their memory to one that was all sunshine and roses?

Tsunade hadn't always been sweet sake, but Sakura didn't ever want to forget that.

"At least he's at peace now. They all are."

She nodded, but his words brought a fresh round of tears to her eyes. Without thinking, she reached for his hand, grabbing his big one in her own clammy palm.

He didn't pull away.

Grief.

Sorrow.

Silence.

…

"Ah my rival, Kakashi! I knew I'd find you sooner or later, fortune always favours the bold and the youthful!"

Looking up, a brief smile tugged at his lips under his mask as Maito Gai leapt in front of him, his usual blinding grin plastered on his face. "How about it, Kakashi? Another challenge! Come on, we haven't had one in ages! I'll even let you choose this time."

"I'm leading 61 to 60 you know."

"Which is exactly why you must give me another chance to pit my youthful excellence against your prodigious skill!"

He smiled again, lightly fingering the worn edges of his beloved Icha Icha Paradise. "I'm sorry Gai, another time maybe. I was supposed to meet with the elders about an hour ago."

The spandex wearing jōnin immediately sobered up. "Concerning the succession of leadership?"

"Amongst other things." He continued thumbing the orange cover absently. The edges were really getting furry, they'd never been the same since Naruto had thrown them into the hot springs after Kakashi had broken his nth promise to pay for lunch last week. He really ought to check if the Pink Bookstore had any new stock. But trade of everything, let alone books had been slow to Konoha since the close of the war. Everyone was still busy packing away their war armour, repairing their lives and burying their dead.

"We're voting for you, Kakashi."

The silver-haired jōnin sighed, packing away the book safely into the pouch at his right hip. "Nothing's official until it's announced."

"I don't think the jōnin or anyone else believe that there is anyone more capable to lead the village than you. You were almost Hokage once..."

"And thankfully I turned it down." Kakashi cut him, his tone still light but a warning note creeping into it. "You know that I'm not suited to the role, Gai. My place is in the field, serving Konoha the way I know best."

"Your place is leading Konoha out of the ruin we are in!"

The sudden agitation in his comrade's voice stopped him. Gai looked away, slightly abashed. "Forgive me, my rival. That was most impolite of me. But I merely wanted you to know that Konoha needs you. The jōnin need a leader. The village needs a leader. I need a leader." Turning back his head to look him squarely in the eye, Gai dropped his voice several decibels. "Naruto isn't ready yet, Kakashi. And I suspect he won't want to leave Sasuke's side until he's sure the boy will never leave again. Until then, someone needs to take the reigns. Our allies need someone they can trust, our villagers need someone they can believe in again."

"Gai. You know that I am willing to step up for my village if they have need of me. And I have no doubt as to the support of the jōnin, the chunin and even the villagers."

He paused, a grim look entering his eye.

"It's the elders I'm afraid of."

…

"The retrieval squad we sent to HQ returned last night; I'm afraid the reports are true. We scanned the area, but the building and every other structure within a 10km radius was completely obliterated as a result of the Juubi's attack. Their bodies are probably indistinguishable from the dust and ash that make up that desert wasteland now."

"Very well. Thank your uncle for his assistance, and convey our condolences for his nephew. Such a promising young jōnin; the village will remember his sacrifice."

The young Hyuuga inclined his head politely. "I will let my uncle know, Daimyo-sama, Koharu-san and Homura-san. If you don't mind, I'll take my leave now."

As he disappeared over the threshold, the Fire Daimyo lifted his red silken fan again, fanning himself lethargically. "Is that all for today, gentlemen?" he moaned, beads of perspiration sliding down his forehead and onto the long ornate wooden table, where he sat at the head. His ceremonial headdress barely grazed the surface of the great red banner hanging behind him, the kanji for fire emblazoned on it in beautifully embroidered gold and black silk. "It's getting rather stuffy in here, but I suppose that nothing is stuffier than all these little matters I have to sit and listen to!" A rather childish pout hung on his lips, and he shifted heavily in his chair every few seconds; the heavy fabric of his elaborately stitched clothing making a gentle rustling sound whenever he moved. The room where the council meeting was taking place was well inside Hokage Tower, enclosed and the air unmoving; trapping all of Konoha's summer heat within its heart, akin to a brick furnace. Stupidly, the sides of the walls were lined with burning candles that barely illuminated the dark room, shadows dancing on the tabletop and around the carved wooden cranes that held them in place.

