Naruto: Altered History
Chapter 25:
-Hokage-
By Geor-sama

The fire of the shadow,
illuminates the village...

It took all of her will power to pass between the familiar green gates of the village, a village she had sworn never to come back to if she could help it. It was a village filled with painful memories, memories she had tried desperately to forget. It had prove futile however, since she always had the niece of her dead lover at her side.

Shizune was a constant reminder for Tsunade that she had failed her precious people. That her lover had died in the field, his blood on her hands and face. It was a wound that she could never close because of Shizune, and, though part of Tsunade hated her for that, the other part was thankful. Having it constantly reopened meant she could never forget him and, by proxy, never forget her brother.

Glancing at her former team mate, the biggest pervert she had ever met, she noted the pained look on his face. It took her a moment to realize that they were traveling down empty streets, places that held no bitter memories for her. Another moment was needed to figure out that, to spare her the pain of remembering, he was torturing himself with this route.

Heh, that school-boy crush he had for her was still in effect apparently. "Ever the Gallant Jiraiya, eh?"

"I made you a promise once," Jiraiya said, giving her a look that made Tsunade's insides squirm uncomfortably. Tsunade looked away, remembering the last time she had felt like this. Part of her resented Jiraiya for revealing that she still had people who could make her feel bad.

"Uh, Jiraiya-sama," Shizune said hesitantly from behind them. "S-shouldn't we be heading for the hospital?"

"I got a message a before we entered the village," Jiraiya said somberly. "It's best to head directly for the Hokage Tower."

Tsunade arched an eyebrow, then realized what that meant, and part of her still-surviving heart died just a little more. "He's dead, isn't he?"

"Come on," Jiraiya said by way of reply.

Minutes later, they entered the somber tower. Tsunade noticed the looks they garnered, but brushed it off. Her mind and heart were in turmoil at the moment, and all that mattered was whatever final business the old man had for her to deal with. A minute later, as they reached the hallway to the Hokage's, office she blinked at the feminine voice echoing from inside.

"-AND AFTER I CUT THEM OFF I'M GOING TO SHOVE THEM DOWN YOUR FUCKING THROAT!"

"WHAT THE HELL?! YOU'RE THE ONE THAT FREAKIN NEVER TOLD ME I WAS A CHŪNIN!" a male voice shouted back just as angrily.

As Tsunade entered the room, she found a dark-haired woman wearing a long trench coat shaking an orange and blue figure with wild blond hair.

"I SHOULD HAVE KILLED YOU IN KUSA!" the woman screeched, shaking him even more violently.

"WELL YOU DIDN'T, AND IF YOU TRY IT NOW I'LL KILL YOU, YOU PYHSCOTIC BITCH!" the boy screeched back obviously unintimidated.

"Aa, Anko, he does have a poin-" the familiar genius student of the Yondaime said from behind the Hokage's desk.

"YOU STAY THE HELL OUT OF THIS!" Anko snapped, making the masked ninja cringe.

"Er... I missed something, didn't I?" Jiraiya said, speaking up for the first time.

"YEAH!" Anko shouted, rounding on him as she tossed the blond boy away from her. "That little prick decided- wait, is that Tsunade-sama?"

"Er...yeah," Jiriaya said blinking.

"You actually found her? What, was she working off her gambling debt in a brothel or something?"

"Tsunade...brothel..." Jiraiya said, sounding wistful.

"AHEM!" Kakashi said, standing up and attempting to assume command over the office. "I think this can wait. We have other business to discuss."

"Oh no, don't mind me," Tsunade said with a snort. "After all, you only sent the world's biggest pervert to drag me back to a village I loathe with a white hot passion to save a sensei who died before we even got in the gates."

Sighing, Kakashi sat back down, eye dropping slightly. "So, I suppose offering you the job of Hokage is out of question?"

"Gee, let me see," Tsunade drawled sarcastically. "Do I want a job that has a hundred percent death rate? Uhmm, hell no. If that's it, I'm leaving now."

"Tsunade-sama, Konoha needs your strength," Kakashi said anxiously, rising slightly.

"What Konoha needs," Tsunade said fixing him with her glare "is to realize that no matter what pretty words they use, there will never be peace. Every Hokage has been a fool for risking their lives stupidly for an impossible dream."

"Tsunade-sama, you encouraged the Yondaime," Kakashi said, sounding reproachful "surely you couldn't have changed so much in so little time."

"Age changes people," Jiraiya offered sounding bored "and sometimes not for the better."

"Whatever," Tsunade snorted, crossing her arms "being a Hokage is bullshit. No one but a fool would do it."

"Well at least stay and take over the medical-" Kakashi tried to reason before a loud, irate voice interrupted him.

"Just let the bitch go."

Blinking, Tsunade turned to stare at the blond runt she had initially overlooked as just some random Chūnin. For him to be speaking like that denoted a lot of confidence and when no one started berating the boy, Tsunade realized there was more to him than just being a Chūnin.

