Author Note

Hello there and welcome to another chapter of Accursed Brothers.

I've received a lot of great reviews regarding this version of the invasion. People really enjoyed it, I guess. Now, this chapter is pretty much how the situation in canon would be had Sarutobi survived the invasion. That being said, he will be the main character of this chapter. I thought it was nice to give the readers a different perspective of the story. In all the other chapters, I tended to focus more in Sasuke and Naruto's point of view of the events, but in this chapter it'll be the Sandaime Hokage's point of view for the most part. Upon writing it, I couldn't help but feel how nice it was to change the perspective a bit. Sarutobi Hiruzen was the only person in canon who related to every other character, thus he knew everyone's pain. However, before the chapter, I'll focus on answering some of the reviews.

Meech Macko – I completely agree with your argument regarding Sasuke and Naruto's friendship. One of the things that always pissed Sasuke off was seeing everyone laughing and having fun while he was suffering. Upon seeing that his teammate Naruto is a more reserved individual and had lived through pain and suffering, Sasuke can better relate to the blond and thus avoid the necessity of turning to Orochimaru for power.

BowTechsniper – The next Hokage will be decided by Sarutobi as he considers all possible applicants for the job. I won't say who, though. As to Naruto's pairing, it will be revealed at a later date. It won't be Ino, Anko or any girl from Konoha. I believed I covered the majority of the Konoha female population in my other stories, so it was now time I chose someone from the outside. I won't say more about this subject, because any more hint and it will be easy for the readers to guess.

Crystalzap - There are indeed a lot of inconsistencies in Kishimoto's work. You brought forward an interesting point about the Edo Tensei with Kabuto pretty much resurrecting the entire range of S-ranked shinobi from the past without suffering from chakra exhaustion. Edo Tensei is considered an S-ranked kinjutsu and thus by definition, requires high chakra consumption. One thing that Kishimoto always seems to do is to bend his own rules so that the bad guy appears stronger than the good guys. The Sharingan is one very good example. Every time it seems that an Uchiha is going to lose the battle, a new godly skill appears and turn the tides. It's a little bit frustrating, actually. The enemies have more chakra, doesn't get tired and have access to deadly techniques. The good guy has guts. That's it. No matter how stronger the enemy is, the hero can overcome with sheer guts. I know! It's the fundament of a hero-villain-damsel plot. But it's so damn infuriating. It is always the same story. In order to create the suspense, the villain must be stronger than the hero. Once the villain threatens the damsel, the hero takes power from god knows where and defeats the villain.

Thenick1084 – I know what you mean. Also with Anko beating the crap out of him, he was taught how to attack and defend properly. I always found it unnerving to see him getting beat up every time.

And now here's the chapter.

Enjoy.

Chapter 6 – Consequences of the invasion and promotions

Beta: Kyuubi123

Barely two days had passed since the invasion suffered by Konohagakure, at the hands of Otogakure and Sunagakure. Although the giant walls of the hidden villages in the leaves were victorious in the end, it didn't mean that the people were celebrating; far from it, actually. A lot of people perished because of one man's ambition, from both sides of the war. There was a solemn feeling for those who lost their loved ones and also for those who had to take lives, even if they were the enemy. Konohagakure was in lockdown until further notice as everyone needed time to think about what happened, grieve and then move forward. The Sandaime Hokage was clearly the one who suffered the most amongst both the civilian and the ninja population.

His legend was forged through bloodshed for more than fifty years of battle.

No doubt he was getting too god damn old for this shit. The man lost count on how many battles he'd participated in. He also lost count on how many comrades, family, friends and acquaintances he had to bury. The majority being blamed on the shinobi's countless battles. The man was currently inside a hospital room as he pondered on what happened two days ago. As the Hokage, he couldn't just relax and recover in the hospital, but he couldn't leave his room either. That being said, he ordered a temporary office to be set inside his hospital room. The man was almost entirely covered by bandages as he focused on the damage reports. He read the meticulously elaborated report at least three times, before sighing in dismay. Even if Konohagakure's side suffered the least, there were still casualties.

Lives lost in the line of duty, protecting their village, further fueling the flame that drove this village to greatness day by day.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, despite all the hardships in his life, all the comrades he had lost in his life, couldn't help but shed a lone tear for those who sacrificed their lives for the good of the village. It was for men like these that he could find the strength to rule this village despite his old age. He knew he needed a replacement now more than ever and this would be one of his tasks until he was out of the hospital. There was no pain that dig further than the realization that he just wasn't in his prime anymore. He needed to think of suitable replacements and now it was the time. His mind immediately went to an elite jounin and prized student of the deceased Yondaime Hokage. Hatake Kakashi was the living embodiment of everything this village needed for the position of Godaime Hokage.