Years of putting up with the Daimyo's whining and impatience had hardened Homura, so although she shared his evident distaste about the fact that they were all slowly cooking in their thick, formal kimonos; she merely ignored his latest gripe. "Sumimasen Daimyo-sama, but there are still many more matters of great importance to be attended to, not least among them concerning the succession of leadership in the village. As you are aware, Nara Shikaku and Senju Tsunade were among those killed at the hands of…"

"Yes, yes," the Daimyo waved his hand impatiently. "Meaning we need to get round to the rather unpleasant business of choosing new ones again. Hopefully they'll last a little longer than…" Before he could finish, another knock sounded at the door. "Enter!"

The door swung open, and Hatake Kakashi entered the room. "Daimyo-sama, Koharu-san, Homura-san." As always, the silver-haired jōnin was the very picture of unflappable calm, his long strides sure and swift as he made his way up the grey marble steps to the platform where they were all seated. Confident, not arrogant Homura noted. This was a man who wasn't easily cowed by authority. He nodded to the rest of the councillors, his lone dark eye as cool and unreadable as ever. "You wished to see me?"

"Ah, Hatake-san." Koharu adjusted the thick white scarf winding his neck, before clearing his throat. A survivor of the Second Ninja War, Koharu had once been a fearsome shinobi and member of Team Tobirama; and as such had a warrior's temperament to go with it. His face had a stern, proud look that would not go amiss among the condescending Uchiha elders of old and he often wasted no time beating around the bush. "How goes your progress with Kusagakure and Takigakure?"

The tall shinobi shifted a little. If he was surprised, he hid it well. "Not very well, I must confess. Their leaders continue to avoid meeting me, while their villagers continue making excuses as to their supposed absence or business. I had hoped that after a week of camping in their villages they might grow afraid or even annoyed with me, and come to parley with me of their own accord. But I am afraid the message is very clear: any offers of a treaty, let alone an alliance are unneeded and unwanted. Old habits die hard, apparently."

Murmurs of discontent began to grow around the room.

"And they are maintaining that stance with all the other Hidden Villages?" the elder man queried.

Kakashi shrugged lightly. "Other envoys appear to be subject to the same treatment but as to what goes on behind closed doors…I cannot say for sure."

"So they would barricade themselves from the hand of friendship and protection extended to them," Koharu murmured under his breath. He turned to Homura, whose mouth had set in a grim line upon hearing the tidings delivered by Kakashi, the wrinkles on her lined forehead deepening even further. Their eyes met. She replied, "By rejecting us, they are by extension, rejecting a place in the Shinobi Alliance. They stand to lose more than us in terms of military and trade strength, especially if other surrounding villages decide to seek protection from us or one of the other Hidden Villages."

Kakashi lifted his shoulders slightly again. "The whispers surrounding both them and the other smaller villages is that they do not trust us any more than they trust either Kiri, Suna, Kumo or Iwa; it is a mistrust born of both a fear of being conquered and old prejudices and misgivings."

The councillor sitting nearest to him snorted. "Foolish and unfounded, we do not seek to conquer. Our terms were merely that they pledge allegiance to us by lending us military aid in the case of a threat, we have a say in their current and future governance and that they yield a levy on their annual incomes to us!"

The jōnin looked him squarely in the eye. "Some would call that conquering," he answered quietly.

Watching the councillor give Kakashi a less than friendly look and wanting to avoid a possible awkward confrontation, Koharu coughed. "And Sunagakure?"

"Gaara-sama is happy to remain committed to our cause, so long as we do not give them cause to be unhappy with us. The terms of the alliance remain the same as before; however it was suggested that wider trade channels might be opened up to help facilitate mobility of provisions and supplies between villages. Most of Suna's crops were destroyed in the war, making them more dependent than ever on Konoha for agricultural produce."

Though expected, any semblance of good news these days was as welcome as the second coming of Hashirama. "We would be happy if you continue negotiating with Suna as to their proposed increase in trade channels, seeing as you seem to be the person best placed to continue all dialogues with our ally," Koharu stated, to much nodding and approval all around the table.

Homura commented, "It would also appear that you have the privilege of having earned the Kazekage's trust."

