Chapter 1: Ascension of the Rokudaime

A/N: Please Read. This might be surprising to learn, but this story is my first ever piece of Naruto fan-fiction. It has been edited to fit within the mold of a two-shot; however, I have decided to not edit it too much in order to keep aspects of the original style for myself. I have decided to publish it to this site because I know it would appeal to at least a few people and I figure, hey, I basically have a completed story on-hand. While I'm not trying to excuse myself from criticism (as always I do welcome all reviews) I basically decided that I didn't want to change the writing too much so I'd have a mirror to the past while also deciding not to simply let it stay hidden away forever in my computer when others could get the chance to read it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Naruto Uzumaki. Originally, he was known as the "demon-brat." He would walk the streets of Konoha only to be met with harsh glares and murmuring, which he knew was hateful. He would walk into shops and, often, he would get kicked out or, sometimes, they would only overcharge him. He joined the Ninja Academy, only to fail his graduation test twice and only passed on the third try because he learned a forbidden technique from a scroll he stole and stopped a traitorous teacher. In a class with an Uchiha Prodigy and filled with future clan-heads, he was the dead last.

This could not stop him, however, for he had a dream that had to be met. He trained as hard as he could and sought desperately to get stronger. His sensei, Kakashi Hatake, chose to ignore him. Before the Chunin Exams, he was taught how to use chakra to walk on trees and nothing else. The container of Kurama, the Kyuubi no Kitsune, the strongest of all the tailed beasts, with the largest amount of chakra within the elemental nations, knew only four jutsu. Thankfully, during the month between the second and third round of the Exams, he met an outstanding individual: Jiraiya the Toad Sage. Jiraiya had agreed to teach him and, looking back, Naruto knew it was likely because of the man's relationship to his father.

In that one month of training, Naruto grew stronger physically, learned a summoning technique for toads, and learned to access Kurama's chakra. This was the first time he had actually been taught in his shinobi career thus far, yet he held no resentment toward Kakashi or anyone else. He would simply move forward. In the final stage of the Chunin Exams, he pulled off an upset that many people dubbed a miracle. He defeated the older Neji Hyuuga, whom many proclaimed to be the Prodigy of the Hyuuga Clan. He did not stop at that, however, for Orochimaru's plans intervened. During an attempted invasion of Konoha, he defeated Gaara of the Sand, Jinchuuriki of the One-Tailed beast. Perhaps if more people knew of this feat, they would have recognized him for what he could become.

After retrieving Tsunade to become the Godaime Hokage, things were looking up for the young Naruto. That changed, however, when Sasuke defected. He was assembled to retrieve the traitor along with a team led by Shikamaru Nara, a true genius. They were split-up during the mission, unfortunately, and Naruto was forced to fight against Kimimaro Kaguya. Creating hundreds of clones and using an absurd amount of chakra, he watched in horror as they were all dispatched. Thanks to the intervention of Rock Lee, however, he was able to pursue Sasuke.

Naruto was deeply saddened when he awoke in a Konoha hospital room and learned of Sasuke's escape. A part of him believed that, once his friend had seen the damage that his defection would cause, he would come back to Konoha and ask forgiveness. He admitted now that he took a foolish route. If he had only defeated Sasuke, he could have returned and measures could have been taken to regain his loyalty. Still, it was all a blessing in disguise: if Sasuke had not defected, he likely would not have had the power to help defeat Madara and Kaguya later on.

After returning from his two-and-a-half year training trip with Jiraiya, Naruto was met with an entirely new feeling: respect. All of the Konoha Eleven respected his ability and treated him as a friend. It seemed that absence truly made the heart grow fonder. His drive to achieve his dream only increased: he would train hard, bring back Sasuke, and then he would push forward. Unfortunately, the Akatsuki had different plans. They kidnapped Gaara with intent to kill but, fortunately, Naruto, Team 7, and Team 9 successfully saved the Kazekage thanks to a revival jutsu used by Lady Chiyo of Suna.

