Chapter 6. Tea Time on Hokage Mountain

It was a well known fact that Sakura woke up early. It had been a habit of hers ever since she had started working at the hospital. Sakura woke up early. So, when Sasori felt Sakura carefully remove his arm from around her waist and slip out of bed, he wasn't terribly surprised to crack open an eye and find the room shrouded in darkness. However, when she didn't cross the room to go the bathroom as he had expected, moving instead towards her closet to gather her clothes for the day, the redhead propped himself up on an elbow and leaned over to turn on the lamp sitting on his bedside table.

"I thought we were sleeping in this week," he said with a yawn, lifting a hand to rub his eyes as he squinted at her from across the room.

Sakura offered him an apologetic smile. "We are... just not this morning. Naruto came back from his mission yesterday, so you know..."

Ah, yes. She and Naruto had a long-standing tradition of meeting on top of Hokage Mountain at the crack of dawn the day after either of them returned from a mission.

Sasori nodded around another yawn. Then, pulling back the covers, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood. Stretching his arms over his head, Sasori said, "I'll get breakfast started. Do you want eggs or leftovers?"

Pausing in her search for a long-sleeved shirt, Sakura hummed thoughtfully. Then, peeking over her shoulder at the redhead, she replied, "Leftovers. That way we can give whatever is still fresh in the refrigerator at the end of the week to Naruto. Hinata has been teaching him how to cook, so he might need the extra ingredients while she's gone."

"Ah, so the rumors about them are true?" Sasori asked as he made his way over to the dresser beside the closet. Pulling out a dark green T-shirt and a pair of black pants, he draped the clothes over his arm before moving to grab his shin wraps off Sakura's vanity. He was halfway through getting dressed when he noticed Sakura staring at him in disbelief. "What?"

"You just got back and you already know?" she asked almost accusingly.

Sasori smirked at her. Then, tugging his shirt down over his stomach, he replied. "I'm an information broker, Sakura. It's my job to know what's going on both in your village and elsewhere."

Walking over to him, Sakura smoothed her free hand over an invisible wrinkle in his shirt as she corrected him. "Our village."

Sasori rolled his eyes lightly. "Yeah, because they just love seeing me wear the insignia of Konoha."

Sakura gave an exasperated sigh and swatted his chest lightly before returning to her task of getting ready. "They are, at the very least, getting used to you... which is more than can be said about Sasuke."

"Good to know," Sasori replied as he sat back down on the bed. Then, after securing the tape around the lower half of each of his legs, he stood and headed for the bedroom door. Pulling it open, he looked over his shoulder once more at the pinkette and nodded towards the jacket hanging off the back of her desk chair. "You should probably take that with you."

Sakura pulled the thick red material of her long-sleeved crop top over her head before turning her attention to the jacket in question. Then, she raised an eyebrow at him and asked, "Are you... giving me fashion advice?"

Turning back, Sasori leaned his shoulder against the doorframe and snorted softly. "No, but it rained last night. So, unless you want to freeze to death," he pointed to the jacket in her hands, "you should take that with you."

Then, without another word, he disappeared down the hall, leaving Sakura to stare after him with a mixture of amusement and disbelief.

Thirty minutes later, after cleaning up their breakfast and pulling on the jacket Sasori had all but thrown at her on her way out, Sakura was walking up the stone steps that led to the top of Hokage Mountain. In her arms were a tall silver thermos, one which she had borrowed from Hinata a few weeks ago, filled to the brim with hot green tea, and a rolled up blanket because, as much as she hated to admit it, Sasori was right. Last night's rain had washed away the last of the summer heat and left in its wake an unusually cold autumn breeze, which only got worse the further up she climbed.

Nevertheless, it had become a tradition over the years for her and Naruto to meet on the morning after they arrived home from a mission and watch the sunrise from atop of the large rock formation that overlooked their village. It was one of the few times they had amidst their busy lives to just be together and enjoy each other's company in the way that only old friends could. So, whether she needed hot tea or a thick jacket to keep her warm, Sakura was determined to tough it out.

It took her a few minutes to reach the top of the steps on the east side of the rock formation. And it took her a few more to cross the distance above the carved head of her shishou to where her best friend sat above his father's.

"I brought tea," she said softly in way of greeting as she approached his meditating form and took a seat beside him.

She wasn't bothered when he didn't immediately reply. After all, it wasn't uncommon for their meetings to start like this, her eagerness to see him often resulted in her arriving early. Usually, while he carried on with his meditation, she would either go about pouring them each a cup of tea or she would join him.

