Notes: Hello everyone and welcome to the second chapter of "The Hokage We Need."

This chapter more accurately represents how long the chapters will be and is the main reason it's out so fast. I didn't want people to think the first chapter would be how long the chapters actually are, so I finished this chapter up to show how long these chapters will be more accurately.

Second off, I want to state that I watched the English Dub of Naruto for most of my life, and switched to the Sub sometime last year. So because of that, I may get some of the honorifics wrong. While I hope it's not too bad, if it's distracting for some people, then I'll not use them unless it's the obvious ones like sensei or sama.

Thirdly, I mentioned that nothing is set in stone for this story, and that include relationships. While I don't plan on everyone getting together(I even plan to eventually kill some characters although that will be WAY down the line) I do wish to hear who you might want to see wind up together. I'm open to any pairing, whether it be Naruto and Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura, or even Sakura and Ino. I'll consider everyone and am always looking for ideas.

Finally, as a new writer, I apologize for any mistakes I made and am always trying to improve. I hope this chapter is enjoyable, and am always looking forward to reading your reviews whether they be positive or negative.

With all that said, I hope you all enjoy!


As the sun began to rise, shining the village that slept underneath it, a sense of nervousness and calm could be felt throughout the village. Three days ago, the delegates from the village had been summoned to the capital of the country to decide on the Fifth Hokage, but despite the delegates returning the previous night, there was no word of who was chosen.

Many villagers had seen that some of the delegates had worried expressions and looks of disbelief, which arose fear in some that a new Hokage couldn't have been agreed upon.

However that wasn't the truth, that was far from the truth. The worries and fear that were expressed on the delegates weren't because a new Hokage wasn't chosen, it was because, for many of them, the person who had been selected was despised by almost everyone due to the lies that had been spread throughout the village over the years.

However, for the ones who despised the pick, they had a small glimmer of hope left. Despite being chosen, the Jonin of the village still had to convene and vote to approve or disapprove the pick.

Before the delegates had left, ten Jonin had been picked to vote on the matter and as soon as the delegation had returned, the ten Jonin convened in the Hokage's manor as the jonin commander began the vote.


Once all the Jonin had assembled, and the ANBU had secured their location, the meeting began as Shikaku sat down at the end of the table that had been prepared as he took out the nomination letter the Daimyo had given him as he began to speak. "I know that before the delegation had departed, many of us assumed that one of the Legendary Sannin would have been chosen. I'm here to announce that we were partially correct in that assumption, as Jiraiya-Sama was chosen to be the fifth...However…"

Shikaku looked over the Jonin who all seemed to know what he was about to say as told by their looks of doubts.

"...He refused the position. Moreover, Tsunade-Sama wasn't chosen either…" Everyone in the room narrowed their eyes and nodded, not letting their surprise slip through as Shikaku continued "The person who was chosen is currently residing in the village, and it's someone we all know very well."

The Jonin glanced at each other but still didn't say anything, but thoughts of who it could be did start to enter their minds. Many were already assuming that it was one of the shinobi at the table, which at the very least made the vote a foregone conclusion If that was the case.

"One of us here knows this person more personally than the rest of us...Kakashi…" Everyone's eyes looked to the other end of the table where Kakashi was sitting, who simply raised an eyebrow at the sudden call out "I ask that you vote on this nomination not because of personal feelings, but because of whether you believe in the nominee or not...Understand?"

Kakashi kept his confused gaze as he leaned onto the table and responded: "I hope you're not saying I've been chosen."

"No...But, Someone from Squad Seven has been…" When the words left his mouth, the air suddenly became thin as all the Jonin looked at each other in confusion and genuine surprise. Even Kakashi was shocked by the news as he narrowed his gaze.

"Does this mean that Uchiha kid has been chosen?"The one to speak was the leader of Team Ten, Asuma Sarutobi, the son of the recently departed Third Hokage. "Because while it's true he's powerful, we have to realize that his brother drives him, not a good quality of a leader."

Everyone nodded, that was true, Sasuke was driven by revenge for his brother, and giving him the power of the Hokage could mean all of the countries resources would go to killing Itachi and nothing else. "Not to mention, but he's currently resting in the hospital after losing his battle to that sand ninja known as Gaara, right?"

The next Jonin to speak was Choza Akimichi, the father of Choji and a famous Jonin due to his years of service. "Indeed, the reports state that after being severely injured, his teammate, Naruto Uzumaki, was the one who finished the battle."

Kurenai Yuhi was the next to speak as the doubts and signs of rejection were already appearing across the Jonin's faces before Kakashi finally spoke "Sasuke is strong and has a ton of potential, but he's not mentally ready for a job of that magnitude. It doesn't help that Orochimaru currently has his eyes set on Sasuke, and by naming him Hokage, we're essentially inviting another invasion whenever Orochimaru recovers. Because of that, I can't in good faith vote to approve of Sasuke…"

Everyone nodded and were all prepared to vote the same way when a voice rang out.

"Well, it's a good thing that he wasn't the one chosen then…" All the Jonin looked at Shikaku after he spoke as more looks of confusion filled the room.

"What? I thought you said…"

"I said it was someone from your team...But I never said it was Sasuke Uchiha…" Kakashi kept his confused looked centered on Shikaku until his eye went wide as he started to realize what he meant.

