I always have the worst of luck. Sure, there are lots of people worse of than me, but at the moment, I don't think they can complain. Why? Well…to answer that, it's best to start at the beginning.

It all had to happen on March the 14th.

A Monday.

My birthday.


Hokage's Choice

Chapter One—I should have stayed home today

I managed to catch the three o'clock bus immediately after school. Since it was one of those automated buses, I had to tell it where I was getting off. The bus was practically empty, so I just sat down in the front. Pulling a slip of paper out of my pocket, I unfolded it before looking at it.

It is a gift certificate to one of the new, popular gaming centers made by the Prestige Uchiha Corporation. New because it started only two years ago and popular because it has one of the best gaming programs ever. Their games are realistic. That doesn't just mean that their graphics are good. Not only can you see everything, you can feel, hear, smell, even taste everything in the game. In short, you are in the game's world.

I've been to these games a few times before and I'm sort of glad that my dad got me a gift certificate to go again. Seems that this year he is actually trying to be a good dad, buying me a birthday gift and all.

Of course, it would help if he didn't have his secretary call me and ask me what I wanted for my gift. And then have her deliver it to me along with a blank card.

At least he tried this time, unlike before.

You see, my birthday has a history of bad events. What sort events? The first one I can remember was back when I was four. My parents were together back then, but on my birthday, my father finally snapped. He yelled at her and then stormed out of the house. Lovely birthday present, no?

Then, on my fifth birthday, after my father suddenly is spotted again, we find out that he has some high-position job. And a new wife and new little girl. That wasn't too bad except that he had us go to the doctor and checked to make sure he is actually my father. I was only five and I suddenly realized how much he wanted us out of his life.

I would love to continue with all of these sad events that occurred during my birthday, but I should go back to the bus ride. It was the first omen that something bad was going to occur.


After about twenty minutes, the bus finally arrived at the gaming center. The large building that has a nice green lawn and some flowers growing in front of it. Except I can't see any of them.

There was a mob in front of the center. A huge crowd of parents, all of them holding up signs, signs that read 'DOWN WITH FANTASY!' and 'PROTECT OUR CHILDREN!' The reason that they are here is because they are a part of the CPCF. That stands for Citizen's Protecting Children from Fantasy. Apparently fantasy corrupts our mind and it should be banned. Right now they are waving their signs and marching up and down the lawn. They are also glaring. Like they are daring someone to even attempt to get past them.

And that's what I'm going to do.


As the bus pulled up to the bus stop, its voice called out my name. "Haruno Sakura. You have requested to get off at the bus stop in front of Uchiha Gaming Center."

"Yes," I reply.

"Haruno Sakura, you are a minor, under the age of 18."

"Yes," I reply, twitching slightly. Let me off already, you hunk of scrap metal.

"Sorry, but as you are a minor, you are not allowed off the bus at a stop where there is a danger that you might get injured."

I look outside, where the mothers and fathers a marching around. Well, actually two of them are marching and the rest are sitting tiredly on the ground, eating donuts and drinking coffee.

"It's ok. They won't hurt me, as they are trying to 'protect me'." What are they going to do to me? Pelt their donuts at me? Scream at me to leave?

"Sorry, but I am not allowed to do that. You may get off at another stop, but not at this one."

I bite back the words I feel like screaming at it and instead say, "Let me off at the next stop." I'll just walk back.

"Not if you are going to walk back to this center," the bus replies.

I glower at it. Smart bus. Looking at the map of stops, I quickly tell it, "No. I'm just going to see the….Museum of Natural History that's across from the stop."

"Ok then. I'll let you off at the next stop, Haruno Sakura. Estimated time of arrival in five minutes."

Apparently the bus is not smart enough. If it were human, then it would have known I wouldn't have changed my mind that fast.

Then again, if it was human, it wouldn't have cared.


Five minutes later, I scrambled off the bus, while it cheerfully (can a bus be cheerful?) says, "Goodbye, Haruno Sakura. Thank you for taking the bus."

"Goodbye," I reply, before mumbling, "Your mother was a garbage can."

Then I briskly walked off to the gaming center. After walking for a few minutes, I arrived and suddenly grabbed the attention of all of the parents sitting on the grass. They look at me, look at their signs, and then look at their food. Then, they quickly get up, holding their coffee in one hand and their signs in the other. "DON'T ENTER THIS EVIL BUILDING!!" a man yells at me, shaking his donuts threateningly in one hand.

They weren't seriously going to throw the food at me, right? At least, that's what I hoped as I ignored him and walked on up the path, to the building.

"That is the DEVIL'S home, where innocent minds are CORRUPTED!! Don't help it! It shall destroy you in the end!" some of the other parents yell, moving to block me.