"Naruto, this is Tsunade, the legendary medic." Kakashi explained, instead of berated "Even if she's not willing to be Hokage, we could use her to help bolster our medical care."

"Fuck that," Naruto said, glaring at Tsunade, arms crossed. "I wouldn't want such a cold hearted bitch in my village, Hokage or not. Saying all of that, I don't know or care why, but I want her out of my Village."

"Heh. Arrogant little bastard," Tsunade remarked to Jiraiya who was palming his forehead, before focusing on the blond. "What the hell do you think you're doing talking? This isn't any of your busin-"

"Oi, like hell it ain't!" Naruto shouted, stalking up to her, head craning back to stare at her. "I, more than anything, want to receive the Hokage name... So this damn well is my business! SO, GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY VILLAGE BEFORE I KICK YOUR GODDAMNED ASS!"

Tsunade opened her mouth, prepared to thump the little bastard with her finger and rip his head off. But that look, the sheer determination, it made her hesitate. It struck her hard, reminding her painfully of two others. She could see a reflection of Dan there, and of Nawaki, and it felt like a shard of glass dug itself deeper into her heart.

She wasn't sure how long she stood there, staring at him, but suddenly she realized he was gone and everyone was staring at her. Looking at Jiraiya, the only one she could stand to speak with, she raised an eyebrow. "Who the fuck was that?"

"Uzumaki Naruto."

Jiraiya was a legendary ninja, more than that; he was an expert on women. That was why he had gone to retrieve Tsunade, because only he could convince her to come back. Just like how it was only him that knew just how pissed off and confused Tsunade was now.

Naruto had spoken up, told her the truth and had done it in such a manner that had forcibly reminded the slug tamer of two ghosts in her past. Ghost's that she would never be able to banish, no matter how much sake she drowned herself in. Hence why he had settled himself into a chair while Shizune chased off after an irate Tsunade, and he had smiled at an irritated Anko as she realized Naruto had escaped her clutches.

Now alone in the office with the masked man, the Sannin was feeling marginally better. It was no longer his burden to care for the village; his debts now almost entirely paid off. All that remained then was to make ensure the protection of Minato's son.

"Jiraiya-sama , I need to-" Kakashi started to say before the Sannin interrupted him.

"I know the Sandaime died this morning, but this place feels like it's got oni as well as a Shinigami prowling the streets. " Jiraiya paused and gave Kakashi a pointed, knowing look that clearly ordered he be told the exact state of affairs.

"Its, a very tricky thing to explain," Kakashi temporized before leaning back in his chair "of course you know about Unity and the state that's put us in. Well we also have the subtle fact that one of our own, Uchiha Itachi, turned on us. He wiped out his whole clan, except for his younger brother, though there were rumors about another survivor but they turned out false."

"Ah," Jiraiya said with a slight nod, knowing that things had to be extremely bad for the village at the moment.

"But really, there's nothing to be too concerned about." Kakashi said in a falsely cheery tone.

"Kakashi," Jiraiya snapped warningly, needing to know and not appreciating the way the man was trying to hold back information.

"You're like sensei, always able to tell when I'm holding back information."

"Well, I did teach your sensei so it shouldn't be a big shock." Jiraiya said with a wary smirk.

"Good point," Kakashi allowed, his shoulders sagging "with the death of the Sandaime village moral is at an all time low. Our strength is severely depleted, thanks to Itachi and the fact that he slaughtered his entire clan and numerous ANBU teams. Oh and also thanks to Unity and its little soiree during the Chūnin Exams paranoia and distrust is running high between the various clans, regular forces and the governors."

"So basically, we're lucky none of the other villages have realized just how easy we'd be to annihilate right now."

"Exactly," Kakashi said with a slight nod "though at least then we'd have a common enemy to draw us all together again. Still, there's no avoiding the fact that our forces are compromised and nearly non-existent. Of the ANBU and Jōnin lost during the Unity battle, those who died fighting against Unity easily outnumber the dead Unity members five to one."

"Meaning that Unity effectively shrunk those ANBU and Jōnin that you can trust and then melted back into the crowd, so now you have no way of knowing who is who."

"Exactly, and with the numbers shrunk along with now being the official Hokage, I have to appoint new people to key positions and I'm risking the chance that they're Unity." Kakashi shook his head, reaching up to run a hand through his hair. "The Military Police is under the control of the Hyūga aided by the Inuzuka so at least there's that."

"Still, you have a black ops force you can't entirely trust."

Kakashi nodded, looking at him in almost desperation. "I have no idea what or where this could be heading; an ANBU I can't completely trust, a Military Police weaker than ever ran by a Chūnin, having to bolster our ranks by promotions that are too early and then lowering the graduation age for the Academy to increase our Genin numbers."

"Heh, the more things change the more they stay the same." Jiraiya mused, staring off into the distance silently remembering back during his childhood. Back when the minimum graduation age for the academy had been thirteen, only to change to ten as war broke out.

