I'm tempted to re-write the previous chapter. …Don't want to… that'll hinder me in posting the next one… but the styles clash… . I don't know… Probably.

So uhm… I tried convincing Sasuke that my owning him would be beneficial to him… I'm not sure if it was the calling card I used, or what, but the conversation didn't make it very far… :[

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Chapter 2: Edging Towards Flight

Shodai …

Nidaime …

Sandaime. …

Yondaime …

Godaime …

Rokudaime. …

Nanadaime …

The words slowly dripped into Sasuke's mentalscape, childhood images of veneration drowning in the only recently subdued images of irrational perturbation. His mind raced with the thousands of words crying from the voices of many, each trying to make their argument clear.

Hokage? Did he really want to be Hokage? If there was a standing list of what he hated most, being the Hokage was somewhere in the top ten. No fucking way. Regaredless of whether or not he had successfully managed to avenge his clan from destructive spiral that Shodai and Madara had started, he didn't want to be a part of it any longer.

But wouldn't that completely solve the issue? If the Uchiha clan was so pissed off about not being recognized for their position in Konohagakure, wouldn't him becoming Hokage change that? So what. He wasn't one of them. Itachi saw to that. He only had the name to carry; their ideals were absurd, selfish. Far be it from Sasuke to undo that which Sandaime had achieved, for which so many lives had already been lost. Repeating the cycle… that would be pointless.

Above the voices of rejection, of wry contentment, a small portion of voices were swept away in a flurry of sensation that the raven was unwilling to solidify. In this place the word echoed, reverberating off of unseen walls in this sunny, bright, warm expanse of yellow and orange. Hokage. The smile that tugged at Sasuke's lips was akin to that of the memory that had spawned it. Faith, assuredness and determination filtered through friendliness and hyperactivity. For the usuratonkachi, there was only one answer.

"Add it to the list of things that Konohamaru hates me for," he grinned, feeling Naruto's presence encroaching upon him. "Are you going to have any problems with this choice?" He was fully aware of his position in Konohagakure's society at the moment. Only those involved knew why he had done what he had, the remaining majority despised him—even more so when they found out that Tsunade had forgiven him, letting him return to status as a Konoha ninja, with a leash of course.

"Well obviously," Kakashi replied stepping forward, positioning himself within arm's reach. "But for that same reason, the questioning won't amount to anything." He reciprocated the grin, affirming it with a strong grip on the younger man's shoulder. The grin on his face fell to a knowing smirk, wry with discontent at the conflict his decisions had arisen, gaze shifting to the cityscape perched beyond the window. The village wouldn't really accept him anyway would they? Maybe he should be looking for someone to replace him the moment he was appointed. But that damned dobe wouldn't stop flitting his smile across his brain. Of course he would do it. If Konohagakure didn't like him, he'd just have to take the time that was necessary to convince them that he was the man for the job. Damned dobe.

"But, there's a problem with this at the same time," he commented, stepping outside the reach of the ashen-haired man.

"Hm?" Eyebrows rose in expected question.

"Not that I'm all that concerned with what the village has to say about the matter," he began, "I can't take the title." It's taken… he wanted to add. Someone else belonged to that title.

Kakashi was taken aback. What did he mean? He'd been expecting something about the children… Sasuke's easily variable temperament… even the slight chance that he wouldn't want to govern people that hated him… but what did he mean by— Oh. "If you're talking about a certain someone needing his due recognition, that shouldn't be too much of a problem." Saying the blond's name had the same effect on Sasuke that his name had once had on Naruto—no, similar, but there existed a single, debilitating difference: Where Naruto had fought with all of his might to regain Sasuke, the raven was unable to consider regaining Naruto from death. As far as Kakashi knew, the village as whole had moved to a point where although they hated Sasuke for it, they had begun to look past the loss of their number one hyperactive knuckleheaded ninja; the emotions having dulled to a slow, numbing ache. For the man standing before him, there were moments where he was sure he saw his features twisted in some grotesque hybrid of abhorrence and anguish—he was probably facing a large, freshly scabbed wound. And he kept peeling off the scab.

This was a reason why he had hoped that Sasuke would agree to take the position. Hopefully, the job of dealing with more people, having to think of the well being of so many people that were outside of his circle would help him to recover from that pain… or at least move past it.

