Notes:So, quite a few things with this chapter. The main one being is that this may be the last chapter for a few weeks; so I tried to give an extra long chapter so you guys have something to enjoy while I'm gone.
Few things to note though.
As I said in the last chapter, this is a Naruto/Temari story; any other girls who fall for Naruto will be for storyline purposes and nothing more. This is not a harem or anything, just saying because of some parts of this chapter.
I had to make a few minor OC's in this chapter just to expand the Sarutobi family, they're not mainstays or anything, but they were needed for this chapter and some future plotpoints that I may use.
People have been saying to have longer chapters and not split them up, so what do you guys think; do you enjoy long chapters like this?
The sound of water flowing could be heard as two people sat by each other next to the riverbed, one was an academy student with goggles on while the other one was a middle age man also with blond hair, a shinobi headband on his forehead.
"So, how was school today?" The older Shinobi looked down at the younger one as a response came.
"It was awesome! I made a new friend today, and we made plans to hang out later with his brother!" The older one gave a small smile as he ruffled the younger one's hair as the sound of fish jumping out of the water could be heard.
"That's good you know? Your mother and I always want you to make as many friends as possible because when the day comes that you finally become a ninja, you're going to need all the friends you can get to watch your back out on the battlefield!"
"Ehehe! Just you watch Dad! I'm going to make everybody in the school my friend, so when the time finally comes, I'll have so many allies the enemy won't know what hit them!" The father laughed as he looked back out to the river.
"Well I'm glad to see your enthusiastic, but it won't be easy you know? Just the other day you were telling me that one of the kids declared you his biggest rival, you called him Bushy Brow or something like that?"
"Ah yeah, he's trying to go after Sakura and impress her! But if he really wants her, then his biggest rival should be Sasuke, not me! I mean, that's who all the girls want!"
"Really now? I've seen this Sakura girl before, and I'm pretty sure she's always staring at you when I pick you up from school."
"Dad, everybody stares at me when you pick me up because they all want to see you!"
"Oh sure, the other kids stare at me, but she specifically stares at you. I think there might be a bigger reason than you think for this bushy brow calling you his rival."
"Yeah whatever you say, dad." The father laughed as the two of them stared back out to the river as the sound of footsteps could be heard behind them until a third voice spoke up.
"Hey! Sorry, I'm late!" The two looked behind themselves and saw a red-haired woman carrying a picnic basket approach them before sitting on the opposite side of the young one.
The Dad just shook his head as he offered her a smile "It's fine; you are carrying someone after all."
The woman gave a soft giggle as she placed her hand on her large stomach as she looked down at the young one "Soon you're going to be a big brother, how do you feel about that?"
"I'm really excited mom! I can't wait to teach them everything I know, from the Shadow Clone to Dad's Rasengan! Weather I have a little brother or little sister. I'm really excited!" The woman laughed at her son's enthusiasm as she opened the basket she had and pulled out a cloth.
"Well, let's get to eating."
The father nodded as he began to speak "Yeah le-"
"Hokage-sama!" The father was interrupted as suddenly a puff of smoke appeared with an ANBU Agent present "I'm sorry to disturb you lord, but the Jonin Council needs you!"
The family looked at the agent before the father shook his head and sighed "That's the second day in a row they've needed me. I wonder what's going on?"
The father looked at his family with a sad look as he scratched the back of his head.
"Sorry, I'll try to hurry." Despite his sad tone, the mother and son had smiles as they merely shook their heads as the mother replied.
"Oh no need to rush; we have all day." The father gave a laugh and a nod before vanishing with the ANBU Agent in a puff of smoke, leaving the mother and son behind "I do wish they gave him a break though, he's been run ragged the past few days."
"Ah, there's no need to worry mom! If anybody can do it, then it's dad!" The mother smiled and nodded at her son as she ruffled her son's hair.
"Well, I can't argue with that. You really look up to him though don't you?"
"Of course! It's my dream to take over for dad one day! Of course, that means I'm going have to train hard every single day to reach that goal; I know it won't just be handed to me! But don't worry mom, someday you will be able to call me the Fifth Hokage!"
"Ehehe, Well I'm glad you think so." The mother laid the cloth down as she began going back through the basket as she smiled "Well, might as well eat something while we wait, don't you think Naruto?"
Naruto shot up in bed panting as sweat rolled down his forehead, his breathing was heavy, and he looked like he had just seen a ghost.
After a few moments, Naruto was able to collect himself as he placed his hand on his heart and felt his heart almost beating out of his chest as tears ran down from his eyes. Taking a few deep breaths, Naruto wiped his face off as quietly talked to himself.
"A dream...Of my parents...But, I've never seen them before, yet; it felt so real, and they looked so genuine. Maybe it was a vision of what could have been?" Naruto just shook his head as he got out of his bed and walked to the sink as he poured himself a cup of water and lightly drank from it as he sat back down on his bed and looked out to the night sky. "I almost want to say that yesterday was a dream as well, yet…"
Naruto looked down at his clothes before looking over at his door as his new cloak hung on it, affirming to Naruto that he was no longer in a dream, he was in the real world. Naruto looked over towards the clock on his wall, noticing it was five in the morning.
"It was about this time yesterday when the council woke me up, and I do have quite a bit to do today, so maybe it would be a good time to go ahead and start this early again?" Thinking it over for a moment, Naruto nodded as he finished his cup of water and placed the bowl on top of his fridge as he turned the light on in his room.
As Naruto went to his fridge to prepare something to snack on, the dream he just had continued to play out in his head as other thoughts started to be born from the dream.
"When I told Sakura yesterday, she didn't really believe me at first. But when her parents told her the whole truth, she had a type of hurt in her eye that I rarely ever see. It was a type of betrayal almost like she couldn't believe that her parents had lied to her for years. I hope she doesn't take that to heart and do anything stupid, especially since her parents were basically forced to lie to her."
Naruto ran the thoughts through his head as he stirred the ramen, it's fresh smell almost being ignored by Naruto as his mind was occupied on other things.
"Even so, she's just one of many that I have to tell. Soon the entire village will know about me and my past, and many of the kids and teens will know they were lied to for their entire lives. I wonder, even if they do accept me, will they hold regret for not only their parents but for the higher-ups as well? For the sake of the village, I hope not."
Naruto quietly thought this as he continued to stir the ramen as a light breeze could be felt coming from the window.
The moonlight shone into the window of the Sarutobi manor as Konohamaru laid in his bed wide awake, having barely slept after the news he had gotten the previous day; that his mentor and friend Naruto Uzumaki was going to be the Fifth Hokage of Konoha.
Initially, Konohamaru didn't want anyone to be picked as the Fifth Hokage because he thought the village would quickly forget about his grandfather and everything he had ever done for the village. Yet he felt not only relieved but almost giddy that Naruto was the Fifth Hokage. Sure he had challenged Naruto to a race to see who would become Hokage first, but over time he had slowly accepted that Naruto would most likely beat him to it. He just didn't expect Naruto to do it as fast as he did.
Konohamaru smiled as he looked out to the night sky, enjoying the peacefulness of it. He knew today was going to be a hard day to get through, since it was the last day that his grandfather's body would be present at the Sarutobi manor before being transported to the Hokage manor, and because of that; today was the day the entire family was going to gather and have the private service.
He had heard rumors that the Fifth would be attending, but he highly doubted that. It wouldn't make much sense for Naruto to attend both the private and public service, especially since the Sarutobi family hadn't been informed of his promotion. Still…"It would be pretty sweet if he came!"
"If who came Kono?" A feminine voice rang out towards Konohamaru as he looked to the side of him and saw one of his distant family members looking at him.
The family member was Yuri Sarutobi, a nine-year-old girl who had come to Konoha for the Hokage's funeral. She had a brown skin tone since she was from Kumogakure, where she lived with her mother and her father; her father being initially from Konoha.
Konohamaru didn't know her all that well, really he barely knew any of the family members who had attended who weren't from Konoha, but since she was the only one around his age, the two of them quickly began talking to one another. "A-Ah it's no one, just talking to myself!"
"Huh? But you were talking about someone weren't you? You said it would be cool if he came. What are you talking about?" Yuri walked over and sat down on the side of the bed as she looked down at Konohamaru with a questioning look.
Konohamaru scratched the back of his head as he tried to form the words needed "W-Well...I was just saying how cool it would be if one of my friends came to the training grounds with me!"
Konohamaru tried to force a smile, yet Yuri just puffed her cheeks out as she spoke "Kono, you don't have to lie to me. I won't tell anyone!"
Konohamaru internally sighed as he pushed himself up and spoke: "Well I can't really say anything; it's kind of a secret."
"Oh, I like secrets!"
"No like, it's a really big super important secret! He would never forgive me if I told anyone."
"Who would never forgive you? Is it the person you were talking about just a moment ago?"
"A-Ah yeah, it's him…" Konohamaru tried to get out of his current situation as he stood up on his bed and looked out his window, trying to find something to distract his relative with, when all of a sudden he saw a Shinobi waiting at the front door, his arms crossed as he leaned beside it "Huh? What are they doing here?"
"Who? I want to see!" Yuri jumped up and tried to push Konohamaru out of the way, yet he stood his ground as he kept his eyes focused on the ninja.
"I wonder why they're just waiting there? Maybe they're waiting for us to wake up?" Konohamaru asked himself those questions before jumping off his bed and running towards his door.
"Hey Kono, where are you going?"
"Bathroom!" Konohamaru made up a lie as he ran down the hall of his house and down the stairs onto the main floor, turning a corner as the black closed casket containing his grandfather's body was in the middle of the grand room. Though Konohamaru had been trying to move forward after his talk with Naruto, the sight of it made him catch his breath before he shook his head and ran past it.
Konohamaru ran towards the door and opened it, causing the shinobi outside to look at it as their eyes met Konohamaru's, confusing the both of them. "Honorable Grandson?"
"Huh? Ebisu-sensei?" The shinobi outside of the house was Konohamaru's tutor Ebisu, a tokubetsu jonin who had been Konohamaru's tutor for as long as anyone could remember. "What are you doing here?"
"A-Ah, it's nothing really. Just thought I would see how the family was doing during this troubling time." Konohamaru raised an eyebrow as he eyed Ebisu.
"This doesn't have anything to do with the Hokage does it?" Sweat broke out on Ebisu's forehead as he quickly swung it.
"O-Of course not, It's nothing like that, I'm simply-" Ebisu was interrupted by the sound of a creaking chair as Konohamaru turned around and looked at a long dark haired woman in a wheelchair.
"Oh...Mom."