"Jiraiya-sama, please," Kakashi said, drawing the toad hermit from his brief trip into the past "I don't have the energy to be the leader our people will look up to. If Tsunade-sama won't do it, please take the title of Hokage and lead us."

The Sannin stared at the man, and admittedly, he was tempted to take the offer. His dream at one point had been to be Hokage, despite Tsunade and Orochimaru's ridicule. As Hokage he could do a lot of good, he could also enact a law that required all hot kunoichi to wear bikini's at all times, but ultimately he rejected the idea.

He was too old, too jaded; he trained Hokage's, but he could never be one himself. The bitter truth about being a Hokage was not for him and he knew it. Sighing heavily, the Sannin heaved himself up and then shook his head.

"I've been out of the scene for too long, the people need a leader they already know. One that they trust," Jiraiya paused, a small grin on his face. "For better or worse, you're the Godaime Hokage now."

"...but do you have any idea how hard it is to get five minutes alone to read my precious Icha Icha?"

"If you think that's bad," Jiraiya shot back breezily "imagine me trying to get five minutes alone to write you're precious."

"Hmm, maybe this is for the best after all."

Uzumaki Naruto was not a perfectionist, nor was he obsessive. However, he was determined to be better, determined to be Hokage. Hence, he was now in a slightly remote training area, practicing the moves Anko had taught him as well as other things that he was creating on his own.

Mostly though he was trying to figure out how to silence his movements.

Without even looking at the post or moving his body, Naruto struck, driving his kunai as far into the post as humanly possible. Producing another one, he twirled it and then struck again, moving beyond the basic move into a more advanced strike. He struck repeatedly, advancing each level as he went, unable to rationalize how the style was flawed.

He knew he was moving without telegraphing, without looking at where he wanted to strike. The only real had to be the noise he made as he moved, but he couldn't even hear it, so he had no clue how to fix it. Sweating, he paused, frowning as he stared at the training post riddled with bladed weapons. Then feeling someone approaching from behind he turned to find the buxom woman from the Hokage's office behind him, and he couldn't help but glance at the cleavage on display.

Shaking that off, he looked up at her, scowling. "What do you want?"

"Oh, nothing much," Tsunade said lightly. She offered Naruto a smile that he recognized as insincere from the start. "You just impressed me earlier with all your talk. I just had a couple questions, really."

"Like I care," Naruto muttered, turning back to his post and eying the worn wood.

"Do you know," she started, her voice soft, capturing his attention, "what it means to be Hokage?"

At this, Naruto stiffened and slowly turned back to face the older woman. With a voice as serious as sharpened steel, he replied, "Yeah. I know."

"Then maybe you also know it's pretty much suicide," Tsunade said, with a nasty sneer. "You look pretty dim, but I didn't think you'd be stupid, kid. Then again, Yondaime was a genius Shinobi, and look how foolish he turned out to be."

"The Yondaime was the greatest Hokage!" Naruto retorted angrily, flexing his hands. Whatever personal resentment he held for his dad, the Yondaime had been a great Hokage.

"Oh, you're right. He was the greatest Hokage," Tsunade retorted waspishly. "Out of all of them, he's the only one that didn't leave a family member behind. He didn't leave a wife or a sister or a grandchild or a niece to cry and deal with his self-righteous, selfish desire to be a 'hero'."

"You have," Naruto grated out, walking toward her slowly, "no idea what Arashi left behind."

"Arashi?" Tsunade repeated blankly, before a knowing look flashed in her eyes. "Oh, is that it... You think, just because you two look alike that you're related? Knowing Jiraiya, he's let you believe that too hasn't he."

"My dad died killing the fucking Kyūbi," Naruto shouted angrily. "He gave everything, everything, to save this village. Every Hokage has! I will, too, because this village gave me a chance! I was hated, loathed, ostracized for the first twelve years of my fucking life, but they GAVE ME A CHANCE! This village let me grow up, despite the vast majority thinking I was a spy! I have a friend and family because of the chance they gave me! IF I HAVE TO REPAY THAT CHANCE WITH MY BLOOD, SWEAT, TEARS OR EVEN MY DAMN LIFE, I WILL!"

"Can you even hear yourself?" Tsunade mocked. "'They gave me a chance, I'll repay that with my life.' If you're expecting gratitude, you're an even bigger fool than the Yondaime. Nobody cared, nobody. You got that chance because that stupid old man let his sentimentality get in the way. Do you really want to throw your life away for that?"

"I will pay that price," Naruto growled, eyes narrowing dangerously, "so that this village can give the same chance to someone else when they need it. I'm not a coward, and I won't disgrace my important people by running. I will make my life count for something, just like the Billy Goat, just like Arashi..."

"You just don't get it!" Tsunade snarled viciously. "No matter what pretty words you use, that dream of yours is stupid and suicidal."

"I don't care," Naruto growled, slamming his fist into his hand, "what you fucking say! Being Hokage is the greatest thing anyone can do! Insulting the Hokage is the same as insulting this village, the dreams, the precious people inside it!"