If it wasn't Sasuke, then that left only two options. The chances of Sakura being chosen were non-existent thanks to her limited ninja skills and judgemental mindset. That means…"You're telling me that the one chosen was…"

"...Yes, Minato Namikaze-Sama's son. Naruto Uzumaki. Has been chosen as the Fifth Hokage of Konoha…" When Shikaku spoke, everyone became stone-faced and unmoving as they stared at him, the words not sinking into their heads.

Naruto? Naruto Uzumaki? The kid that was despised by the public because of his birth? The kid who played pranks on all of the villagers? The kid who many thought had only beaten Neji because of a fluke?! That Naruto?!

After the initial shock and confusion, everyone began to look around before all of their eyes landed on Kakashi, who was still staring at Shikaku."So Kakashi. Can you vote with reason and not emotion? Or should we have someone replace you for the vote?"

"...I can vote just fine but...Naruto is stronger than he lets on, and his mental fortitude is stronger than Sasuke's but. The risks that would come if he was installed as Hokage would be huge. Not only would the public most likely revolt in the streets, but the Akatsuki would immediately make us their number one target."

"Trust me; I discussed this at length with the other delegates on the way back. Many of them were split of course, while some argued that the public would come around in time, the others said that we would be thrown into civil war long before that happens. It's something we do have to consider. Does anyone else have anything to question?"

"Yeah, I do." Asuma spoke as he took the cigarette from his mouth and crushed it in between his fingers as he looked at Kakashi "What do you mean by saying Naruto is stronger than he looks?"

"I mean exactly what I say...I always had a feeling that Naruto was holding back, but that was proven true in the Chunin Exams. No regular person can have a grueling match with Neji like he did, only to turn around and be able to defend the village from another jinchuriki like himself successfully. I don't care if Gara did fight Sasuke beforehand, it's still superhuman either way."

"But he was always rated near the bottom of his class when it came to being a Ninja! Why would he purposely hold back?"

"I have someone who can answer that." Shikaku interrupted their conversation as he lightly tapped on the table before speaking again. "I figured that we would all have a lot of questions, so I brought the person who could best answer them that wasn't Naruto himself."

Soon after, the door to the room opened as Jiraiya walked in with a stern and severe expression as all of the Jonin eyed him, no one making a sound until the door was closed and the room was scouted over once more.

"I have brought Jiraiya-Sama here, as he has some revelations that might surprise you all." Jiraiya nodded as he walked over and stood beside Shikaku before he began speaking.

"As I'm fully aware, you all have many questions regarding Naruto, and I'm here to answer them all. But before that, I want to state off the bat that Naruto has my full support for being the next Hokage. After discussing it at length with Shikaku, he also fully supports Naruto."

The Jonin all eyed Shikaku, though he didn't flinch as he allowed for Jiraiya to continue.

"I was listening in, and after hearing Kakashi and Asuma talk to each other, I want to state that Kakashi is right about Naruto is holding back. The reason for this is because ever since he was a child, I have been raising and training him in secret." All the Jonin tensed up a little but still didn't say anything as he continued "I wasn't always around for him, as I did, of course, travel the world, and it seems that during the times I was absent, he would often play pranks on everyone in the village. While this may seem immature, I want to make it clear that he did this because he wanted attention, the public always either ignored him or cursed his very existence, and when I wasn't around, this was how he was able to cope."

A few guilty looks could be seen on some of the Jonin as they knew the reason the public hated Naruto was because of the Thirds decision to never tell the truth about how Naruto had in a way, saved the village. Many of the villagers thought he was the reason for the very beast that attacked them; of course, many directly placed blame on him for the loved ones they lost.

"The reason Naruto was always near the bottom during school was that I feared that if the villagers believed he was getting stronger and learning, they might amp up their attacks against him, so I told him to always barely pass, to make it seem like he was getting weaker. When he was assigned to Kakashi's team, I told him to act dumb and not show off any skills, just in case of spies. Now I'm not saying he doesn't have a playful personality by the way, but I am saying he has a serious side that I only ever see."

Everyone seemed to nod and understand, but before Jiraiya could continue, Kakashi stood up and looked at him "Then let me ask something...Until he's approved, he is still my student, and I have a right to know. How strong is Naruto?"

The others looked at Jiraiya impatiently, also wondering the same question as Jiraiya nodded and spoke "Of course, everyone in this room has a right to know. Now if we are comparing him to the other Hokage's, he's easily the weakest one. Of course, the flip side is that he is also the youngest one, and has the potential to become the strongest one this village has ever seen. But regarding his current level of training, he can be compared to a fresh new Jonin."

"That strong huh…?" An air of seriousness swept through the room, though Naruto would most likely have trouble against everyone in that room, the fact that at just thirteen years old, he could already be compared to a Jonin was a testament of how strong he could become.

"Any other questions?" Kakashi didn't say anything else as he began to sat back down, but as he was doing so, Asuma nodded as he stood up and pulled another cigarette out and placed it in his mouth.

"We've touched on this already, but I want you to answer how you think the village would respond to this. If we approve Naruto, then we're gonna have to explain to the very people that hate him, that he now has control over their everyday lives."

"If you had asked me this just a month ago, I would have told you that it would suicide for this village...However, I believe people are starting to think differently about Naruto. Whenever I went somewhere and mentioned Naruto, I would get looks of scowls and curses thrown my way...However, just the other day when I visited a few places, I mentioned Naruto at all of them, and while the scowls were present, a lot of people said that they were relieved he was around to save the village, and they might have misjudged them. Now, of course, many still hate and despise him, but already we see people can be persuaded, and should the truth come out about Naruto, then I believe we have nothing to worry about."