"H-Huh? Honorable Daughter?" Ebisu turned and looked into the house and saw the Third Hokage's Daughter In Law looking at the two of them.
She gave a small smile as she nodded towards them "Ebisu, it's nice to see you. What brings you here so early in the morning?"
Ebisu quickly straightened himself in the doorway as he gave a bow towards her "I'm sorry to be here at such an early time, but I'm here on an assignment from the Jonin Council regarding today's private ceremony."
"Oh? Are there any problems with it?"
"No it's nothing of the sort, it's…" Ebisu glanced down at Konohamaru before returning his gaze to the woman "It's to inform you that the Fifth Hokage would like to attend part of the private memorial today."
"Ha! I thought so!" Konohamaru pointed up at Ebisu, causing the jonin to sweat as he kept his stare on the woman as he swallowed.
"Honorable Daughter, since you are now the clan leader of the Sarutobi clan; you're already aware who the Fifth Hokage is. I simply state this because the jonin council recognizes that other members of the Sarutobi clan may not be so welcoming towards him."
Konohamaru's mother was silent for a moment as Konohamaru looked back up at Ebisu "Hey! I chatted with Naruto yesterday; there shouldn't be any problem with him coming over!"
"W-What!? Honorable Grandson, y-you already…?"
"Know Naruto is the Fifth? Of course! He is my boss after all!" Ebisu's jaw dropped as he stared at Konohamaru, who returned his gaze towards his mother "There shouldn't be any problems...Right, mom?"
His mother seemed to think on it for a moment before giving a smile towards Ebisu "Ebisu, inform the Jonin Council that the Sarutobi Clan gladly welcomes the Hokage's presence during today's memorial."
An hour had passed since Naruto woke up, during that time he had quietly sat on his bed running the dream through his head several times as he quietly ate the cup of ramen he had prepared for himself.
Eventually, Naruto finished up the cup of ramen as he laid it on the desk beside him as he pushed himself up and walked over towards his door as he grabbed the cloak off of it. "Well, let's get started."
Naruto threw the cloak on over his now blue outfit and grabbed the Hokage Hat that was hanging underneath his cloak on the door as he tied it around his waist and opened the door to leave his room.
However, as soon as he opened the door; he was surprised to see someone leaning against the railing reading over a book "Huh? Kakashi-sensei?"
"Ah, finally decided to come out?"
"When did you get here?"
"Oh I would say about two hours ago; I've just been waiting for you to wake up is all."
"W-What? I told you to take the nights off! Also, I'm sure you knew I woke up about an hour ago myself, so why didn't you come inside then?"
"It would be rather rude to barge in on the Hokage as soon as he wakes up, wouldn't you think?" Naruto went to respond but closed his mouth as he took a sigh and nodded.
"R-Right...A-Anyway, I have to meet with the elders today right?" Naruto walked over to his staircase as he raised an eyebrow as he looked towards the ground. "Huh? The Carriage?"
The Carriage that had been used the previous morning to bring Naruto to his private ceremony was currently in front of his apartment. While no jonin were in sight like last time, Naruto had a sinking feeling that it was just as protected as last time. "Yeah, the council thought it would be the best way to transport you between places safely. Don't worry; this entire area is currently in a genjutsu so nobody, not even the other residents, can see or hear you or the carriage. Once you're inside, the agent Tilapia will apply the same technique to it that she gave to you yesterday."
"I-I see. Well, it's not really my style; but if that's what the council thinks is best." Naruto walked down the stairs with Kakashi close behind him as the door to the carriage automatically opened for Naruto, weirding him out a bit, before he walked up the side and into the carriage with Kakashi following.
Once both were inside, the door closed and the driver ordered for the horses to begin moving. Once Kakashi made sure Naruto was comfortable, he started speaking "Now, I have a few important things to tell you; so be sure to listen closely."
"Alright, what's up?"
"The first is that I need to warn you about a man named Danzo Shimura." Naruto raised an eyebrow as he adjusted himself some.
"Danzo Shimura?"
"Yeah, he's not really known to many outside of the shinobi ranks; however, during the Third Hokage's reign, many would call him the second most powerful man in the village."
"I-I see."
"I say that because from what I've been told, Danzo tried to steer the Daimyo into choosing him as the Fifth Hokage, away from the expected choices of Jiraiya and Tsunade. He certainly didn't want or expect you to be chosen Naruto." Naruto gulped a bit as he nodded, signaling for Kakashi to continue "In all honesty Naruto, he would love to have you locked up and do nothing until the time came for you to be used as a weapon. It's because of this that have many worried about his recent behavior."
"Recent behavior?"
"Yeah, he's been quite pleased with you being chosen as the Fifth. That has many of us worried and have made him the target of assassination plans."
"A-Assassination plans?"
Kakashi nodded as he tried to find the right words to say "...The Jonin Council have assassination plans for everybody in the village, both civilian and shinobi alike, made for the Hokage to enact at any time. However, people like Danzo have more than one assassination plan crafted, due to the fact that he is so powerful; especially since he's the leader of ANBU Root."
"ANBU Root? What's that?"
"It's a section of the ANBU that work in the shadows, to the point where they don't even have paperwork filed for what they do. The Third Hokage allowed Danzo to do whatever was needed, with a few restrictions, to keep the village running and ready for a case of war. In fact, he's made the Root Faction into such a cult, that even removing him from his official position wouldn't diminish his power."
"I see, so the only way to remove him…"
"Would be assassination." Naruto felt a chill go up his spine as he gulped "You just have to order it."
Naruto bit down on his lip, a pit forming in the bottom of his stomach "Kakashi-sensei, what would you do in my position?"
"What would I do? Well, I wouldn't rush to any decision. But I would keep it in the back of my mind for the time being."
"R-Right, that's what I'll do."
"Alright, if that's your choice." Naruto gulped as he leaned back some in his seat as he looked outside to the sleeping village, a headache starting to form as he rubbed his temple.
"It's too early for this…" Naruto lowly said to himself as silence overtook the two of them, more weights being added to Naruto's shoulder as he let out a long sigh.
After arriving at the tower and leaving the carriage, Naruto and Kakashi walked up the steps of the Hokage Tower; the only sound that could be heard was their footsteps.
Finally, the two reached the office as Naruto opened the door to reveal two elderly figures waiting for him inside. "Hokage-sama, we've been waiting for you."
The one to speak was the woman on the left, a man on her right. Kakashi just narrowed his eyes as Naruto looked at the two of them "I'm guessing you're the elders?"
"That is correct." The man was the next to speak "I am Homura Mitokado, and she is Koharu Utatane. We are the Hokage Council."
"Hokage council?"
"That is correct; we assist the Hokage in governing the village and offer our guidance. We wished to have a meeting with you, to discuss how we think the village should proceed." Kakashi narrowed his eyes, yet Naruto just nodded.
"I see, well I'm willing to listen." The elders seem to scowl at that remark, yet Naruto didn't change his answer as he looked at Kakashi. "Kakashi, you can wait outside."
"Huh? But Naru-"
"It's fine; I won't waver from my beliefs." Kakashi kept his eye on Naruto as he just nodded.
"Alright, just call for me when you need me." Naruto nodded as Kakashi left the room, leaving the elders alone with Naruto as he walked to over to his desk and sat down in his chair.
"Alright, so what would you like to discuss?" Naruto reached down towards his waist as he untied his hat and placed it on his head, a symbolic move to the elders.
"Well to begin with Hokage-sama, we wish to ask what your plans are going forward." Naruto raised an eyebrow at Homura before nodding.
"Well, rebuilding after Orochimaru's attack should be the top priority at the moment, along with our negotiations with Sunagakure."
Before Naruto could continue, Homura interrupted. "We actually have some problems with your negotiations with the Suna delegates."
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"What we mean is not consulting us." Koharu spoke up next as she continued "Negotiations with another country is apart of the Hokage council's role, while the jonin may partly be to blame, you should have asked if there was anyone who could have assisted in the negotiations."
"Well I'm sorry, but I believe the negotiations went pretty well for my first time."
"You say that, but you conceded too much. Suna was heavily responsible for the attack, and you should have it to where they paid for it."
"While it's true they were the main attackers; I believe Orochimaru tricked them into attacking the village against their will. While they are at fault for killing and injuring so many, they also are victims in a way. I read they've been having major economic problems for a few years now, so I didn't want to ruin their entire village."
"You could have done that without giving up what you did though. You formed a trade deal that benefits them more than us, you signed a training agreement, and you also are giving back every prisoner we have ever taken from their village. Quite frankly, this deal is atrocious."
Naruto didn't bat an eye as he leaned back in his chair "My goal was to find a way for both of our villages could benefit while keeping the door open to where we can become allies once again in the future."
"And in the process, you squandered the opportunity for a counterattack."Homura retook the lead as he adjusted his glasses "Suna was already weak from the failed attack, and also have no Kage to call their own. The plan was to quickly name a new Hokage so we would have both the moral and numbers advantage in a counterattack."
"You speak as if you had someone else in mind for the position of Hokage."
The two elders looked at each other before Homura continued "We wished for someone older and more experienced to take the reigns. You're too young and inexperienced, you've never fought in a war, and also you've never lost comrades that were close to you. You don't know what it's like in the world."
Naruto kept his calm look as he closed his eyes and sighed "Is that what you said to my dad as well?"
The two elders tensed up as Homaru continued "What do you-"
"My dad, Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage. Before I was named the Fifth, my dad was the youngest Hokage this village had ever had. So I'm just wondering if you told the exact same thing to my dad as well?"
The elders didn't say anything for a moment as they tried to find the right words, with Koharu taking the lead "Namikaze-sama was indeed young; however, he had fought in battles and a war before. He also knew what it was like to lose someone close to you, as well as knowing how it felt to be a leader. He's nothing like you, someone who will cause open riots in the streets as soon as you are announced to the public."
"Ah yes, because I'm a Jinchuuriki, right?" Naruto gave a low laugh as he began tapping onto his desk "My mother was the Jinchuuriki before me, yet I've never heard a bad thing about her. I wonder, do people hate me because of the lies that had been spread throughout the years?"
"Lies? What do you mean?"
"Yesterday, I heard from Kizashi Haruno that many of the higher ups in the village were able to run a very successful smear campaign against me. I'm just wondering if that's the reason you believe the public will have disdain for my nomination?"
Homura glared at Naruto as he spoke: "The people of this village are forbidden from talking about anything-"
"Anything related to me or the Kyuubi, correct? That may have been the rule during the old man's tenure, but what started as a noble cause was hijacked by an extreme ideology of hate. As the Jinchuuriki, I am supposed to be a weapon for the village in times of war. I wonder, was the reason this smear campaign was started was so I would have no qualms about letting my anger loose onto the battlefield?"