"What will it take to make you realize that stupid little kids shouldn't joke about foolish dreams-"

"Oi, what about you?" Naruto said cutting her off, his anger burning brighter by the second. "What have you ever done in your miserable life that mattered? Did you even try to make your life count? Or did you just run away the first chance you got?"

"My life- You can't even understand my life! I've lost more than you'll ever understand!" Tsunade said, glaring at him. "I've lost everyone precious to me all because they believed in the same foolish dream."

"Oh," Naruto said, looking down before looking up at her. "So, you betrayed them? You ran away from them?"

"Shut up!" Tsunade growled menacingly. "YOU DON'T HAVE ANY RIGHT-"

"Oi, I'm right aren't I? You ran away from them. You made their lives count for nothing; you turned your back on them and the village that they loved. You're a coward."

"I SAID SHUT UP!" Tsunade shouted, tears beginning to form.

"I bet they're proud, huh? What were there names... Or have you forgotten that, too?" Naruto mocked, stomping closer. "You coward! They must be rolling over in their graves-"

"SHUT UP!" Tsunade roared, cutting him off as the back of her hand slammed into the side of his head.

Naruto's world exploded at the impact, his body hurtling through the air before he landed with a sickening crunch against the base of a tree. His mind reeled, trying to function despite the pain. He could taste blood, his blood, and suddenly his heard cleared and he regained his feet.

With a roar, he charged the lost-looking woman, concentrating the chakra in one hand while striking with his other to form the ball of chakra. A moment later, his arm swept back with the Rasengan swirling in the palm of his hand. "TAKE THIS YOU BITCH!"

Tsunade seemed to snap out of her stupor, surprise on her face, and then drove a single finger into the ground.

The resulting splitting of the earth made Naruto stumbled and drove the Rasengan into the ground. A moment later, he went spinning backward from the force of the Rasengan to crash heavily into the ground. Wincing, he sat up, and then swore at the deep ravine that was now racing along the ground just to his right.

As he turned to shout at her, Tsunade's hand grasped his neck firmly and yanked him up. Struggling, he grasped at her hand, and then tried to punch her, only to have her slap him. Blinding pain exploded through his head once more, and Naruto couldn't help but scream; that had been worse than any hit from Anko.

Lashing out with a kick, he managed to connect with her chin, before suddenly being driven into the earth with a 'thump'. His back arched at the impact, his body exploding with yet more pain. Coughing, he struggled to sit up, but realized he was pinned by the vise-like hand around his throat.

"Hokage is not something you or anyone needs to be dreaming about. Kids have died, adults have died, OVER THE FUCKING DREAM OF BEING HOKAGE!"

"S-so?" Naruto wheezed, wincing as her hand spasmed and she lifted him once more to dangle in the air.

"It's a death sentence," Tsunade said evenly, dropping him contemptuously. "Give it up and be happy..."

Struggling his way to a crouch, Naruto coughed, surprised at how much his body was hurting if almost felt as if he had broken his bones. Looking up at her, he narrowed his eyes. "F-fuck you," Naruto panted, disturbed by the coppery taste of blood filling his mouth.

"Don't be a fool! Just give it up! Forget about being Hokage!" Tsunade shouted, tears beading in the corners of her eyes. "No matter how much you think you're different you'll die! Why won't you realize that?! Being Hokage, dreaming of being Hokage, is a death sentence!"

"So what? I'm going to die someday, anyway. I'd rather my life meant something! I'm not a coward; I won't run away, no matter what!"

"You... Why won't you...do you even understand what being Hokage will cost you?" Tsunade asked, the sheer pain in her voice disturbing.

"Oi, I understand..." Naruto managed, glaring at her. "But, shouldn't you be asking yourself what running away and being so cold is costing you?"

Tsunade stared at him, crying and then stumbled back a few steps before turning quickly and leaving him there in the clearing. Naruto stared after her, utterly confused, then stood rubbing at his jaw, wondering for a moment about what had happened. Then turning he started practicing once more.

Maybe he would talk to Anko later about this, well, after the woman had cooled off a bit more.

...and so a new leaf sprouts.

Konohamaru wasn't sure what to feel at the moment, which was understandable really. They had just finished the long, drawn out ceremony to honor his grandfather, and he was left standing pretty much alone. Asuma had, after a few hollow words, moved off to speak with Kurenai, while Moegi and Udon were off together, ignoring him.

Soaked to the bone, Konohamaru stared at the rain-slicked picture of his grandfather in silence. He should say something, he supposed, but what was there to say? Hell, he hadn't even been able to see the old man before he died. How fair was that?

Thankfully, it was still raining -well, drizzling- which made the tears he couldn't stop invisible. The last thing he wanted or needed was people feeling sorry for him. Looking away from the picture and to the mountain high over head, where he could see his grandfather's face, he felt a small spark of anger.

Why had his grandpa died? He was the only real family Konohamaru had left, damn it! It wasn't fair, it just wasn't fair! Fighting back a slight sob, he turned to leave, but found his path blocked by someone. Craning his head back, he felt momentary surprise at seeing the blonde boy known as Naruto.