When the leader of Akatsuki killed Jiraiya, Naruto felt a level of sadness he could not quite describe. His first real ninja teacher, the closest thing he had to a father in his life, was dead. Naruto, however, was chosen to continue the legacy of Jiraiya by becoming the next Toad Sage and mastering Sage Mode. When Pain, the supposed leader of Akatsuki, destroyed Konoha, he used the Sage arts to great effect in defeating the man. It was not enough, however, and with his emotions overrun, he nearly released a belligerent Kurama. It was at this time that he met his dad, Minato Namikaze, the Yondaime Hokage.

With renewed drive, he defeated Pain and met Nagato, the person controlling Pain. Thanks to Naruto's heartfelt desire to change the world into one of peace, Nagato sacrificed his own life in restoring those in Konoha who perished in the fight. When he struggled back to Konoha on the back of a revived Kakashi, he was met with three things: admiration, overwhelming respect, and love. The people of Konoha, who once shunned him, dubbed him the "Hero of Konoha" and adorned him with praise. His strength was officially recognized. The entire village could not stop one man, but Naruto did.

During the Fourth Shinobi War and the fight with Madara, Naruto gained the respect of every Kage and possibly every shinobi. His shadow clones, powered by Kurama, whom Naruto had defeated in his mind to gain untainted chakra, scattered to every front and decimated the enemy. He persevered against unstoppable enemies and used his abilities to save as many as possible. Truly, he could now be considered a hero to nearly everyone.

After defeating Kaguya, Naruto had to fight Sasuke one last time. It was at the valley of the end. Both fighters were extremely exhausted and nearly depleted of their chakra reserves. Naruto had his back to Sasuke, and vaguely heard the distinct sound of a Chidori.

'Looks like I will have to do things differently this time. I'm sorry, Sasuke, but I can't let you continue this path. I can't let you kill the Kage; can't let you kill the Tailed Beasts. I have to change the world; I have to find peace.' With those thoughts in mind, Naruto poured his chakra into a Rasengan. This was no normal Rasengan, however; it was one of his variations. He infused small amounts of his wind chakra into the spiraling sphere. While nowhere near as powerful as his Rasenshuriken, it packed a punch well beyond the normal Rasengan. With his energy at his limit, he lunged at his opponent as his opponent lunged at him.

Lightning met wind and, unfortunately for Sasuke, it was a fight that wind was destined to win. The Wind Style: Rasengan ground the Chidori into nothingness and plowed through Sasuke's arm, cutting it in half. Sasuke barely had time to register the pain before he was on the ground, blood flowing from his open wound. "Why… why do you always pursue me!?" screamed the Uchiha using nearly all his remaining energy.

"Because you're my friend, Sasuke, and what kind of Hokage would I be if I let my friend destroy himself?" With that said, Naruto collapsed on the ground beside Sasuke, his remaining chakra barely a drop compared to the vast ocean he normally maintained. He saw the pained look on his best friend's face, yet something told him it was not physical pain. This time he knew that he had succeeded; Sasuke would willingly return to Konoha. Seeing Sasuke fade into unconsciousness, he finally allowed his worn body to do the same.

Sometime later, he awoke to a sight that almost made him cry tears of joy. The pink hair told him who it was in an instant, and she was healing Sasuke. It was like Team 7 was finally reunited. "Hey Sakura" he weakly stated. She looked at him and spoke slowly.

"Hey Naruto… nice to see you awake, I guess. You really did a number on him. His arm's ruined… not sure what I can do. The bleeding's stopped… are you okay?"

He smiled; they were finally a proper team. Sakura was not Sasuke's obedient servant, and Sasuke would finally recognize that he could be a friend. With great effort, he managed to stand. Forming a cross seal, he created a shadow clone to carry Sasuke. Further medical treatment in the field was pointless; he could go back to Konoha's hospital. "I'm fine." And with that, they began the trek to Konoha. This time, he was victorious and would return with Sasuke Uchiha.

