Chapter 36: The Next Hokage

Naruto walked down the street staggering…slightly. He had drunk a bit more than he should have, but they were celebrating and it was only a few extra bottles of sake, and it was not like he had an assignment in the morning, well not one that he knew of. He chuckled to himself and stumbled forward catching himself on a bench. "Maybe I shouldn't, have had that, last bottle," he hiccupped grinning and laughing started on his way again. He stumbled up the steps to the house, fumbled with the door till it opened and he headed back for the kitchen to get something to help the headache he had developed at some point on his way home.
The lights were all turned off, he shrugged it aside; the kids would be out with their friends or something, he thought as he entered the kitchen. He walked past the backdoor and saw people in the yard. He passed by not thinking about it going to the sink for a glass of water. What had he come in here for? Ah, he felt the wind blow through the kitchen, the door was open.
His mind cleared as he walked toward the door, they knew better than to leave the door open. He looked around the door jamb to see what was happening in the yard. The kids were there along with someone disguised as Tsubaki. He furrowed his brow looking out in the yard. Was this serious or were they training in some strange way? Why would they be training like that? What would that accomplish?
"What's going on out here?"

A mischievous foreign grin spread across her own face, a strange sensation filled her looking over her brother's shoulder at her own face. What was that look about? She turned around just as her father's voice rang out in the yard.
"Dad help," the woman cried in her own voice, stopping her attempts to escape from Isamu. Tsubaki released the woman and her brother and ran back to the porch and her approaching father.
"No dad, it's that woman," she shouted leaping onto the walk to block his way. Her father took a step back looking between her and the pair in the yard. He took another step back and brought his hands up defensively.
"Who is my summon?" he asked looking straight into her eyes. His eyes were glazed over, he could not fight, but at least he had gotten out a question.
"Dad help," the woman cried again still being held by Ismau. Tsubaki looked back to her brother and the woman then to her father.
"Gamakichi," she answered, "and just about any other toad you want."
His hands lowered slightly looking at her. "Don't believe her, they got the information out of me," Tsubaki whipped around to face the woman.
If Naruto believed that he would assume that both of his children where using a transformation to trick him. There had to be some way to prove what was going on, but that woman knew all their habits, she had lived in the house with them for months. What was she going to do?
There was a loud crash inside the house. Naruto half turned to look in the door, back on full alert. Someone cursed loudly inside the kitchen as something else crashed. Someone was in the house. Tsubaki's mind started racing trying to determine who was in the house. It could not be her mother, she would have been able to navigate the dark rooms.
"Hey Naruto," Sasuke's voice carried from inside the house, Tsubaki tensed looking back to the woman. The grin had returned to her face. Both targets where together and apparently at less than what anyone would consider their worst. "I can't seem to get my door open, can I stay," Sasuke walked out of the house and stopped looking at the group. His eyes flashed from Naruto and Tsubaki to Isamu and the woman and back again.
"Sasuke, you have to go. It's that woman she's back," Tsubaki rushed at Sasuke meaning to push him back into the house. Her father's arms wrapped around her stopping her attempts to save Sasuke, and pinning her arms to her sides.
Sasuke looked between Tsubaki and the woman and shook his head trying to clear it. It obviously worked; he looked at Tsubaki and then the woman. "What happened the day I was attacked?" he shouted. A blank look crossed the woman's features, a look that Tsubaki did not miss.
Sasuke looked expectantly over at her, and her mind went blank. What happened? What had happened that day? She had passed Kakashi-sensei's test that morning, Isamu had gotten his cast off, she had finally found the Maneki Neko she wanted for Sasuke, that had been the day Kohaku cut her hair, she lied to Sasuke about her mother being sick and that was just what she remembered.
"I lied about mom being sick, and the Maneki Neko," she answered quickly, "and it was the day Isamu's cast came off."
Naruto released her and dove over the side of the railing to help Isamu. The woman had started fighting and was about to escape again.