"...You have no proof of such a claim."
Naruto gave a small smile "Well, I guess I can't refute that."
"Hokage-sama, we've gotten off track. We have questions we need to confirm with you."
"Need to confirm?"
"We need to confirm you are qualified to lead this village."
"I believe that question was answered when the Daimyo chose me and the jonin approved me. Though, I guess you could always go to the Daimyo with an alternative choice before the public knows."
"We just want what's best for the village; we believe it would be better for you to learn and grow before becoming Hokage."
"Then let me ask you, who should be the Fifth Hokage; if not me?"
"..." The elders looked at each other as they nodded "We believe that Danzo would be an excellent choice to become Hokage. His age would ensure you would be his immediate successor to the position."
"Danzo, huh?" Naruto closed his eyes as he thought to himself "I trust Kakashi-sensei more than these two, so what should I do?"
"So Hokage-sama, shall we begin the questioning? At the very least, it will be something for to study on before you become the Sixth."
"..." Naruto kept his eyes closed as a line Kakashi said ran through his mind.
Well, let's just say that a lot of the jonin are hoping for you to bring in some fresh blood so to say.
"Hokage-sama…"
"...Homura...Koharu…" The two elders waited for his response as Naruto opened his eyes "You two are relieved of your duties."
The two elders stared at Naruto, not entirely processing what he said as Koharu spoke: "H-Hokage-sama, what do you mean by that?"
"What I mean is this. You two have done many great things for the village; you helped lead the Old Man for more years than I can imagine. However, I believe it's time that a new era is brought in. Therefore, you two are dismissed from the Hokage council. I promise to find replacements for you soon."
"Hold on a minute!" Homura quickly stood up as he yelled at Naruto "You can't make such a brash and stupid decision on a whim! We're not trying to take the position away from you, but we fully believe it would be better for you to learn under Danzo first."
"That's stupid logic. Kakashi told me about Danzo and how the Jonin council don't particularly care much for him. I believe naming him Hokage would be a mistake that wouldn't have an easy fix."
"K-Kakashi?"
"Yes, I trust him more than I trust either of you."
"Kakashi Hatake was a candidate for the position of Hokage but wasn't chosen for a reason! You're going to trust him over us, the ones who have advised the Third for decades?"
"Homura. The old man chose you as his own personal council, replacing the council of the second. While my father may have kept you on, I fully believe that the time for you to retire has come."
"You can't be serious!" Homura took a step forward when "Hoka-"
Homura stopped as the sheathing of metal could be heard, making him sweatdrop as he felt a presence behind him.
Homura looked around to see two ANBU agents, one holding a sword to his neck, while the other was pointing a sword down at Koharu's throat. Neither agent said anything; however, the message was loud and clear.
Naruto was a bit surprised by this but tried not to show it as he spoke "This is my final decision, Danzo will not be Hokage, and you two will be relieved of your duties. Don't worry; I'll make sure you're well off for all the work and service you have given the village."
Both of the elders gritted their teeth; however, with the ANBU behind them, they merely had to accept. Homura gave a bow as he spoke: "Very well, Hokage-sama."
Homura and Koharu both turned towards the door as they began to leave, the ANBU keeping their eyes on them until they both left. Once Naruto was alone again, the two agents vanished as the door opened revealing Kakashi. "So, how did it go?"
"As if you don't already know." Naruto gave a small laugh as Kakashi walked towards him "Well, they wanted Danzo as Hokage and wanted me to learn from him."
"So you fired them over that?"
"Well, I had a few other reasons. But anyway, I have to get my own council in here as quickly as I can. I can't do this alone haha."
"Well, you have options."
"Yeah…" Naruto leaned back and thought for a moment as a thought hit him "I have an idea, but it would require some changes."
"Changes?"
"Yeah. If I'm being honest Kakashi-sensei, I would love for you to be one of my personal councilmen. But you still have Sakura and Sasuke to teach and train, so I can't be selfish and take you away from them without having a suitable replacement for not only you but me as well."
"Well find a replacement for me won't be too hard, plenty of jonin don't have a team to call their own. Finding a replacement for you though would be a bit of a problem, especially since graduating exams are still a half a year away."
"Ah, this kinda sucks…" Naruto rubbed his head, trying to find a solution to the problem. Yet Kakashi merely smiled under his mask as he tapped the desk, gaining Naruto's attention. "Huh? What's up?"
"Well, I happened to hear that the Retired Ninja Council recommended Shikamaru for the rank of Chunin; right?"
"Ah yeah, I mentioned it to Asuma yesterday."
"Well, there's your answer right their."
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"Think about it, if Shikamaru is promoted to Chunin; then he won't be on Team Ten anymore, right? Meaning they too will be shorthanded."
"I guess that's true; maybe I should wait to promote Shikamaru then?" Kakashi let out a sigh as he shook his head.
"No, think about it. There are no rules on how many genins can be on a team; the Hokage has the final say on it. Every village uses a three-person team with a Jonin leader due to convenience, but adding an extra person wouldn't hurt, right?"
It took a moment for Naruto to realize what Kakashi meant when suddenly it hit him "Oh! I see I can kill two birds with one stone by doing that!"
"Yeah, perfect way to do it really."
"Ah yeah! This is sweet! I'm so glad I added you to my council Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto gave a thumbs up to Kakashi, who did smile but also let out a small sigh at the same time. "Well, now who else should I add?"
"I figure you would ask Jiraiya-sama as well."
"Well, I would like to have sensei; but he already declined to be my personal advisor. Though speaking of, I wonder where he is? I've not seen him since I asked him to grab the scrolls from my house and bring them here."
"Apparently he was last seen leaving the village; apparently he had something to take care of."
"What!? He didn't even tell me!" Naruto was both surprised, and a bit annoyed convinced that it was because of 'research' that Jiraiya always did.
Kakashi though just raised his hand to calm Naruto down "Whoa, no need to get all worked up. From what I've heard, it's apparently something that is a bit of a concern and needed to be looked into. He'll report everything once he's finished with it."
"Well...If you say so." Naruto sighed as he leaned back in his chair, trying to think of what else needed to be discussed when suddenly Dragon appeared beside of him.
"Hokage-sama!"
"Ah Dragon, is everything all right?"
"Lord! You have a visitor; it is the genin Sakura Haruno of Team Seven!"
"Huh? Sakura? What is she doing here?"
"She didn't say, although she has a case, and after heavy inspection; it's just food."
"Food huh? Well, I don't know why she's here and not by Sasuke's bedside; but alright, send her in."
"Lord!"
"Oh and Dragon. Have a team watch over Sakura and her parents for a bit; I let the elders know that Kizashi told me quite a bit of information so as a security measure, they need to be protected."
"It will be done Hokage-sama!" Dragon said this as he vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving Naruto and Kakashi alone together.
"I wonder what Sakura is here for; I would have thought she would go back to Sasuke for sure." Naruto mostly said this to himself, though Kakashi was a bit cryptic with a reply.
"Well...I guess you're about to remember that she's barely even a teenager."
"Huh? She's the same age as me; I don't see how this is much of a problem." Kakashi didn't say anything more which just made Naruto even more confused as the two sat in silence, the only noise was Naruto taking his hat off and placing it on the table.
After a minute or two, footsteps could be heard outside the door until it opened, revealing Sakura with a round case in her arms. As soon as she saw Naruto, her voice seemingly got caught in her throat as she gulped, the sight of Naruto sitting at the Hokage desk had sent a jolt through her system. "H-Hey Naruto."
"Morning Sakura, it's nice to see you this early." Naruto gave his trademark smile towards her, making her shiver from excitement a bit as she started to walk towards his desk.
"Y-Yeah, nice to see you too. U-Uh I made this for you last night." Sakura reached the desk as she placed the container down on it, nervousness filling her body as Naruto stared at it.
"Huh? What is it?" Naruto started to reach towards the container, as he lifted the lid and was surprised at the contents "A cake?"
"Yeah um...I didn't really know what flavor you liked, so I just went with simple vanilla. I hope you don't mind."
"Ah no, I love vanilla! But why did you make me a cake?"
"O-Oh um, it's a congratulations present! You did just become Hokage after all!" Naruto was a bit surprised by this, yet he just gave a small smile towards her, making her heartbeat speed up.
"Thanks, Sakura, that actually means a lot. No one's ever made a cake for me, even on my birthdays; sensei would just buy a premade cake. So thanks." Naruto gave another smile towards her as he picked up the knife and fork that was also in the container as he cut off a slice.
Sakura clenched her hands together as she waited for Naruto's response as he used his fork and took a bit of the cake, chewing on it for a few moments before he gave a smile towards her.
"Wow, this is really good! You did great Sakura!" Sakura blushed a little as she returned the smile as Naruto took another bite "Like seriously, this is great! Kakashi-sensei, you have to try some!"
Kakashi shook his head as he held up a hand "I'm good, never really been one for sweets. No offense Sakura."
"O-Oh! None taking sensei!" Naruto quickly stuffed the rest of the piece into his mouth as the sweet taste resonated throughout his body, almost making him tired from how sweet it was. Still, he had things to do; so he couldn't take a break before he really even got started on the day.
"Man that hit the spot, again I appreciate it Sakura!" Naruto gave a thumbs up to Sakura, making her blush deepen a bit as she nodded her head "Oh! While you're here, I guess I can go ahead and tell you."
"Huh? Tell me what?"
"Well; about the new team arrangements. After all, I'm no longer on Team Seven."
"O-Oh right...I guess you can't really go on missions now huh?"
"Haha, well I may sneak out once in a while; but overall the answer is no. Because of that, you and Sasuke are the only ones under Kakashi-sensei for the time being. I have a plan to fix this though, and it requires you to join another team."
"Join...Another team? Like, are me and Sasuke transferring teams?"
"Ah no, nothing like that. While I still have to work out some of the finer details, I plan on promoting one of the genins to chunin; meaning their team will also be a member short. So to fix this problem, I will be combining Team Seven with their team; making a four-person team."
"Four-person team? Has that ever happened before?"
"I...Don't really know; I haven't really studied up on it yet. But Kakashi-sensei said that there's no real rule over it, though...I guess it wouldn't matter if there were."
"I see, so who's team will we be combined with?"
"Ah it's-" Suddenly, Naruto cut himself off as he began to think. He forgot Sakura and Ino really didn't like each other, so it wouldn't be smart to tell her now. Best thing to do would be to wait until they were both in the room together, maybe they could work out their differences then. "It's a surprise."
"Huh? A surprise?"