"Ah." Kakashi's eye was inscrutable, as per usual. "I would mostly owe the high esteem that the Kazekage holds me in to my student, Naruto with whom the Kazekage seems to have struck up a very deep friendship." He paused a while. "Will that be all then?"

"Dismissed. Report back to us in a week." He nodded courteously again, before exiting.

Koharu cleared his throat again. "Well, now that that's out of the way, where were we? Yes. So as I was saying earlier, Daimyo-sama, the deaths of Shikaku and Tsunade have necessitated the election of both a new Hokage and a new Jōnin Commander."

"Which must be done immediately," Homura added quickly. "Konoha's leadership is in shambles, and every day our enemies grow hungrier, watching, waiting…"

This time, the Daimyo interrupted her. "How old is Hatake Kakashi again?"

The two elders blinked. "Slightly past thirty I believe, Daimyo-sama," Koharu replied. "He can't be more than thirty-five moons."

"Hmm…" the Daimyo tapped the edge of the long marble trestle with his fan, screwing up his face thoughtfully. Homura began to feel uneasy. The Fire Daimyo was an easy enough person to get along with if one could merely turn a deaf ear and a blind eye most of the time; his biggest redeeming quality was that he always heeded the counsel of those he considered older, wiser and more knowledgeable than himself – which always included both Koharu and Homura. But there were times when the man did decide to exercise some of the sovereign rights that had been afforded him…and they had never boded well for them. "A good age for a leader don't you think, Koharu?" he continued musing, blithely ignorant of the growing tension rising from the pair of Konoha elders. "Old enough to command respect, mature enough to handle a crisis yet young enough such that he can still bring in fresh energy and revitalise an old institution. Minato had not even reached thirty when he was named Saturobi's successor, if I remember."

"Daimyo-sama," Koharu said slowly. "Surely you can't be suggesting Hatake-san as a possible candidate for the post of Hokage…?"

"Hmm." The man continued fanning himself again, humming a little. "Yes, yes…why not? The Kyuubi boy would have been an interesting choice but he is still but a boy, despite the great victory he won over Madara. Kakashi comes from good stock, does he not? Famed ninja of Konoha whose name is both feared and revered around the Five Shinobi Nations, pupil to both a Sannin and the Yondaime, and son of…"

"A coward."

The tapping of his walking cane against the polished granite floor echoed around the room as Shimura Danzō slowly took his allocated seat next to the two Konoha Elders. Eventhough he was well into his seventies, Danzō still gave off an impression of great power and authority more befitting a man half his age. He stood tall and straight and his speech was commanding and imperious. He wore thick bandages wrapped around his forehead and falling over his right eye, while his face was aged with numerous wrinkles and battle-worn scars.

Born into an era where Konoha had been at the epicentre of the fighting that had dogged the Shinobi world for generations before their precarious newfound era of peace, Danzō was the product of a system that had been forced to train their Academy children to throw a kunai before even learning how to lace their sandals. A shrewd tactician coupled with his keen battle instinct, his rapid rise through the ranks to ANBU Captain status by the tender age of nineteen was accelerated by Konoha's pressing need for more military commanders to lead them through the wars. However, for all his fame as an impressive fighter and martial aptitude, the power-hungry Danzō had never realised his lofty ambitions of taking the reigns of the village, Senju Tobirama having named his once-friend and closest rival as the Sandaime in his stead.

Bitterly disappointed, he'd continued working his way up in ANBU and had enjoyed a distinguished career with the Black Ops until his retirement from active duty. But even now, he continued to wield tremendous power and influence within the highly covert organisation and throughout the political set-up of Konoha; the unseeing hand that dictated the performance behind a well-fortified curtain of smoke and lies. Hiruzen in front, and Danzō behind, Homura reflected. Present the world with your best face, but keep your strongest kunai behind your back. While Sarutobi's genteel wisdom and noble preachings had won him friends, admirers and alliances, and had been the calming salve that Konoha had so badly needed to bandage and rebuild itself from the near state of ruin they had been left in; Koharu and herself had always been wary of their teammates' more naïve approach to the dealings of men; often times shocked at the amount of trust he afforded their partners, others plain outraged at his lack of stomach for brute force.

Like the Uchiha massacre.