A day later, having set a slow pace due to Sasuke's condition and the lack of urgency, they saw the gates of Konoha. He was never happier to see them. From what he could tell, the village had not been damaged by the war. It was as beautiful as he could remember. He hoped his friend would see that as well, but he wasn't too worried about that. With Sasuke's long-term betrayal, the first thing to worry about would be his punishment. He hoped it was lenient; his friend had been manipulated his whole life but, when he finally became self-aware, only wanted Konoha's success. He had gone about it the wrong way, sure, but the fact still remained.

As soon as he walked through the gate, every human being turned their eyes to him. There was a moment of silence, but Naruto just kept taking steps with Sakura closely behind. Then it began. The people began to chant.

"Our Hero has returned!" shouted one man. "The hero of the war is back!" shouted a nearby shinobi. Naruto frowned a bit at that, but said nothing. People began to shout, and a crowd began to form. The path to the hospital had people cheering the entire way. Halfway there, he began to wonder if they would welcome Sasuke back. Then he saw three genin charging down the street to see him, and his heart soared. He was so happy they were safe and didn't have to fight in that war.

"Hey Boss!" Konohamaru happily shouted. "Is it true that you ended the war, like the people say you did?" He, Moegi, and Udon eagerly awaited a reply.

Naruto paused for a bit, deciding on an answer. He didn't want or deserve all the credit. "The war is over. Thank Kami." he paused for a brief moment before he raised his voice. "But I cannot take the credit for winning the war. Without the shinobi of the Hidden Leaf and the citizens who support them, the war could not have been won. Without the combined forces of the elemental nations, we could not have won. Everyone played a part. I might have defeated a tough enemy with the help of my sensei and my best friend, but I had no hesitation only because I knew that this village and its people could endure and would support us, for that is the will of fire!"

He had to admit; that speech had kind of come out of nowhere. He hadn't thought it through or anything. But when the crowd began to cheer louder and Konohamaru looked at him with stars in his eyes, he knew that he must have said something along the right lines. A contented smile on his face, he continued to the hospital.

The hospital really couldn't do much for Sasuke besides offer him a place to rest and hook up some medical equipment to him. Naruto smiled seeing that Shizune was the one treating Sasuke, though he didn't particularly like the chakra suppressing seals making his friend a prisoner. "Shizune! It's so great to see you! How're you doing? How's Grandma Tsunade doing?"

Shizune smiled a bit; Naruto sounded just like the excitable kid she had met what seemed like an eternity ago but was really only five years. She knew he had matured, and there were moments where he seemed well past his years. She sometimes wondered what the switch was between the naive kid and the experienced shinobi who was now a war hero.

"I'm happy to see you as well. I hope you had a good 18th birthday. I am doing well, and Lady Tsunade is currently on mandatory bed rest. No worries, it was just chakra depletion" she hastily added, knowing full well that he would practically break through walls to make sure she was healthy. "Lady Tsunade's first words were 'I want to see that brat'" she added with a smile. "I will take you to her room."

Sakura stayed behind, as expected, while Naruto followed Shizune. He wondered what Tsunade could possibly want to speak to him about while she was in such a condition. Still, while some people may not consider him the smartest shinobi, he knew not to keep her waiting. Once she recovered, she could punch him through a building if she felt like it. Sure, Kurama would heal him, but it would still hurt. Entering the room, he silently gasped at what he saw. Tsunade had never looked so old and fragile. He knew not to call her grandma in this position.

"Hey Tsunade. I finally brought Sasuke back, isn't that great! So… what'd you want to see me about?" he said quickly, causing Tsunade to chuckle even though it hurt a bit. 'The brat's as subtle as Might Guy. Still, I'm glad he's back. He looks so uninjured. Almost like he didn't stop the greatest threat to Shinobi existence a mere three days ago.

"I'm glad to hear it brat. Anyway, I have a very good reason to talk to you. Shizune, if you please." Shizune smiled and grabbed a very official looking document, handing it to Tsunade. Naruto could see the Hokage's stamp on it and wondered why the woman would be working in her condition.