Asuma nodded as he sat back down, silence filling the room afterward as everyone could hear their hearts speed up, knowing that the vote for the future was approaching. Shikaku looked across everyone and spoke up "Does anybody have any more questions or statements?"

Choza nodded and stood up as he looked directly at Jiraiya "I wish to ask...Jiraiya-sama, will you stay in the village and guide Naruto if we approve of his appointment?"

"Of course...I've raised him like my own son, I wouldn't abandon him, especially now…" Choza nodded as he sat back down, seeming content with that answer.

One last time Shikaku looked around and asked if anybody had any questions or statements; and when silence followed, he merely nodded as he picked a wood hammer off the floor and hit the table with it. "As commander of the Jonin, I hereby declare that the vote to appoint Naruto Uzumaki as the Fifth Hokage of Konoha shall now commence. You will vote with your blood by writing the Kanji for yay or nay on the paper provided to you. In the event of a tie, then we shall have the one designated for tiebreakers, which is currently Anko Mitarashi, to cast her vote."

Everyone nodded, and after one more tap of the hammer, everyone closed their eyes and bit down on their finger before they began to write on their papers. Despite having no one right beside him, Shikaku also closed his eyes as he voted while Jiraiya walked over to the window and looked outside, not wanting to know the result before everyone else.

After everyone had finished, they all kept their eyes closed as one by one; they slid their papers towards Shikaku, who picked them up and placed them in a pile until finally, all ten had voted. Once he knew that all the papers had been collected, he banged the hammer on the table as everyone opened their eyes, sweat could be seen on everyone's faces.

After another bang on the table, Shikaku began talking "I shall now tally all of the votes…"

Everyone kept quiet as Shikaku picked up the stack of papers and went through every single one, as the pressure and potential history of the moment could be felt pressing down on their shoulders. Every time Shikaku placed a paper face down after reading over it, made their hearts drop, until finally he read the final one and placed it down, as everyone internally gulped and kept their eyes glued to him.

"All of the votes have been counted, and of course the ANBU agents have made sure that they were all authentic by watching the voting...Now! By a final vote of Seven to Three, the appointment of Naruto Uzumaki as the Fifth Hokage of Konoha...Has been approved." Shikaku spoke as he swung the hammer down onto the table as everyone felt a sense of relief but a sense of fear as well due to the unknown.

When Jiraiya heard the vote, he didn't turn around, but he did smile and even had a small tear run down his face as he kept looking outside as he muttered to himself "You did it kid…"

After making sure everyone had their eyes trained on him, Shikaku continued "The final step is, of course, confirming with the Hokage-Elect that they accept the position, but I have a feeling that won't be an issue. Until the clan's heads have been informed, no one is to say anything to Naruto-Sama. However, he is now the Hokage in waiting, and his life is the most important in the village! Even if it cost you your own life, you must make sure he is protected."

Everyone nodded as the air of relief and fear suddenly vanished, as they all returned to their shinobi forms. Even the unknown three who had voted against Naruto were now ready to guard him with their life.

"Kakashi...For the time being, continue to treat Naruto-Sama as nothing more than one of your students. But the same applies to you, he is the top priority, and even if it costs the life of your other students, you must protect him."

"...Of course." Kakashi nodded as he felt mixed emotions. He was feeling joy at seeing someone he cared about to achieve their dream but...He couldn't help but think that this might be too dangerous for Naruto.

"Now...Dragon!" An ANBU agent with a dragon looking mask suddenly appeared beside Shikaku "Your team is now in charge of guarding the Hokage-Elect every day and every hour. You must never lose sight of him, but he also must never notice you. Failure to do this will result in death."

"Understood!" After affirming his orders, the agent suddenly vanished as Shikaku let out a sigh as he took the hammer once more.

"Now, this session of the Jonin has ended." The hammer swung down one last time as the morning sun climbed higher and higher.


As the sun got higher and higher, illuminating more and more of the ground below, Naruto slowly woke up from his sleep as the light hit him right in the face. When his eyes fully opened up, he noticed he was still in the hospital room that was currently housing Sasuke, who was still in a coma on his bed while Sakura had fallen asleep right beside him.

After adjusting his eyes, Naruto let out a small yawn, yet his nerves were bothering him. He felt off today like something had happened, yet he couldn't put his finger on it. Not only that, but he felt like he was being watched as well, but no one was around, and he couldn't sense anybody's chakra that wasn't nearby.

Despite those concerns, he got up from his chair and walked over and looked at Sasuke as he let out a sigh, a part of him was kicking him for not being able to help Sasuke in time. Sure he had saved Sasuke's life, but he still didn't make it in time to stop his injuries from being as bad as they were.

He let out one more sigh as he walked back over to the window and looked outside as people were starting their day, while a lot of the village had been destroyed, there were still parts left untouched. So while the men spent days helping rebuild everything, the women would go to the relocated markets and help out their neighbors if they could.

As Naruto looked down at the scene below, he heard footsteps and soon a knock at the door before it opened up "Knock knock, is anyone awake?"

"Oh, Kakashi-Sensei!" Naruto gave a smile and a nod as he pointed towards Sakura who was still passed out, though Kakashi merely glanced at her before looking back at Naruto. "I thought you had some important stuff to do today with the others?"

"It wasn't as important as I thought it was, they practically gave me the rest of the day off, so I decided to see how everyone was doing."