It was for reasons exactly like the one above that Koharu and Homura had decided that for better or worse, they needed someone like Danzō around. Someone with the resources to provide them with the eyes and ears they no longer had, and to make the hard decisions- the ones that involved blood.

"Sorry I'm late, but I had to go to the hospital for another check-up."

"Those wounds of yours not healing well then, Danzō-sama?" One of the councillors spoke up.

The grizzled veteran adjusted one of the numerous bandages wrapped around his hand before slowly flexing his arm. "There are some injuries that even medical ninjutsu can't cure. I've faced a lot worse during the First and Second Great Ninja Wars. But don't presume the one who did this will get away unpunished." He grimaced, clutching his right hand presumably in pain. "And speaking of blood…" He turned to the Fire Daimyo. "I've seen many types of shinobi throughout my lifetime, Daimyo-sama. Idiots, air-heads, misers, lack-wits, traitors…but none's worst than a coward."

Another councillor weakly protested, "But Hatake-san is surely no coward – why, he was nicknamed "Kakashi no Sharingan, the hero of the Battle of the Kannabi Bridge when he was just thirteen!"

"And Hatake Sakumo was hardly a coward…"

"He defied his mission, his superiors and his Hokage; threw away his name, his honour and his life. And for what? To save a bunch of doddering fools. Any mission you go on, you know it could be your last, and the same goes for your teammates. Any shinobi that can't handle sacrificing your members for the sake of a mission is a coward in my books. Rule No. 4 of the Shinobi Handbook– A shinobi must always put the mission first, even above the lives of family, friends and lovers."

The room fell silent again. Another, softer protest filtered through the ranks of bowed heads. "But Sakumo-san only did it because he didn't want to needlessly sacrifice them…"

Danzō gave a short, mocking laugh. "Yes, and they were really grateful for it weren't they? His mistake cost us the Junya Pass, and we ended up losing three hundred shinobi thanks to his noble intentions. Even if he wasn't a bloody coward, he was a bloody big fool."

"But even so, Hatake Kakashi isn't Hatake Sakumo. There is no proof that Kakashi would make Sakumo's mistakes, in fact I'd dare say the man has probably learnt his lesson from that. And learnt it well, I'm sure." The councillors started nodding their heads at their leaders' words, some even clapping their hands as they praised the Daimyo's wisdom to the heavens above.

Danzō wasn't impressed. "Blood, Daimyo-sama," he responded, his voice gravelly and hoarse with age and illness, yet there was no mistaking the steel that lay beneath it. "The greatest traitor of them all. Just when you think you've conquered it, it comes back to rear its ugly head and bite you in the back; reminding you of who you are and what you came from." Danzō dropped his gaze to meet the Daimyo's eyes. "Hatake Kakashi may have served the village well in the past in his capacity as a jōnin, and none can deny his record of good service. But leading and following's two different bucket of slugs, and that coward's blood that flows through his veins may yet prove the downfall of him and us all. One could even go so far as to fault him for being the cause of the Fourth Great Ninja War! If only he'd carried out his mission orders and left behind that medic-girl with the Iwa nin, Obito would never have been left for dead and he would never have met that scum of the Earth, Uchiha Madara. In fact if you examine it closely, you can see that it's Sakumo all over again."

Noises of dissent began to mount.

"Konoha does not want nor need this kind of tainted leadership, Daimyo-sama," the aged shinobi lowered his voice almost to a purr. "His heart may be good, but if its soft you may be sure our enemies will crush it in an instant. We're barely lifting the covers of destruction wreaked by what historians will speak of as the worst Great Ninja War the ninja world has ever seen – we have to learn from our past mistakes, from Sarutobi's mistakes."

The atmosphere in the room became even tenser, if that was even possible. Danzō had never openly stated his dislike of old Sarutobi's methods and leadership, even if their rivalry was a well-known fact oft mentioned behind doors and over tea tables.

Danzō however ploughed on, either unaware or choosing to pay no heed to the sudden sharpening of focus of every eye trained on him, the straightening of every back as the councillors finally gave him their full attention.

"What Konoha needs, is a leader like me."

Homura held her breath, as the rest of the room gasped; either in shock, anger or maybe even fear.

