Naruto and other related characters are copyright of Masashi Kishomoto. As much as I would like to own them I do not and I will give credit where credit is due.

On the other hand this story belongs fully to Serenity/Jasmine and/or Serenity Prower. Just want to make that clear before I start.

The Race For Hokage

We Meet

"Trust me, when I return I will be stronger then ever. I will find Sasuke bring him to justice and become Hokage!!"

Those were the final words many of the people in the village heard from the orange Shinobi before he ran off with Lord Jiraiya for intense training. Now sitting in his bedroom Naruto looked at a picture of his old team he, Sakura, Sasuke and even Kakashi. He had a bit of a strange reunion when he saw Sakura and how powerful and how she had become thanks to her training from Lady Tsunade. The two of them had even retrieved the bells from Kakashi by using his brains and not just his power by using his weakness of graphic novels.

He sighed weakly. He would have thought that after two and a half years Sakurya would take him up on his offer and go out on a date with him. No such luck as usual, even after all this time she had hoped Sasuke would return and she could be with him. He cleaned the dust off of the picture and placed it back onto the small desk. He took off his black headband and returned it to the small hook and replaced it with his night cap. It fit more snugly then it used to since he had grown a bit. He heard his stomach growl and winced in annoyance. The great shinobi had forgot to restock his home when he had first returned home coming back to spoiled food.

"I guess after breakfast I will have to restock or I will be like this every night." He yawned and stretched a bit while he dug a hand into his blonde hair. He turned his attention to the window as he looked at the sky and the stars that hovered above the village. "Goodnight my village." He grinned softly as he reached over and turned the light off snuggling into his bed ignoring the explosion he heard.

Lady Tsunade hand went though a wall crumbling it to pieces as she tires to hit a black moving target.

"Damnit!! Stay still!" Once again she had found herself about a year and a half ago face to face with another shinobi wanting to learn from the best.

"Now why should I even bother? I'm not a sensei, I'm the Hokage I don't have time to be baby sitting."

"Please! Only you can teach me! Besides you already have a pupil and I am way better then her so why not train me!" Tsunade sat up annoyed looking at the girl. She was a Genin preparing for the Chunin exams. The girls pink eyes burned with a fire she had last seen in a spiky haired blonde Shinobi who was still away training with his perverted sensei.

"Just because I have one student does not mean I need another one! What right do you have coming here and acting this way to me?" The main reason she was annoyed was because the girl reminded her of Naruto and herself.

"That's not fair!" I was at the top of my class when I finished at the academy and I want to train with the best!" Tsunade looked at the girl and grinned. She sounded exactly like Naruto when he would yell and scream saying it was his normal voice. She knew she missed hearing him around but it was for the best. As she sat and looked at the girl she soon started to grin as she got an idea.

"Fine you little squirt, I'll make a deal with you. " Her assistant moaned knowing that this was not going to end the way Tsunade wanted it to. "If you can become Chunin at this exam I will train you as well." The girl grinned.

"You have a deal!" The girl reached over and held her hand out as Tsunade took the hand and shook it. The girl then turned and walked out. Shizune looked at her.

"Lady Tsunade do you even know who that was?"

"Doesn't matter that kid won't be back." Tsunade grinned as Shizune walked over with a folder and let it fall onto the desk. On the front of the folder the girl picture was on it.

"That kid was Jinmaharu Kaiya. She graduated at the top of her class. Along with that her specialty is that shadow clone jutsu and is claiming that she will become the next Hokage and she has all of the potential to."

"Huh... She sounds like Naruto alright. Well she has a big mouth like him and unless she can back it up she won't get any help from me. I'm not worried though. She looks weak." Tsunade leaned back in her chair as she looked over at the large mountain looking at her face.

Now here she was training the girl. Kaiya had not only become a Chunin but had more potential the both Shikamaru and Sakura combined. She sharpened her ears as she listened out for the konogi. She turned hearing her to the left and saw her heading right for her.

"You're mine this time Kaiya!" Kaiya grinned softly as she dodged the attack just barely. She jumped up as she soon went to kick Tsunade. The fifth dodged it and watched as a huge crater was made full of cracks .Tsunade had to admit for a 14 year old the girl was strong hell of a lot stronger then other shinobi she came across. She already knew how to use chakra in her fist and her feet creating powerful attacks like she had. Kaiya was about to hit her when she dodged and stopped. "Alright Kaiya training is over for today." Kaiya stopped and looked at her.