He looked so serious, his black clothes adding an air of importance. The blond looked down at him after a moment and tilted his head slightly. "Konohamaru."

"N-naruto," Konohamaru managed, wondering why he felt more intimidated by this boy than normal.

"So," Naruto said after a moment, raising an eyebrow. "I heard you got some ass-kicking in a while back."

Konohamaru blinked, put off by that. Everyone else had shouted at the idiocy of his actions; Udon and Moegi were treating him as if he had intentially set out to get them hurt. "Yeah, sorta, I guess...I mean, I tried..."

Naruto's lips twitched, and he reached out to ruffle his hair. "Oi, from what Anko said, you held up against an ANBU for a minute. That's not bad for an Academy brat, ya know?"

"Brat?" Konohamaru repeated blankly, before glaring. "I'll have you know I'm the best in my year!"

"Heh, I guess that's impressive, but remember: there's a difference between being first in school and being first in the field," Naruto intoned wryly. "So, so, don't you normally have those two other brats hanging around?"

Konohamaru winced, then hesitantly explained the situation. About how his decision to fight that ANBU had gotten them hurt, how they had told him they wanted nothing to do with him. It wasn't long after that he was talking about his own thoughts on the fight and how he had wished he could have done better.

Naruto remained silent through everything he had to say, then blinked as he finally came to a stop. Konohamaru took a breath and let it out, feeling a bit better now that he had actually talked to someone. Glancing at the picture on the table once, more he looked back at the older ninja intent on asking for some training only to have Naruto start talking.

"Your grandpa told me something once. I figure you should hear it too," Naruto said, then, pausing, stared up at the Hokage Mountain in silence for a moment. Looking back at him, with a slightly pained expression on his face, Naruto reached, out putting his hand on his shoulder. "See, we're all going to die sometime, and all we can do is protect everyone that's precious to us until then."

Konohamaru blinked, then shifted uneasily. That had sounded rather bleak actually, but wise in a weird sort of way. Sorta like he was saying to make your life count for something.

"Yeah, it sounded better when he said it," Naruto admitted with a shrug.

"Niisan, that sounded just fine," Konohamaru admitted to a startled Naruto. Then, he noted the drizzle was finally relenting.

Sighing, Ino closed her umbrella, relishing the ability to quit looking so stupid. Her mom had insisted on it however, so she like many other girls had stood under the umbrella. To Ino, it had made her self-conscious, as if calling attention to the fact that she was a self-absorbed brat.

Naruto hadn't seemed to notice though; he had been standing next to the new Hokage and the two Sannin.

Still, Ino was at least thankful not to be Hinata at that moment. The Hyūga girl had stood against her will under an awning next to her father and younger sister. Talk about conspicuous.

Sakura somehow had managed to forgo the umbrella and stand proudly in the rain next to the Uchiha she was so in love with. Then, thinking about how depressed the girl had been, Ino unintentionally sought her out. Sakura was walking away, hand in hand with Sasuke.

Many took him to be depressed, but Ino had seen him up close. She had seen the look in his eyes, the set of his jaw. He had withdrawn, but he was a storm brewing. There was danger written in his countenance that everyone else seemed oblivious to.

Despite that, Ino felt a stab of jealousy as she watched the two of them. Not because of Sasuke, but rather for the fact that Sakura and Sasuke both had someone to comfort them. Someone to help them through things, to simply care, because Ino knew that Sasuke did care in some way for Sakura.

So while Ino had her family, it wasn't the same and she was jealousy. It would never be the same as when Sasuke would seek and hold Sakura's hand. Or the possessive way Sakura would hug Sasuke and not let go.

"Ino?" Turning at the sound of her mom's voice, she blinked, staring up at the reproachful woman. "Can I say something?"

"Sure," Ino allowed, turning slightly too jealously watch Sakura and Sasuke.

"No Uchiha ever actually loves anyone," her mom said softly, moving closer. "At least, not as we love people. It's pointless to love him if he can't love you back."

"Mom-" Ino started to say before her mom continued undaunted.

"If you love him, it's because he's safe. We Yamanaka are never satisfied with being safe..."

"I'm not in love with him," Ino said with a note of pain. "I just... I just want someone to care about me, just a bit, and not like you and dad care for me."

"Oi, you okay?" Naruto's voice suddenly interjected, prompting Ino to turn and look at the blond. "You look like the old man at the restaurant whenever I mention not being hungry."

"I'm fine," Ino admitted semi-distractedly. "I'm just, ya know, like, really sad and thinking."

"Yeah, well, I'm going to Ichiraku for some ramen," Naruto said, sounding dejected as he glanced from her to Sasuke and Sakura, then back. "Thought I'd see if you wanted to come along, but I guess not..."

Ino blinked, confused at his actions. That had been so unlike the Naruto she knew. She considered going after him and asking what was wrong, but ultimately decided against it. Sighing she turned to say something to her mom but, froze at the slightly disappointed look on the woman's face. "What?"