To her right, the feline-masked man spoke up for the first time since the meeting had been called to order that afternoon. "You speak of weakness, cowardice and our respected Sandaime Hokage-sama in one breath, Danzō-sama." The ANBU chief codenamed "Cat" had a voice as deep as a war horn, yet the underlying tones were smooth and rich like a well-matured wine. His movements were both fluid and languid, with the litheness his mask's namesake were known for; from the way he walked to the simple act of scratching his head. Nonetheless, there was a certain liquid, calculated danger that seemed to belie him. Even having served as an ANBU at the height of her career as a kunoichi, Homura had never grown used to the feeling of looking into those lifeless, unseeing eyes painted onto every porcelain animal mask, the mouths and beaks stretched into a perpetually humourless, almost benign smile. Somehow, it was unnerving never knowing what hidden expressions; unspoken words or murderous intent lay beneath so innocent-looking a covering. "Yet Konoha enjoyed its most fruitful years under Hokage-sama – our trade and mission incomes were unparalleled and the village enjoyed decades of peace and prosperity."

Danzō narrowed his eyes at the ANBU before succumbing to a sudden coughing fit, but Cat simply steepled his fingers on the table surface, resting his chin on them as he gazed coolly back at the elderly shinobi. As his coughs subsided, he shot Cat a dark look. "Do not forget that it was his very soft-heartedness and false teachings that set us up for the numerous attacks we have suffered these last years. I warned him that no good would come of passing on our knowledge to foreigners, yet it was his student Jiraiya who trained that villainous boy Pain; if Sarutobi hadn't been so forgiving as to allow Orochimaru to escape from the village unharmed; if he'd given more thought to worming out Uchiha Madara from whatever hole he'd been hiding in – we wouldn't be in the state of rut and ruin we are today. And I would like to remind you Cat, that as chief ANBU, your loyalty lies to the Hokage regardless of who he is, what he's done and what you want."

Cat fell silent, Danzō's unspoken threat hanging in the air between them but whether from fear or mockery, Homura would never know.

"And don't forget Daimyo-sama – you'll be needing someone other than his former sensei to be dealing with Uchiha Sasuke."

Danzō leaned back in his chair, his face carefully expressionless as his eyes silently travelled each and every person's face as the delegation paused to digest his latest pronouncement. The piece d'resistance. The candlelight flickers only served to accentuate the many wrinkles and scars adorning Danzo's visage, most prominently the cross-shaped scar across his chin and making them appear more menacing and shadowy in the dim light of the room.

The seconds ticked by.

"Hmmm. Yes. Uh-huh. Hmmm. Yes," the Daimyo muttered enthusiastically as three councillors prattled their undoubtedly shallow counsel into his unthinking ear, his bulbous eyes bulging foolishly like an eager beaver's. Suddenly, he turned back to the meeting. "Yes. Danzō," he turned to the heavily bandaged shinobi sitting on his left. "I name you the Rokudaime Hokage."

Valour.

Vengeance.

Victory.

…

"If there are no other nominations, then I would like to call the proposal to a vote," Chōza's voice rang out, silencing the chattering jōnin as everyone turned their attention to the Akimichi clan head as he clapped his hands. The big, stocky red head dipped his eyes back to the scroll in his hands. "Hatake Kakashi, if you could please step forward."

Rather reluctantly, Kakashi got up from his seat and slowly made his way to the dais, conscious of every eye trained on him. As he passed the front rows, he spotted Genma and Kurenai, who both gave him encouraging thumbs ups and smiles. He vaguely heard a wolf-whistle that could have been Anko's, but the roaring sound in his ears prevented him from hearing much else. As he reached the front, Chōza's gripped his shoulders, surprisingly gentle for such a large man.

"Hatake Kakashi, do you accept this nomination?"

To his relief, his voice sounded no different from his usual dulcet apathy. "I do."

A brief look of relief flashed through his face before the Akimichi turned to the crowd. "A Jōnin Commander needs to have the unanimous support of those he leads, for there can be no true unity if there is dissatisfaction in the ranks. Let anyone that wishes to oppose this nomination speak now. Anyone?"

"I do."

"Gai!" Kakashi's mask almost fell off in shock as the fuzzy-browed green spandex wearer stood up from his seat, his eyes flashing. Spreading his arms wide, he called out, "Akimichi-san. Forgive me the interruption but I could not allow this election to go by without first speaking my mind."