Today, she felt compelled to do the latter.

Folding her legs, Sakura gently set the thermos in her hands down on the cool stone and pulled the blanket she had brought around her shoulders. Then, taking a deep breath, she placed her hands on her knees and closed her eyes, focusing her attention on the steady stream of chakra that Naruto was weaving through his body and into the air around him. Much like its owner, it felt warm, like the soft rays of the summer sun, encouraging her to let down her guard and let it in. It was also soothing, washing over her in gentle waves, coaxing her to relax and release the tension she had felt building up in her chest over the past few days. Most of all, it was familiar, greeting her chakra almost playfully and filling her heart with love and admiration for her surrogate brother.

Opening her eyes slowly, Sakura smiled when she found a pair of bright blue orbs staring back her.

"Welcome back to the world of the living, Sakura-chan," he said jokingly, his lips stretching into a small grin that was so unmistakably Naruto.

She chuckled softly at him before offering him the other half of her blanket. Then, once he'd taken his place beside her under the soft fabric, she reached for the thermos sitting beside her and unscrewed the lid. After pouring his portion into the cap and handing it to him, Sakura withdrew a collapsible cup from her hip pouch and poured her own. Then, setting the thermos back down beside her, she joined him in raising her cup to the sunrise.

"To the world of the living," she said with a small smile.

"And to the people who sacrificed their lives to make it peaceful," he added.

"May we all live to see another peaceful day," they finished in unison.

The pair gently tapped their cups together before tipping their heads back to take a sip of the steaming tea. However, just as Sakura was lowering her cup, the man beside her sputtered. Looking over, she found him red-faced and leaning over the ledge.

"Please tell me you didn't forget that the tea was hot again."

Naruto offered her a sheepish smile before holding his cup of tea a short distance away and burying his face in his elbow to stifle another cough. Shaking her head, Sakura reached out and gently patted the Hokage-in-training's back. Then, once he had settled down and was sipping his tea like a proper adult, she spoke.

"So, I heard a rumor that you asked Hinata to move in with you."

When Naruto choked on his drink this time, Sakura was already rubbing his back and offering him a drink from her canteen.

"Sakura-chan," he whined as he handed the container back to his old teammate, "Can't you wait to ask those questions when I'm not drinking something?"

Sakura laughed lightly at the small pout he sent her, the expression reminding her of their genin days when she and Sasuke used to tease him about his height. And although he had grown significantly since then, now standing a full head and shoulders above her, she found the expression was no less endearing.

"Sorry, Naruto," she said unapologetically as she reattached the canteen to her belt and reached for her tea, "but it's what you get for not telling me sooner."

Beside her, the blonde groaned, "Geez, you're almost as bad as Ino."

Head snapping to the side, Sakura immediately set down her cup back down and gaped at him. "You told Ino before me?"

Immediately sensing the chakra gathering in her left hand, Naruto threw up his arms in defense and shouted, "I wanted to tell you first, Sakura-chan, I swear, but she cornered me at Ichiraku's! She threatened to pour out my ramen... I had no choice!"

Kami, if their enemies had known the value this man placed on ramen... who knows how the war might have ended.

Letting out a sigh, Sakura lowered her fist and grumpily picked up her tea. Then, after taking a long sip, she sent him a small glare out of the corner of her eyes. "Is there anything else you told her and not me?"

A thoughtful look passed over Naruto's face before he answered with a shake of his head. "No, not that I can think of."

Sakura smiled faintly at him. Then, leaning over, she elbowed him lightly. "So... tell me how you asked her."

"Sakura-chan!"

Giggling at the sudden redness of his cheeks, Sakura nudged him again. "Oh, come on! You owe me at least that much!"

"But it's embarrassing!" Naruto whined as he rested his elbows on his knees and tried to hide his face in his hands. Then, as if a brilliant idea had just come to him, he bolted upright and pointed an accusatory finger at her. "Besides, isn't it your turn to talk?"

Sakura pouted. "Aww, but all you did was confirm a rumor! You hardly gave me any details at all!"

Naruto folded his arms across his chest as best as one could while holding a cup of tea and shook his head stubbornly. "Nu-uh, you know how this works, Sakura-chan. One topic each."

"But it's still the same topic!" she tried to argue, but the look on Naruto's face told her he wasn't having it.

"Nope, we talked about this... Asking for details is considered starting a new topic."

Sakura groaned. Of all the things they talked about, of course that rule would be something he remembered.