"You know dear, it's not wise to ignore a granted wish. The Amatsu-kami might not appreciate it," her mom said with a slight reprimand in her tone.

"What are you talking about?"

"He came over here to check on you," her mom responded, nodding at the retreating Naruto. "I think that qualifies as caring."

"Mom," Ino said in annoyance then paused. Actually her mom had a point, which was scary. Ino didn't like it when her parents were right. It upset the natural order of things and it was annoying as hell.

"Oh, well. I have to get back to the house and start dinner. Your great-aunt is coming over for supper. At least, if Inoichi can get her to agree, but I don't know if he can, from what I hear Tsuande-sama is very fickle."

Ino nodded absently, staring at Naruto's retreating back. He was her friend. Definitely not her boyfriend or even a crush, Ino was sure of that. But, Ino could also admit she was a bit infatuated with him.

It was hard not to be after all, considering the time she had spent with him.

She was still the only one he trusted with the truth about his family. He had helped her cope with her first kill, he was an okay guy, and he had defended her several times.

More importantly, he seemed to care.

"Do you think I could invite someone?" Ino asked after a moment, glancing at her bemused-looking mom.

"I suppose so."

Nodding, Ino started after the boy muttering to softly. "I knew I was right about the black."

Shizune had searched the village as unobtrusively as possible, searching for her sensei. Tsunade however, had somehow managed to disappear and the only logical place that the Sannin could be at was the gates, waiting to slip away in silence.

Approaching the massive gates leading out of the village, Shizune hugged the pig in her arms just a tad tighter. There was a lump forming in her throat at the mere thought of leaving, Shizune didn't want to leave, but she couldn't just let Tsunade go off on her own.

She owed her uncle Dan; Shizune was responsible for keeping Tsunade from getting out of control. Though Shizune had to admit that she had not always done that job, for the first few months all Shizune had done was torment her mentor. This woman had let Dan die and Shizune had clung to that rationalization for a long time.

Until she realized that Tsunade was already, torturing herself far worse than Shizune could ever hope to.

After she realized that, Shizune realized that Dan had loved her, and that she should not be torturing Dan's love. She should be trying to protect it, trying to help it heal. But Shizune was a clueless child; she had no idea how to do that so she had settled on keeping Tsunade grounded.

Sighing, the medic-nin looked at the gates, and then blinked, realizing that they were sealed. Slowing to a stop, the dark haired woman looked around curiously, wondering where Tsunade was. By all rights, the Sannin should have been her, she was a creature of habit and this was where they had left from last time.

"Ton, tonton!" the pig squeaked softly wiggling in her arms.

"Tonton?" Shizune whispered looking at her pet, then lost her grip, letting the pig fall to the ground. A moment later, it went skittering away, off to the left, past the benches and into the park where Shizune remembered a lake being.

Running after the pig, Shizune wondered why until, panting, she came to a halt just at the edge of the park. Sitting against a tree overlooking the moonlit lake, was Tsunade, who was now cradling the pig in her arms. Shizune noticed belatedly the open sake bottle and saucer nearby.

"Ah, uh, Tsunade?"

"Shizune, you know I came here once when I was younger," Tsunade said, staring at the lake absently. "I was a Genin, and Jiraiya was trying to be, un-Jiraiyaish. I called him on it. Asked what the hell he was thinking would happen. You know what he told me?"

Shizune blinked and then brushed her hair behind her ear. She wasn't sure why her master was saying this, and it was bit unnerving. "No."

"He told me, admitted, he was a pervert," Tsunade said with a perfectly straight face. "He always would be, but he wanted me to know that, when it mattered, he'd be gallant for me."

"So?" Shizune prompted gently.

"I laughed in his face and said 'The Gallant Jiraiya? Stick to peeking up skirts, you pervert.'" Tsunade said sourly, before sighing. "But he always kept that promise. Every time I needed someone to be gallant, Jiraiya kept his promise."

Shizune nodded silently, wondering what was going on inside the older woman's mind. Was it just a trip down memory lane before leaving? Or was there another reason, perhaps related to that dinner with her distant family or the blond boy they had met in the Hokage's office?

"This village is filled with nothing but bitter memories for me," Tsunade said distantly, looking up at her. "He was gallant again today, and I realized that he was the last one I should ever lash out at."

"I don't understand," Shizune said shifting her weight, wanting to know and be on their way. "Tsunade-sama, aren't we leaving?"

"We'll be staying for a while. I've agreed to take over as the Director of Konoha's Healthcare program." Tsunade said, glancing away

"So we're staying?" Shizune asked blankly stunned by the turn of events.

"Yes, until I know," Tsunade said sighing, "if he deserves the cursed necklace."

Shizune nodded and sighed, feeling a bit relieved. It looked like she would be staying, like she had wanted to. But then she realized what Tsunade had said, and she wondered who 'he' was.

"I'll have to see Kakashi about arranging a mission to escort me; I have a lot of work to do before we can really settle down."

"Wait, mission? What mission?"

