Disclaimer: Naruto (c) Kishimoto, not me.
A/N: Enjoy!
Ever since he could remember, Naruto had wanted to be Hokage and everyone in Konoha knew about this ambition because the hyperactive blond had a tendency to shout it out loud every chance he got. The villagers either laughed or were disgusted, depending on how much they disliked him, but one thing they all wondered about was where the demon-brat had come up with the crazy idea.
Naruto himself did not know. It was something that had always been there for him, but if one was to ask the Third Hokage, the wizened old man would be able to pinpoint the exact moment in time when that dream had become a part of Naruto's being.
It had been October tenth, Naruto's fourth birthday, and Sarutobi had asked that the boy be brought to the tower to check up on him and make sure that he did not spend the important date alone. They had been enjoying the afternoon, having tea - or milk - and cake in the Hokage's private room, when Naruto's never-ending recounting of the major events of his short life had taken on a darker tone.
The blond had been like an open book in the face of the Third's experience and, while the child could hardly be blamed, the old Hokage had not been impressed by how poorly Naruto felt towards the rest of the village. Here was the son of the man who had willingly given up his life to save Konoha, and he was practically saying that he hoped something terrible would happen so that the villagers would learn a lesson. Sarutobi had found it such an unfathomable thought that he decided then and there to tell the orphan about some of the ideals his father had believed in.
As the two had sat on the wooden bench in the middle of the spartan room, the Third had pointed towards the wall in front of them, where four large portraits hung reverently. The older man had told Naruto about his own teachers, the First and the Second Hokages, and the dreams that had given birth to Konoha. The young child had listened at first, but quickly got bored by the abstract speech, and it wasn't until Sarutobi had reached the last of the pictures that his interest was rekindled. Naruto had drunk in his every word from there on out, eyes shining full of excitement as he silently listened.
It had proven to be the quiet before the storm, because the word "Hokage" had been permanently soldered to the boy's mouth as a result of that conversation. Sarutobi did not mind, though. He was glad to see the young one's enthusiasm - it reminded him of that of another blond who had belonged to the previous generation and whom he was sure would be equally proud to hear the new Naruto talk.