"Fine," she said with a frustrated sigh as she tried to ignore the victorious grin that spread across his face in favor of drinking her tea. "What do you want to know?"

Suddenly, his tone became serious. "Tell me what happened yesterday."

Green eyes lifted to meet concerned blue. Then, Naruto reached out and gently took her free hand, squeezing it encouragingly. "Please?"

Sakura felt her lips tug into a sad smile and she looked down at their joined hands, trying to gain strength from his presence. It was an unspoken rule that they did not discuss Sasuke during their meetings, mostly because there was usually very little new information to share and it typically left a sour taste in their mouths. That wasn't to say the Uchiha's name didn't come up in conversation from time-to-time, because they both still cared about him and didn't want to pretend that he didn't exist. Rather, the time she and Naruto got to spend together like this was precious, so they didn't want to spend it talking about the past.

However, there were times like this, when something significant had occurred involving Sasuke, that they had no choice but to revisit the feelings of pain and disappointment that were often brought up with the topic of their old teammate.

Sighing softly into her tea Sakura asked Naruto where he wanted her to start.

Staring out over the village, he shrugged. "Wherever you feel comfortable starting."

There was a high likelihood that Naruto already had a vague idea of what had happened based on what he'd heard from Sai and Hinata, but Sakura appreciated his letting her take the reins nonetheless.

"He showed up while I was in the shower and Sasori was out getting us breakfast," she began, picking her words carefully because she knew the man beside her would be just as affected by the encounter as she had been.

"In your room?" he asked calmly, his expression neutral as he sipped his tea.

Sakura shook her head. "Thankfully, no. I found him in the kitchen, masking his chakra while making himself a cup of tea."

Naruto's reaction was not unlike Ino's or Kakashi's, a soft snort, as he tried to picture the Uchiha doing something both so intrusive and so domestic. "Then what happened?"

Sakura sighed again. "We talked - well, he mostly insulted me and accused me of cheating - and then Sasori showed up."

Naruto cringed slightly. "Is that where the bloody hands and black eye came in?"

Sakura nodded and took another sip of her tea. "He stabbed Sasori in the arm and left two holes in my drywall." Reaching over, she poured herself another cup before adding wryly, "I told him that he was paying for them to be repaired."

Taking the thermos from her, Naruto refilled his own cup and nodded. "I'll see to it that he does."

Sakura spared the blonde an amused smile but didn't immediately respond, the look in Naruto's eyes telling her that he still had something he wanted to say. And so, as the blonde considered his words, Sakura sat back and quietly enjoyed the sight of the village she loved slowly begin to awaken below them. He would speak when he was ready.

And when he did, it was to apologize.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't stop him, Sakura-chan," Naruto said softly, his brilliant blue eyes darkened by concern and regret. "If we had only arrived a little sooner, I could have-"

"No, Naruto," Sakura cut in, interrupting him with a shake of her head and a small frown. "Even if you had gotten back sooner, Sasuke still would have found a way to visit me on his own... You know that."

Naruto let out a frustrated sigh but didn't argue with her. Instead, he set down his tea and asked her a question.

"Did he tell you why he came back?"

Sakura scoffed softly, "Does he ever tell me anything?"

Naruto hummed softly, not surprised by her answer. "He said he wanted to start rebuilding his clan."

The woman beside him laughed bitterly and took another sip of her tea. "Good for him."

Naruto frowned at her slightly but couldn't bring himself to actually scold her. She deserved to feel scornful towards the Uchiha. And he didn't blame her. Had the person he loved and sacrificed so much for treated him in the same way that he'd seen Sasuke treat Sakura, he probably would have felt the same way she did. He doubted that he would have dealt with it as maturely, though.

"Maybe spending some time in the village while you're away will be good for him," he mused. "Maybe he'll find a nice civilian girl to charm with his 'Prince of Darkness' looks and angsty personality."

Sakura snorted, the action causing the tea in she had just swallowed to shoot up into her nasal passages and out onto her gloved hand as she lurched forward. Immediately placing her cup on the ground, Sakura brought glowing hands up to her nose and took a deep breath through her mouth. Then, as her chakra slowly soothed the burning sensation in her nose, she sent the blonde sitting beside her a dark glare through watery eyes.

Unfortunately, not even the promise of pain in her eyes could prevent the jinchuuriki from bursting into peels of laughter. His cackles only growing louder when Sakura removed her hands and wrinkled her bright red nose. It was only after she'd elbowed him roughly in the ribs that he even made an attempt to curb his amusement. The glimmer in his eyes, however, did not fade.