Kakashi couldn't help but sigh, settling into the chair silently. He still felt like he was intruding on the Sandaime, kept expecting the old man to show up and claim his place. But Kakashi knew that wouldn't be happening: The Sandaime was dead and buried.

He was officially the Godaime Hokage, and, as a glance at the clock on the wall confirmed, it was nearly midnight. Nearly seventy two hours into his official reign, and he was seriously considering letting Naruto just take over. Shaking his head, eye drooping, he instead looked at that stack of paper work on his desk.

Studying the papers, he glanced at his so-far unread Icha Icha book. Looking between the two, he wondered, which he should choose. On the one hand, he could handle the paper work, which was mostly pointless red tape, or he could read his precious.

The responsible thing would be to handle the paper work. The Kakashi thing would be to read his book. Weighing this heavy decision, he stumbled across the most obvious answer: He created a single Kage Bunshin and sent it off with the paper work.

Chuckling at his ingenuity, he picked up his precious and, flicking it open to his book mark, began to read. At least until he felt a presence in the office. Snapping his head up, he found one Mitarashi Anko standing in front of the desk, munching on her trademark stick of dango.

A sudden chill swept over him as he realized what this meant. He was in an empty tower with a woman that not only had a proven unstable personality but whom he had also slept with. "Aa, Anko? Is there, um, a reason you're in my office so late?"

"Well," Anko said, a grin that didn't reach her eyes, on her face. "I was sorta hoping to discuss a few things with you, Hokage-sama."

"Ahahah," Kakashi managed, reaching up to scratch the back of his head, his eye closed in nervousness. "What, exactly, did we need to talk about?"

"Well first, to remind you that the Sandaime agreed to only give me and my team B-rank or higher missions."

"Er, that was only for you and Naruto," Kakashi mused, then seeing her look continued "however, I wasn't planning on changing that. After all, your team has two Chūnin and a talented Genin, so they're perfectly qualified for such missions."

"Good, good," Anko nodded, taking a vicious bite out of her stick of dango, causing Kakashi to wince. "Now, I have a mission I want you to reserve for me."

"A mission?" Kakashi echoed blankly. "What mission and why?"

"The basics are simple enough," Anko said, holding her fingers up as she ticked of the requirements. "First, I need it to be an assassination mission, hence Rank A. Second, it needs to be performed solo. Three, it needs to be relatively quick and to the point, with no gray areas."

Kakashi stared at the woman curiously. True, some ninja made such requests, but Anko had never been so particular. Sensing something else at play, he sat back in his chair, studying her features. "Before I agree to this, who exactly did you have in mind for assigning it to?"

"Naruto," Anko said simply, with a shrug. "Who else would need or be ready for such a simple mission?"

Kakashi blinked then sat forward, eye wide as he stared at her. "...I haven't even had a full week as an official Hokage, and you want me to give Naruto a solo, A-Rank assassination mission?"

"Yeah," Anko said, munching on her dango happily.

"...Do you hate him?" Kakashi asked weakly, then, at her scowl, sighed. "Then it's me; you hate me, right? This is to get back at me for using Sasuke as a messenger during the exams."

"No, that's just a perk," Anko admitted, sitting on the edge of his desk, rubbing the finished dango stick suggestively against her lips. "I was just thinking he needs to do at least one."

"Uhhhh..." Kakashi managed, his visible eye widening at the suggestive image.

"I'd be really grateful," Anko purred, before flicking the stick with her tongue suggestively.

"I, uh," Kakashi managed, then, as her coat slid down her shoulder, revealing a lack of fish netting he gulped audibly. "O-of course... er... Just as soon as we get o-one..."

Anko grinned at that and winked, hopping off the desk and tossing her dango stick away. "That's a good Hokage..."

Kakashi nodded numbly, watching as she sauntered out of his office and then, sitting back in his chair, let out a frustrated sigh. Kami, she knew just how to get him to do what she wanted. More frighteningly, Kakashi knew that, now that she had him committed, he couldn't back out for fear of her retaliation.

Anko was both very seductive and very, very frightening.

Naruto sneezed once more, setting the small box of items down on the bed amid a cloud of dust. It was filled, of all things, with the various items he'd received while in the hospital. Rubbing his nose, he sighed. Over all, the house wasn't too bad, but it was definitely dusty.

Pausing, he mentally took stock of the house once more. It had an entrance area, which required opening another door to enter the actual house; a large living room with a modest kitchen located to the right of it; two large bedrooms; a bathroom, that had to be expanded with seals, since it had two separate showers, a bathtub that he could almost swim in and two sinks; and, to top it all off, a storage room.

The storage room was bugging him, though. As of yet, he'd been unable to open it, but Kakashi had warned him about things like that. As for the second floor, he hadn't been up there just yet, but he'd found the trapdoor ladder that he could pull down to climb up there.

Naruto was actually more concerned with trying to find some way of being comfortable here. Sure, he'd been alone in his old place, but now he was really isolated. He was thirty feet off the ground, on the side of a mountain. That was isolation if he had ever heard of it, plus that was another reason he had yet to spend a lot of time in the place.