"I see, well then, while we're waiting for Sasuke to recover, how about we go and help out the villagers! I'm sure a lot of stuff needs to be done!" Naruto stretched and began to head out when Kakashi stepped in front of him.

"I think it would be better if we did something else instead."

"Huh? How come?"

"Well, even though Orochimaru was severely injured by the Third, it's possible he has another plan in place. Because of that, the other Jonin have decided that for the time being, it's better for all of the ninjas to be ready at all times. Meaning to lay low and wait."

"Ah really? Is that why you were sent here then? Because of that decision?"

"Yeah...Something like that…" The two of them heard a noise and looked over and saw Sakura stretch as she woke up from her sleep, her eyes were still, but when she saw Kakashi, she gave a smile to him.

"Kakashi-Sensei, I'm surprised you're here this morning."

"What? I can't come and check on my students?" Sakura gave a small laugh as Kakashi quickly turned his attention back to Naruto but immediately was interrupted by Sakura once again.

"Oh since you're here Kakashi-Sensei! I bet you know!"

"Hm? Know what?"

"Well, the delegates sent to the capital returned last night, right? I heard about it when I went out to buy some drinks last night to keep here. They were going to decide on who the Fifth Hokage would be right?" Kakashi narrowed his eye but only moved his gaze to make it seem like he was looking outside.

"Yes well...The Jonin council was going to vote this morning. However, I'm quite close to the one they chose apparently, so I wasn't allowed to vote."

"Quite close? Could it be Guy-Sensei then?" Kakashi shrugged as he kept his unknowing look.

"Who knows, might be...All I know is that they're Jonin level when it comes to being a Ninja, so they're qualified at least."

"Oh, I see...Well maybe it was you Kakashi-Sensei, that's why they didn't allow you to vote!"

"I doubt that Sakura, I mean if it were Kakashi-Sensei, they would have told him because no one would vote against him."

"Shut up Naruto; I wasn't talking to you!" Sakura grabbed her can from the night before and threw it right at Naruto...Only for Kakashi to quickly jump in front of him and catch it, surprising both of them. "K-Kakashi-Sensei?"

"...It's a hospital, if a drink were to hit something and get on the medicine or equipment, why I think Sasuke wouldn't be too thrilled about that."

"O-Oh right...Sorry…" Kakashi nodded as he crushed the can as he looked back at Naruto.

"And Naruto, please don't aggravate her."

"A-Ah yeah, sorry Kakashi-sensei…" Kakashi sighed as he threw the can in the trash and leaned against the wall, so both of his students were in sight.

"Anyway, I heard from the doctors that Sasuke should be waking up sometime between tonight and tomorrow, barring any unforeseen events, so we have that at least."

"Oh thank goodness, I'm so glad to hear that!" Sakura put her hands over her chest as she looked at Sasuke as Naruto also gave a small, sad smile, he was happy his friend was alright. The sadness came from the look Sakura gave Sasuke, making him continue to accept Sakura's true feelings slowly.

Despite the sudden bit of sadness, Naruto shook his head as he pumped his fists as he looked at Kakashi "Well that's good to hear, I've needed a sparring partner for a new jutsu I learned, and Sasuke is the perfect partner!"

"New Jutsu?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow as Naruto nodded "What is it?"

"Hehe, you'll see when I use it against Sasuke!" Naruto gave a big smile and a thumbs up, making Kakashi even more curious at what he was talking about. "Oh yeah! Once we find out who the new Hokage is, I wonder if he would allow me to have a sparring match with him!? He would be a fantastic training partner!"

"If you can convince the ANBU Black Ops, then he might agree to it…" Kakashi used his casual tone as always, though he did start to wonder how much the ANBU would let Naruto train once he assumed office, as all past Hokage's didn't need the level of training Naruto did.

"Ah, it's no problem! I tricked those guys so much when the Old Man was in office that I'm sure it will be just as easy!" Kakashi had to give a small laugh at that, if only because those guys were now in charge of guarding Naruto's life. "Although...I might know who the Fifth Hokage is Kakashi-Sensei!"

"Hm? Really?"

"Stupid! There's no way you can know just from what he told us!" Sakura yelled over at Naruto as she went to grab another drink, only to stop when she saw Kakashi glaring at her.

"Oh yes, I can! It's quite obvious if you think about it! This person is not only close to Kakashi-sensei, but has to be strong both physically and mentally! Out of everyone Kakashi-Sensei knows, the most obvious choice is Shikaku-Sensei!"

"Huh? Shikamaru's dad?"

"Yep! I mean think about it! He's incredibly smart, and a master strategist! Plus he has that shadow possession jutsu! He never has to worry about being attacked because as soon as the attacker gets in range, he can take control of them! Also, he and Kakashi-Sensei play mahjong with each other, so I can see why they wouldn't let you vote Kakashi-sensei!"

"Hm...While you have good points Naruto, I wonder if he would even accept the position, he doesn't seem like someone who would want the job to be honest."

"Ah come on sensei, who wouldn't want to be Hokage?"

"Hm? So if they asked you right now if you would accept the position or not?"

"Haha! Is that even a question? Of course I would accept it! It's my dream to become Hokage after all! Believe it!" Naruto gave another thumbs up as Kakashi nodded, another sense of relief washing over him.

"Oh please, Naruto has a better chance of becoming a school teacher than Hokage, so he never has to worry about being asked that question."

"What? Hey!?" Kakashi smirked as he watched his two students begin to argue back and forth, the irony not lost on him. The arguing though was interrupted when a knock came at the door before it opened.