"So, when is this going to happen?" Sasuke spoke after a silence, greatly trying to suppress the trepidation in his voice. The silence had been an opportunity for his brain to wedge a banana peel under his feet; he'd fallen head first into the doubtful abyss. Was he really ready? This type of responsibility was huge… would he be able to handle it? He'd led a few people, not that many. He'd been in charge of a team before; it was a huge difference between Team Hebi and the Team 8 he was training now. Those bratty genin! They would wear and tear at his sanity and patience until he exploded on them. It was hell to be with them for extended periods of time. Would he do this with the rest of the village? Of course. They would more than likely deserve it, too. But how often would it happen? Half of the ANBU didn't want to be near him, be it watching him, or when he was grouped in special missions… the old friends tolerated him… none of them fully trusting him. If they were under him, would they respect him? Trust him with their lives? Listen to him? Tolerate his temper? "Didn't you just get appointed eight years ago?" He tried to cover his worrying with a feasible concern.

Teme, scoffed a mocking growl, you're not scared are you? The words may have drowned Kakashi's response; regardless, the raven didn't hear it. Thoughts screaming to a halt, the raven stood unbelieving, a mixture of displeasure and incredulity tugging at his mouth.

"Naruto?" shock filled the whisper, inaudible—the distant gaze that held the leader's reflection. That voice was only his… there was no way that he was here, no way that Sasuke could hear him in his thoughts.

"Sasuke?" a worried question lurched the twenty-four-year-old away from the stone cataract, his precipice of all pain and death. Onyx eyes blinked away the emotions, refocusing, concealing. His former teacher wasn't blind; however, Kakashi knew that whatever was bothering him would be pointless to coax out of him before he had time to sit down with it himself. And he wasn't one to pick his battles where they couldn't be won. He suspected it was something with the raven's ability that had been brought into question. "I'm in no rush to force this responsibility upon anyone; if you'd like to wait a while until you're prepared, gather advisors, enjoy your freedom. By all means, go ahead."

"Yeah," Sasuke had grown disinterested with the topic. Wishing far greater to find an explanation with what had just happened. "Do you have a date, or should I make one?" distance still littered his voice—there might have been a tinge of shock still lying in wait.

"Ah! That can wait for a while," he replied cheerfully. Sasuke's apparent distraction worried him; he attempted to lighten the conversation. "How is Sakura-chan doing?"

"You work with her, you can ask her yourself," his eyes grew more distant, forcing himself to choke back the snappy edge the reply threatened. Very few people knew the true reason for the marriage. He had built an act to fit the outside knowledge, but hated pretending to feel so much for her. Yes, the love and care existed, but not to the degree customary for a marriage. Though, the more children she bore for him, the more he came to feel that something was growing. At this point, they belonged to together; if he could help it, it was going to stay that way.

As for those who knew the secret of the Uchiha marriage, Sasuke held no attempt to force his emotions to overly extend themselves to his wife. "I could ask the same of Kurenai-san, but facetiousness has never been a standing trait of mine. If that's all, I'd like to leave before I'm late with meeting my team. We don't need another of you running around anymore, do we?" The wry smirk belied his earlier comment. No, small bouts of frivolity to change the subject were quite common in him lately. The Hokage replied in kind:

"So cold, Sasuke-kun!" he smiled, shrugging. "Dismissed." He turned and quickly took his leave. It was best at any rate. At the mention of the kunoichi's name, he had recalled a most pressing task. Hajime's birthday was approaching and he'd promised to help plan for the child's birthday. After his father's death, Kurenai had been promised by both Shikamaru and himself to help her in any way they could; she was just as likely to refuse their help as take it. That was probably the parallel his student had tried to draw between the raven and his wife. "However, I have yet to produce any children." He commented to no one in particular. Pondering Sasuke's behavior, he quit the room as well. Quickly resolving to leave it for later as another of his former student's rushed up to him. "Sai?" The pale man's schooled face only revealed small discomfort.

"There's an issue with Otogakure," he replied.

"There's always an issue with Otogakure, what is it this time?"

"Although the three villages near the border of our countries have been complaining of small raids, we've just been dismissing them as bandits," he explained, "One of them has been attacked. They were Oto-nin." A grimace formed on the ashen-haired man's face.

"So much for that birthday party…" he sighed.

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I'm going to say this once. If you don't know what a word I used meant, feel free to ask me, or get a dictionary. They are very helpful. I'm a patron of linguistics and promoting the usage of verbiage.

If you feel I need to explain something… uhm… tell me. I'll try to… .

And meanwhile my fried holds me captive, drowning pretzels in white chocolate. …Those poor, poor …ah! =_= mmmmmmm….. :]