Hokage

Kage- not a very powerful word. What does one think when they hear that word? Leader? Ruler? One would be correct in that line of thinking. But being Kage in so much more that just ruler or leader. If a bad person rules as Kage, then the land is bad and the weather as well is bad. It affects the attitudes of the people he or she rules. Likewise with the good ones. People still have free will, but their altogether strengths and weakness depend on the Kage.

I am Haruno Sakura, Sixth Hokage of the Fire Country. This is my story.

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Winter was a sad time of the year for me. It was when everything was cold and nothing grew in our green Konoha. Winter caused everything to go brown and bleak.

I on this cold and depressing day was standing outside waiting for my blonde blue eyed best friend as she finished paying for her overpriced coffee. Why wasn't I in the warm building with her waiting? It was way too crowded in there for my taste.

"Hey, Sakura lets get going." Ino stated as she stepped out in to the cold January morning to join me. I stared at the steam coming off the open lidded coffee. It smelled wonderful.

Ino and I were off to market place for food. Naruto was due to arrive back from a 2year long mission in the next couple of days, and I wanted to have our apartment stocked for his arrival. He would be tired of Thunder country's food. So a shopping I went. He had grown out of just eating ramen when he could as we got older but still had a strange fondness for it. I smiled at the though of Naruto. He and I were lovers and had been that way since the age of 16. I missed him so much.

When he returned Tsunade-shishou was going to name him Hokage and hold the ceremony. She was getting older and was tired. She said the country needed someone young and strong like him.

"Haruno-Sama!" I turned to see three young Nins running towards me. Worry and despair written on the three young faces as they made their way toward me at high speeds. They called me sama because of my rank.

I waited keeping my face blank, but my mind was in turmoil. What could it be? Had something happened to Shishou? Or worse to Naruto? He hadn't written in an awhile. So I had no word from him.

"What is it?" I asked when they reached me.

"The Hokage would like to see you immediately. It is about Uzumaki Naruto."

I glanced at Ino to apologize but she nodded her head to me.

"Call me later." With that I was gone. The genins who had delivered the message were left in dust with my chakra induced speed. I was in Tsunade's office in less than 5 minutes.

"Shishou?" I called to her. Her back was facing me, her shoulders straight. She turned slowly. Her eyes were blurred and she stared down at me. Almost nothing I knew could make Tsunade cry. This had to be past horrible.

"Sakura…I received a report of..of.." Her voice was shaky but determination entered her honey eyes as tears streamed down her face. "Sakura,… Naruto and Jiraiya are dead."

I stared uncomprehendingly at her. "What?"

She handed me a scroll before she sunk heavily in to her chair. I opened it and read what it contained.

"No… no... It …no... This is a nightmare…"

"Sakura, it's real." Tsunade's tears fell increasingly. My own began to form and blur my sight.

We waited a year before we officially announced their deaths. No evidence had turned up that they were dead…or alive. But I believed they were. The teams of Nins Tsunade sent out never found anything. We search that entire year…

We held their funeral a month after the announcement. It was almost as big as the Thirds. Kazekage Gaara and his siblings showed up and offered his condolences to me. I stared up at the jade eyed young man.

"Thank you." I murmured. He nodded and stood with me. Watching as people placed flowers on a fake grave… no bodies had turned up.

"You were his most important person." Gaara murmured to me. I nodded unable to speak.

Later that month Tsunade called me in to her office.

"Sakura, as you know I need to turn the title over to some one." She looked at me meaningfully.

"No, Tsunade… no… I mean.. I couldn't!"

"Couldn't? Why not? You are as strong as I and know more jutsu's than I because of your training with the copy-nin and myself."

"Tsunade…"

"You are my only other choice, Sakura!"

"There are other Ninjas! Like Hyuuga or either of the Uchihas.'"

"Sakura, why won't you?"

"Bec-Because... Naruto... He... Its... his..."

"Sakura, Naruto is not here anymore. Please Sakura... he wouldn't be angry if you became Hokage."

"Fine, I accept."

"Thank you… we'll hold the ceremony at the end of the month."

Like she said they held the ceremony at the end of the month. I was nervous and tense. I would receive power beyond imagination. My decisions would affect the entire country.

"Will I be able to do this? Can I really be the leader?" I asked aloud as I waited in Hokage Tower for my announcement.

"Have confidence Sakura, if you don't you will fail." I looked up to see Kakashi. My sensei, our old team leader. His masked face hid most of his smile. "Tsunade would not have asked you if she did not think you could do it. I think you can too."

"Kakashi. Thanks." I smiled up at him as the butterflies of nervousness toned down their little dance in my stomach. "It is time?"

"Not yet." Another male voice stated.

I looked up to see the raven haired youth I used to crush on in my childhood days.

"Sasuke."

"Sakura."

We stared at each other for a moment then he nodded to me.

"Its time, Sakura."

I nodded.

The ceremony was rather quick. Or from what I remembered it was. It was kind of a nervous blur for me. I was stopped by the council after wards. They wished to have a word with me.

"Hokage, we wish to thank you for accepting to become Hokage."

I nodded to them… I seemed to do a lot of nodding lately.

"But there is one issue that former fifth Hokage did not speak with you about."

"What is that?" I asked them, I had a sense of foreboding.