"I'm so glad you find my pain hilarious, Naruto," Sakura hissed nasally.

"Consider it payback for earlier," Naruto replied, snickering softly as he watched the pinkette rummage through her hip pouch for a tissue. Then, when she came up empty-handed from her search and groaned, he handed her a clean tissue from his own hip pouch.

Sakura eyed the white fabric in his hand warily. Then, sniffling, she turned her skeptical gaze to him with a raised eyebrow.

Naruto rolled his eyes and shook the tissue at her. "Relax, I got them from Hinata-chan," he said, watching with mild amusement as the medic's shoulders sagged with relief.

"Thank Kami for Hinata," she said before taking the tissue. Then, ignoring the face Naruto made as he jokingly wiped his hands on his jacket, Sakura turned away and blew her nose. Once she was sure that she could breathe through her nose again, Sakura stuffed the crumpled tissue into her pocket and turned back to face Naruto as he spoke.

"She's really excited about the medical campaign, by the way," he said with a smile. "She was telling me all about it yesterday."

Sakura mirrored his expression. "It will be really great to have her along this year. She's perfect for the role of a squad leader."

Turning his attention back to the kunoichi beside him, Naruto bumped her lightly with his shoulder. Then, when she looked at him, he smiled again. Only this time, the gesture was accompanied by a pair of deep blue eyes filled with pride.

"Just like you were the perfect choice to lead the campaign."

Eyes softening, Sakura felt her heart warm at his words. Usually dense, her best friend was always remarkably perceptive when it mattered. "Naruto..."

"I'm being serious, Sakura-chan," he insisted firmly. "You've worked really hard, harder than almost anyone I know, to get this far. You deserve this."

When she didn't look completely convinced, he gestured in the general direction of her apartment with his left arm. "You and Kankuro took Lady Chiyo's research and figured out how to revive Sasori without sacrificing another human life." Then, he raised his right arm in between them and rolled up his sleeve to reveal tanned skin. "And you not only gave me back my arm, but you helped create a jutsu that has helped hundreds of other shinobi!"

Sakura blushed. Hearing her accomplishments being listed so bluntly in front of her was not something she was used to, but it felt good; and, try as she might, she couldn't stop the feeling of pride that began to bubble up in her chest. She had spent so much of her life working tirelessly in the background, to support the people she cared about, that she sometimes forgot to congratulate herself. So, she was grateful to have people in her life, like Naruto, who were happy to remind her to do so.

"Thanks, Naruto," she said as she gave him a watery smile from behind her tea cup. "It really means a lot to me to hear you say that."

The blonde grinned at her. Then, turning his body to face her completely, he relieved her of her tea cup and set it aside with his own before taking hold of both of her hands and leaning his forehead against hers.

"You're amazing, Sakura-chan, I mean it," he said earnestly, "...which is why I want you take over as the head of the hospital and as my chief medical advisor when I become Hokage."

Pulling back, Sakura stared at Naruto in shock.

"Wait... what?"

Chuckling softly at her reaction, Naruto gestured to himself with one of their clasped hands and spoke slowly. "I want you," he gestured to Sakura, "to be the head of Konoha's hospital and my chief medical advisor."

"... when you're Hokage."

Naruto grinned at her and nodded emphatically. "Yep."

"You're... going to be... the next Hokage?"

Naruto nodded his head again, watching with amusement as the kunoichi across from him blinked owlishly, her brain trying desperately to make sense of the new information.

And when he saw her eyes grow misty, Naruto knew it had sunken in.

What he hadn't expected, though, was for Sakura to squeal loudly and tackle him a second later.

"Oh my gosh, you're gonna be the next Hokage!" she exclaimed as she pulled her hands free from his and threw her arms around his neck, flinging them both backwards into a laughing heap of arms and legs and spilt tea several meters away from the edge of his father's spiky hair. "Naruto, I'm so happy for you!"

Laughing loudly, Naruto returned Sakura's hug with equal enthusiasm. "I know! I can't believe it either!"

Releasing her grip on him, Sakura rolled to her side and sat up. Then, after wrestling the blanket out from under them to return it to its place around their shoulders, she picked their respective cups off the ground and filled them with what was left of their tea. Once they were settled again, she looked up Naruto expectantly.

"What?" he asked dumbly.

Sakura whacked him on the chest with her free hand before giving him a pointed glare.

"What?!"

"Details, Naruto, details," she said as if it should have been obvious.

