We Raise Our Cups
"Uh… We got lost on the way of life?" Naruto explained, though it sounded more like a question. I raised an eyebrow and narrowed my gaze slightly. "I mean, that Danzo bastard was going to name Sasuke an official kill-on-sight-missing-nin and I knew that the Raikage wanted to kill him so I left to convince him not to!"
"Ah, why didn't you just say so?" I smiled innocently and Naruto took a step back from me.
"Please don't take away all the orange from me again!" he pleaded desperately while I looked at him sweetly. Suddenly Naruto's eyes opened comically, and he pointed an accusing finger at me. "Nee-chan! Did you just steal the Hokage hat?"
"How can one steal the Hokage hat?" I snorted and rolled my eyes at him. 'Did he just realize that now and not when Kakashi stated it?'
"Then when did you become the Hokage?" Naruto wondered out loud. "And how?"
"Oh right, just today actually. I was chosen because Shikaku's a bastard." I stated.
"Shikamaru's dad? What did he do?" Naruto asked, looking very much confused.
"He convinced the Council that I would make a great Hokage." I deadpanned, earing a snicker from Kakashi, a concerned look from Sakura and a star-eyed look from Naruto.
"Wow! Then my nee-chan is the Hokage! And you're training me in your way of awesomeness; that gotta mean that I'll be chosen next!" Naruto cheered happily.
"I trained you too…" Kakashi complained with a pout.
"But Kaka-sensei! You're not as awesome as Akira-nee-chan!" Naruto shot back and I chuckled in amusement.
"Mou, so mean…" Kakashi moped theatrically.
"Don't worry, sensei! Nee-chan is so awesome that no one can beat her. You're still my second favourite sensei after all!" Naruto tried to cheer up Kakashi.
"Second? Who's number one?" I questioned the hyper blond.
"Iruka-sensei of course!" Naruto said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Even an Academy Teacher beats me in Naruto's eyes…" I noted that Kakashi seemed to be in a melodramatic mode today.
"Anyways guys, mind explaining why Naruto and the rest of you were out of the village without the permission of the Hokage?" I asked sweetly, causing the trio in front of me to pale slightly.
"It's a bit of a long story…" Kakashi started telling me how Naruto originally left to convince the Raikage to leave Sasuke alone, with Kakashi and Yamato being Naruto's guards. Sakura moved on to explain why she and some other members of the Konoha 12 had left the village. Finally, they told me about the meeting with Sasuke and the capture of one of Sasuke's teammates; the red-haired called Karin.
"Sakura, I need you to tell Ibiki to get everything Karin has on both Sasuke and the Akatsuki. I don't care what he has to do; just get me something. Tell him to keep me updated." I ordered and the pinkette nodded her head and rushed out of the office. "Naru-chan, Konoha is still in need of rebuilding. Please help out with your Shadow Clones."
"Will do, dattebayo!"
With Naruto and Sakura gone to do their respective tasks, Kakashi and I were left alone in the newly build Hokage Office. Or rather my office. 'That's going to take me some time getting used to.' I huffed mentally.
"I take it you already know Danzo's dead?" Kakashi asked me and walked around my desk. He proceeded to lift me up, sit down in my chair before finally placing me on his lap. Instinctively, I snuggled into him, my body easing up at the familiarity of his sent.
"After I got my nii-san's eye and helped my adorable little Sasu-chan out a little, I figured Sasuke would finish him off rather quickly." I stated with a slight frown. "Of course, Shikaku and I have already taken care of the Council, so there won't be any consequences but there's still the matter of the Kage Summit."
"The Kazekage stopped by and explained some things to me." Kakashi hummed and started playing with my hair.
"So you know about the war." I remarked, earning a hum of confirmation from him. "I'm worried about Naru-chan. He's strong, no doubt, but he's still so easily distracted. As he is now, I can't risk bringing him to the battlefield. I know that the other Kage's feel the same way. But how on earth do you hide an entire war from someone like Naruto?"
"I have no idea." Kakashi responded and I groaned. "Maybe distract him?"
"Hm… I'll have to speak with the other Kage's about it." I contemplated. "If we can hide him somewhere, maybe we can convince him that it's a mission of sorts?"
"That'll probably work." Kakashi snorted in amusement. "Just say S-rank and he'll do anything you ask."
"Oh please, Naru-chan already does everything I ask." I smirked, practically feeling him pout.
"He never does what I tell him…" Kakashi complained.
"That's because I'm the Ever-Awesome Nakamaru Akira!" I cheered brightly and kissed his cheek softly. "Don't worry though, I still think you're great."
"I still think you're great too." He whispered back softly and pulled down his mask, allowing our lips to meet in a sweet but short kiss.
"I know the timing is horrible, but I have a mission for you. An S-rank one." I whispered and pulled away from him, ignoring my heart's protest. "But before I tell you about it, I'll have to let you in on a secret."
"You've been keeping secrets?" Kakashi teased light-heartedly. "How rude, my darling."
"It's about the Uchiha Massacre and the death of Uchiha Itachi." I started saying.
"It was staged, wasn't it?" Kakashi asked and I raised an eyebrow in shock. "Madara already told Naruto, Yamato and I the truth about the massacre."