Admittedly, Sarutobi wished the man was at least five years older in terms of experience, but the Second Shinobi Great War gave him all the experience he needed.

Every leader had one vital goal in life, besides leading his people to the best of his knowledge; train a suitable successor. Orochimaru was the Third, even if he decided against it in the end. Sarutobi had no doubt in his mind that had the Yondaime not sacrificed himself to get rid of the Kyuubi, he would be grooming Kakashi for the position right now. The son of the legendary white fang had everything. A reputation bearing on S-ranked according to the bingo book, the vitality of youth, skills that far exceeded a normal jounin's imagination and of course the implanted Sharingan on his right socket, that gave him the reputation of Sharingan no Kakashi. Sarutobi of course had two other names to consider. Aside from Orochimaru, both Jiraiya and Tsunade had both the political and shinobi reputations to rule this village.

However, like Orochimaru, both Jiraiya and Tsunade had flaws that Kakashi didn't share.

All four of them suffered, god damn if Sarutobi didn't recognize it. Orochimaru had lost his parents when he was young and suffered a great deal of trauma because of it. He became delusional and became a criminal of the worst kind. Jiraiya's pain was the loss of his favorite student and son figure Namikaze Minato. Sarutobi knew the man never got over the loss of the Yondaime. He even suspected that the reason his student didn't take on young Naruto was because the boy reminded him too much of whom he lost. A Hokage couldn't afford to let weakness cloud his judgment. Plus, Jiraiya was so far engrossed in his spy network that it would be a loss to Konoha if he was trapped behind a desk. Tsunade was actually the only one of the Sannin nowadays that was Hokage material. However, the loss of her soon to be husband and brother had ruined her life badly. Compared to the sannin, Kakashi had lost a lot as well, beginning with his father committing suicide after a failed S-ranked mission. To this day, Sarutobi mourned Hatake Sakumo's decision to commit suicide.

The man would certainly be an even greater legend than he was at the time of his prime. Sakumo was a man that always preferred the battlefield rather than being stuck behind a desk. He was considered by the Sandaime a long time ago for the position of Hokage together with Orochimaru and Minato. Sakumo refused though saying that he belonged in the battlefield. Hatake Kakashi was merely an academy student when his father perished. The last descendant of the Hatake Clan took his father's suicide and improved in his career. The boy was an Anbu captain when he was the same age as the genins nowadays. His second greatest pain was also his prized strength, the acquisition of his Sharingan.

There was no doubt in his mind that Kakashi was the future Godaime Hokage.

Sarutobi knew the time to step down was upon him. Actually said time happened almost thirteen years ago, but he had to regain his throne once more. Sarutobi loved the village too much to simply step down and retire. He figured that Kakashi-kun could use some help in political affairs. Like Kakashi's promotion from elite jounin to Hokage, Sarutobi needed to address the necessity of replacing the chunnin he had lost because of the invasion. No doubt, the answer to his problem was to focus on the Chunnin Exams as well as the reports given by the Anbu of the chunnin applicants' field test. In this field, a proud smile could be seen from the old warrior's face as he considered the new generation of shinobi and their accomplishments thus far. He knew down to a certainty the crops of chunnin applicants were all impressive shinobi and would only grow in the future. The invasion ended up ruining their chances of the genins showing their skills, but Sarutobi knew their worth. The reports of their abilities in the invasion showed him that. Two names immediately popped in his mind and one of them was his grandson figure Uzumaki Naruto. His heart was filled with pride at the blond's displayed ability and he knew he did the right thing placing Anko as his tutor for the month. Naruto's untapped potential wouldn't be as thoroughly achieved with a jounin that focused on theoretical work alone. Now, Sarutobi imagined great things for the boy.

Another name was the last descendant of the Uchiha Clan, Sasuke Uchiha.

Everyone had a lot of opinions concerning his mental stability after what his older brother did a long time ago. With that said, people often wondered that given the situation, Sasuke would prefer stepping on others in order to grow in strength. The reports he received, however, told him another story; a cooperative Sasuke, leading a team of genin throughout a tough situation and beating enemies that were chunnin level. Sarutobi knew the boy already had the skills to become a chunnin. His dedication to become stronger, even if it was based on revenge alone, not only gave him mastery of fire manipulation, but also excellence in both taijutsu and genjutsu; added that with the Sharingan and the cursed seal, Sasuke was already a foe to be feared in the field. Both Naruto and Sasuke displayed enough skills and will surely receive the promotion. Another two names were considered for the promotion, although for their work in the field. Nara Shikamaru and Aburame Shino were competent shinobi and learned a great load of techniques from their respective Nara and Aburame Clan. Shikamaru had a high IQ thus had the ability of a strategist like his father. Shino was there as well, inheriting Shibi's calculative nature even in dire stress.