"Y-Yeah, I mean; give you something to look forward to haha...hah…" Naruto gave an awkward laugh while Kakashi just sighed, though Sakura just nodded.
"I guess…"
"A-Anyway, that's all I wanted to say. Thanks again for the cake; I'll be sure to save some for Sasuke."
"A-Ah Naruto!" Sakura called out to Naruto, surprising him as he raised an eyebrow.
"Huh? What's up?"
"A-Ah…" Sakura didn't really know why she suddenly called out to Naruto, so she felt her face heat up from embarrassment as she tried to find a good reason. "A-Ah I was wondering; if you wanted to go have breakfast together?"
Sakura turned even more red from the question, though Naruto just narrowed his gaze before closing his eyes "No I'm good, but thanks for the offer."
Naruto opened his eyes back up and gave his trademark grin, and though Sakura was disappointed she just returned the smile "A-Ah I see...W-Well, I guess I'll go check up on Sasuke."
Sakura gave a bow towards Naruto before waving to Kakashi as she left the office, giving one last look back as she did.
Seconds passed as Naruto and Kakashi were silent to one another, neither one saying anything. Kakashi was finally the one to break the ice as he looked down at Naruto "I thought you had a crush on her?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Don't play dumb; before you would take that offer up in a heartbeat. Yet I saw you become a bit uneasy when she asked, is there a reason for that?"
Naruto was silent for a few more moments as a small smile graced his lips "First Kurenai and now you."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Yesterday, after assigning Kurenai and Guy their missions; Kurenai asked to talk to me privately. She told me about Hinata's feelings for me and a few other things. Of course, I already know about Hinata's feelings. I learned back during the first round of the Chunin Exams."
"I see, is that why you turned down Sakura's offer?"
"No that's not the reason if I'm honest; I view everyone in this village like a sibling, at least the other genin. I've always viewed Sensei as a father, and you as an uncle; so everybody that wasn't on our team I viewed as a sibling."
"Not on our team?"
"Heh, yeah. I used to view Sasuke as a stuck up pretty boy, and Sakura as the girl of my dreams. But...After the Wave mission, I started to change those views as well. I started to view Sasuke as more of a brother and Sakura as more of just a friend; I guess it was around the start of the Chunin Exams that my feelings for Sakura were pretty much gone."
"I see, well you will be expected to take a wife one day; and until you do, the clans will be doing their best to get in favor with you so you will marry someone from their clan. After all, nobody would turn down a proposal from the Hokage; well it's not like they could."
"Tch, this village was built on arranged marriages, but it's not sustainable. Forcing a marriage with anyone isn't healthy, especially since a negative perception still exists around me. Besides, sensei always told me to marry someone you didn't know growing up."
"Wise words to live by...Well, I'll keep the clan's heads away as much as I can. Though I'm sure, some will still creek by."
"I expected as much if anything I can maybe build relations with them in other ways."
"Yeah, not a bad idea." Kakashi looked back towards the door as he spoke "Still...Is there more to why you turned down Sakura?"
"...It's too sudden is all, yesterday she was treating me like she always does, then all of a sudden she has a crush on me? I see what you mean by being a teenager."
"I would imagine her learning all she did play a role into it as well."
"Yeah, most likely. Well, all I have to do is let time pass, and she'll return to loving Sasuke instead. It's not like learning the truth about my past is going to change how she viewed me for all those years."
"Who knows? Girls are a strange thing to most men."
"I guess...Well, I guess I'll go ahead and start preparing to visit the old man's family. What time does it start?"
"In about two hours."
"Alright, go ahead and get the robes ready. I viewed the Old Man like a grandfather; I have to pay my respects."
Hallway
"Very well, Hokage-sama."
Homura and Koharu both turned towards the door as they began to leave, the ANBU keeping their eyes on them until they both left the office and entered into the hallway. The both of them just stood still, not knowing what to say to one another as the moment hit them like a ton of bricks.
Naruto Uzumaki, the kid that was hated by the village, just fired them on the spot.
It was a fate worse than death; at least death was honorable.
This was just repulsive.
Homura clenched his hand as he punched the wall "Damn him!"
"Homura, I would advise you not to show any frustration," Koharu spoke as she glanced at the ANBU Agent standing at the end of the hallway who had his hand on his sword as he glanced at them. "This is just a minor setback, nothing more."
"Tch, that kid isn't ready for the job. He should lie in wait and study under someone like Danzo, hell if the jonin have a problem with him; it's not like we can't get someone else into the position of the Fifth."
"Even so, the Daimyo and jonin have made their choice. All we can do is wait until he makes a mistake that forces the Daimyo hand; it's just a waiting game."
"Koharu, as a former shinobi; you know as well as anyone that the Hokage can only be replaced due to retirement or death. By the time the kid retires, we'll be long gone from this world."
"Daimyo-sama still has the final say over everything, and if the Hokage was unable to perform the job anymore; then the Daimyo can choose a replacement. All we need to do is wait until that moment."
"With how the ANBU are acting, I doubt that will be anytime soon." Homura looked at the agent from earlier, who pulled his sword out even more as he kept his look on the elders. "Anyway, we should leave. We're not needed here anymore."
Before Koharu could respond, they were interrupted by the sound of a cane as an older looking man appeared from the staircase as the elders looked at him "D-Danzo?"
The man who had appeared was indeed Danzo, who merely just looked at the elders "Judging from the agents around here, It seems the new Hokage has no use for you."
Danzo spoke in a cold tone, causing the elders to glare as Koharu responded "We were dismissed because we recommended to Naruto that you take over as the Fifth Hokage while he learns under you. However, it seems Kakashi already has him by the ear when it comes to you."
Danzo seemed to perk up a little bit at the mention of Kakashi as he coldly responded "Kakashi...Even all these years later, he chooses to side against me."
The elders knew what Danzo was referring to, yet neither said anything as Danzo started to walk towards them.
"Even so, you were fools to attempt a power grab so early. The Jinchuuriki has no idea what this world is like, so he has no reason to resign; especially after obtaining his self-described dream." Danzo stopped just a few feet short of them as the elders tensed up some "I will continue to lead the ANBU ROOT and support our new Hokage, his success does mean prosperity for the village."
Homaru gulped as he shook a bit from Danzo's venom words "What exactly do you mean by that?"
"If the new Hokage succeeds, then it's because he followed through with my plans. If he fails…" Danzo opened his one eye as he spoke in an even colder tone "Then Daimyo-sama will be choosing the Sixth Hokage fairly soon."
Chariot
The Hokage Chariot strolled down the closed off streets towards the Sarutobi manor, as Naruto; dressed in his Hokage Robes and Hat, and Kakashi sat inside.
The ride had been mostly uneventful, Naruto had asked for a few details regarding the private ceremony, but for the most part, the family had kept the plans secret. Naruto didn't particularly mind; he understood that it would be hard to share details of a private ceremony with anybody.
So Naruto spent most of his time looking out the window, observing the buildings and people that they strolled by. While the streets the chariot was crossing on were closed down, he could still see onto other streets where people were packed together just trying to get a glimpse of the Chariot when it passed.
Many of the children waved at him, while the adults looked on in confusion and awe. They couldn't see into the chariot of course, but just knowing that your leader was passing by was something that could be awe-inspiring.
It was a weird feeling to Naruto for sure, especially since people barely ever paid attention to him. Sure they were more so interested in the chariot and also didn't know he was Hokage, but it still a strange feeling nonetheless.
As Naruto looked out the window in a somewhat bewildered manner, Kakashi casually spoke to him "Usually it's the civilians who are amazed to see the Hokage, not the other way around."
"A-Ah no...I-I'm just not used to so much attention, that's all."
"Well, might as well get used to it. Because the reactions you're going to get when you're well known are going to be much more interesting than what you're getting now." Naruto nodded as he kept looking outside to the civilians, wondering what was currently running through each of their heads at the moment.
The two didn't say anything more to each other for a few more moments as the sound of wheels spinning was the only thing that broke the silence, along with the distant whispers of the villagers.
Finally; the chariot began to come to a stop as Naruto looked out the other window and saw a large mansion, surrounded by ANBU on all sides, along with a woman in a wheelchair waiting in front of the doors.
Naruto recognized the woman as Konohamaru's mother, Ibiki Sarutobi, and mentally swallowed as his only meeting with her was when he was caught teaching Konohamaru some of the...Finer...Aspects of the Sexy Technique.
Still, that was then, and this is now. He had heard she was the new head of the clan in the wake of the Old Man's death, and that meant she had been present during his private ceremony. Maybe the speech he made up on the fly changed any previous thoughts she had about him?
Well, it was a nice thought if anything.
Once the chariot came to a full stop, Kakashi got up and opened the chariot doors as he walked out and stood on one side of the doors; the signal for Naruto to follow.
Rehearsing some words he had come up with in his mind, Naruto pushed himself up and left the Chariot; the local Sarutobi guards were kneeling in respect when he did so. Taking one more deep breath, Naruto walked over to Ibiki with Kakashi close behind.
"Good morning Hokage-sama, it's an honor to have you here today." Ibiki gave a smile and as good of a bow as she could as Naruto nodded in response.
"It's good to be here; I always enjoyed coming here with Konohamaru."
"Yes well, the circumstances are much different this time it seems. I wish to warn you off the bat that almost the entire clan has gathered here today for father's private funeral; so I apologize in advance for any disrespect they may show you. I assure you, it's merely because they either come from another village or-"
"It's fine; I understand." Naruto held a hand up and spoke in as gentle of a tone he could, wanting to show that he already expected some pushback from a few members.
"Well, it's still an embarrassment if such a thing happens. But thank you for understand, lord." Ibiki turned towards the butler beside her and motioned for him to prepare some drinks before she turned back towards Naruto "Shall we head inside?"
"Of course, I know this is a private ceremony; so I can have Kakashi stay outside if needed."
"Oh, it's not a problem! Kakashi is an old friend of mine from back in the day; I would never turn him away." Naruto raised an eyebrow as he turned back towards Kakashi.
"You know each other?"
Kakashi nodded as he stuffed his hands in his pockets "Yeah, from back when we were in the ANBU together. Though we never went on any missions together or anything."
"I see…" Naruto turned back towards Ibiki as he reformed his smile "Well Lady Ibiki, shall we head inside?"
"Most certainly, Hokage-sama." Ibiki went to motion for her one of her guards to help push her in, though before she could; Naruto had gone around her and grabbed her handles.
"I can help you get in."
"O-Oh no, I wouldn't dare have the Hokage inconvenience himself!"
"It's no issue; I enjoy helping people out." Ibiki went to protest more but stopped when she saw Naruto smile at her. Knowing she was in a losing argument, she just sighed and gave a small smile.
