As It Is Now

Chapter 1

I own nothing…at least not Naruto as that belongs to Kishimoto

"Here is the report, Hokage-sama," the ANBU bowed briefly before straightening up.

"Thank you, anything else?" azure blue eyes probed the ANBU as the latter shook their head, "Dismissed." The ANBU nodded and left the office. Those eyes stared at the figure until it vanished in a swirl of leaves before he leaned back in his chair with a quiet sigh.

Finally leaning forward again, the report was picked up and blue eyes quickly scanned the precise wordings for anything. When nothing stood out the report was shoved away accompanied by a frustrated growl.

"Still looking?" blue eyes shot to the door where the infamous Copy Ninja stood, still the same except he looked older. Despite the mask, Kakashi's age was starting to show around his one visible eye.

The jounin stared at his former pupil, seeing the frustration that he didn't bother to hide. It had been almost five years since Tsunade and he had stood in this room when that boy had cried his heart out. Now that boy sat where Tsunade had sat because he had finally received the recognition that he had worked so hard for.

But Kakashi knew that Naruto had never gotten over that day.

Naruto had been so bothered by it that when he had been selected by Tsunade to become the Sixth Hokage, he had outright refused to become the Hokage until he could find Sasuke. Despite deliberating statements and angry words, he wouldn't budge on his decision until Tsunade finally quietly whispered in his ear. Only then did he allow himself to accept the duty and honor of becoming the next Hokage.

Now, as Kakashi continued his perusal of the blond, he still saw the determination that made Naruto who he was; his way of the ninja.

Blue eyes looked away from his former sensei. He didn't have to answer that, Kakashi already knew that he had never stopped looking. He never hid it from Kakashi like he did from everyone else. Naruto could barely stand to be in Sakura's presence. Every time he saw her, he was reminded of broken promises and pain.

For the last five years of searching, he had promised himself that this would be the last search and he had been expecting so much more, at least a little something to give him a reason to continue. And there had been nothing; no leads at all.

No signs of Sasuke.

He never believed that the bastard was dead. He couldn't believe that.

He looked up at Kakashi, noting that the man hadn't really changed all that much ever since he had first seen him despite looking older. Nothing really changed he thought; it was like Sasuke had never been part of team seven, like the Uchiha Clan had never been a part of Konoha.

Was he the only one that cared whether Sasuke was found or not?

Before he could continue his depressing chain of thought, as he was wont to do lately, Kakashi stepped up to his desk and placed a document in front of him.

"What is this?" Naruto asked the jounin. When he didn't answer, Naruto picked up the document and began reading. A few moments of scanning went by before his eyes widened and he gripped the documents with both hands. He frantically searched for a date on the paper but could find none. His eyes darted up to Kakashi, "When was this?" he demanded.

"Two weeks ago in Wave Country," was all the jounin said. Wave Country was where his body had been found supposedly. There hadn't been such a gruesome battle between the two Uchihas, least of all in Wave Country.

This information was passed onto him from Tsunade. She had received the report and had told no one except Naruto and Kakashi. It was this information that had given him hope.

Now he found out that the ANBU that Kakashi had sent out on a mission in Wave Country recently had spotted Sasuke. He had been located in a tiny village living with the locals.

After all these years, for him to be found in that small village-living there and farming-it was a lot for Naruto to take in.

"How much time-" he was cut off by Kakashi.

"You're not going anywhere. I have selected someone to track him."

"What?! Who?" he demanded from the jounin. Naruto glared at his former sensei but the look bounced right off the older man as he leaned onto the desk.

"I already sent him. He should've arrived at the village yesterday. I instructed him to send daily reports which I will relay to you," Kakashi stated calmly knowing that Naruto would have none of it.

"Relay to me? What else did you tell him to do? Am I not the Hokage?" Naruto yelled out as he stood up and slammed his hands on the old desk. He opened his mouth to continue his rant but Kakashi held up his hand for silence. And damn it all, it still worked too after all these years. Naruto closed his mouth and waited for him to speak, barely restraining his fury.

"He is under my jurisdiction, he answers only to me. And he's not exactly social so I doubt you would want to meet him," Kakashi finished lamely.

Naruto narrowed his eyes and growled out, "I want to know if I can trust him to find Sasuke! I don't want to have a chat with him."

"You can trust him, I think."

"You think?! What the hell Kakashi! Where is he? Where is this village?"

"I can't tell you that, and as for the tracker… I can't tell you that either, it's classified."

"Bullshit," he snapped, but he didn't say anything else for a moment as all the implications flooded his head. There was actual hope that Sasuke could be found. Everyone else thought he was dead. Well, he'd show them. He'd bring Sasuke home if it took him the rest of his life. Lost in thought, he didn't realize that Kakashi was talking to him until he looked up and noticed the man staring at him expectantly.

"What? Did you say something?"

"I said that I'll get back to you tomorrow on any progress. As for now, you should get back to that mountain of trees on your desk before your advisor comes back and sees that you haven't been working. Until tomorrow then!" and with that he disappeared with an upward curved eye and a swirl of leaves.

"Damn you, Kakashi," Naruto growled under his breath. They had said that he deserved to be Hokage, yet they still treated him like a kid, not letting him do much and always keeping him inside this damn tower. Which was why whenever he had the chance, he would send off a clone to do some hunting.

And that was exactly what he was going to do. Of course, he wasn't a complete idiot, at least not anymore; he knew that Kakashi had already guessed what he was going to do. But the jounin had never really stopped him.

With something to look forward to, Naruto went to work quickly, eager to get through everything so he could get some private time to do some hunting on his own; to make sure that the so called tracker would look for Sasuke.