Chōza grunted. "Don't hold back then, Gai."

The spandex loving jōnin nodded gratefully at the other man. By now, the watching jōnin were whispering anew in hushed voices, eyes darting from Kakashi to Gai, suspicious frowns and curious glances thrown at them. Kakashi tried to catch his friend's eye, but he had already directed his gaze back to the assembled crowd.

Gai's voice sounded again, ringing loudly against the hollow walls of the Jōnin Lounge. "Everyone, do not suppose that I oppose my esteemed rival Kakashi's nomination as Jōnin Commander because I doubt his talent or his ability to be our new leader –in fact it is quite the opposite." Turning his eyes to the front of the room again, their eyes finally met. Gai continued, "If there was one man I would stake my life on leading Konoha back to the glory days of its youth, it's Hatake Kakashi."

Unbidden, Kakashi felt his throat constricting, and the floor suddenly seemed rather interesting to observe.

"In fact, my fellow youthful companions, it's for this very reason that I'm sure you'll agree with me: Kakashi would be wasted as the Jōnin Commander. There is no doubt that he would make a splendid leader in the mould of Shikaku, but a man like him was surely destined for greater things.

Friends, I would like to nominate Hatake Kakashi as the Rokudaime Hokage of Konoha."

Hidden safely behind a secret door, Danzō gritted his teeth as he heard the shocked silence, then outburst of thunderous cheering and applause that rang through the next room, their cries echoing all the way to the rafters of Hokage Building. "Kakashi, Kakashi!" they chanted again and again, while the man in question could only look on helplessly as their shouts grew louder and more insistent.

The elders would never accept him, and although the Daimyo might have been swayed, he had already named Danzō to office and stupid as he was, even a fool Daimyo's word was law. Although the 2/3-jōnin majority needed to ratify the appointment looked like it might be a little bit of a problem now…

If he'd been unsure during the meeting, this made up his mind.

Hatake Kakashi had to go.

….

As he slowly forced his eyes to open, it felt as if his body was being stabbed by a million kunai, their sharp points ramming mercilessly again and again against every muscle, joint or bone that he possessed. His entire being ached and burned with the fires of a thousand needles, and even the dim lighting of the room failed to provide some relief to the nauseating feeling permeating every pore and fibre .

"Where…" his voice trailed off as he recognised the spartan white ceilings, the turquoise green curtains and the sterile smell that swamped his nasal cavity. He was in the Konoha Hospital, but he wasn't exactly sure which part of it.

"…Intensive Recovery Ward," a voice to his side finished for him, its owner slowly emerging from the shadows, his cane tap-tap-tapping on the burnished marble floor.

"You." Sasuke started to shake with anger, eventhough even the slightest vibration or movement seem to jar his body with as much impact as if a ten ton Kyuubi had just fallen on top of him. He felt a cold, burning hatred flare up within him but for some strange reason, he couldn't seem to activate his ocular Kekkei Genkai. "I thought I'd killed you!"

Danzō on the other hand, didn't seem the least bit surprised by the young man's struggling as he calmly regarded the Uchiha with a mild contempt. "In case you haven't noticed, they've put you in chakra restraints," he answered, nodding at the thick wide bands binding Sasuke's arms and legs to the frame of his hospital bed.

To his dismay, Danzō was right. Being barred access to his chakra was a foreign, alien sensation; it was as if the heart of his very power had been chained up and surrounded by a high brick wall, leaving him feeling very naked and vulnerable. Sasuke snarled, "Who ordered this? I will destroy…"

"You were placed under restraints on the Hokage's orders, Uchiha-san."

"Then bring me to…"

"I am the Hokage now, Uchiha-san."

A shocked, angry silence followed this pronouncement and Danzō enjoyed every minute of it, relishing the shocked, then disbelieving expression that flicked over the normally poker-faced shinobi. "That means you were placed here under my orders." The elderly shinobi sat down next to his sickbed, and Sasuke resisted the urge to spit in his eye as it would have hurt him too much to even open his mouth to summon some spittle.

"What do you want from me?"

Danzō didn't hesitate. "Your cooperation."

The Uchiha couldn't help snorting. "You should know by now that my cooperation with others does not extend beyond furthering my own motives, and seeing as there is possibly no shinobi alive that is able to beat me, I cannot be forced."