"Well, I thank you Hokage-sama." Naruto nodded once again as the guards lead them towards the door as Kakashi followed close behind and into the mansion."
As soon as they crossed into the main floor, the first person to greet them was a woman with Lavender Hair, and Charcoal eyes bow towards them…
Well...Bow in a direction close to them…
The woman bowed towards the window next to the main doors as she spoke: "It's an honor to meet you Hokage-sama."
The woman stood up straight and walked over to the window as she felt around before her hands landed on one of the guards; which caused her to back up some and bow again.
The guard had a confused look on his face as Ibiki just sighed "This is my cousin from my husband's side. She's as blind as a bat without her glasses, so I apologize for her behavior."
"A-Ah it's alright." Naruto meant it, though he was confused why this woman was walking around without her glasses on anyway. Ibiki looked around on the floor before she spotted a pair of red glasses in front of them.
"There they are...Can someone grab them for her?" One of the guards nodded as he picked them up and handed them to the woman, who quickly placed them on her face.
After having her eyesight restored, the woman quickly located Naruto as she jumped in front of him and bowed "It's an honor to meet you Hokage-sama."
After repeating her line from earlier, Naruto just nodded as sweat rolled down his face "Likewise, Naruto Uzumaki is my real name; feel free to use it if you wish."
"Very well Naruto-sama!" Naruto meant it as an informal greeting so he could begin building relationships, but she didn't take it that way. "I am Ayame Sarutobi! Currently working as an assassin for my country!"
"I-I see...Well if anything, I'm definitely highly protected now. I hope we can get along Miss Ayame." Naruto gave a small bow in return to her before he looked back down at Ibiki "Lady Ibiki, is everyone awake yet?"
"Some of the younger ones are still asleep, but all of the adults should be awake and somewhere in the manor at the moment. Father's body is being held in the casket just up ahead in the main room if you wish to go ahead and rest in there."
"Ah sure, that would be great." Ibiki nodded as Ayame took the wheelchair from Naruto and the group walked forward into the main room, couches all around with a black casket was standing alone in the middle of the room, the sight of it making Naruto somewhat tense.
"Is everything alright Hokage-sama?"Naruto snapped out of his gaze as he quickly nodded towards Ibiki.
"A-Ah yeah. Sorry."
"No need to apologize, I know you looked up to him as a mentor, so I know this can't be easy on you." Naruto slowly nodded as one of the guards led Naruto to the couch on the very back of the room, the only one draped with the Konoha flag. "Hokage-sama, I apologize that we don't have a more suitable couch; but this is our most prized one."
"Now you're the one who doesn't need to apologize. I'm fine with any seat after all!" Ibiki laughed as she looked at Ayame.
"Ayame, please go and gather everyone and have them looking as respectable as possible." Ayame quickly bowed towards Ibiki as she went off to find everyone.
"Kakashi, go ahead and help her out."
"Huh?" Kakashi looked down at Naruto as he raised an eyebrow "Why?"
"It's a rather big mansion, so helping her could speed things up; besides…" Naruto motioned for Kakashi to come a bit closer as he said the next part "Try to tell Konohamaru first, I want to talk to him one last time before the others arrive."
Kakashi sighed but nodded as he left the main room and joined Ayame in gathering the other members of the family.
Kakashi and Ayame quietly walked up the stairs of the manor, neither one saying anything to one another as they didn't know each other at all. Sure, they both had heard of their names, Kakashi of the Sharingan and Ayame the Assassin were familiar names, but neither knew anything personal about one another.
Still, Kakashi also knew that gathering information was necessary; and he wouldn't gain anything by staying silent "So, you and Ibiki are cousins?"
"That is correct; her father in law was the grand uncle of my father. Though despite bearing the lineage, I do not know much of the Sarutobi family. I've been an Assassin all of my life, and therefore I mostly work in the shadows."
"I see. I heard you're a former member of an underground criminal syndicate. Of course; you're not wanted in the Fire Country, but I know that you gave the Water Country some trouble in the past before."
"Hmph, I was trained under my master and joined out of obligation. However, I now work as a freelancer, carrying out missions that I deem suitable to my own values. I won't kill anyone who doesn't deserve death or a high ranking official."
"If that's the case, I'm surprised you even came to the private ceremony. Especially since you don't have any personal ties other than blood."
"It would be a dishonor not to attend the passing of a Kage; I've done so in the past. This is just the first time I was directly related, and therefore I was invited to the private ceremony."
"Then I assume you came alone?"
"Ah yes, not that I wanted to…" Ayame went silent for a moment, causing Kakashi to stare at her.
"Is everything alright?"
"Y-Yeah, it's just...I wanted the love of my life to come with me today you see, but he's a Samurai…"
"Samurai? So he's from the Iron Country?"
"W-Well...Maybe it was good he didn't come, it be bad if he tied me up in front of everyone~" Ayame blushed a deep red as she ignored Kakashi's question, making him give a concerned look.
"Tied up? That doesn't sound like a very healthy relationship to me." Noticing her red face and heavier breathing, Kakashi coughed into his hand to interrupt her "A-Anyway, Hokage-sama wished for Konohamaru to join first; apparently he has something he wishes to say to him."
Collecting herself, Ayame nodded as she pointed towards room "R-Right, it's this room over here."
The two of them walked over towards the door as Ayame knocked before opening it. As soon as the door opened, Konohamaru looked up from his bed "Huh? Auntie Ayame?...Oh! Kakashi-sensei?"
Kakashi gave a wave as Yuri looked at Kakashi "Huh? Kakashi-sensei?"
Konohamaru nodded towards her before he looked back at Kakashi "So why are you here sensei; are you a special guest today?"
"Well, in a way you could say that. Though; I'm really more of a bodyguard for another one of today's guest who just arrived." It took a moment for Konohamaru to put two and two together, but once he did, he went eye wide.
"H-Huh!? You mean Boss is here!?"
"Yep, he's actually waiting for you downstairs." Konohamaru grew a broad smile as he hopped off of his bed and straightened his clothes out.
"Ah yeah! I can't wait till everybody sees how boss is!" Kakashi gave a small smile, though Yuri still had a confused face.
"Huh? Boss? You have a job, Kono?"
"Of course not! I obviously mean Naruto!"
"Naruto?" Yuri gave a questioning head tilt as Ayame walked over to her and bent down.
"Yuri, he means that Hokage-sama has arrived."
"Hokage-sama?...I thought it was Raikage-sama?" Everybody sighed as Konohamaru grabbed onto Yuri's hand.
"Here, come with me, and I'll show you." Konohamaru lead Yuri out of the room and down the stairs as Ayame sighed.
"You would think kids her age would know about all the Kage's, right Kakashi?"
"A-Ah yeah."
"Anyway; next we should go to the elders and inform them since their the closet."
"Closet?"
"Yeah, we divided everyone among the guest rooms. Children in this room, elders in another; then male adults, female adults; male teenagers and female teenagers, with babies and toddlers staying with their mothers."
"I see; I'm surprised there were only two kids."
"We have quite a few teenagers, so it seems many of them just had kids at around the same time and didn't have anymore. Well, shall we go?"
"Yeah, let's go ahead and get going." Ayame nodded as she lead Kakashi to the room closet to Konohamaru's, neither one saying anything to one another as Ayame reached out and knocked on the next door.
It took a few moments, but soon a voice rang out for them to come in.
Ayame grabbed the door handle and opened it, revealing inside many people of varying backgrounds. It was apparent that many were from Konoha; though Kakashi only recognized a few of them. However, some bore headbands from other villages; while others had dresswear from one of the smaller countries.
The elders all eyed the two with looks of calm but sternness; they all knew why they were being called, but they also weren't afraid to confront the Hokage. Many of them wanted to apply direct pressure to the new Hokage, to see if he had the mental might to succeed the Third.
Ayame and Kakashi looked over the elderly group with wary eyes, they knew that out of everyone the elders may pose the most problems when they find out the Hokage; yet they still had a job to do.
Taking a deep breath, Ayame stood firm as she spoke "Honorable Elders! I'm here to announce that Hokage-sama has arrived, and Lady Ibiki has summoned the entire household to the main floor to begin the proceedings.
The elders all just calmly nodded, however, none of them moved. This confused Ayame and Kakashi for a moment, yet, that confusion was answered as one of the oldest elders looked at them and shakily pushed himself up with assistance from the others as he leaned onto his cane. "I believe it would be alright to inquire who the Fifth is?"
Kakashi immediately recognized the man as the Third's cousin, Hochi Sarutobi, a former ANBU agent and former head of the Retired Ninja Council. He was only of Konoha's most formidable shinobi back in the day; his power was said to have rivaled the Second Hokage. However, he was merely a weak and feeble old man now; most of his strength sapped after massive injuries from the Kyuubi attack.
Ayame looked at Kakashi and gave a questioning look as if asking if it would be alright. Kakashi just gave a small nod as he stepped forward "You will meet with Hokage-sama as soon as you enter onto the main floor, so telling you who he is right now isn't a problem. However, as always, telling anybody outside of this mansion without permission and before the ceremony; will be met with a rather unfortunate end."
None of the elders flinched, it wasn't the first time they had been told something like that. They were used to threats regarding information, even from someone like Kakashi.
After the elders just nodded and said no more, Kakashi took a deep breath as he spoke "Fifth Hokage-sama is somebody that I've known for a good bit of time now. I was trained by his father, and I was one of the ANBU who watched over former First Lady Kushina. He is someone this village has long held a false content for due to the wishes of some of the higher-ups. His name...Is Naruto Uzumaki."
Immediately some of the elders looked at Kakashi as he had gone mad, while others merely raised an eyebrow since they had only heard his name briefly before. Everybody in the room was surprised, having expected one of the Sannin to have been picked.
There was silence for several moments before Hochi gave a small sigh "I see...So Hiruzen's second successor is the son of his first successor? I pray that he doesn't have the same emotional attachments that his father does; after all, the Hokage is to put the village before his personal family."
Kakashi glared at Hochi after the remarks but didn't say anything more as the other elders seemed to nod in agreement with Hochi, causing Kakashi to send a glare at all of them as he turned back around. "Kakashi…"
Ayame quietly said Kakashi's name, yet he just responded with a low tone "Be at the main floor as soon as you can."
Kakashi left without saying anything more; leaving Ayame to bow towards the elders and shut the doors.
The elders all just kept their stares on the door as Hochi quietly said under his breath "This village has too many emotional attachments."
As soon as Ayame closed the doors, she turned and walked over to Kakashi who was already moving onto another room "Kakashi, I apologize for the remarks by my own blood."