Sarutobi at first considered appointing Hyuuga Neji for the promotion, but then thought one more time.

The young Hyuuga, like Sasuke, had the skill to become chunnin. However, the boy's state of mind just wasn't where Sarutobi wanted in a chunnin. He received information from Hiashi stating that he explained the real story to Neji and that he was showing signs of change. Perhaps, the next Chunnin Exams, Neji could prove himself worthy of the promotion, but not this time. The rest of the rookies also showed promise and Hiruzen was sure that in the next exams, the majority of them will get the promotion. Sarutobi also needed to consider what to do with the children of the deceased Yondaime Kazekage. Sunagakure was being manipulated by Orochimaru, so it was decided that Konoha wouldn't retaliate against them. The Suna council had already agreed to any form of compensation for the damages, so Sarutobi considered ordering a team tomorrow to take the three Subaku children towards Sunagakure. Jiraiya had already fixed Gaara's seal, thus not allowing the boy to harm anyone.

It was strange to hear that the young Gaara thanking his student for fixing the seal. He learned, though, because of the poorly casted seal, Gaara couldn't sleep from fear of letting the beast loose.

The boy slept for two days straight.

Scratching the chunnin replacements off his agenda, it was now time to fix some infrastructural flaws in the village, starting with the place he was right now. Usually, there were no complaints with the hospital system, at least not a specific amount that would concern a leader. However, the place wasn't managed properly. Lots of funds would go to waste and the doctor's practices just weren't keeping up with the new diseases out there. Hiruzen needed someone who could run the place as it should, someone with great medicinal knowledge. In this regard, he needed little time to ponder on a name. Tsunade was the right person for the job and she could even use this facility as a medic-nin academy like she always wanted in the past. The only part he was dreading was how he would go about convincing her to come back to the hidden village in the leaves. Perhaps he could talk this with Jiraiya tomorrow. He would know how to convince his teammate to return.

Also, he needed to make some changes with the patrol missions. This invasion has proven that the enemy could very well sneak in the forest that surrounded the village and attack without anyone noticing.

This item, however, needed to be attended tomorrow as his mind was already tired of reading the reports and considering the promotions. The room was dark with only the moon outside granting some light. Sarutobi Hiruzen appreciated the dark, though. It was comfortable to him. Too much light isn't necessarily a good thing. In the ninja world, a ninja must find the balance between darkness and light. Sarutobi one time learned that from his sensei Senju Tobirama. He closed his eyes with a smile on his face as he appreciated the short times in which he could afford some rest. Now that he was set on giving the crown to Kakashi, Sarutobi couldn't help but wonder about the more relaxing days he will most certainly have.

===the next day===

Once fully rested and not as bruised as before, the Sandaime Hokage decided to return to his office as he had a lot of announcements for today.

These last three days were a blessing to the old man as he managed to ease his mind because of the last events that occurred in the village. Walking throughout the village, the Hokage could see the villagers all working in repairing their damaged homes. He could see from their reserved expression that they were still mourning those who perished. Hiruzen had enough experience to realize that people would overcome pain with time. He needed to attend the village's funeral in twenty minutes. Along the way, he met with a great majority of shinobi from all ranks, bowing at him. They were all looks of admiration, he could tell. Sarutobi was able to hold his own against Orochimaru of the Sannin as well as the first and second Hokage. It was nothing short of amazing, but the man felt he didn't deserve it. It was because of his failure that Orochimaru was out there, causing havoc.

He was the one responsible for the invasion.

The old man let out a single tear in pain for those who perished at the hands of a man he once considered a son. Ever since Orochimaru graduated and became a genin under his charge, Sarutobi took great interest in the boy. He had lost his parents that year, so Sarutobi ended up becoming the boy's father figure, guiding him as much as possible throughout the years. As time passed by, the team consisted of Orochimaru, Tsunade and Jiraiya became high level shinobi and were sent to the frontlines of the war. They were able to overcome a lot of obstacles together. After the wars, the hidden village in the leaves was graced with an era of peace and prosperity. The snake sannin, though, started an underground laboratory. When Sarutobi found out, he had the opportunity to stop the sannin. At the time, he had two of his most trusted Anbu with him. Orochimaru used a high level genjutsu to sneak behind the Anbu and deliver the killing blow to them before they could register what happened. Sarutobi, though, did and could stop him. Hiruzen did nothing, however.

