The Next Hokage
Summary: What if Sandaime and Yondaime both already had it planned out who was supposed to succeed Minato, but it never happened because of a few circumstances Danzo made? Will Konoha search for this person or will Danzo have his way?
A small child took out his kunai from the center of yet another of his twenty targets, collecting the weapons so he could practice again. He had been at it since early this morning, trying out the new training grounds his clan had built in the woods for accuracy training. He knew he should start heading home soon, or else his parents sill get worried and start looking for him, which would be bad, since he's not supposed to be here. This training ground was supposed to be for chuunin, not little four and a half year old kids.
But Uchiha Itachi was no ordinary four and a half year old kid. He was probably the only child in any of the warring villages who had seen a battlefield like the one he had not so long ago. Especially at his age. There had been so much dead, all that blood running in rivulets, like red rivers. He shuddered just remembering it. And he looked down at his right hand. This hand had slit the throat of one of the surviving ninja, enemy they might be. Itachi still didn't understand why that man had tried to kill him when he was only trying to help.
He also didn't understand his Tou-san's intentions when the brunet man brought him out there. Why would anyone want their child to see that? Itachi thought children were supposed to be innocent. How can he be innocent now, after what he'd seen and what he'd done? Even if it had been in self-defense, he had killed a man!
These thoughts have caused him unrest plenty of times in these past few months. He'd walk down the streets of Konoha and see children running around, laughing in joy and ignorance. They didn't know what was going on to the people outside the village walls, to the shinobi whose names they don't know but whine at their funerals because their parents forced them to go. Itachi always stood stock still, always looked at every face in the burials pictures, always stayed the last so he could visit the new graves to memorize the names of those who died so he can live freely. People called him weird and his actions unorthodox. Itachi wondered if they even knew he was trying to keep their memory alive or if they just wanted to went their grief at someone.
'Well, that's alright.' He thought as he yanked a kunai out harder than necessary. 'Let them went. I can take their grief and I can shoulder it for them.' He could do it and will do it, for the shinobi who died protecting him despite never knowing his name, just like all the other people in the village they died for. "Nameless shinobi ... who protect peace ... Is that a true shinobi?"
He received no answer from the woods so Itachi shook his head and got into position once again. He could do this a couple more times before he would really have to go home. So he walked over to the center of the little clearing in the woods, pulled his feet a bit apart and closed his eyes to concentrate. A second later, he opened them and jumped high in the air, adding a little spin so he could aim at all the targets. He whipped out the kunai from his pouch and started throwing them. However, he soon started falling down and he sped up the throws, nearly landing badly on his head in his stubbornness to hit every mark. He still managed it, even if he got a bit of a scare when he nearly broke his neck. Had he flipped around a moment later, he would have been seriously injured at best, or dead as the worst case scenario.
He was broken out of his thoughts by the sound of clapping and the little raven snapped his head up, throwing a couple of shuriken at the new presence more out of instinct than conscious thought, but his eyes widened when he saw it was a blond man with bright blue eyes and a kind smile standing there. The man easily reached up and caught the two throwing stars before they could hit him and Itachi sighed in relief.
"Please don't startle me," he politely asked, getting up from his crouching position. The new arrival walked over to the child and squatted in front of him just as Itachi took out two kunai from where they had, like all the others, hit dead center in the target.
"Sorry, Itachi-chan." The child flushed at the affectionate name. It got even worse when the blond ruffled his hair gently. "My, you've gotten really good at this." Blue eyes scanned the training grounds. "You have some real talent."
"Not really. I just practice a lot," the Uchiha humbly said as he looked away. "I nearly failed this time. I was too slow. I'm most of the time to slow for that move."
"You're just young." The adult insisted. "You can't jump high enough yet to stay suspended in the air long enough to aim at all the targets before you start falling down again. The fact that you can do this," he gestured at the many bullseye surrounding them with a bit of wonder in his voice. "Is already a miracle enough for your age. When I was your age, I could barely grip my kunai right."
"I don't believe you." The dark haired boy insisted with a small pout. "You're a once in a generation genius. You're just trying to comfort me for being incapable of completely executing the technique."
Blue eyes blinked at Itachi. "I didn't know as many big words, either." A grin showed on that tanned face and Itachi could no longer hold his pout, a small smile replacing it instead. "But you do know that you shouldn't be here, right?"
Itachi sighed but nodded. "I know. But this was a challenge. I wanted to see how good I was, how much more I need to train. I still need a lot more training."
The adult sighed. "Itachi, you do know that most kids with half your talent spend far less time training then you, right?"
"Don't you mean then kid's with twice as much talent as me?" The Uchiha asked in confusion and the kind man laughed a melodious sound.
"I somehow find it hard to believe that there could be someone with even an ounce of talent more than you have. No, Itachi. What I meant is that they grow arrogant because of their talent and train less. Arrogance in a shinobi is very dangerous. Yet you, you Itachi, train more than most kids who have average abilities that actually need more training do. I am saying you are an incredibly humble and hard working person. Traits like that just might make you Hokage one day."