Kakashi stopped as he kept staring ahead, his eye closed "What are you apologizing for? They're just a bunch of washed up shinobi stuck in the past."
"Even still...I don't know much about you, but I can tell you're very close to Naruto-sama; almost like a father figure to a degree. I also wasn't aware that Naruto-sama was the son of the Fourth Hokage; who was your sensei. I can imagine that their words cut rather deep."
"A father figure huh? I don't know about that; a father figure would have done more shield Naruto from some of the abuse he got."
"But you couldn't because of the orders from Hiruzen-sama, disobeying your Kage is the worst offense a Shinobi can commit; other than treason." Kakashi gave a small laugh as he opened his eye and looked back at Ayame.
"You're telling that to someone who at one point tried to assassinate the Third." Ayame showed some shock and surprise on her face as Kakashi told her this as a small smile graced his lips from under his mask as he looked back towards the other doors "If I was at one point willing to do that; then protecting Naruto should have been a no brainer."
"Kakashi…" Ayame didn't say anymore as Kakashi started to walk forward again.
"Well, we still have the others to tell, come on."
"Right…" Ayame joined Kakashi's side, as they went to the other rooms to inform them all to meet in the main room.
Kakashi sighed but nodded as he left the main room and joined Ayame in gathering the other members of the family, leaving Naruto and Ibiki alone together in the main room with the guards and servants.
A few moments of silence passed before the servant from earlier brought a tray of a wide variety of drinks over to Naruto, surprising him "Huh? What's this?"
Ibiki gave another small laugh as she motioned towards all the drinks "This is every drink we have here in the house, you're free to drink whichever one you want and of course can request refills. We have everything from strong wine, all the way to everyday soda."
Naruto nodded as he looked over all the drinks and reached for the clearest one.
"Oh? Didn't peg you as a heavy drinker."
Naruto immediately dropped his hand after hearing that remark as he sighed "Not to be rude, but I don't exactly drink. I'll just have water."
The servant nodded as he moved the tray over to Ibiki, who picked up a glass of wine as the servant headed back towards the kitchen "I'm a bit surprised, most genin relish the fact they are now able to enjoy a drink; though you're current rank obviously allows you to enjoy."
"W-Well, I've never really seen the point, to be honest. Getting drunk, saying stupid things, doing stupid things...I've seen people really ruin their lives after just one night of drinking, so it's something I shouldn't do; especially now that I'm Hokage."
"You're very mature in that regard, even still, one drink won't ruin your entire life."
"Heh, well let's just say that I've seen sensei drunk and that kinda turned me away from ever trying it."
"Huh? Sensei? You mean Kakashi?"
"A-Ah no...It's a bit of a long story." Naruto gave an awkward laugh as Ibiki leaned back some.
"Well feel free to tell me whenever you want Hokage-sama."
"Sure thing! But before that, stop with all the 'Hokage-sama' stuff; you've known me for a bit as Naruto after all."
"I've only known you as a friend of my son; besides, I called Father 'Hokage-sama' numerous times in private."
"Yeah, but the old man was used to it….Still, how was that?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean becoming part of the Old Man's family; it can't be easy marrying the son of the Hokage." Ibiki looked at Naruto for a moment before she smiled and took a sip of her wine.
"Well it was an experience, to say the least, we were both ANBU agents, so our only free time to chat was on our off days. You see, for the longest time, I was apart of the intelligence operations, so most of my missions revolved around spying and gathering information. I had missions where I had to go on 'blind dates' with potential threats, to missions where I spent every minute of every day watching someone's every action. My husband was above me as he was apart of the Security Operations, and was one of fathers personal bodyguards; meaning he was regarded as one of the best agents around."
"Best agents?"
"It's not surprising you don't know considering you just became Hokage, but the ANBU who have been set to protect you are the greatest shinobi in this entire village. They've seen everything from death, to torture, to even slavery. They've dealt with it all and lived to tell the tale; to be assigned to protect the Hokage is the highest honor an ANBU agent can receive other than being named Hokage themselves. After all, not only can they not allow the Hokage to perish, but they must also not allow anybody to learn of their true identities. Being apart of the ANBU requires both you to sustain a healthy social life along with dealing with intense and cruel missions."
"Wow, that's pretty amazing actually. I bet that means you were awesome back in the day huh?"
"Heh...I guess so. Intelligence Agents are at the very bottom of the pole in term of ANBU rank. Not that we're weak or anything, but we're the most unproven, and it takes years to receive recognition from the higher-ups; even if you are the best at your job. The only reason I ever moved up was because of my husband actually; we met each on a co-op mission once and through our relationship; he told his father, Third Hokage-sama, about me. A few weeks later, I'm promoted to Espionage Operations. Still a low rank, but I still felt good about getting some recognition."
Ibiki gave a laugh as she took another sip of her wine, as the servant entered back into the room with a tray full of water. Making Naruto laugh nervously as he grabbed one and thanked the servant before he looked back at Ibiki. "I see...If you don't mind me asking, what happened to your husband and how did you obtain your current injuries? I'm just a bit curious because Konohamaru was crying about it yesterday."
"It's not a problem; I have nothing to hide. A few years ago, my husband retired from the ANBU and immediately set out to Iwagakure to talk to a business partner he had met to begin discussions about opening some sort of business together. The entire process was shady to me, but my husband was very confident in the whole thing. Sadly, my suspicions were worth something, because he was ambushed and though he put up a valiant effort; he was struck down."
Ibiki gripped her drink tightly, something that didn't go unnoticed by Naruto as he reached down and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I still remember the anger and sadness I felt when I was informed of what had happened, how I had grabbed my gear and set off, despite still being apart of the ANBU. I was practically committing treason by not getting permission, but I didn't care. I wanted revenge for my husband. I completely ignored Konohamaru and put my own ambitions first; I'm not afraid to admit that. I remember finding the men who killed him and battling them; killing as many as I could. Honestly, I should have died in that fight. I only survived based on the anger I was feeling at the time that gave me strength. Like my husband, I lost the fight. However, I wasn't killed completely; and days later while on the verge of death, I was found by a search party from Konoha. My legs are forever numb because of that fight, and honestly, I should be dead. If not from the killers, then from the Hokage. Yet he spared my life, saying that his son would disapprove of him killing his wife because of her selfish reasons. Though I think the main reason he spared me was because he didn't want Konohamaru to lose both of his parents so close to one another."
Ibiki wiped away the tears coming down her eyes as Naruto eyed her sadly as he looked down and hid his own eyes with his hat "I'm sorry Ibiki...I should have been more considerate and just looked up the details myself. I'm sorry."
"No...It's fine, the fact I still can't move on is just a sign of weak I really am. I'm glad you became friends with Konohamaru, I had to put on a public face of disgust at it but...All I can is I'm sorry."
"I've heard that phrase more in the past two days than I ever did in my entire life, and every time I answer with a simple, it's fine. But Konohamaru was strong before I became friends with him, and he will always be strong no matter what. It's not because of anything I did, but it's because he has a mother that continues to push on every day despite everything that she has had to face in her life. To me, that's something that is even more impressive than achieving one's dream."
"Heh...You sound just like my husband, always an optimistic view on life. Who knows, maybe my husband used you to help Konohamaru along in life; to let him know he's always there."
"I don't doubt that one bit." Naruto gave a smile as Ibiki looked at him and returned it, the two of them acknowledging with one another that they both had a responsibility to help Konohamaru along the way.
On cue, the sound of feet running could be heard as Konohamaru soon ran onto the main floor and into the main room, pulling Yuri along with him as he stopped in front of his mother and Naruto.
Immediately, Konohamaru was a bit jaw dropped when he saw Naruto in his robes and hat; a sight he had tried to imagine, but the actual thing was even more amazing. If it weren't for the fact that all the eyes in the room were now on him, he would have just kept staring "Ah Konohamaru, nice to see you again!"
Naruto gave a smile as he called out to Konohamaru, who gulped as he nodded. "Y-You, to boss!"
"Kono! Who is your boss you're talking about?" Yuri jumped in front of Konohamaru and yelled out, causing him to sigh.
"Isn't it obvious? It's Naruto of course!"
"Who's Naruto?"
"He's the one in the robes behind you." Yuri raised an eyebrow as she looked behind her and at Naruto, who just gave a small wave as she raised an eyebrow.
"Why does he have on clothes that look like Raikage-sama's?"
"Because he's the Hokage! Meaning that he's the leader of our village."
"Hm...So, he's kinda like Raikage-sama?"
"Not kinda, he is like the Raikage! He's one of the five Kage's alongside the Raikage meaning he's just as powerful as the Raikage!"
Yuri had a surprised look on her face as she spoke with a hint of nervousness "R-Really?"
"Yes really! That's why I'm so excited that he's here! He's my best friend and the leader of our village!" Yuri's eyes went wide as she looked back at Naruto, who again gave an awkward wave as he smiled at her.
"W-Wow! Mama always told me that Raikage-sama could only be matched in power by a few other ninjas! I-It's amazing you're friends with someone so strong Kono!"
"Ehehe! Well, I know how to pick my friends."
Naruto gave an awkward laugh as he tried to call out "H-Hey Konohamaru, maybe tone down the pra-"
"I-It's an honor to meet you, sir!" Yuri called out to Naruto before he could finish, as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small flower as she nervously walked over to Naruto "M-Mama always told me to show respect to Raikage-sama! I-If you're as powerful and important as him, t-then please take this!"
Naruto raised an eyebrow as he took the small flower out of the girl's hand and looked at it, it wasn't anything special, but he could tell that she meant her praise. He gave a small smile as he placed the flower behind his ear and nodded "Thanks, this is an awesome gift!"
"I-I'm glad sir!" Yuri said this very nervously as she backed up some, not knowing how to react to the presence of someone on the same wavelength as the Raikage.
Konohamaru pumped out his chest; feeling vindicated that his best friend was being praised right in front of him "You should see boss sometime! He's taught me so many amazing jutsus and training techniques! It's thanks to him that I'm already on the road to becoming the Sixth Hokage!"
"R-Really Kono? You're just like Raikage-sama! Moma told me that Raikage-sama learned from his own papa, who was the Raikage before him!"
"Ehehe, I guess you could compare me to him!" Konohamaru was now enjoying the praise that was being thrown onto him, making Naruto give a small laugh.
Ibiki though just eyed her son with a small smile, happy to see the air of despair that had been following him seemed to have vanished.
The scene lasted like this for several more minutes, with Yuri giving praise to both Naruto and Konohamaru; with Naruto and Ibiki just watching with amused looks.
