Conciliation
Chapter 1: A Dream Not Broken
"Hokage...huh?"
Shikamaru nonchalantly stated as he entered the Hokage's office. He saw Naruto, standing behind the Hokage's desk, staring out the window. Naruto did not respond. Shikamaru could see a pain in his eyes, a pain that said he was tired of it all; the death, betrayal, and hardship of The Fourth Great Ninja War had taken a toll on everyone, especially Naruto.
"Moping around in self-pity, eh Naruto? I thought you wanted to be Hokage. Even as kids you were going on and on about it. So why do you look so depressed?"
Naruto shifted his gaze towards his most trusted friend. He could always rely on Shikamaru to pull him back to reality. Even though the reality of it all was too much for him to bear. He started to fall apart,
"It's funny Shikamaru. I always wanted to be Hokage, but I never thought about the consequences of my dream. Tsunade, Jiraiya, Bee-san, and Hinata...she-"
Shikamaru interrupted him,
"She died for you Naruto. It's your duty to carry on her will and achieve your dream. We have all put our trust into you Naruto, in hopes that you will be the light in this dark world. You are Hokage now, you need to do your duty."
"It has been a year Shikamaru, and we will never see them again." A tear creeped from the corner of his eye down his cheek.
Naruto became enraged,
"And what did they die for? So we could win a stupid war and I could become Hokage! I'm clueless. How am I supposed to fix all of this hatred! Even after a major unification and victory the great nations still fight over the scraps of war! Everyone I have ever loved has died. How can one man endure so much? They even gave their lives for me. ME. What is so important about me? This war was all my fault! Why did they even bother to protect me? I talk a big game, but when it comes down to it... I... I can't think of a solution. It's impossible! I'm just an idiot who can't even justify their deaths, and Sakura, I... couldn't keep my..."
He sat down in the chair behind the desk and covered his face with his hands. Tears rolled between his fingers down onto his desk.
"Naruto, I have been with you since the beginning and I suspect I will be with you until the end. You don't have to do anything alone. We fought that war for the hopes of peace. A peace that is still tangible. It wasn't for nothing. Some how, some way, we will obtain that peace. You have achieved your dream Naruto. Now help me achieve the dream of the world, but we need you Naruto. We need you to lead us out of the darkness. Everyone believes in you. Kakashi, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and everyone else who died, believed in you. I believe in you. Even when you are lost, we all have faith Naruto. Faith that you will find a way. We elected you Hokage for that same reason."
"Shikamaru, what if I can't? What if i'm not the child of prophecy? What if this has been all for nothing?"
"I don't know Naruto. I honestly don't, but I won't accept that this was for nothing. Even if this is all pointless and we fail, we have influenced our succesors. Our will of fire will carry on with them. Plus you baka! I will die before I let you give up. It's in our nature to be idiots and blindly jump forward into an impossible dream!"
Naruto leaned back in his chair and wiped the tears out of his eyes. With a sniffle and a small smile he gently replied,
"What the hell happened to the kid who wanted nothing but an average life?"
Shikamaru chuckled and said with a glimmer in his eye.
"He got carried away in an idiot's dream."