Luckily, I manage to squeeze past them and get to the door. There is a guard there, and he quickly opens the door to let me, which is better service than they've ever let me have in the past.


In the reception center, there are two teenage boys sitting on a coach, looking bored. They're throwing a baseball around, and one of them looks up when I come in before looking down. The receptionist seems busy on the phone while I walk up to her desk and makes a motion to tell me to wait.

I let out a hiss of pain as I felt something bite my fingers. Sucking on the finger, I look at the thing that bit it. It's one of those new creatures they've been building, a dragon. It looks (and, as I've just found out, feels) real and is about the size of a kitten. He is tied to a chain which is tied to her paperweight, struggling to get free. Baring his teeth at me, the dragon tries to attack me again but is cut short by his chain.

"Ha," I smirk at him. "Serves you right."

However, the paper weight moves a little. Even if he is not alive and is only the size of a kitten, I still move away a little. This catches the attention of the receptionist and she finally gets off the phone.

"Don't worry, he's harmless," she reassures me. That would have helped except that the dragon started to breathe fire.

Ignoring the dragon, the lady takes my gift card. "Would you like to play in a group or alone?" she asks me. I, in turn, look at the teenagers sitting. Even if they are guys, cute guys, they look like their seventeen. And I'm only fourteen. I doubt they'll find it fun to play with their 'little sister'.

"I'll play alone," I reply, "Can I look at the games?" While I have played before, I haven't played at this center before (I played in New York and London). As I scroll through the catalogue, I cross out some of the games. "Witches' Brew" seems too childish to me, even though it's made for my age. Same with "Dungeons and Dice". However, "Heir Apparent" seems interesting enough, and I'm about to choose that one when another game pops up on the screen.

In fancy letters, the words, "Hokage's Choice" is written. Curious, I clicked it and the preview loaded on the screen.

"Welcome to Hokage's Choice," a voice suddenly says. "The Third Hokage suddenly dies," a picture of an old man is shown "and his dying words declared you his heir" A picture of a young boy is shown "Will you manage to last the three days it takes be appointed the next Hokage" A mountain is shown "Make allies with the right people, or else suffer the consequences. It's all up to you." Suddenly scenes flooded the screen. Giant animals appeared out of nowhere, people disappeared in clouds of smoke, there were two people fighting, blurs of colors, and picture of a village.

Then, the screen faded to black. And I made up my mind on what game I was going to play. After all, this game involved planning, action, and seemed fun.

However, the main reason I chose this wasn't actually that. In fact, the biggest reason I chose this game was because in the preview there were some characters. Some young, handsome (really hot) male characters. Not really that good a reason, I will admit. But what if the reason was really shallow? Why chose a game just because you didn't like any of the characters? And besides, if nothing else, there would be something to look forward to in the game.

Catching the receptionist's attention, I asked her, "Can girls play 'Hokage's Choice'?'

Checking her computer screen, she replied, "Yes, there can be female heirs too."

However, while I can play it and it seemed really fun (plus…the guys…), there was still one thing I had to ask. "Is there only one way to win the game?" Because if there was only one way, this game would be frustrating and I know I won't win.

Thinking the question over, she answered. "No, this game is sort of like bean soup."

"Bean soup?" I asked, staring at her.

"Yes, bean soup. It is not like a peanut butter sandwich. In a peanut butter sandwich, you only put on the peanut butter and that's it. But with bean soup, there is a choice. You can put kidney beans, chick peas, or some other type of bean. You can add in carrots or whatever it is you want to add. You can boil it or stir it slowly. There are many different ways to make it." She the nodded to herself, as if confirming what she said was indeed true.

The receptionist must be some sort of weirdo, telling me the game is like soup. And I really didn't understand that comparison. However, I think the gist of it was that I had many different ways to get to the goal. "I'll play this game then," I replied to her before following her to one of the gaming rooms.

After I lay down on one of the beds, she started tell me, "While you only paid for half an hour, the game will feel like days have gone by. As well, every time you die, you will start over from the beginning, unless you've used up all off your time, after all. And if you are playing still when your time runs out, you continue to play until you die. Ready?"

I nodded before I closed my eyes as she hooked me up to the game. Then I submerged into the virtual reality. It's time to see how good this game is.


A/N: This story is based off 'Heir Apparent'. –insert disclaimer here- I read the novel recently, and just felt like writing this. However, it will not be following the novel completely (as, in that story, the setting is in medieval times. And I want to make some changes.)

Anyways, I felt like posting this before I go to the hospital on Tuesday. And as I have to celebrate my parents' anniversary, go to some party, and go to school in between now and then, I might as well post it today. Enjoy!

(Next update will be soon.

…at least, my definition of soon.)