"Figured I would find you here Kakashi."

"Hm? Oh, Asuma. Finished with the voting?" Asuma gave a confused expression before he saw Naruto and saw what Kakashi was going for.

"Ah yeah, we just finished." Asuma took a step forward, but before he could even get close to Kakashi, Naruto had jumped in front of him.

"I'm right, aren't I? Shikaku-sensei is the Fifth Hokage right?"

"Shikaku?" Asuma looked at Kakashi who merely shrugged, causing Asuma to sigh. "Ah no it's not him...I'm afraid I can't say who exactly it is until they're sworn in but...I will say that the council did approve them."

"Ha! Told you that you wouldn't know who it was Naruto!"

"Ah geez, thanks Sakura…" Naruto gave a low deadpanned reaction before he looked back at Asuma, who seemed to be strangely staring at him, though Naruto dismissed as it being early morning drowsiness. "Well can you give me a hint at least?"

"Heh, let's just say that you'll find out soon enough," Asuma smirked at Naruto and went to ruffle his hair before his better judgment took over as he looked back at Kakashi. "Although Kakashi, I have something to talk to you about, can you meet me in the hall?"

"...Yeah…" Kakashi walked past Naruto and seemed to glare at Sakura as he spoke: "Do be nice to each other while I'm gone, I'd rather not have the entire hospital chewing me out for your two behaviors." The two of them sheepishly nodded as Kakashi and Asuma left the room together.

"I wonder what's that about...Kakashi-Sensei seemed upset when he left."

"I would say it's something about the new Hokage...I hope they're as half as good as the Old Man…" Naruto had a sad look in his eye as he spoke, but he managed to shake it away.

"...Oh here…" Sakura gave a can to Naruto who gave her a confused look "You may be an idiot, but I know how close you and the Third were...So I'd rather not have you cry on me."

Naruto looked at the can before giving a small smile as he took it "Thanks Sakura…"


Once Kakashi and Asuma were outside, Kakashi immediately noticed how thick the air was as if a boulder had suddenly fallen on his shoulders "Genjutsu…?"

"Yeah...The ANBU have this entire hospital under Genjutsu right now...It'll stay that way as long as Naruto-Sama is here. The room he's in is also under a different Genjutsu, as nobody can hear or see anything in the room. They've also set traps everywhere, ready to go off on anybody they deem a threat. Also, a few Jonin have disguised themselves as patients and are patrolling the hospital."

As soon as Asuma said that, a patient walked by with his eyes kept on Naruto's room as he just gave a simple head nod to Asuma and Kakashi as he walked on by. "I see...I never noticed how tight security was with the Hokage around."

"My father always ordered a low-security presence whenever he went somewhere, so not to scare anybody...But with how everything is right now, they're watching over Naruto-Sama like a hawk."

"I see...Naruto-Sama huh?"

"Yeah, it's a bit weird to say. Unless it was official business, I was never formal with my dad so...This will take some getting used to."

"I think it's more along the lines that I could never imagine in a million years that Naruto would become Hokage at such a young age...I always thought he had the potential, but I thought it would be ten to twenty years from now…"

"Heh, well if everything goes well, then he'll still be here in that amount of time."

"I hope so...But anyway, what did you need to tell me?" Asuma looked around before he began as an extra air of caution.

"Well, I have mixed news...I just got back from the Hyuuga manor, and the news about Naruto-Sama...Was met with a small but positive reaction. Many of the members seemed unimpressed with the decision, but Hiashi said that he would respect the decision and pledged the clans full support to help and guide Naruto-Sama."

"Well, that went better than I was expecting...Although it doesn't sound like they were overly happy with the news."

"That's an understatement, but they at least said they would support him...On the bad side of things though, it seems that for whatever reason, Danzo is quite pleased with the news that Naruto was approved."

"Danzo? Why would he be happy with that? It's no secret that he despises Naruto; it makes no sense for him to pleased with our decision."

"Trust me, everybody is fully aware of that, so a few Jonin are keeping tabs on him...It doesn't help that he runs a section of the ANBU that is somehow even more secretive. As soon as Naruto-Sama is sworn in, I advise you to immediately tell him about Danzo, Kakashi."

"Right…"

"One more thing Kakashi...I've not talked with the others yet, but I know that all of the clans should know by this evening, and because of that, we're going to mark all the ones who don't intend to support Naruto-Sama and immediately advise him to install a puppet leader in all of them."

"Hm…" Kakashi didn't like the sound of that idea, as that could immediately lead directly to civil war, but…"I guess we have no choice; for now, the time to negotiate is in the future, not the present."

"Yeah…" The door suddenly opened as Kakashi, and Asuma both immediately looked towards it Naruto came out holding his wallet.

"Huh? When you guys said the hall, I didn't know you meant right outside of the door…" Kakashi placed his hands in his pockets as he walked close to Naruto.

"Well, it's still in the hall, isn't it? Anyway, where are you going?"

"I'm pretty hungry, so I'm going to go buy some ramen...I invited Sakura, but she said she's going to be with Sasuke until he wakes up, so I guess I'll be going alone." Naruto began to walk on, only to stop when Kakashi laid a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm pretty hungry myself, mind if I join you?"

"Huh? Really?"

"Sure, I haven't eaten anything today...What about you Asuma?"

"Yeah, Ramen sounds great right about now...Where exactly are you going to go eat at?"