Feeling his two Kage Bunshin expire, he sighed, feeling a slight stab of pain behind his eyes.

Ero-sennin had warned him about using the Kage Bunshin to relay information for the next six months, but Naruto had things to do. Namely, finish setting up his selected bedroom, which he considered the only enjoyable perk of owning a house. He could now look out over the village, with a breathtaking view, while denying the sun a chance to peek in at him during the mornings.

Best of all, the few windows on his house were one-way; the Yondaime really was a smart bastard.

Chuckling, he left the box where it was and strolled out of the second bedroom/current storage area and into the kitchen, where he collected an already prepared cup of instant ramen -Kami bless the Kage Bunshin!- and, a moment later, he was outside. Pausing to take in the impressive view of a forest waking up in the early morning, he sat down on the edge of the walkway that wrapped around his house and began eating.

In a rare moment of introspection, he mused about how much things had changed, how different the world seemed. The burdens he was carrying, the responsibilities; Anko, his team, Jiraiya, the Kyūbi no Yoko being sealed inside him... Kakashi as Hokage.

Now that just so strange he almost couldn't believe it.

Shaking his head, he set his now empty cup of ramen aside and leaned back on his hands, kicking his feet in the air. A moment later, he nearly fell as a voice spoke up from behind him. "Morning, brat!"

"Gah!" Naruto screamed, panicking and then, assuring he wasn't about to fall, turned to glare up at the grinning, white -haired Sannin, Jiraiya. "What the hell are you thinking, you pervert!?"

"That you'd make a great big red splat," Jiraiya remarked causally, sitting down beside him. "So, Kakashi gave you this place, huh? How do you like it?"

"S'okay, I guess. A bit empty, though," Naruto admitted with a shrug. "I grew up alone, so it's not really a big deal, and, I mean, it's great having a family house, but it's not the same as a family technique. I don't really feel like I belong here or anything."

"Heh, that's understandable," Jiraiya nodded. "The Yondaime didn't stay up here too much. It was his get-away spot, I suppose, but he sure as hell didn't live here."

"Ah," Naruto said with a nod, then, after a moment of silence, glanced at the older man. "So, so, what brings you by? There's not a swimming hole or bath around here, so you can't be here to peek."

"You really are getting smarter," Jiraiya said fondly before sighing. "Anyway, I'm here to see if you'd accept an offer to come train with me. We'd have to leave the village, even the country."

"Huh? Why?!" Naruto managed, startled.

"I'm a Sannin, plus I know a lot more than anyone else in this village. I could read underneath the underneath of the underneath in the report concerning Itachi. We need to get some control over it quickly. Plus, if my sources are right, Akatsuki is going to start actively hunting for you."

"Akatsuki? Why?"

"Itachi is joining them, and Orochimaru has abandoned their ranks. The only reason he's not dead is because he's spilled the beans about you. They won't move openly -they never have- but they will move, they've wasted too much time not to. This village wouldn't survive that sort of assault at the moment, each one is as powerful as any Kage, plus with Itachi on their side they'd especially have no problems getting in here and taking you."

"Damn it!" Naruto said loudly, glaring at the village, knowing that he was putting them in danger by remaining.

"Naruto, what I'm asking is hard, I know. If you stayed here, kept training with Anko, you could get strong enough to be Hokage. You wouldn't have to give up everything you've fought for. But staying is a luxury you can't have."

"I know. If I stay, those maniacs will come after me, and I'm not strong enough to stop them. I'd never be strong enough in time," Naruto said, lowering his gaze.

"They may not; they might need to catch other demons first. That could buy you some time."

"I can't risk that. I can't risk the village because I'm selfish. I have to do what's best for the village," Naruto said haltingly, as he pictured all his important people. "And everyone inside it."

"... Even if it means your life?"

"I'm going to be Hokage," Naruto said firmly, staring at Jiraiya, daring him to deny it. "I have to protect the village no matter what."

Jiraiya was silent for several long minutes, staring at him, then he grinned. "Heh, ya know what? I've known three Hokage's in my lifetime, and I've never met one that dressed in orange before." Getting up, the old man groaned. "I'll inform that brat Kakashi before I leave, I have to clear up a few things with my publisher, so a month or so from now, I'll come back and we'll start training. I'm pretty sure Akatsuki will wait for things to calm down around here before they start moving."

"Yeah, right, publisher." Naruto snorted in disbelief.

"You just talk to Anko and that girlfriend of yours, what's her name, Ino?" Jiraiya responded with a knowing smirk.

"What?! She's just my teammate!" Naruto protested, despite the heat in his cheeks.

"Ahuh. Face it, you like that green-eyed girl."

"Ino-chan's eyes are blue!"

"... And thank you for proving my point," Jiraiya said with a twisted grin before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

"GAH!" Naruto shouted, grabbing his head in frustrated disbelief.

The name Hokage is a promise
to die to protect the village.