However, the scene was interrupted as slow prodding footsteps, and canes could be heard, and eventually, the elders walked into the main floor; causing an air of uneasiness to sweep through the room that didn't go unnoticed by Naruto or Ibiki,
The elders all just eyed Naruto suspiciously; the ones from Konoha not wanting to believe their eyes while the foreign elders seemed to be sizing him up. Naruto just returned the look with a small smile, knowing that he couldn't show any weakness.
Silence followed for a few moments as Konohamaru and Yuri just looked back and forth between the two sides, neither one making a move. The tense staredown was finally settled when Ibiki cleared her throat and spoke: "Honorable Elders, please have a seat on the couch to the right."
The elders didn't say anything as they all walked over and sat down one by one, none of them giving any respectful bows or nods to Naruto as they did so. Once they were all comfortable, Naruto cleared his own throat as he spoke: "It's a pleasure to meet the ol- I mean Hiruzen-sama's relatives."
The elders barely flinched as they kept their suspicious glares on him, the irritation on Ibiki's face was obvious, but she didn't say anything about their attitudes. Finally, the oldest member of the elders spoke "Naruto Uzumaki, son of the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze, and now the Fifth Hokage of Konoha. My name is Hochi Sarutobi, and if I must be frank, I'm surprised you were even considered, let alone approved as the next Hokage."
Konohamaru and Ibiki both narrowed their gazes at those words, yet Naruto remained calm "You're not the only one, I was surprised when I got the news myself personally."
Naruto gave a small laugh, yet Hochi made no such gesture "I hope you take the position of Kage more serious than a simple joke. Frankly; the fact that anybody related to the Fourth would even be chosen is a notion that is hard to grasp."
Naruto lost his smile as he looked at the elders, the words making him a bit on edge "What do you mean?"
"The Fourth Hokage was a man driven by emotion, and not anything else. If he hadn't sacrificed himself to save you, then not only would he still be in power, but Hiruzen would be alive as well. He was a failure in that regard."
Naruto clenched his glove hand as he took a deep breath, Ibiki looking at him with a worried look as she injected into the conversation "Honorable Hochi, please refrain from insulting Hokage-sama, this is not the place to have this-"
"Lady Ibiki, please stay out of this conversation." Ibiki was caught off guard by this as Naruto got even madder "Really this entire village is in shambles, not only do they name the son of a failed Kage as our new leader, but the one who takes over as the head of my clan wasn't even born into it, she simply married into it. Really it's amazing that we're even still sta-"
"Quiet." It was now Naruto's turn to interrupt as he looked at Hochi and gave a deadpanned response, causing the old man to raise an eyebrow.
"What did you-"
"I said to be quiet." Naruto gave an even more deadpanned and venomous remark, causing Hochi to glare at him.
"You are in the Sarutobi manor young man, do not try to act like you own the place."
"And you are in the presence of the Hokage and the clan leader, do not try to act like you own the place either." Naruto glared at Hochi as Ibiki felt sweat run down the back of her neck thanks to the intent Naruto was giving off towards Hochi.
"Hmph, despite your titles, you are both unsuited for your positions. The clan leader isn't a blood relative of any of us, and the Hokage is the son of a fail-"
"You don't know anything about my dad!" Naruto gripped his hand as he yelled out to Hochi "Yeah, I never knew him either! But I know he loved me and that he loved this village! I felt it when I put on the outfit he passed down to me! So you can shut the hell up."
"A feeling? How ab-"
"I do think it's time you obey the Hokage Hochi Sarutobi." The sound of metal could be heard as Hochi felt it's cold exterior inches from the back of his head.
"Kakashi-sensei…" Naruto instinctively said this under his breath as Kakashi had appeared behind Hochi and had aimed a kunai down at the back of his neck. "I'm surprised you're back already."
"Me and Ayame split up, I grabbed the men, and she grabbed the women. The men will be down soon; I don't know about the women, however. But Hochi, I think you should keep that mouth quiet from now on."
Hochi gritted his teeth as the other elders just looked at Kakashi with intrigued, none of them really taking a side and just more interested in what could potentially transpire. However, he wasn't keen to listening "Or what? Is the Hokage going to kill me in front of my entire family, on the day of a private funeral no less?"
Kakashi narrowed his eye as he looked over at Naruto, yet Naruto stayed quiet as he looked at Ibiki. She nodded as she turned her attention to Kakashi "Kakashi, please escort Hochi out of the house."
"Kicking me out? What a snake-like move from the clan leader; I'm simply stating my thoughts on the matter, is that so-"
"Hochi." Naruto spoke with a cold tone as he continued "Lady Ibiki is the head of the Sarutobi clan and has direct control over you; so you will now leave."
"...Or what?" Hochi tried to stay resilient, but as soon as the words left his mouth; a cold feeling overtook the entire room as everybody felt an intensity bear down on them.
Ibiki gulped as she kept her stare on Hochi and whispered: "They're in position…"
Naruto was able to barely hear Ibiki, and he had a good feeling on who she was talking about. "Do you want to take that risk?"
Hochi continued to stay stubborn as he folded his arms "I have nowhere to go; kicking me out isn't an-"
*Snap*
The sound of fingers snapping could be heard from Kakashi, and almost immediately after…
"Agh!"
The sound of a scream and flesh being struck were heard simultaneously as four ANBU agents suddenly appeared around Hochi, two in the back and two in the front. The ones behind him stabbing both of his shoulder blades and the two in the front stabbing his legs, they weren't mortal wounds by a longshot; but they were enough to stop his movements.
Naruto was a bit taken back by this but tried not to show it by lowering his hat while Konohamaru quickly grabbed Yuri and moved her face away. Ibiki and the other elders just eyed Hochi with an expressionless face, not the first time they had seen such a tactic used.
Naruto coughed into his hand as he spoke to the agents "Take him to the hospital and treat his wounds; he's not allowed to return here until Ibiki Sarutobi gives him permission, however."
"Lord!" All four agents yelled out in unison before vanishing in a puff of smoke, along with Hochi. Even the blood that had been spilled was immediately gone. Naruto was a bit tense after seeing all that, yet Ibiki just sighed.
"Apologies for his behavior Hokage-sama."
"I-It's fine. Sorry for having to resort to that."
"No apologies are needed, my lord." Naruto nodded as Ibiki had taken back up her act as House leader since the elders were now present.
Konohamaru let out a breath he didn't know he had while Yuri nervously looked to see if anything else would happen. The other elders, however, seemed to nod in approval at Naruto for some reason, which only confused him even more.
Kakashi just sighed as he placed his kunai back into his vest as he looked at the casket "This could have started off a lot better."
Despite everything that had happened, the mood seemed to settle down as they waited for the others to arrive; the first group being the teenage boys.
Naruto recognized the few from Konoha, they were all his seniors at the academy after all; and almost all of them were shinobi. The ones who weren't from Konoha immediately bowed towards Naruto out of respect; and while the ones from Konoha were shocked and surprised, they eventually followed suit as the entire group sat on the couch to the left.
The next group were the grown men, all of them were veteran shinobi's from their looks, and they all bowed towards Naruto when they walked in; even the ones from Konoha who weren't jonin bowed towards him without any hesitation as they joined the teenage boys on the left couch.
After a few more minutes of small talk and refreshments being supplied, another group walked in. They were the teenage girls, and though a few of them were obviously shinobi; the majority of them weren't. They all had on black kimonos with the shinobi's wearing their headbands from their respective village.
The Konoha girls were taken back some when they saw Naruto, yet they still bowed towards him along with the others. However, unlike the men, the girls all kept their eyes on Naruto and whispering to one another. Naruto didn't really know what they were talking about, but the giggles he heard from them made him think they were either admiring him or making fun of him. They all sat at the far end couch opposite of Naruto's.
The final group were the adult women, who were accompanied by Ayame. They had the same clothing as the teenagers, yet many more headbands were in their group. They all bowed towards Naruto without hesitation as they joined the teenage girls on the far couch; with Yuri joining them after she saw her mother and ran over to her and Konohamaru joining Naruto on the back couch.
Once everybody was seated, Ibiki motioned for the servants to collect all of the empty drinks as everybody quickly finished their beverages. Once the drinks were all cleaned up, Ibiki coughed into her hand as one of the servants pushed her forward to the middle.
Giving one last look around, she began speaking "Welcome, honorable members of the Sarutobi family. We've been together for the past few days of course, but other than the introductory meal we've not had time to chat and get to know one another."
"Obviously, in this situation, I had hoped that such a day where we would gather would not be because of a dark situation such as this." She looked towards the casket as everybody sadly nodded, even the ones who didn't know Hiruzen all that well still could hear the pain in Ibiki's voice "But we can't change what has already happened, and because of that; all we can do now is celebrate the wonderful life of Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage of Konoha."
Ibiki continued on; detailing Hiruzen's life and how he rose to the role of Hokage. How he was a well-respected man in the village; and how he might go down as the greatest Hokage is the history of the village.
Naruto, however, had a bit of trouble staying focused. Memories of Hiruzen were flooding his mind, and if it wasn't for his hat; someone may have seen a tear run down his face. Naruto viewed the old man as a grandfather, and while he didn't agree with everything that Hiruzen did; he still thought highly of the former Hokage.
"Yet even in times such as this, we are a strong family; and this is a strong village. We will move forward, all of us. Already, we have ushered in a new age with our new Hokage." Everybody turned towards Naruto as he perked his head up towards her "Hiruzen-sama always told me that he hopes that the Fifth Hokage would be someone younger than him; well it's hard to get much younger than our new Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki."
Naruto gave a small smile at the line as she continued "The future is what we make it, that's what he always used to say to me. Even after I disobeyed orders and tried to avenge my husband...He still told me to keep living and make the future to what I want it to be, and I want it to be a place where my son and the other children of the world can live in peace."
Everybody nodded as Konohamaru looked down some, causing Naruto to pat him on the back. "He was a man that you could rely on, someone that would never let you down. I felt like I could talk to him about anything; I really felt like he was the only one who would listen sometimes."
Naruto nodded, knowing that feeling all too well. He couldn't count how many times that he went to the Third rather than Jiraiya or Iruka when it came to certain issues. "I don't want to ramble on, as many people here have things they wish to say, but I want to end with this. Never take anything for granted, and never doubt yourself. Hiruzen-sama taught us the importance of believing in ourselves and our village, and that is something I think we should all respect. With that said, I now welcome Tut Sarutobi for his remarks."
One of the older men nodded and walked over to Ibiki, and for the next hour; it was nothing but family members telling tales of Hiruzen and how much he meant to them. Some stories would be funny, others heartwarming, some heartbreaking. But everyone told of how amazing Hiruzen was; and how they were all so lucky to have known him in their lives.