Danzō remained expressionless, but when he spoke again the pure hatred in his voice was plain to hear. "Sons of traitorous, murderous clans should learn better manners and how to keep their mouth shut. If not," he lowered his voice. "He might just find himself and his friends at the wrong end of a kunai very soon."

Threats to his safety did not scare Sasuke anymore, but threats to his precious people did and always had, however much he'd tried to pretend otherwise in the past. Also because his throat was starting to hurt rather badly, he fell silent.

The heavily bandaged shinobi continued. "I see I've finally gotten your attention at last, Uchiha-san. Which was of vital importance, because I want to make a deal with you."

Hatred bloomed murderously again. "You murdered my entire clan, and now you stand here seeking my cooperation? Don't make me kill you," Sasuke spat, before choking vigorously as pain assaulted his senses.

"A credible threat, given that I've been told your extensive chakra exhaustion, bone and organ damage will take at least a month to recover," came the dry reply. "Which is why you should obey what I'm about to propose to you."

"Never. You had my father, my mother, my brother, my uncles, aunts, cousins die on your orders, all because you wanted to further your own ambitions and bring about the downfall of my clan. Itachi told me."

"And did your dear brother tell you that your beloved clan was proposing to stage a coup d'etat and seize control of the village? Thousands more would have died had they succeeded."

Sasuke pressed his lips tightly together. "Only because you ostracized them."

Danzō replied contemptuously, "The young and the ignorant will believe anything. Fortunately, I am old, wise and above all, forgiving. I am offering you the chance to obtain both justice and vengeance for your clan."

Sasuke stood still. "And why would you do that?" he asked suspiciously.

Danzō's expression revealed nothing. "I'm offering you the chance to right your clan's past, in exchange for your future."

"The only purifying my clan needs is through the blood of the likes of you…" His body was wracked by another spasm of violent coughing. After a short pause, he sniffed, "And how would I go about doing so?". Although a good idea to start would be using Susanoo to slowly crush your throat and give you a painful, agonizing death.

"You, for a start will go on wearing chakra binders for as long as I say so."

Plain shock and horror numbed him. "I will never agree to that," he said coldly. The nakedness he was feeling right now was frightening enough, he could not imagine living with it for the rest of his life. Without his chakra, he would not be able to perform any jutsu or use the Sharingan and as such, would be as useless a shinobi as that green buffoon Lee.

"You will, Uchiha-san. And you will accept this punishment as penance for the grievous crimes you have committed as a rogue ninja and as a member of the Akatsuki at your trial next week. You will also agree to village arrest indefinitely and to produce some Uchiha heirs within the next five years."

His horror turned to fury. Struggling to sit up straight as the pain clawed at his back, Sasuke replied, "I will not allow you to do this. When I…"

The elder shinobi still remained calm, even in the face of the young Uchiha's wrath. "You will obey," he repeated, a warning edge entering his voice, "or you might find that the Kyuubi brat and that Haruno girl might never come back from a mission one day. As I said earlier, I am Hokage now."

"You can't use them to threaten me, they mean nothing to me…"

"Even if that's case, I simply plan to have you declared mentally insane and locked up in a cell underground, but only after a delightful spell with Ibiki in the Torture and Interrogation Squad of course. Alternatively, I could give you a slow and drawn-out death by feeding you certain ah, medicines and keep you barely alive in a vegetative state. Your choice."

Panic began to cloud Sasuke's pain-weakened mind, but he forced himself to growl, "And if I cooperate, what do I get out of this deal?"

Danzō replied coolly. "The elders."

Deception.

Intrigue.

Retribution.

That was how the game would be played.

….

A/N: Will Danzo remain Hokage now that Kakashi has been revealed as the jonin's chosen candidate? Will Sasuke accept Danzo's offer to kill the elders in retribution for his clan? How do Naruto and Sakura fit into all this? Tune into the next chapter to find out Reviews and concrit are love, as always. Please do take the time out to list the things you liked or disliked, it would really mean the world to me.

Katon – Fire Release

Kusagakure – Hidden Grass Village

Rikudo Sennin – Sage of the Six Paths

Sumimasen – Excuse me

Sunagakure – Hidden Sand Village

Takigakure – Hidden Waterfall Village

Tanabata – Japanese Star Festival