"Capturing me won't stop anything, there are more and they won't stop until both of you are dead," the woman spat. They had released the transformation revealing the woman's true form, a sight which nearly paralyzed Tsubaki and sent a wave of anger through Isamu. Naruto had tied her hands in front of her, the rope went from wrist to elbow and he walked behind her with a firm grip of her shoulder. Sasuke walked next to her watching closely in case she tried something.
They were heading for the Hokage's office, Tsunade would be happy to see this.
They entered the building and walked up to the office, bursting through the doors to find Tsunade sitting at her desk with piles of paper work around her.
"Naruto I hope this is something really important," she did not look up from what she was doing.
"It is Lady Hokage," Tsunade looked up slowly. She grinned seeing who Naruto and Sasuke had brought her.
"Well this does seem important. Tell me, who do you have here?"
"It's the woman who infiltrated the village and attacked Sasuke, captured Tsubaki and targeted Isamu and myself while holding one of our kunoichi hostage."
"She's also a member of a group rising in power causing considerable problems for the Five Great Shinobi Nations, and increasing the numbers for human trafficking throughout the world." Everyone in the room turned to Tsubaki, but she continued, "they train young woman as assassins for internal affairs, and have overpowered whole countries without anyone noticing the change in power." The woman scowled and struggled against her bonds trying to get to Tsubaki. If the girl kept talking it would be the end of her.
"That's quite a lot of information," Tsunade leaned back in her chair looking at the young kunoichi. "Are you sure it's true?"
Tsubaki nodded looking at the scowling face of the woman; had she held her face passive Tsubaki would not have been so sure; but the reaction confirmed her beliefs. She had not been dreaming when she overheard those things weeks ago. "Yes Lady Hokage."

"It seems we chose well in accepting the Uchiha back into our ranks."
"He has proven to be very useful."
"It would also seem that you were correct in allowing the Uzumaki children to become genin."
"They are quite proficient in their assigned tasks and others they take upon themselves."
Tsunade just shrugged in response, of course she had been right about Isamu and Tsubaki, and she knew that allowing Sasuke back into the village was a good move; she was the Hokage after all. "Is that all," she asked.
"We have decided that given the agreement of the jonin,"
"We will allow Uzumaki Naruto to be Hokage." Tsunade smiled to herself.
"We will have a trial period in which to fully examine his abilities,"
"In one year's time we will know if he is fit to be the Hokage." Tsuande's smile formed a visible scowl on her face.
A year? What more would she have to do to prove that Naruto was fit to be the Hokage? She could just do as she pleased, she'd done it before. But that was not the best choice to get Naruto into the good graces.
"Why?" she nearly spat.
"He is still reckless."
"And we heard about his celebration the night that woman was captured."
"So, he was just having some fun with his friends," she had been worse off most every night than Naruto had been the other day.
"It is not proper behavior for the Leader of this Village," The woman haughtily turned her nose up.
"It's not what a role model should do, which is what Naruto will be once he is the Hokage." The man narrowed his eyes at Tsunade.
"He's already a role model, he has been for over fifteen years," Tsunade narrowed her eyes at the pair, she was in for a long fight but she was more than ready for it. She would see Naruto as the Hokage no matter what it took.
"We believe it is best that we hold a trail period."
"For the good of the Village."
"Naruto is the best option we have, appoint him to the title, the jonin will agree. If it's his character you're concerned about, don't be. Naruto will do what is best for the Village and he wants the title."
"We still have doubts."
"There is much still to discuss over his reliability and ability to rationalize."
"None of that is valid! Naruto has done nothing but search for Sasuke since they were teenagers. He is focused and one of the best Shinobi since his father the Fourth Hokage. Give him the title and be done with it."
"Or what?"
"What would you do if we refused?"
Tsunade growled at the pair, her unspoken threat delivered unmistakably. They glanced at one another for a moment then sighed.
"If you're wrong,"
"The fate of this Village will be on your conscious."
"It has been for twenty years."