"Due to your outstanding contribution to the war effort, as well as for displays of strength and leadership far beyond your ranking, I hereby grant you a field promotion to the rank of Elite Jounin. Sponsors for this promotion are Shikamaru Nara, Hinata Hyuuga, Kakashi Hatake, and Tsunade Senju." she said, handing him the document.

He looked at it, not believing it at first. He read it over repeatedly, seeing it was official. At the bottom was a small seal so he applied a bit of chakra to it. The next thing he knew, he was holding a real jounin vest. Just like Kakashi and Guy, He thought, putting on the vest.

"… Thanks Baa-chan. This means so much to me. I'll work even harder from now on, that's a promise!" he shouted, making her sweat-drop despite her condition. The kid defeated an enemy that defeated all five kages, then defeated an enemy that was once a myth and the first human with chakra, but he still is so focused on training?

"You earned it. There will be a council meeting in a week's time, at dusk, and you will be expected to attend. The subject will be my resignation" she said, her voice dropping a bit at the end, readying for an outburst. Surprisingly, she heard no such thing.

"Y-your resignation? Already? But… but you're still strong! You've protected the village so well… I'm proud of what you've done" he said, in a slightly lower voice than normal. Tsunade was touched that Naruto had such faith in her, but in truth, she knew she would not be remembered too well in the Konoha history book.

Hashirama founded the village, Tobirama ensured its safety and sacrificed himself to kill off Kumo's most elite shinobi force, Hiruzen led the village through two great shinobi wars, and Minato almost single-handedly defeated Iwa and saved the village by sealing the strongest of the tailed beasts. During the reign of the Godaime, however, the village was almost entirely destroyed by Pain and many shinobi died fighting a war against, essentially, one man. Her name would be remembered fondly for a while, but once people who knew her personally were gone, the new generation wouldn't care much for Tsunade Senju.

"Thank you Naruto. However, you and I both know that I am simply not meant for this job. You convinced me five years ago, and I've done my best, but the passion isn't there on a day-to-day basis. I love the village, I truly do, but my will of fire is merely ash."

Naruto walked out of the room without another word, and a single tear fell down his cheek because he wondered if Tsunade would leave again. That thought left quickly, however, because he didn't want to even consider it. Meanwhile, Tsunade smirked because Naruto hadn't asked why he was supposed to attend a council meeting, but she knew the answer. Naruto was a candidate for the Hokage position.

Naruto, however, was thinking of how much things had changed as he walked out of the hospital. He was a beloved hero now, he had the respect of all shinobi nations, and he was now an Elite Jounin. He skipped the rank of Chuunin altogether and, he had to admit, he enjoyed that part. Those silly exams were not designed for a ninja of his caliber at this point. He turned his mind to a more fruitful train of thought: training.

He created one-hundred shadow clones to head off to the nearest training grounds. Once they left, he created two more to go to the ninja library and study a few wind jutsu. Once they were certain they had the handseals memorized, they would dispel, and the clones would begin training. Naruto decided to go to the regular library. He realized now that he had completed his long-term goal of bringing Sasuke back, so that meant he had to train for his new goal: becoming Hokage. This meant he needed to study village laws, clan laws, all the other hidden villages, and how to not completely embarrass himself in front of others. He knew it was a lot, but he wasn't too worried. After all, whoever became the Rokudaime would be in office for a while, of that he was sure. He was just glad that he could always make more shadow clones.

A week passed by quickly. Every day he visited Sasuke in the hospital, and though the man had awoken five days ago, the two rarely spoke. With each visit, however, Naruto could see the anger within Sasuke fade away. Soon enough, he would be a fine Konoha Shinobi, at least if Naruto could help with his punishment. Though, ultimately, that would fall upon the Rokudaime. Along that train of thought, he realized that he was nearly late for the council meeting. He quickly got dressed and ran, hoping to not make a poor impression.

When he threw open the door to see the Konoha council, he realized something: there was no council present. Well, that was not entirely true: One Shikamaru Nara was sitting in the Nara clan-head seat and was sound asleep. Until Naruto's antics awoke the dozing clan-head. "Troublesome… hey Naruto, what are you doing here?"