"Where else can you find great ramen, except for Ichiraku Ramen itself!"

"Ichiraku Ramen huh?" Asuma cast a sideways glance over to a 'patient' walking by who nodded as they sped up their walk before vanishing around the corner.

"Yeah! Ah, this is sweet, with three people, I may be able to get a bowl free!" Kakashi and Asuma goth gave a small laugh as Naruto walked in front of them and sped walk his way out of the hospital, as the two of them kept close to him at all times.


As the trio walked throughout the town, Naruto noticed something was...Off...He couldn't place his finger on it, but something wasn't quite right. Maybe it was because ever since he entered the hallway, he felt heavy for some reason? Perhaps it was because it seemed like there were a lot more people in the crowd than usual in the morning? Or maybe it was because Kakashi and Asuma seemed more than happy to eat with him. Whatever it was, it felt off, but unless it was something dangerous, Naruto chose to keep an eye on it, but not worry about it yet.

Kakashi and Asuma, on the other hand, kept the surrounding area entirely in view as they walked, looking over every person who walked by and every window they passed by. Along the way, they saw that the 'patients' from the hospital were now conveniently passersby on the streets, while the general market that would be set up already wasn't for some reason.

As they kept walking closer and closer, the crowd thinned out more and more until only the passersby's mentioned earlier were seen, as they seemed to be enjoying the view. At Least that's what it looked like to Naruto.

When they finally arrived at Ichiraku, Kakashi and Asuma immediately noticed three Jonin standing on adjacent buildings observing the area, and when Naruto went under the flaps and into the stand, the passerby's suddenly stopped and began taking positions around the store.

When Naruto entered, he smelt the most fantastic smell ever as he gave a big smile as he sat down as Teuchi looked down at him and bellowed a laugh "You're here early this morning Naruto! Couldn't wait could ya!?"

"Haha! You know me Old man! I'm always ready for your ramen!" Teuchi gave another laugh as he began preparing Naruto's regular bowl as Naruto got ready to eat.

"Well, today's your lucky day Naruto! To celebrate the birthday of my late grandfather, the first customer gets all ramen free! So Naruto, everything is on the house for you!" As soon as Naruto heard those words, his mouth went agape as images of heaven filled his mind.

"Old man...A-Are you serious!?"

"Hehe, I never lie!" Naruto eyes sparkled as he quickly got ready for his first bowl of possibly hundreds. As Teuchi was preparing the bowl, Kakashi and Asuma both walked in as Teuchi gave a wave to them "Nice to see you two today, repairs been going well?"

"Yeah, everything is on schedule." Kakashi gave a casual reply as Asuma sat down beside Naruto as Teuchi walked over and gave Naruto his first bowl, who immediately began eating like crazy. "By the way, mind if we have a quick chat?"

"Sure, fine with me. I'll get your order when I come back Asuma!"

"Ah it's fine; take your time!" Teuchi nodded as Kakashi went around the counter and departed to the back with him until they were out of hearing range.

"If you've come to learn my recipe, sorry to say that it's a family trade Kakashi."

"...When did you find out about Naruto?"

"Hehe...I learned it when Guy suddenly busted in and told me to shut down for the day. When I questioned why, he was permitted to tell me since I'm a retired Jonin. Truth be told I thought he was joking at first, but as soon as I noticed the increased security presence and a sudden Genjutsu, his claims suddenly became feasible."

"...Your daughter doesn't know does she?"

"Nah, I sent her home and told her that due to some construction we couldn't open up shop for the day. Don't know if she believed me or not, but she finally left."

"I see...Well, you didn't have to make it free; I would have paid."

"Heh...It's fine. After everything that kids been through, I'm glad to see that he's finally going to be viewed as something more than a monster...It won't be an easy transition, but I'm sure he'll be just fine. Besides, he can view this as a congratulations present once he's finally in office."

"Well...I hope you're prepared to match his appetite, especially with making it free…"

"Hehe, trust me, I don't plan on opening for the day, so I'm set." Teuchi gave another laugh as he patted Kakashi on the back "I will say this though, the kid is welcome here anytime he wants, and I'll make sure he's a top priority every time."

"Heh, I swear you're going to regret that." They both shared a small laugh as Teuchi walked past Kakashi and back to the front

"Well, I'm sure he's already done. Be a bad look if I made the Hokage wait for his food, eh?"

"Heh, yeah…" Teuchi nodded as he walked back to the front as Kakashi stood there for another moment "I hope you're right...I hope they do view him as more than a monster…"


About an hour had passed, and during that time Kakashi and Asuma had only eaten one bowl, and even then it was just a little bit before they slipped it to Naruto, who was already on his fifteenth, as Teuchi kept his smile while he prepared several more bowls.

As time went on, Kakashi was starting to worry about Naruto's stomach as he kept eating. However, that was interrupted when the flaps opened, and the Jonin Aoba Yamashiro walked in as he looked at Kakashi "Kakashi, I need to talk to you."

Kakashi looked back before he nodded as he got up from his seat "I'll be back in a moment."

Asuma just nodded while Naruto raised one hand to wave, though he didn't look up from his bowl as Kakashi walked outside as he saw the security detail was still in place "We just got word back from the elders."

"The elders? What, did they say anything worth being worried about?"

"Not necessarily, although when I told them about Naruto-Sama, they didn't look particularly happy, but they pledged to support him. However they requested for you to meet with them, and after I informed them you were busy with the Hokage-Elect, they requested to meet with Jiraiya-sama personally."

