A. Azure : To Sarutobi Hiruzen it is a color that means a lot of different things.

When he was a Genin , it meant Tobirama-sensei and his cool water style jutsus . It meant he was safe and protected and he didn't need to worry about everybody's safety anymore because sensei was there and he would protect everybody for him.

When he became a Chunin, and he went through the forest of death for his first B-rank mission, it meant water, it meant sustenance, it meant hope was not lost and he would live to see another day because, no matter how many enemy ninjas were chasing him and no matter how many bones in his body were broken and no matter how tired and hungry he was, at least he wasn't thirsty and he would be home soon because there was always hope that the next river would be the river that led him home.

When he became a Jounin, the color azure meant tears and anguish and pain and never seeing sensei ever again because he was gone and he couldn't protect him and his teammates anymore and it was only him that could do it because Tobirama-sensei had made him Hokage. It left a bitter taste in his mouth every time he saw azure.

During his first decade as Hokage, azure meant peace which was unattainable because there was a war coming and it was crushing the little innocence he had left like an ant under a ninja's body when it fell after having the life beaten out of it.

During his second decade as Hokage, the color had lost all meaning because the world was bleak and his people were dying and his wife was about to have his second son and the war might take everything away from him and his first son was getting married and was probably about to die in the front lines soon because he was a ninja and that's what happened to all of them and it wouldn't matter because it never mattered. The war was nowhere near ending and he felt he had failed everyone who had ever trusted him but what could he do?

During his third decade as Hokage, azure meant peace which was nearly tangible because they had the Yellow Flash and the White Fang and Ino-Shika-Chou and the Earth Daimyo was threatening the Iwa-nin to stop or else and Water had a new Mizukage and Asuma was happy and safe and alive and Biwako was smiling again and the sky was brighter and spring was almost there.

During the Kyubi Attack, azure meant tears and anguish and defeat and the sense of hopelessness that threatened to suffocate him because how could he defend his village from a demon that was supposed to be sealed because it was uncontrollable and Minato was AWOL and people were dying pointlessly because delaying a monster is impossible and ridiculous and just about the only thing he could do.

During his last decade as Hokage, azure meant survival. It meant the sky was there and the village was there and problems were there and old age was there and it was a struggle getting up every morning and leading a village that broke and mended and thrived underneath an azure sky. He could almost remember what it was like to smile.

When he breathed his last, he saw the azure sky and it meant home and peace and water jutsus and tears and memories and pain and joy and hope and love and it meant Naruto and the look in his eyes when he said he wanted to become Hokage and the feeling of safety it gave him and he could rest easy because he didn't need to worry about everybody's safety anymore because Naruto was there and he would protect everybody for him.

To Sarutobi Hiruzen, Azure meant coming full circle.

(644 words)