"Hey Shikamaru, I was invited by Tsunade baa-chan." This caused Shikamaru's eyebrow to arch highly, but Naruto assumed it was because of his informal Hokage title, "but anyway, how are you doing?" he asked, his voice solemn at the end.

"I'm holding up. It's a bit troublesome sometimes, knowing that he won't be there for me anymore. We never talked much, but he always had his own way of getting through to me. I guess it'll take some time. Like Asuma." he said, in a surprisingly flat tone. Naruto decided not to push it, remembering how he had been with Jiraiya.

Naruto has no business being here; why would Tsunade invite him? He isn't a clan head but maybe she wants for one of Kakashi's students to talk about him? But where's Sakura? Hmm… this seems troublesome.

"So where is everyone?"

"Troublesome blonde. Everyone knew Kakashi would be requested, so they scheduled it two hours before they actually planned to be here."

"Why are you here?"

"I thought it'd be less troublesome to get here early and sleep as opposed to sleeping too late" he said, before putting his head down and dozing off.

Naruto sweat-dropped before realizing that, since he was not a clan-head, he had to sit in a chair in the corner of the room. Grumbling something about feeling like a six year old, he took a seat and waited. Being the container of Kurama and owner of nearly infinite stamina, once he woke up, naps were not usually much of a choice

Two hours later, Naruto examined the clan heads. Shibi Aburame of the Aburame clan, Chouza

Akimichi of the Akimichi Clan, Hiashi Hyuuga of the Hyuuga clan, Tsume Inuzuka of the Inuzuka Clan, Shikamaru Nara of the Nara Clan, Haruki Sarutobi as head of the Sarutobi Clan , and Ino Yamanaka of the Yamanaka Clan.

Naruto knew most of the clan heads as the parents of his friends or, in Shikamaru and Ino's case, friends themselves. Haruki Sarutobi, however, he knew only vaguely as an older cousin of Konohamaru who would be given the seat upon reaching Jounin status. The man seemed composed and confident, and Naruto guessed that he had probably served in the last war and was an elite jounin.

Naruto briefly spoke to Ino, offering her his condolences on the death of her father. Even though he and Ino weren't close friends, he knew that her father was a great man who sacrificed his life for others and deserved to be remembered. She simply gave her thanks before sitting down.

Tsunade walked in next, supported by a cane with Shizune by her side. Just as she sat down, a swirl of leaves appeared in the middle of the ovular table.

"Sorry I'm late, I was arguing with Yamato about home repairs and, since he has Wood release, I stated that he should work in carpentry and construction. He, however..." he trailed off, wondering why everyone appeared to have a lack of interest in his very detailed explanation.

"You're not late, Kakashi; you're actually right on time" Tsunade said with a smirk, making Kakashi realize that they had figured him out. I'll just have to be later next time! He resolutely thought. When he noticed Naruto, he nodded to his proud student and figured that they wanted an official report on the battle with Kaguya Otsutsuki. He briefly wondered how he would write such a report, and decided that his wrist suffered debilitating damage in the fight which not even Tsunade could heal.

"Anyway, as everyone but Kakashi knows, we are here to discuss my resignation as Hokage. We will discuss the candidacy of Elite Jounin Kakashi Hatake for the position. Please speak, starting with the Aburame Clan."

Shibi spoke quietly, yet composed and loud enough for everyone to hear. "Kakashi's candidacy is most logical. He is well-known and a strong warrior. Clearly, he is an elite S-class shinobi whom few, if any, can match."

"I don't know about Kakashi. I mean, his personality really isn't fit for the job. With the new alliance, perhaps someone more charismatic?" Chouza said. He would support Kakashi, but he really wanted to try to make sure the room aired its doubts since the decision was momentous.