"If a person stops training themselves, they are limiting their capacity and their ability to evolve and grow. It forms a weakness." Itachi stated confidently. "Despite how strong we think we are, even the strongest of people have weaknesses."
Namikaze Minato blinked at the little Uchiha before an amazed and wondrous laughter spilled from his lips. When he calmed down, he patted Itachi's head fondly. "Yeah, there's no doubt about it. One day, you will be Hokage." The newly appointed Yondaime said with pride in his voice and his godson flushed in embarrassment.
00000
"Uchiha Itachi, you're the new Rokudaime Hokage of Konohagakura." Those words felt like the ground dropping out from underneath his feet. Red eyes studied the man who spoke despite there being no conscious act behind it. His Sharingan was doing it on his own. It was an automatic movement. And his Sharingan was telling him that Hatke Kakashi was not kidding or lying.
It was true. They wanted him to become Hokage.
"What!? But how can he be a Jashin-damned Hokage if he's been a fucking nukenin for the past eight years?" Hidan screamed at the top of his lungs, Kakuzu holding him back so the zealot doesn't lose it and kills the messengers.
"Do you even know the circumstances under which Itachi became a missing ninja?" Kakashi countered. "Did you know it was either that or blood and war? Did you know it was either sacrifice or loss? Did you know it was either the clan or the village? We sure as hell didn't. Not until only a few hours ago."
The Akatsuki were once again staring at Itachi. Well, except for Kisame. Kakashi deducted he probably did know. He and Itachi had spent many years as partners, living, fighting, traveling and surviving together. He guessed if anyone was bound to know then it was Kisame.
"Itachi, is what he's saying the truth?" The ginger haired man asked, purple eyes focused on the raven. "Were you really forced to chose between two impossible choices?"
"Yes. It was either the entire clan and war or the village and Sasuke. The choice I made still haunts me to this day."
"How can you live like that, un? It must be terrible." Deidara commented, bitting his lip as he remembered every time he tried to make things more difficult for the other and feeling guilty about most of them. Not all of them, for heaven's sake, no! He was still a criminal, damn it. He honestly thought Itachi deserved a couple of those difficulties, but he felt bad for the most part, still.
Itachi didn't answer Deidara. Instead, he spoke to the Konoha loyal ninja. "I am a criminal, no matter how that came to be. More importantly, I am Akatsuki no Itachi now. I have found a place where I am not the strange one, either for how much stronger I am than those my age or because of some quirks in my personality. I found a place where I can belong. I am sorry, but I am not leaving this strange, dysfunctional, crazy new family I have found just because someone decided it would be a good idea to make me Hokage."
"Wow, that's the most I've ever heard you say." Kakuzu said with a whistle.
"Can you seriously turn down such an offer? This opportunity to redeem yourself by leading others into a better future?" The orange haired man questioned and Itachi let out a sigh.
"I won't live that long, Nagato. You know I am deathly sick."
"Tsunade-sama will be more than happy to treat you." Sakura jumped in, seeing an opportunity arise to drag Sasuke's older brother back to Konoha, which will hopefully draw Sasuke back, too. "I am sure she and Katsuyu-sama will be able to heal you."
"There, you can't use that as an excuse." Sasori said smugly. "Besides, you'd have to be crazy not to accept the position of Hokage ("That answers it for Ero-sennin." - "Shut up, Naruto."), especially if you earned it. You'd make a great Hokage."
"You should go for it, Itachi-san." Kisame encouraged with a grin. Although, if you looked a bit closer, you could see that he was rather reluctant for his partner to leave.
"Make the world a bit more peaceful, Itachi." The woman said as well. And she, too, wasn't all that pleased with him leaving. It would seem that what Itachi said was true. They were some group of misfits that had somehow ended up being family. And now one of them had to go.
"I'm not going anywhere, Konan." The Uchiha said firmly. "Not with Danzo there, not with Sasuke in Orochimaru's grasp and most certainly not without the Akatsuki. I haven't spent the last twelve hours bringing Sasori back just so he can get himself killed again."
"You should just go, un." Deidara said tensely, crossing his arms and turning his back on Itachi. Sasori nearly fell to the ground but caught himself at the last second and he glared at the blond. "The Akatsuki never really needed you, anyways."
Itachi snorted at this. "If I were to leave for a single day, you'd blow yourself up." The fact that nobody could deny this should have been hilarious but it ended up just being plain unsettling.
"We'll be fine." Nagato, the apparent Leader, insisted. Itachi just shook his head. "Itachi-"
"Akatsuki is a family." The Sharingan user insisted. "If you're not coming, then neither am I going to Konoha."
"We're wanted criminals with quite the bounties on our heads." Kakuzu pointed out reluctantly.
"So?" It, surprisingly, came from Kakashi, the lazy like response. "Itachi will be Hokage. He could just give you some time to serve and then enlist you as our ninja."
