A/N: I intended this to be a one shot but it somehow developed a little further. There will be at least one, possibly two more chapters that should come out within the week.
It was a peaceful day within the great walls of Konohagakure. Classes at the Academy had just ended for the day as many relieved and excited children exited into the grounds with renewed energy. Parents happily greeted their sons and daughters while others tagged with friends and ran through the village streets, overcrowded with people talking to each other and sampling the wide variety of wares and food that the village had to offer. A few ninja could be seen leaping from roof to roof to avoid the bustle of the streets, but it was with no sense of urgency that they did so. It was, after all, a peaceful day, and if anyone was urgently rushing anywhere, most likely they were rushing home for dinner.
It was so peaceful, in fact, that as the Hokage observed the life streaming through the village from the large window in his office, he couldn't help the wide, unreserved smile that lit his face.
A smile which soon faded as a knock came to his door.
"Enter," he stated casually but unable to hide the weary tone that lurked underneath his words. As the doors opened and a young man stepped in, he remained with his back turned to his guest, leaning lazily upon the open window. It was a bold move for any shinobi to appear so vulnerable, whether they truly were or not. But one did not become Hokage without good reason and so it was not with blind overconfidence that he remained positioned so leisurely but rather with a certain knowledge of who was and was not an enemy.
"You wanted to see me, Hokage-sama?" The young man approached the large desk that stood between the Hokage and himself, stopping to run a partly gloved hand over the rough but remarkably empty surface. Not even in the days of his Grandfather had the Hokage's desk ever been without dozens upon dozens of haphazardly organized papers and scrolls. It was a testament to the current Hokage's greatness that there was only a small pile of papers waiting to be attended to at the center of the desk.
The Hokage did not reply or give any indication that he had heard the young man, who was now somewhat nervously playing with the hem of his wide but light weight black scarf that was wrapped loosely around his neck. He paused in his nervous habit as the Hokage stood, his crimson and black robe rustling as he turned to regard the younger man with piercing blue eyes. "Thank you for coming, Konohamaru. My apologies for no doubt keeping you away from your soon-to-be wife. I've yet to offer my congratulations on the engagement but I'm afraid I've been busy." The smile that lit the Hokage's features as he casually spoke was one of reassurance and sincere truth. Konohamaru could not help but smile in return.
"It's understandable, Hokage-sama. But don't worry, your assistant had the forethought to send out an official note of congratulations signed in your name." The Hokage's fox-like grin widened. "Ah, yes, I knew I kept that assistant around for a reason. What would I do without him?"
"I imagine the entire village would crumble around you and then you'd be back to square one with all the paperwork."
The two men looked at each other silently for a moment before both of them burst out laughing. It was also a testament to the Hokage's greatness that he could joke with those in his service so naturally. To the people of Konoha he was more like a neighbor or a brother than a ninja so powerful that he had earned the title of strongest warrior within the entire country and could probably kill you in the blink of an eye.
The powerful man shook his head, still grinning. "Seriously, Konohamaru, congratulations. You and Moegi make a beautiful couple. Though I am still rather surprised that she actually accepted your proposal." The young man's jaw clenched but did not stay shut for more than a second. "What's that supposed to mean, old man?!"
The Hokage brandished a fist at his guest, a burning look in his eyes. "Stop calling me old man, you spoiled brat!!"
They continued to stare intensely at each other, both resisting the urge to leap over the desk and strangle the other. But after a moment, the Hokage sighed and lowered his fist. "Have a seat, Konohamaru. I'm afraid I didn't call you here just to congratulate you." Konohamaru gave the Hokage an odd look before almost hesitantly sitting at the chair in front of the desk. The look on the Hokage's face was uncharacteristically somber and serious, and any traces of joking had vanished. Even though Konohamaru jokingly called the Hokage an old man, he was only a few years older then himself. But, as he turned back to face the village, the invisible weight that he seemed to carry on his shoulders made him look much older.
"It is time to start tutoring you as my replacement."
The chair Konohamaru had been seated in toppled over as he stood up violently. "You can't be serious, Naruto nii-san! You only took this position a year ago! Don't you think it's a bit soon to be worrying over such a thing?!"
Seemingly unfazed by his outburst, the blonde Hokage calmly turned and walked around his desk to stand before his guest. He placed a tan hand on the shoulder of the man who was now only a few inches shorter than him. "Konohamaru-kun, please try to remain calm while I finish explaining." Despite the firmness with which he said it, it was clear to Konohamaru that this was not a command from a superior but more like an almost desperate request from a brother. Looking into his azure eyes, Konohamaru could only nod before collecting his chair from the floor and quietly returning to his seat, earning an appreciative grin from his Hokage.
Carefully moving his cloak out from under him, Naruto hoisted himself to sit on the edge of his desk, letting one leg hang over the end while he brought the other knee up to his chest to rest his hands on it. It would have seemed like a childish position had he been wearing his trademark smile, but he wasn't. Konohamaru resisted the almost unconscious urge to fiddle with his scarf.
"As much as I try to deny it," Naruto began solemnly, "it's time I face reality. Between overusing the Rasenshuriken and repeatedly calling forth the Kyuubi's power, my body has become severely damaged internally and thus my time has been cut short." Konohamaru opened his mouth to speak but was stopped by a wave of Naruto's hand. "I don't regret the choices I've made, or the price that I had to pay to obtain this position Everything I do, I do for Konoha. Although my reign will be short, not unlike my father's, I must insure the village's continued prosperity and safety." Naruto scratched the back of his head and grinned, reminding Konohamaru of when Naruto would do the same gesture many years before when they were still just genin. It was an aloof gesture but did little to reassure him at the moment.
"Ya know, I'm still a bachelor and I don't picture that changing in the near future." His grin faded somewhat as he returned his hand to his knee. "There will be no child to carry on my name or inherit my secrets, thus leaving me without a legacy to pass into the next generation. That is why, Konohamaru, I want to train you to become my legacy. I want you to inherit my Will of Fire."