To this day, the Sandaime Hokage regretted his actions.

Right now, as he approached the place where the funeral was to take place, he whispered a final pray to the shinobi who perished defending their village. To Sarutobi, they were the heroes that deserved the recognition, not him. Some of the dead were taken by surprise, but this fact alone hadn't diminished their sacrifice to the village's wellbeing. What built this village weren't bricks, cement or even wood. The Will of Fire was maintained by the people that reside in the village. Konoha was now mourning those who perished. However, once the mourning ceased, Konoha would flourish once more as its flame could never be extinguished. Even if one person remains, the flames will never die

As the man stepped up and began to address the ninja population transmitting those exact words, Sarutobi's expression was one of full commitment and respect. This was not the time to show weakness as his people needed him right now.

The population couldn't help but be moved by their leader's words.

===after the funeral===

Once the funeral was dealt with, Sarutobi was now meeting with a few important people, namely his teammates, the Anbu commander and the Jounin commander Nara Shikaku. The damage reports were already thoroughly analyzed and taken care of by the Hokage's teammates Homura and Koharu. By tomorrow, a couple of contractor would come to Konoha and assess the damage, before giving Konoha an estimated cost. After that was taken care of, it was now time to fix the routing missions in order to fix some holes in Konoha's defensive system. This system would be taken care of by the Anbu commander, using his Anbu team in order to scout the entire forest around the village. It was considered the Anbu's main priority, besides the protection of the Hokage, to scout the area around the village.

Sarutobi knew the man, being the one who chose him thirty years ago.

"Orochimaru must have the backlogs of every patrol missions, so it wasn't that hard to sneak inside the village without anyone noticing." Nara Shikaku said, earning nods from everyone inside the room except from the Anbu commander.

"This fact alone doesn't diminish the fact that an entire army swooped in Konoha territory and caused major havoc, Shikaku-san. Forgive me Hokage-sama, for my unit has failed you." Hiruzen nodded solemnly at the man he considered a treasured friend. Once Maboroshi Kisuke set his mind on something; he won't stop until he accomplishes exactly what he set out to perform and with utmost efficiency. Sarutobi knew of the man's resolve and how he dealt with any level of threat. He knew Kisuke would do his job.

(Author Note: For those who wish to know who Maboroshi Kisuke, check Shippuuden Episode 193)

"I can't expect any less of you, can I, old friend?" Kisuke nodded once more, before vanishing. He needed to devise a new security system for Konoha after all. After that, Sarutobi addressed the others once more.

"After dealing with these two items, I believe it's now time for us to go over the chunnin replacement. From the report, we've lost close to fifteen chunnin overall. Naturally, our only resources are the Chunnin Exams as well as their display in the field." Everyone nodded at this. Chunnin were a vital piece for Konoha because they took care of the most of Konoha's revenue. Missions going from C to low level A-ranked were performed by Chunnin, thus reserving the high A and S-ranked to the jounin level shinobi. Because of this, everyone in the room expected Sarutobi to nominate more genins for promotion than normal, in order to replace as many as possible. "From the Chunnin Exams alone, both Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke displayed an excellent level of skill and were able to plan ahead in their fights. I believe there is no one here that can say otherwise?"

Nara Shikaku agreed with a smile on his face as he saw the fight between Naruto and the Hyuuga prodigy, Neji. He also witnessed how Naruto dealt with the threats in the invasion. Koharu and Homura, though, saw a problem with one of the names.

"Hiruzen, I agree with you on Sasuke getting promoted, but I don't believe Uzumaki has the right skills yet."

Homura added, followed by Koharu. Before the Hokage could ask their real opinion, instead of simply assuming the Kyuubi as a detriment, Shikaku turned to explain.

"Huh troublesome…I believe that Uzumaki Naruto has both the skills and leadership needed of a chunnin; not only for his fight in the Chunnin Exams, but how he led the team of genins throughout the invasion. It's been a while since I've seen a shinobi in Konoha using wind chakra manipulation and the only one who's not an Anbu, who displayed similar ability is Hokage-sama's son Sarutobi Asuma. He is also very proficient in the art of kenjutsu as appointed by one of the Anbu Captain Uzuki Yuugao that was with me throughout the invasion. As to Sasuke, I also concur with his promotion. I believe the boy had displayed similar skills of leadership as Uzumaki-san." The Hokage nodded at Shikaku with a smile on his face. He knew how much Shukaku was against long talks that didn't lead anywhere and he also knew that once he spoke, rarely could someone find anything worthy to counter-argument the jounin commander and lead strategist of the hidden village in the leaves. Sarutobi also appreciated the silent vote of confidence in young Naruto.