"That might actually work." Yamato mused. "Konoha would get her Hokage and nine new protectors. They should be more than enough to keep Orochimaru far from our walls and any ill wishers away from our borders."
"They would be the perfect strategy to stop wars." Shikamaru mused. "Everyone knows the Akatsuki is an organization of extremely strong ninja. Their mere presence, as well as the new Hokage's identity and Tsunade-sama's continued presence in the village ought to keep us safer than ever before. Konoha might even get new skill sets."
"Maybe we should take this one step at a time, dattebayo." Naruto suggested when he saw how some of the rogues stiffened a bit at the mention of skill sets.
"And the missions ought to contain enough killing and destruction to sate Deidara's, Kisame's and Hidan's need to kill things." Itachi mused. "I could work with that."
"Then it's settled." Neji stated with a nod and a small smirk. "Mission accomplished."
"Hold up!" Nagato protested. "No one ever said anything about the Akatsuki becoming a village's servants! I refuse-"
"Akatsuki is no one's servant. You'll be my new Special Attack force." Itachi said, already turning to travel in the direction of Koniha while sending a crow out with a message for their last two members to quickly join up with them with the rest of the Akatsuki's stuff. Zetsu's doubles should be more than capable of taking care of that. "You will be represented by Nagato as one of my Advisors." The ginger's mouth dropped open and only moved along with the rest of the group because Konan grabbed his hand and dragged him along as Konoha's shinobi lead back to their village with their new Hokage in their midsts. "Kakashi-san and Tsunade-sama would also be good in the Council of Advisors."
"Me?!" The silver haired jonin asked incredulously with his eye so wide it could have fallen out. He wasn't the only one shocked by these news.
"Hn, maybe I should start training Naruto-kun for the position as the Nanadaime." The blond in question, as well as the majority of the other Konoha ninja were gaping at the raven haired genius. "Not yet. He's still too young, I guess."
"You were five when you were declared the next Hokage!" Naruto incredulously protested the whole age thing. I mean, it was pretty absurd for Itachi of all people to say that. The Uchiha just looked at him over his shoulder.
"It is safe to say that I had the mind of someone at least ten times my age."
"Can't argue with that." Yamato commented with a chortle. "You're taking rather easily to the whole Hokage thing."
"Just the thought of firing and banishing Danzo makes my day." The younger ex-ANBU replied with a smirk. "I just need to take Shisui's eye back before I do that."
"Your cousin Shisui?" Kakashi asked incredulously.
Itachi nodded. "Yes. Both he and I were trying to stop the coup without shedding blood. He had this doujutsu, the Kotoamatsukami, that should have been able to subtly suggest to the Uchiha Clan that they will only ever protect Konoha, to erase the whole coup d'tat thing from their minds. Danzo and Sandaime were aware of this plan. It, unfortunately, failed and Danzo attacked Shisui. One of his ANBU managed to poison Shisui and Shisui escaped, but not before Danzo managed to steal his eye. He contacted me, demanding I come right away. He told me what happened and gave me his other eye. Then he just jumped off the cliff to make it look like suicide, since if they knew what really happened, the Uchiha would have surely attacked, if for no other reason than because the village dared attack one of their own."
"That's the part of the story we were missing." Shikamaru realized. "Or at least just a fragment of it. Care to tell the rest?"
Itachi just nodded again. "After that, the Uchiha got increasingly more paranoid. I got blamed for Shisui's death and my father and I had a falling out. But one night I learned that there is a way for the Uchiha to control the Kyuubi and that my father was sure he could do it. The situation was becoming critical and Danzo gave me an ultimatum. I chose what I did and requested from Sandaime to watch out for Sasuke before leaving."
"The two who used to be your supposed teammates?" Neji questioned.
"Danzo's ROOT agents. Danzo planted them since day one to spy on me. One of them was the guy who ended up killing Shisui. He's been spying on me since I entered the Academy."
"Which means Danzo must have known about the intended next Hokage a lot longer than we thought." Sakura concluded. "We'll need to be more careful around that man."
"Indeed." The Uchiha agreed. "But I am not all that worried." He sent a small smile back at his new 'family'. "I gave you to protect me."
"As if you need the protection, Itachi-san." Kisame said with a sharky grin.
"Can we still blow this guy up, un?" Deidara hopefully asked and Itachi actually paused to think about it for a moment.
"I'll think about it." Deidara was more than pleased with this and started conversing with Sai about his artistic technique. Sasori ended up talking with Sakura and Kisame and Hidan spent half their time messing around with Naruto or all three of them pranking Kakuzu and Neji. Konan kept trying to bring Pein (Nagato) out of shock while Kakashi and Yamato walked on each side of Itachi, the three catching up on everything that has been happening in the time they had been apart. Later on, they were joined by the other two Akatsuki members - Itachi knocked Tobi out for some reason and had another of Zetsu's clones carry him - and then by the rest of the initial group as the lead the next Hokage back to Konoha.