"Hm? What for?"

"When I asked them, they said they had some important questions that needed to be asked. It's nothing to worry about I would think, but…"

"It can be something to worry about though...No matter what they ask, he's already been approved, and they can't change that. If they have any questions, they can ask the Hokage himself when he's inaugurated."

"Yes I agree, that's why I've chosen not to inform Jiraiya-sama of their request, as I feel like it would be inappropriate. But on the subject on the inauguration, those plans have been decided on, the private one anyway."

"I see…"

"Once all the clansmen have been informed, which is expected to be sometime tonight, then we will call Naruto-Sama to the Hokage manor and inform him of his appointment, which if everything goes well will be tomorrow morning. If he accepts, then he will immediately assume the role of Hokage, though the public won't be informed until the public inauguration, which is still being planned."

"Tomorrow morning huh? It won't be easy keeping it a secret, especially to Sakura and Sasuke. They'll notice if he suddenly isn't around them anymore, not to mention the others who are friends with him."

"That's been accounted for, and we are preparing a way to make it seem like Naruto-Sama is still going about his everyday life. Of course, wherever he goes will have to be heavily guarded, and the like. For the time being, you have been appointed as Naruto-Sama's personal bodyguard Kakashi. While the others will switch out their shifts, you are to remain by his side every minute until his inauguration tomorrow morning."

"I figured...Any other information?"

"Just one last thing...Sunagakure has sent diplomats over and has agreed to surrender for their involvement in the Chunin Exams attack fully. They'll be willing to assist us in rebuilding in any way possible and have even offered to release all Konoha prisoners they have taken over the years."

"Hm...The best thing to do would be to guard them until Naruto takes over and then have him agree to the surrender as his first act as Hokage." It would be a smart thing to do after all, as it would immediately make Naruto look like a powerful leader by having a village surrender as soon as he took over even if it wasn't directly because of him.

"Shikaku has already issued that exact order; currently they are being guarded by one of the ANBU teams at a local Inn."

"Alright...I'll get the full details from Shikaku later." Aoba nodded and was about to say something else when the flaps opened, causing both of them to turn towards it as Naruto and Asuma walked out immediately. "Finally done?"

"Ah yeah...Those twenty-three bowls hit the spot…" Kakashi chuckled as he gave a nod to Aoba who returned it before he vanished, leaving the original three together. "But really Kakashi-sensei, both times today that I left somewhere, you were right outside...usually people go farther away when they're talking."

"Well I know you Naruto, and whenever you're around Sakura or food, you couldn't care about anything else." Naruto got a small blush from embarrassment as Kakashi gave another small laugh "But anyway, where are you heading next?"

"Oh um...I was thinking about meeting up with Kiba for some training." Kakashi and Asuma both gave a glare before they looked at each other and nodded.

"While that sounds good and all Naruto, I think it would be better if we headed back to the Hospital for now."

"Huh? How come?"

"Well...I heard the Inuzuka clan is currently helping out with the construction effort, so I doubt any of them have time for training right now."

"Oh really? That's strange, Kiba even told me that he would be free to train this week. Well, I don't want to hang out in the hospital all day…" Kakashi started to think about what he could do when an idea suddenly hit him.

"Say Naruto...How about me and you train together?"

"Huh!? Really Kakashi-Sensei!?" Naruto eyes sparkled as Kakashi gave a nod, as Asuma let out a small sigh of relief due to his quick thinking.

"Yep, and I'll tell you what, I'll even teach you a new jutsu."

"Really!?" Naruto got even more excited as he was practically bouncing up and down, about to fall right out of his shoes as Kakashi gave another nod.

"Yeah, but only on one condition…" Naruto stopped his bouncing as he gave Kakashi a confused look. "Only if you can finally pass this test."

Kakashi reached inside his vest and pulled out…"What!? The bells again…?"

Sure enough, Kakashi pulled out the two bells from his vest that he used when Team Seven trained for the first time together. "If you can snag both bells before sundown, then I'll teach you something new, alright?"

Naruto really didn't want to go through the trouble that was the bells again, but the thought of learning a new jutsu was too much to deny "Alright, I'll do it! And I won't hold back Kakashi-Sensei!"

"Heh, good to hear…" Naruto pumped his fists together while Asuma laid a hand on Kakashi's shoulder.

"Well while you do that, I have a few things to take care of, I'll see you in the morning Kakashi."

"Alright then, take care." Asuma nodded before he vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving Kakashi and Naruto alone in front of the ramen stand. "Well then, shall we head to the usual training ground?"

"Hehe, yeah! I'm pumped! Let's go sensei!"


As time marched on and the only noise present was the slow breathing from the one on the bed, Sakura sat quietly as she looked down at her kunai, thoughts racing through her head about what she could have maybe done differently to where Sasuke wouldn't be in the position he was in.

Initially, she blamed Naruto for not being able to help and support Sasuke fast enough, but as her anger subsided and reason began to sit in, she realized that it wasn't just one person's fault, it was no one's fault really. The only one to blame was Orochimaru and his allies, nobody from the village was at fault for what transpired, especially since everyone one of them risked their lives to protect everyone.

As she sat still and continued to ponder, a knock was heard on the door, and soon it opened as someone walked in "Huh? Shikamaru"

The one who had walked in was Shikamaru Nara, son of Shikaku Nara, and Konoha's resident lazy student. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow as he looked over the room before he looked at Sakura "Is Naruto not here?"