As expected, both Homura and Koharu remained silent, opting instead to make sounds of indignation upon seeing the demon child being promoted to chunnin.

"Since it's settled with those two, I'd like to appoint two other names for the position of chunnin, Aburame Shino and Nara Shikamaru." To this, Shukaku couldn't help but show his fatherly pride with a smile. "Both had displayed brilliant strategy throughout the invasion, aiding both Uzumaki Naruto and Sasuke Uchiha in dealing with their fair share of enemies. Without their assistance, saving both the academy and the Hospital would be quite difficult." Hokage knew that his only obstacle would be Naruto's promotion. Shino and Shikamaru's promotion was seconded by the elders and of course Shukaku. The old Nara knew how his son would receive the news, though. He wanted nothing more than to personally being there when his son received his chunnin vest.

No doubt he'll ask if he could decline the promotion. I can't say that I would blame him as I remembered doing the same thing when I became a chunnin…and a jounin…and the jounin commander. Huh troublesome…

"Now on to the last item of the day, I believe this to the most important." This got everyone's attention as the Hokage had cleared his throat. "After fighting with Orochimaru, I've came to the conclusion that I'm not as strong as I once was and Konoha, now more than ever, is in need of a young and strong leader. I've considered quite a few names for the position of Godaime, but only one stood out." The others in the room were waiting for who Sarutobi would choose for the position. Shikaku couldn't help but shiver at the possibility of his name leaving Hiruzen's mouth.

That would be such a drag.

"I'm announcing Hatake Kakashi as Godaime Hokage" Immediate silence reigned in the office and everyone, including the hidden Anbu, looked at the man they called leader.

Elsewhere a certain jounin was reading an orange book when he suddenly shivered as he could feel a bad omen approaching.

"You cannot be serious, Hiruzen. Kakashi is no doubt skilled, perhaps even considered the best jounin we have in Konoha. But he is too young for the position." This time it was Koharu who went against the Hokage. Shikaku did believe Kakashi was ready, but the man had enough reputation for him to interlude in his behalf. Homura narrowed his eyes at Hiruzen, silently wishing that Danzou was here right now. This matter affected him directly and since Hiruzen haven't indicated that he would be stepping down, the old war hawk opted not to attend. Koharu continued speaking. "How about Jiraiya or Tsunade? Their reputation exceeds Kakashi's and they have the necessary experience."

Hiruzen looked at his teammates and smirked.

"While I admit that both Jiraiya and Tsunade indeed have more experience, neither is fitted for the job of Hokage. Setting their vices aside, Jiraiya is currently running a spy network for our village, hence he can't be tied to a desk right now. Tsunade, I'm afraid, is too far gone for us to even consider her for the position. After losing her lover and her brother because of the war, she has lost all faith in Konoha. Kakashi's only downside is experience, which will be taken care of. Like I did with Minato-kun upon stepping down for the first time, I will accompany Kakashi throughout the job, acting as his advisor until he is ready for the position. Aside from this, his skills rival Jiraiya's and Tsunade's. I dare say he could even surpass them in time."

Shukaku was already convinced, so he didn't say anything. Homura and Koharu started murmuring sounds of indignation.

"I have other plans for Tsunade, however." Sarutobi didn't wait for their approval. After all, it was his prerogative to choose his successor. He just had to homologate his decision with the Fire Daimyou and the man had already met Kakashi in a great number of occasions. "As soon as Jiraiya shows up, I'll ask him to find Tsunade for me. I want her to lead the village's hospital as well as all related health provisions." Upon seeing it was futile to convince Hiruzen to changing his mind concerning his successor, fixing the hospital really wasn't considered a priority for Homura and Koharu. The Hokage knew that much.

"Hokage-sama, how do you intend to convince her to come back? As you said, she has lost all faith in the village." Shukaku asked, earning a nod from the leader.