"I am opposed to Kakashi's nomination. One of his students defected while another would have defected if the traitor hadn't opposed. In addition, my daughter has had contact with his one loyal student, and he has talked about Kakashi's training methods. I must say, his teaching and leadership is hardly befitting of a kage" Hiashi stated harshly, though everyone knew his real problem was the Sharingan. Hyuuga and Uchiha hated each other over their dojutsu; even if it wasn't an Uchiha with the Sharingan, he still hated it.

Tsume scoffed. "Kakashi's loyalty is hardly a question. It can't be helped if he had a wannabe Alpha and a love-sick pup on his team. He was, however, the prized student of the Yondaime himself."

Shikamaru said, lazily, "This is troublesome. Kakashi's as good a candidate as any, but if any other candidate is actually qualified, Kakashi will try to dodge it. He's practically a Nara."

"The Sarutobi Clan honors the Will of Fire above all else," Haruki began, "and Kakashi clearly possesses this will. He has never hesitated to put his own life at risk to protect the village and its inhabitants."

Ino stated, somewhat quietly (at least for her), "I talked with Sakura a few times. I mean, if it wasn't for Tsunade's apprenticeship, I have to wonder if she'd still be alive. She wasn't really taught…well, anything by Kakashi. Nidaime, Sandaime, and Yondaime were all noted to be excellent teachers and they were all capable kage. I guess I'm just not sure." Everyone was surprised by the girl's knowledge, and she would admit that she had freshened up on history knowing she would help choose the next Hokage.

After everyone digested the reality of the girl's words, Tsunade decided to move forward. "Kakashi, what do you have to say?"

Kakashi eye-smiled. "I have nothing to say. Every point raised both for me and against me is accurate. I will take the position if asked, but I wouldn't hope for it. I want to be in the field."

Tsunade smiled, surprising everyone. "Very well. We will discuss our next candidate for the position, Elite Jounin Naruto Uzumaki."

Everyone froze; it barely looked like they were breathing. Every eye glanced from Tsunade, to Naruto, back to Tsunade. Naruto himself could barely stand up, customary in having his name put up for the position as Kakashi seemed to demonstrate, due to the shaking of his legs. Every second felt like an hour; as if he was stuck in eternity. It almost felt like Tsukuyomi. They all thought he was here due to his personal relationship with the Hokage, much like Shizune. They didn't know what to think.

"He got promoted?" Ino eventually managed a question. Tsunade quickly answered.

"Yes, I gave him a field promotion. Given his contribution to the war, I doubt his qualification is questioned."

Hiashi replied "But he has no experience as a leader or as a teacher." He was, however, quite interested. He knew his daughter was interested in Naruto and, until a few moments ago, thought little of it. Suddenly, it seemed as if the Hyuuga could be on the fast track to influence. Still, he couldn't let that get ahead of the village's interest. A weak Hokage means a weak Konoha and a weak Konoha means less power for the Hyuuga to seek.

"It is well known among the Sarutobi that Konohamaru, easily our most promising young ninja, learned his Will of Fire from Naruto. Additionally, Konohamaru has learned Shadow Clones and the legendary Rasengan under his tutelage. For a twelve year old to know either is incredible."

"Shino sees Naruto as a friend; he does not easily acknowledge friends."

"Chouji has only ever spoken highly of him; says Naruto can eat more ramen, even."

"He changed Neji, and Neji died to serve him. His charisma is unmatched, certainly a fine leadership quality. Not to mention, he studied under Jiraiya-sama."

"Kiba doesn't talk about him much, but he did beat Kiba in his first Chunin Exam years back. I admit, I'm surprised an orphan could do that. I trained Kiba personally."

"Naruto may be troublesome, but his leadership qualities are there. With an adviser, I don't see why not."

Ino was the last clan head to speak. "I don't know Naruto very well. In fact, I treated him… quite poorly… for most of his life. Despite that, I would trust him completely with my life. He always puts others first."