"Huh? Oh no, why?"

"Ugh, what a drag...Well, Kiba, Choji, and Shino wanted to train, and we figured Naruto would join us."

"Training? That doesn't sound like you Shikamaru."

"It wasn't my idea; it was Kiba's...But with how everything is, I figured it's better than moving wood planks or concrete." Shikamaru sighed as he placed his hands in his pockets "Well, you know where he is?"

"Hm...Oh yeah! He said he was going to Ichiraku Ramen. I guess Kakashi-Sensei went with him because I've not seen him since then." Shikamaru raised an eyebrow as he turned and leaned against the wall.

"Well, he's going to be disappointed…"

"Huh? How come?"

"Because the four of us were going there when all of a sudden one of the Jonin appeared and told us that the entire area had been closed off because of some of the construction they had to do. That was a pain, especially since we had been walking for so long."

"Closed off? But I walked past there last night and had no problems."

"Yeah I find it weird myself, but I'm guessing something must have happened all of a sudden." Sakura nodded as silence overtook the two of them. Feeling a bit awkward by the sudden silence, Sakura began to wonder if Shikamaru would know.

"Hey Shikamaru, I was wondering something."

"Hm? What's up?"

"Do you know who the Fifth Hokage is?"

"Huh? Why would I know that?"

"Well, your dad is on the council that votes right? I heard from Kakashi-sensei that they were going to vote sometime this morning, and Asuma-Sensei later confirmed that whoever it was, was approved."

"Ah yeah, dad told me that they voted earlier...I have no idea who it is though, but I'm guessing it's one of the top Jonin."

"Yeah, I thought that as well! They actually asked Kakashi-Sensei not to vote because he was too close to whoever they were voting on, which makes me think it might be Guy-Sensei!"

"Hm...I don't think he would accept it, to be honest, and if he did, I don't think we would hear the end of it from Lee…"

"Hm true, I doubt Guy-Sensei would keep it hidden from Lee either...Oh! Maybe that's why they closed down that street for the day! Because whoever is the next Hokage was somewhere on it!"

"Huh?... Well, It did seem a bit off I guess, so that's possible...But there's not anything on that street for someone who is about to become Hokage to go to."

"Maybe they went to Ichiraku?"

"I doubt someone as powerful as the Hokage would want to eat Ramen for breakfast." Sakura shrugged as if to say maybe, maybe not. "Well anyway...If you see Naruto, go ahead and tell him to meet us at my house."

"Alright, will do." Shikamaru nodded as he left the room, leaving Sakura by herself as she looked back down at her kunai. "The Fifth Hokage huh...I hope whoever it is...I hope they can make the ones who did this pay."


As the sun got closer and closer to sundown, Naruto was heavily breathing as his back laid against one of the tree stumps in the training field. Though he had managed to actually grab one of the bells halfway through, his energy had mostly left him after an entire day of running around trying to catch Kakashi, and he was beat.

As Naruto stood there, Kakashi appeared in front of him, the bell still in his hand "Well it's sundown...I'll give you credit Naruto, you managed to get one today. Not both of them though, so the new jutsu will have to wait."

"D-Damn it...But I got closer, huh Kakashi-sensei? I-I'll get it one of these days. Both bells…" Naruto was breathing heavily as his body ached, though it was a good ache, an ache that signified that he had accomplished something today.

Kakashi nodded as he placed the bell in his vest pocket "Indeed, you are getting better, though you still have much work to do...Perhaps when you get some free time again, we can practice once again."

"T-Then...How about...Tomorrow?" Naruto gave a competitive smile to Kakashi who kept his eye trained on Naruto.

"Well...tomorrow is going to be a busy day, a lot of things are planned. But maybe if we get some free time, we can do some exercises."

"A-Awesome." Despite wanting to collapse right there, Naruto pushed himself off the stump and slowly walked over to Kakashi "R-Remember when I get that second... the second bell you...you promised a new...j-jutsu…"

Naruto suddenly started to fall backward, only for Kakashi to quickly catch him and slowly lower him to the ground as Naruto was passed out asleep.

Kakashi kept his eyes trained on him until he heard footsteps behind him "Didn't know you had that much energy Kakashi."

"Well when you're dealing with kids, you kinda have to." Kakashi looked over as Asuma had re-emerged from the bushes.

"He's pretty good for his age; I saw you struggle at several points."

"Yeah...If I didn't try, then he would have easily gotten both bells...It's incredible how good he can be when he's not holding back. Though he has a long way to go, I believe with a few years of training; he'll be the best in the village.

"Considering he's now Hokage, I pray so...Speaking of which, all of the clans heads now know."

"Any problems?"

"Not that I heard...Though some like the Hyuuga clan only promised to respect the decision and give support when necessary, others such as the Inuzuka clan fully recognized the decision and promised to support the new Hokage every minute of every day."

"Well...That went better than I was expecting, though it will be good to keep an eye on all of them."

"Agreed."

"But since they all know, I guess that means…" Asuma nodded as he looked down at Naruto.

"Yeah...Tomorrow morning, Naruto Uzumaki will officially assume the duty of Hokage." A sharp wind blew throughout the training field as the two shinobi kept their looks on Naruto.

"Well then, tomorrow officially begins a new chapter in history...I pray that Naruto cares about his dream as much as he says he does...Because as of tomorrow morning, our lives are his to command."


Guest Responses

CW: Glad to hear!

Guest: May everyone have mercy, it's going to be an up and down ride