"Years ago, Tsunade wanted me to create a field medic-nin training program. At the time, we were in the middle of war and thus couldn't afford taking our shinobi off the field and train them to become medic-nin. Now we have both time and resources for her to create said program. This generation has a lot of shinobi with excellent chakra control that could apply to the program. If she's successful, then perhaps we can incorporate field medic-nin into missions, thus avoiding more deaths among our shinobi." Shukaku nodded. Convincing that woman to come back was considered quite a troublesome assignment, but the man didn't worry. It wasn't his assignment after all.

"Well then, since we've pretty much concluded here, everyone is dismissed." They nodded and left the room, leaving Hiruzen alone in his office, aside from the hidden Anbu.

The Hokage knew he wasn't alone, though.

"I hope you bear no ill will over my decision to give the mantle to Kakashi, Jiraiya." The pervert suddenly appeared on the room's opposite wall with a smirk on his face.

"I would have if you considered me for the job. I would go for Tsunade, but I can see your point. Kakashi is a fine choice for Hokage, though his habit of tardiness will have to diminish. Do you think she will want to return to Konoha, after hearing about your idea? She has denied all of our attempts in convincing her since she left with her niece Shizune." Hiruzen sighed in dismay, but he knew the pervert was right. The only downsize of his plan was to convince Tsunade to return.

"I admit that it will be hard, but I have to try anyway. This time, though, don't waste your time trying to convince her. The last time you tried, she almost broke your spinal cord." To this day, Hiruzen didn't know what Jiraiya said to Tsunade that infuriated the woman so much. However, seeing the sudden perversion exuding from his student's face, he should have known better. "You did it again didn't you?" Hiruzen couldn't help but smile upon seeing Jiraiya admit it without one shed of guilt in his face. Hiruzen was well aware of what passed in his student's mind as he had read a few of Jiraiya's work.

"Just try to control yourself this time as I don't want her to cripple you. The spy network is too valuable for Konoha at the moment."

Jiraiya looked at the Hokage and saw he was smiling at him.

"Thanks for the concern sensei. I didn't know you cared." The Hokage let out a warm laughter, earning a smile from the pervert sannin. "I see that you have promoted the gaki. Do you believe he is ready? I heard that he was quite the troublemaker and tends not to think before attacking." The Hokage smirked at that, knowing that if Jiraiya had asked this before Anko showed up in Naruto's life, he would say that Naruto was not ready.

"This last month did wonders for him, overall. I didn't imagine that Anko would be able to literally whoop his ass into shape like she said she would."

Jiraiya smirked at this. "Can I take him with me to find Tsunade? I believe it's high time for him to learn one of his father's techniques?"

"After he receives his chunnin jacket, you can take him. I presume you'll be teaching him the rasengan?" After nod from the pervert, he continued. "I'm still debating what will be done with him, now that he is a chunnin; not only him but the other recently promoted. Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun work well together, so they'll certainly be paired together in missions. Their elements complement each other, so I believe they'll be a dangerous force in the future, more so than there are now. In fact, I believe it's best if you took both Sasuke and Naruto with you. Perhaps, Sasuke's sharingan can better help you find Tsunade."

To this, Jiraiya frowned.

"Just what I'm supposed to do with the pompous Uchiha anyway?" Hiruzen snorted at Jiraiya's indignation. He knew the man just wanted to spend time with his godson.

"This mission I'm issuing to you three can surely take quite a long time to finish. In the mean time, you could train both of them together. You can teach Naruto the Rasengan as well as increment his wind manipulation ability. To Sasuke, you could teach him a couple of fire techniques. Furthermore, you could place them against each other and give them some pointers in taijutsu. Both of them are rather greedy to fight and improve, Jiraiya. Sasuke tries to hide it more than Naruto, but upon the prospect of getting stronger, neither can hide it so much."

Jiraiya knew something was up aside from a certain need to train the Uchiha.

"What is it that you're aiming at, sensei? I know it isn't only to train Sasuke." Hiruzen nodded with a proud smirk. He trained his students well in the arts of deception.

"Sasuke is still targeted by Orochimaru because of the cursed seal placed on him. Right now, Kakashi is tasked with keeping tabs on him, but with the man becoming Hokage, the job of keeping tabs will be with you until the mission is over. It's my hope to increase the bond between him and Naruto, that I can pass the job to him from now on. In time, I hope that both will find in each other a level beyond that of mere teammates. As I understood from your last report, Naruto is also targeted by that organization Akatsuki, if my memory is not failing me. This way…"

"Naruto helps Sasuke and Sasuke helps Naruto." Jiraiya finished Hiruzen's speech, earning a nod from the leader. "What about their cursed seals?"