"Well, from what Itachi told me, Madara was the one who helped him." I shrugged, not at all surprised that Madara knew, but slightly more surprised that he had told Kakashi, Naruto and Yamato about it. I started explaining the original plan to use Shisui's eye, Danzo's involvement and Itachi acting as Konoha's spy. I proceeded to explain how Itachi was sick and wanted Sasuke to kill him, were as I wanted him safe. I told him about the plan Tsunade, Itachi and I made, so that Itachi would survive and how it worked out. "He's now at a safe house. But with the upcoming war, we'll need all the help we can get."
"You want me to bring him back here. You do realize that once a Hyuga sees him, everyone will demand his death?" Kakashi asked me.
"They won't have to. The plan is to have Shizune, or Tsunade if she wakes up, implant my eyes into his sockets and send him with Naruto as protection." I clarified. "I'll have Shisui-nii-san's eyes implanted and if Tsunade awakes, I'll join in the Naruto-protection-squad."
"And how are you planning on getting him into Konoha?" Kakashi asked with a slight smirk. I let the corners of my lips lift slightly.
"Through the Main Gate of course. ANBU Captains Weasel and Hound will be returning from a mission together." I stated and handed Kakashi a file. "You better get your old ANBU Uniform ready. And if you're late for my Inauguration Ceremony, you'll be sleeping alone for the next month."
"Mou, mou, I won't be late, Kira-chan."
'That's the weapon rapport and the medicine file. I got the food supply list yesterday along with a progress report of how the rebuilding is going.' I counted inwardly while sorting my paperwork and writing a list for the next Kage Meeting. I needed to know everything Konoha could contribute with before the meeting and time was not slowing down to give me the time, I needed to learn everything. With my eyesight being as horrible as it was, not even my Shadow Clones were to much help against all the paperwork I needed to work my way through. 'For the sake of Kami, I need to leave the day after tomorrow and I still have such a large stack of paper to go through… Hm… This really isn't working.'
"Someone get me Nara Shikaku!" I yelled at whoever was outside of my door. 'He was the one who got me in this mess, so he can be my eyes.' I decided with a slight smirk.
Luckily, with Shikaku's help I was able to work my way through the remaining paperwork just in time for my Inauguration Ceremony the next day. He had called it both a drag and troublesome, but when I kindly reminded him that he was going with me to the meeting anyways and therefore should know this, he respectfully shut up and helped me. With everything prepared for the meeting, it was time for the ceremony that officially made me the Rokudaime Hokage of Konoha. In addiction to my normal Shinobi Attire consisting of my black jumpsuit-short with a purple belt, I was wearing a short-sleeved long black haori with the title 'Rokudaime Hokage' written in red with flames decorating the bottom part. I had also discovered that my normal half-up-twin-ponytails didn't fit under the Hokage Hat. Because of that, I had been forced to leave my hair loose, much to my dismay. I took a deep breath before walking out to greet Konoha, now as the Rokudaime Hokage. The crowd cheered as the elders introduced me and placed the Hokage Hat on the top of my head and I smiled brightly, hiding away all of my fear and nerves. 'With this, all of their lives are in my hands. If I fail, they'll all die, and it'll be my fault.' A small voice in the back of my head said and I mentally shook my head. 'No. I won't fail. I didn't fail Itachi and I won't fail Konoha.'
"I take this mantle in the middle of a hard time. We've been attacked and have seen our home be destroyed in front of our very eyes." I started speaking. "But we're still here. We're still building and helping each other. And that's what Konoha is. Not a place that can be torn apart, but an idea. A family. We're all part of one large tree, all of us playing a part in holding each other up. That is Konoha, and that is our Will of Fire. That is what I'll fight to protect. I'm your Rokudaime!"
The crowd cheered wildly, and I almost felt happy about all the paperwork I had to endure because of the Hokage seat. Almost. 'Then again, maybe I can change Konoha? Maybe I can make a place where no one have to make an impossible decision like Itachi had to. After all, I'm not alone.' I realized as I saw Kakashi's face in the crowd, a covered man next to him, who I knew was Itachi. Naruto and Sakura were both cheering wildly from the front row, all of their friends and classmates cheering with them. My old team was standing together at the edge of the crowd, and I could see that they were proud of me. 'With all of my friends, maybe change is possible after all. Maybe this world doesn't have to be so cursed.'
After the ceremony, all of my friends and acquaintances were dragging me to a bar to celebrate. We practically filled the entire bar on our own, and as a gift, the bar owner gave away the first round of drinks for free. I was about halfway through my first beer when someone ran up to me, breathing heavily.
"Tsunade-sama woke up!" the young Chunin told me breathlessly. I blinked once. Then twince.
"I assume Shizune is taking care of her?" I asked while the feeling of relief flooded through my body.
"Yes, she'll make a full recovery. You can meet Godaime-sama tomorrow." The Chunin told me and I smiled happily and let out a sigh. I raised my cup of beer high in the air.
"To the newly recovered Godaime Hokage!" I yelled out, earning cheers from everyone. "And to less paperwork!"
"To less paperwork!"