"What? Unbelievable, you barely spent any time on me. You have gone all day." Tsunade growled as she crossed her arms.

"Well if you haven't noticed I do have other things to do! I am the fifth you know. Besides I had to welcome back a Shinobi that had been gone for some time. "Tsunade had meet with Naruto as she announced that he would be with Kakashi and Sakura as Team Kakashi.. She was glad to see he was back but annoyed he came so close to the Chunin exams because he needs to take them. She shooed the female as she growled weakly. "Go home and get some sleep. I am sure you need it." Kaiya didn't look at Tsunade. She just sighed as she vanished off into the night. Tsunade blinked looking at her. It was if the girl never wanted to go home or something.

Naruto sat happily with his mentor and favorite sensei Iruka. One again he was in his old hang out spot eating ramen. He looked over at the man as Iruka smiled admiring Naruto's age and new outfit. He was more then proud of the orange Shinobi and knew that all he would do is improve more and more. He looked as Naruto sighed softly eating.

"What is it Naruto." Naruto was deep in thought. He couldn't understand why Sakura would not even give him a chance. He was worried about Sasuke yeah but he chose to go down that path and he just wanted to get a shot of this love thing before something happened to him. He felt that Sakura was the only girl for him. Iruka waved a hand in front his face and he blinked. " Are you in there Naruto?" Naruto sighed again. "Come on, you can tell me."

"Iruka sensei, have you ever been in love before?" Iruka looked at Naruto it was a bit or a strange of paste of him. He knew that he really liked Sakura but he thought it was only a crush since she saw her pretty. Apparently that was not the case.

"Well Naruto I well yeah a while ago but why the question?"

"Its been two and a half years and Sakura still won't give me a chance. I would have guessed that after she saw how much more powerful I became that she would at least go on a real date with me. " He put his head on the table. " But she just shuns me off as if I have done nothing.

"Well maybe she is not the girl for you Naruto. You think she is pretty; I am sure a lot of guys in your class thought the same thing about her. "Naruto didn't say anything as he sighed, feeling a bit depressed. He thought now how much it sucked to get older and really feel such a pointless pain for a girl who would never see him the way he saw her. Maybe it was time for him to get over his crush. Why should he suffer just because she wants to hold onto someone who even if he came back would not take her. Just as he was about to ask the old man for another bowl the man turned and grinned happily.

"There is my favorite girl! I was wondering when you were going to show up." Naruto turned to see the glistening blue hair of a female walk in. Telling by the red headband she wore on her neck she was a Shinobi of this land and possibility a Chunin. "Can I get you the usual Kai?" She smiled happily as she sat down slamming her hand on the desk.

"Yes!! Ramen with lots and lots of pork!" Naruto growled at the girl who just came and burst in being all loud and noisy. Iruka looked at her and grinned.

"I should have guessed you would be here as well since you hover around here just as much as anyone."

"You know this annoyance Iruka Sensei?" Kaiya glared at Naruto as her bowl was placed in front of her. Iruka laughed softly.

"Funny you should say that Naruto because she's a female version of you." Kaiya spit her food out and growls."

"No way!! I would never act like this idiot!" Naruto growls as he gets into her face."

"You have a big mouth for a little girl!"

"Says you! Your not even a Chunin and I'm younger then you!" That hit a bad nerve in Naruto as he got depressed and sat back down. Iruka looked at the female.

"Come on Kaiya give him a break he just retuned home. If he had been here he would have been Chunin I am sure." She rolled her eyes as she sat down back to her food.

"He started it!" Naruto sighed as he soon climbed out of his seat. Iruka looked at him as he headed to the door.

"Come on Naruto she was just kidding. Don't take it to heart."

"No wonder Sakura doesn't want to give me a chance I'm not even ranked CHunin like she is. " He looked at Iruka. " I am just going to go home and get some rest. Its been a long day." He slumped out of the place. Iruka looked over at Kaiya who was innocently eating her ramen.

"You should give him more respect Kaiya. He has been through more then anyone in this village and seen more then you." He soon stood up paying the guy and walking out. Kaiya looked down at the bowl of ramen as it smoked softly still hot. She sighed weakly as she closed her eyes.

"I now Iruka Sensei I now more about Naruto then you could ever imagine."