"I took a great gamble in allowing them to use it. The full effects so far are still unknown. If Sasuke learns how to control it, then he can learn how to cancel Orochimaru's dark influence on him. It's actually another reason why I want those two together. The cursed seal is one more fact they share." Jiraiya nodded, believing that the old man have considered pretty much everything and planned ahead. Also if the cursed seal becomes a liability, Jiraiya will be there to place a new seal on Sasuke to control the cursed seal's influence.

"Well, seeing that is settled, I'll take my leave then; lots of research in my agenda, sensei." Jiraiya said with a perverted face, before vanishing from the office.

This time alone, the Hokage couldn't help but smile. It won't take long until I receive the first complaints.

Seeing that he had mission reports to read and other related assignments, the Hokage had postponed the chunnin and Hokage promotions for tomorrow. He couldn't help but smile in anticipation upon seeing the look on Kakashi's face when he hears the good news. In a relaxed tune, Hiruzen went through the mission reports for a good two hours, before leaving his office for the day. He certainly needed as much energy as possible for tomorrow. As the Hokage calmly walked throughout the village, he quietly absorbed the nice view of the night sky, while relaxing at the gentle breeze. It was quite inebriating, this feeling he had every time Konoha passed through an obstacle mostly unscathed. Even if some perished, he was content that the great majority were saved to live once more.

After ten minutes of walking, the old man lifted his head and looked at the Hokage Monument, more directly at the First and Second Hokage's heads.

I hope that you two are proud of how strong our will of fire has become, Hashirama-sensei, Tobirama-sensei.

As if on cue with Hiruzen's thoughts, two stars in the sky suddenly sparkled once. Hiruzen smirked and continued his path towards his house. He suddenly narrowed his eyes upon feeling a presence behind him. He certainly not missed this man at the meeting today as it went much smoother than it would be had Danzou been there. Turning to see the old war hawk, he suddenly had the need to smirk in victory. Danzou was a shinobi in his mannerisms as well. He managed to mask even his indignation, but Hiruzen has known the man for a long time and knew where to look.

"Hiruzen…" Danzou greeted his old time rival.

"Danzou, it's nice to see you again. It's been a long time, hasn't it?" The Third Hokage tried in vain to find one mention of Danzou's participation in the invasion, but couldn't find anything. It was slightly infuriating, but nonetheless expected. Danzou operated from the shadows, rarely showing to others, especially experienced shinobi, what he did. Although, Hiruzen had the sneaking suspicion that the man in front of him didn't even move a finger to aid the village against the joint forces of Sunagakure and Otogakure. It made Hiruzen wonder the reason, since everything the old war hawk did, he did for the village's benefit. Sometimes, he doubted that, though.

"There were certain situations that needed my utmost attention. I've been hearing interesting rumors, though."

The Hokage had a sneaking suspicion that he knew exactly what those rumors were.

"Rumors you say? Do enlighten me." The old war hawk's only visible eyebrow frowned for a brief second, showing Hiruzen the sign of Danzou's indignation.

"It's been said that you are stepping down and nominating Hatake Kakashi as Godaime. I doubt if there is any validity to this rumor." No doubt, either Homura or Koharu or both for that manner, spoke to him after leaving his office. Aside from Shukaku's complete discretion concerning these matters, talking with Danzou was considered by the elder Nara very troublesome. That being said, the odds of him being the one who gave Danzou this information was even smaller than zero, if that was possible. After Kakashi is appointed to Hokage, Hiruzen's first advice will be to choose people he could trust as advisors. Hiruzen smiled at the man in front of him. There were very rare occasions in his life when Hiruzen was able to get a rise out of his old rival.

"I can't simply speak about the validity or not of said rumor out in the middle of the street, Danzou, you know that. There is no need for concern, however." Danzou said nothing, motioning for Hiruzen to keep talking. The old leader, instead, just turned his back to the old war hawk and before walking once more, he finished the conversation. "…After all it's the current Hokage's prerogative to choose the successor. Have a nice evening." The Hokage didn't bother looking back as he knew his old rival would vanish instantly after the conversation. It was a nice day before his encounter. The day only improved seeing as he enjoyed upsetting the old war hawk. It didn't take long before Hiruzen entered the Sarutobi Compound.

===next day===

As soon as Hiruzen stepped foot inside his office, he gave orders to assemble five names for him, beginning with the genin Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, Aburame Shino and Nara Shikamaru. He asked to reach Kakashi the same time as the genin. The reason being that the jounin will be at least three hours late, thus allowing the Hokage to handle some reports in between the meetings. Suddenly he stopped however, when one of the Anbu handled him four chunnin vests as well as the necessary documents concerning the genin's promotion to chunnin.