To everyone's surprise, Kakashi spoke next. "I acknowledged, during the fight with Kakazu, that Naruto was quickly surpassing me. Though I may now have Mangekyou, Naruto has the Kyuubi's chakra and techniques that even Susano'o would have trouble withstanding. Thanks to his shadow clones, Naruto will be able to train and improve even while on the job. A luxury I could not afford. Therefore, I would support my student." He finished with a patented eye-smile, knowing his sensei would be proud of his son.

"Naruto, would you like to say anything?" Shizune asked, breaking Naruto out of his stupor. His mind was working at a furious pace to process everything that was going on since it all seemed so unbelievable.

"Well, it's an honor to even be considered. It is my life goal to become Hokage so that I may protect this village, and even if it isn't today, I plan on continuing my training because that is my nindo."

Tsunade smiled as she spoke. "So… I really don't have any better candidates. Please state your votes, in alphabetical order of clan name. I will spend two weeks to acclimate my chosen successor, and the Fire Daimyo will be informed."

"Kakashi Hatake." Shibi started.

"Kakashi." Chouza voted.

"Naruto Uzumaki" Hiashi said, getting everyone's attention. They expected him to vote for experience, even if Kakashi had the Sharingan. Suddenly it started to feel a bit more real that Naruto was a viable candidate.

"Kakashi." Tsume said.

"Troublesome decisions… Naruto." Shikamaru eloquently stated.

"Naruto Uzumaki" Haruki said, surprising most of the other clan heads. It was a tie vote thus far, and the youngest council member would decide the fate of the village. Ino gulped, then drew into her thoughts.

Naruto's young, that's true. But everyone our age knows of his work ethic. Plus, he has international recognition and is friends with the Kazekage. Naruto wants the job; Kakashi doesn't. Won't that affect their performance in the job?

"… Naruto Uzumaki." Everyone was silent. An eighteen year old had just defeated a respected, veteran ninja for the vote of Hokage. Still, Naruto was known as the Hero of Konoha for a reason. This type of situation hadn't happened since the Yondaime, and even then the man had been older. As everyone's thoughts wandered to the other young Kage, Tsunade smirked. She could retire just as she wanted to.

"If that's the case, then I hereby announce Naruto Uzumaki as my successor and future Rokudaime Hokage. He shall be officially inaugurated in two weeks with a ceremony assuming approval of the Daimyo, of which I have no doubts. No information should leave this room about his appointment; it will be a fitting surprise to everyone. Naruto, do you have anything to add?" Tsunade was somewhat disturbed by his silence.

In truth, Naruto could not believe what was happening. A week ago, he went from genin to elite jonin. True, he had started studying Hokage material, but he hadn't planned to take the spot for another ten years. And here it was, practically handed to him in a package to be opened in two weeks.

Everyone saw the smile that grew on his face. "This is awesome!" A few people looked at him wide-eyed, making him rub the back of his neck in embarrassment. "I mean, this is really a true honor. Thank you, everyone."

A/N: I think things feel very different from my most recent big stories (Indomitable Duo and New Yellow Flash) while having a feeling very similar to the beginning of Naruto: Dark Disciple. Originally, this story would have been a very long multi-chapter fic featuring heavily in politics with a minimal amount of fighting for Naruto. I wanted to look into how he would assign teams, handle diplomacy, deal with the aftermath of the war, deal with the Daimyo, deal with the budget, deal with friendship, deal with relationships, deal with new threats… I really wanted to write about every conceivable aspect of being Hokage. I made SO, SO many plans for this story but never got past chapter 4 and I thought Chapter 3 was awful. However, I realized it could be edited into a two-shot and decided to publish it as such.

For me, this story is a time capsule. It is new for all of you, however, so I hope you've enjoyed the read. The second (and final) chapter will be up within a week. The reason for changing the Sasuke-Naruto fight is that I felt there was a need to establish something as being different from canon in order to justify a divergence and I thought having the fight end this way would be a fitting closure to a stage of Naruto's life that allowed him to move on to the next step. Sasuke will feature in the next chapter as well so don't think I just made that one change without taking him into account.

Thank you all for reading. Please feel free to follow, favorite, review, or simply continuing onward.