Many had to hold back tears, and even Naruto had to hide his face at times with his hat. Finally, after about an hour and a half, the last person spoke as Ibiki took back over.
"Now...There's one last person I would like to ask if they have anything to say. Naruto-sama." Ibiki looked over at Naruto as he felt his heart trying to burst out of his chest "Would you like to say something?"
Naruto gulped as he nodded, prompting Kakashi to lean down and whisper "Do you have anything planned?"
"I thought of a few things." Naruto quickly whispered back as he pushed himself up as everybody's eyes landed on him. He slowly walked over to the casket, every step feeling like he had a thousand pounds on his shoulders.
Once he reached the casket, Naruto looked down as he extended his hand and ran it over the wood; the only thing stopping him from feeling it directly were his gloves. Taking another gulp, Naruto reached up and took his hat off as he laid it at the head of the casket.
He was silent for a few more moments before he looked up and began speaking "I personally think, this hat looks a lot better on Hiruzen-sama than it does on me."
Some of the family gave small chuckles as Naruto had a small smile on his face as he tried to find the right words "Ever since I was young, I had always dreamed of becoming Hokage. I always wanted to be the Fifth Hokage; it was always my dream to succeed the old man. But I never wanted it to happen the way it did; but as Lady Ibiki said, we can't change the past."
"I grew up without my parents, both of them were killed when the Kyuubi attacked on the day I was born. Yet I still had people to look up to. Jiraiya of the legendary sannin might be the reason why I'm even Hokage; after all, I wouldn't be anything without his training. Iruka Umino, a teacher at the academy, was always like a big brother to me. I wouldn't have gotten anywhere without them...But the person I might have looked up to and idolized the most was Hiruzen Sarutobi."
Naruto put his hands together as he tried to piece his words together "I was bullied, hated and ignored by many people of this village growing up. It was a feeling I hope no kid ever has to go through again. Despite that, Hiruzen was always there for me; he always encouraged me to keep moving forward and to never lose out on hope. I don't blame anybody in the village for how I was treated going up, and Hiruzen played a big part in that."
"I don't know how well I'll do as Hokage; I have two big pairs of shoes to fill after all. Not only do I have to fill the shoes of the great Hiruzen, but I also have to fill the shoes of the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze...Or as I like to call him, my dad." A few gasps and whispered could be heard as Naruto gave a small smile "I know that Hiruzen is looking down on me and watching over me along with my parents, and I can't do anything but say, thank you."
Naruto had a tear run down his face that he quickly wiped off, though many looks of understanding and acceptance could be seen on the family members faces when they saw the tear. "Thank you...To my dear friend and mentor, Hiruzen Sarutobi."
Naruto looked down at the casket as he picked his hat back up as more tears fell down his face "I love you...Old man."
Naruto placed his hat on his head and lowered it as many of the family members gave him looks of sympathy as he walked back over to the couch draped with the Konoha flag and sat down, Konohamaru giving him a hug when he sat down to try to console him while Kakashi placed a hand on his shoulder.
Ibiki had a look of sadness on her face, regret filling her for having to ask Naruto to say something. Still, she had to go on. She got back in the middle and spoke: "If nobody has anything else to say, the casket will now be draped."
After no one else spoke up, the servants walked over with a flag of Konoha and draped it over the casket as flowers were brought in and laid at the bottom. After everyone said a small prayer of respect, Ibiki spoke one last time.
"A feast has been prepared to celebrate the life of Hiruzen Sarutobi, and everyone is invited. You can also attend Hokage-sama." Ibiki looked over at Naruto, yet she was hurt to see that he didn't look up as he kept his hat over his eyes. Still, she understood how he was feeling as she motioned for everyone to head on.
Everybody began moving slowly as Naruto stayed put, not wanting to move as more tears ran down his face. He had already accepted that the Third Hokage had passed on, yet just saying all that really drove a stake into his heart about it.
Konohamaru didn't move as he just looked at Naruto and quietly spoke "Boss…"
"Konohamaru, go enjoy the food with your family." Naruto quietly spoke, as he eyes cast a downward glance.
"Come on boss; we would love to have you join us!" Naruto was silent for more moments as he shook his head.
"It's fine; I should head on back anyway."
"Boss, don't be like that."
"It's fine Ko-"
"U-Um…" Naruto and Konohamaru were interrupted by a voice, and when Naruto looked up; he saw many of the teenage girls from earlier standing in front of him with red faces. "H-Hokage-sama…"
"Hm? Yes?" Naruto looked up at the girl who spoke, causing her to redden even more.
"U-Um, would you like to join us? W-We all contributed to the food, and we would be honored if you ate some of it." Naruto was a bit taken back as the girls spoke, never having really been invited to eat with someone before; other than his usual friends.
"A-Ah, but the food you made was for the Sarutobi family. I'm just merely a bystander."
"T-That's not true! Y-You are Uncle Hiruzen's successor, and therefore a part of this family to! S-So it be great if you joined us." The girl held out her hands as she had a black cloth in it, as Naruto reached out and grabbed it as he used it to wipe the tears off his face.
"Well…" Naruto looked down at Konohamaru, who gave him two thumbs up. "Well alright, I guess I can have a few things to enjoy."
"R-Really!?" The girl speaking had some genuine excitement in her voice as Naruto nodded, as the other girls mini squealed and whispered to one another as Naruto pushed himself up.
"You coming Kakashi?"
"Oh no, I have a few things to take care of. Don't worry; I'll be close by."
"Ah, alright then." Naruto lowered his hat as he tied it around his neck as the girls got even redder from seeing his full face again as all of them plus Konohamaru accompanied Naruto to the dining hall.
Kakashi on the other hand just walked over to Ayame who was the only family member still present. "Not going to eat?"
"No, I'm about to head out myself. I have a few things I have to take care of before I return home."
"I see, well before you do; mind if I ask you a question."
"Hm? Is everything alright?"
"Yeah everything's fine; I just need to know something."
"That is…?"
"Are the reports true that the Fourth Mizukage passed away?" Ayame raised an eyebrow as she thought.
"Hm...I'm guessing you're asking because of how secret they are with information and also because of the bad blood between the Fire and Water Countries. When I snuck in the other day for an assassination mission, I heard of such murmurs but nothing definitive."
"I see, well...If you hear anything, be sure to let us know."
"May I ask why you're interested?"
"It's simple." Kakashi gave a small smile as he closed his eye "I feel like Naruto might actually be able to make them into an ally if they have a new Kage."
The sun shown over an orange sky as Naruto had been with the Sarutobi family all day, initially he was only going to stay for the feat. But he got caught up in storytelling, playing games with Yuri and Konohamaru; and even doing something called flower fortunes with the girls.
To say he was tired would be an understatement.
Naruto carried himself to the door as he shook everybody's hand and had brief chats until finally, he was outside; with the entire family in front of the manor with Ibiki talking to him. "Thank you for coming today Naruto; it really did mean a lot."
"Thank you for having me Ibiki; I'm sorry for losing myself a bit there."
"No need to apologize; it's clear that you were very close with him; I can't judge you for using human emotion." Naruto gave a nod and a small smile as Konohamaru ran up to him.
"Boss, you gotta come and play again sometime! Today was a lot of fun!"
"Well, next time I come over it should be on much happier circumstances I hope. Of course; it's not like I'm leaving the village; we can see each other every day you know."
"A-Ah yeah…" Konohamaru laughed as he scratched the back of his head, causing Naruto to ruffle his hair.
"Well, I should be heading on." Naruto grabbed his hat from around his neck and placed it on his head.
"Naruto-sama!" Naruto looked up as the girls from earlier ran up to him, each holding a box in their hands.
"Hm? What's up?"
"W-We all made something for you!" They all held out the boxes in their hands, causing Naruto to scratch his head.
"A-Ah thanks, but I can't-" Before Naruto could finish, several ANBU appeared and grabbed the presents from the girls as they looked at Naruto.
"We'll inspect the presents and then deliver them to your office sir." After saying that, they vanished as Naruto gave an eye roll.
"Well, that takes care of that…" The girls laughed as Naruto tipped his hat to them and turned around as they all had sad looks as they held their hands out towards him.
'He's so dreamy; I wished I lived here.'
'I do live here, and he still feels so far away! Why did I never talk to him in school?'
'Maybe I should ask my parents if we can move here?'
Naruto heard the girls as he let out an awkward chuckle, not used to such comments as Kakashi joined him by his side.
"You seem tired."
"Well, today was much longer than I thought it would be sensei." Kakashi nodded as he reached out to open the carriage, but once more was stopped.
"Hokage-sama." Naruto looked behind him and saw the elders from before, making him sweat. The elders to speak was a man in the middle missing an eye "My name is Pollo Sarutobi. I apologize for my brother earlier."
"Brother? Oh, you mean…"
"Yes, Hochi. He acted out of line, and all of us apologize for him." All of the elders bowed as Naruto just looked at them. "Honestly, we were all apprehensive about you being Hokage. We thought you would be immature, and wouldn't be able to lead the village. Yet through your speech, I can tell you're somebody that truly looked up to Hiruzen; and for that, all of us pledge to support and help you along the way!"
"I see, well I promise to do the best I can, and I promise the Third will never be forgotten!"
"Thank you, Lord." All of the elders bowed towards him which Naruto returned as Kakashi opened the carriage door as Naruto got inside and sat down, almost falling asleep from how soft the seats were.
As the carriage began to depart, Naruto waved to everyone as he felt another day begin to end.
2 Days Later
Naruto yawned as he sat at his desk, signing another piece of paperwork handed to him by Kakashi. He had spent all of yesterday and today doing nothing but paperwork, something that wasn't exactly fun.
Sakura hadn't been around since she gave him the cake, and Sasuke was still in the hospital though the doctors had hoped to release him soon. But until then, Naruto had mountains and mountains of paperwork to do.
However, as he was writing a knock was heard on the door before the jonin Aobi came in "Hokage-sama!"
"Hm? What's up?"
"Two things lord, first is that Team Ten have just entered into our barrier and should be back in the village in an hour; we can confirm that the Carpenter and his crew are indeed with them lord."
"Awesome! I'm glad to see the mission was a success!"
"Indeed, however, we have one other thing, my lord."
"Huh? What is it?"
"Lord, we have just received a carrier pigeon from Sunagakure. They apparently wish to redo parts of the surrender agreement."
Guest Responses
Guest: Our Boy Lee? Yeah I might be able to do something haha.
Void: If I do every single thing I want to do, then this could be up to 100 chapters. Realisticely it might be more along 50-70 chapters, but I really can't say for the time being.