Nostalgia bombarded the Sandaime Hokage as he only now realized that he has done the same thing for the previous generation.

Namikaze Minato, Uchiha Fugaku, Aburame Shibi and Nara Shukaku all received their chunnin jackets from Hiruzen. Back then, Konoha was facing some dark times, thus forcing early promotions on a great majority of genin. These four were among them and faced a great load of intense battles, before becoming legends on their own. The first and most famous became the Yondaime Hokage and the other three became clan heads. Unfortunately, fate ended the lives of two of them, thus forcing the present generation to grow up alone. Sandaime was once more alerted by a knock on the door, before the present generation of genin marched inside. Sarutobi, at first, saw a glimpse of their respective fathers at their age entering this exact room.

"I called the four of you here for a very important long term assignment, one that will involve not only skill but bravery as well." The genin looked at each other for a while, wondering what this was all about to which the Hokage smiled and continued. "You four have displayed both in physical and in leadership skills that are consisted with this job. As such, it fills me with great pride in informing all four of you that from now on, you are chunnin of Konohagakure, congratulations." As he expected, the shocked looks were instantaneous, except for Shino as an Aburame rarely displayed any sort of outrageous emotion.

The initial shock lasted for a couple seconds, though.

Naruto and Sasuke smirked, before grabbing their vests. Sasuke wasn't interested in the promotion, but the tougher missions he would participate in now. He also realized that he made one step further into being strong enough to deal with his brother. Naruto was pleased because he was one step closer to becoming Hokage. He was giddy in excitement at the prospect of getting stronger by facing stronger foes. Shino, as an Aburame, considered his promotion as pure logic, considering how he performed in the Chunnin Exams as well as the invasion. Shikamaru just muttered the word troublesome, as both the Hokage and his father expected. Upon lining in front of the Hokage once more, only Shino wasn't using his vest.

"Wait…what was the meaning of that speech in the beginning. I thought you were talking about a mission, Jiji." Naruto questioned, earning a snicker from the Hokage.

"I was just merely explaining to you all what will be expected of you four now that you have been promoted. The Chunnin position requires responsibility above all else. Often times, you four will be leading missions either with fellow chunnin or genin. Logically, the missions you'll receive will increase in difficulty, but considering the obstacles you faced in the invasion, I'm pretty sure you guys will manage. Congratulations all of you. Now, except for Sasuke and Naruto, the rest is dismissed." Shino and Shikamaru simply turned and left the room, leaving Sasuke and Naruto alone with the Hokage.

"Now, you two will receive your first mission as chunnin right now. You two will be going with Jiraiya of the Sannin to help him find Senju Tsunade. Jiraiya will be expecting you two in two hours at the north gate. Once again, congratulations to you two and wear that vest with pride as you incorporate this village's Will of Fire. Now, you are dismissed." Hiruzen could see that Naruto was controlling himself and could only ascertain that Anko managed to drill in some manners. Now that he got that cleared, it was time to wait until Kakashi arrived.

===Three hours later===

The Hokage had just finished today's reports when smoke suddenly gathered in front of him. Kakashi appeared reading his orange book.

"Sorry Hokage-sama, but a black cat crossed my path, so I had to do a complete lap around the village before coming here." Now it was time for the first trap.

"Actually, you were right on time, Kakashi." The silver haired jounin sweat dropped, seeing that Hokage did everything on purpose. It was quite amusing. "First of all, I'd like to inform you that Sasuke and Naruto had already received their vests, before leaving with Jiraiya in order to search Tsunade." Upon hearing this, Kakashi showed a smile of pride for his students. Even if Naruto's promotion was solely because of Anko, he was proud of the blond. In only one month, he managed to cover a lot of obstacles and became a better shinobi.

"That's good, but you haven't called me here just for this, have you Sandaime-sama?" The predatory smile that appeared in front of him, made Kakashi shiver.

"Right you are Kakashi-kun. I called you here to announce that I will be stepping down from the position of Hokage and announcing you as my successor."

Oh if only Hiruzen had a camera to record the expression on Kakashi's face. The jounin's only visible eye widened to impossible proportions and he was babbling like an idiot, repeating the word 'Hokage' like a broken tape recorder.

Strangely so, he behaved exactly like his sensei, the Yondaime Hokage upon receiving the news.

Author Note

Well, that's it for now.

I had a great time writing the chapter from Hiruzen's perspective. So what do you think about it? I'd like to hear some input about my work so far. Please check it out.

See you all next time.