"Ohhh..."

Rolling her eyes at him, Sakura took a quick sip of her tea before setting it aside. Then, she reached forward and gently tapped his right hand. "Come on, tell me about it while I check your arm."

"I found out yesterday evening," he started, setting down his tea to unzip his jacket and extract his arm for her, "At first, I thought something was wrong, because Tsunade-baa-chan had sent an ANBU operative to find me but didn't tell them what for. But when I got there, all she did was hand me a this big scroll."

Hands glowing, Sakura gently took hold of Naruto's wrist and hummed. "A big scroll?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, you should have seen it, Sakura-chan. It was huge!" He waved his free hand along the length of his arm dramatically. "It was like the size of my arm!"

Chuckling softly at his antics, Sakura kept her eyes focused on her friend's hand, turning it over in her hands as she tested the mobility of the joints of his fingers and wrist.

"What did she say it was?" she asked.

"Apparently, it's the Hokage contract."

Turning her attention to his elbow, Sakura nodded thoughtfully. "I guess that makes sense. Big job... Big contract."

"Yeah, that's what I thought, too." Naruto replied as he watched her work. "But what's weird is that she wouldn't let me open it."

Eyes flickering up to his, Sakura wrapped her hand around his bicep and squeezed. "Any pain?" When he shook his head, she repeated the action a little lower, continuing down his arm with each shake of his head until she reached his fingers. Then, she told him to close his eyes and gently ran the tip of her index finger along the planes of arm. "What does it feel like?"

"Like Tora that cat is trying to claw me to pieces." Sakura pinched his forearm. "OW!"

Patting the abuse skin, Sakura smiled at Naruto before helping him back into his jacket. "From what I can see, your arm is still doing well. Have you had any problems with it?"

When he shook his head again, Sakura picked up her tea and handed him his. "Good. So, why didn't Tsunade-shishou let you open the scroll?"

"She said I had to first get the approval of the clan heads."

Tilting her head to the side, Sakura asked, "Well, who do you have so far?"

"All of them," he said softly, his blues shifting their focus from the liquid in his cup to look out over the eastern side of the village, "...except for Sasuke."

Sakura inhaled sharply. Then, upon seeing the way he had wrapped his hands around the metal cup and was tapping his fingers nervously against the curved surface, she reached out and gave his wrist an encouraging squeeze.

"You've done nothing but help him since he came back, Naruto," she said encouragingly. "He has no reason to reject your nomination."

Blue eyes flickered to her for a moment before returning to stare out over the village, softening slightly at the sight of the rising sun as it cast a pale glow over the tree tops on the horizon.

"I know," Naruto said softly, taking another sip of his tea before his tone became serious. "That's not the part I'm worried about."

Retracting her hand, Sakura lowered her cup and remained quiet, her gaze patient as she watched her best friend struggle to find the right words. Then, after a million emotions flashed through his eyes and his lips formed a thin line, he spoke.

"What if I'm not good enough, Sakura-chan?" he asked. "I mean, how can I possibly compare to Tsunade-baa-chan or the Third Hokage or my dad? They are -were- all so incredible and strong..."

"Naruto, you are also both of those things," Sakura replied softly.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I'll be a good leader! I'm not smart like you or Sasuke, I can't remember all the laws and trade regulations! I have no idea how to deal with clan politics, the elders drive me up the wall because always seem to have something to complain about, and even after three years of this training, I still don't understand anything about taxes! Hell, I'm lucky if I even pay my own rent on time!"

Silently, Sakura watched the blonde rant with a mixture of amusement and sympathy. It had been a long time since she had last seen Naruto so stressed out, probably not since they had to take the written portion of their chuunin exams, but when he finally turned his head to meet her concerned gaze, she immediately recognized the look in his eyes.

He was scared.

Scared of messing up and not measuring up... and she understood the feeling. She had had the same reservations when Tsunade had first told she was being recommended to lead the medical campaign.

So, instead of telling him that he would do a good job and that everything would work out fine like her heart was telling her to, Sakura reached out and flicked him in the forehead.

"And don't even get me started on the diplomatic dinners- OW!" Lifting a hand to gently rub the new red mark she'd left between his eyebrows, Naruto stared at the pinkette in disbelief. "What was that for, Sakura-chan?"

Folding her arms over her chest, Sakura snapped, "For being such an idiot!"

"Huh?"

"Being the Hokage doesn't mean you have to do everything by yourself, Naruto," she said with a small sigh. "You're going to have plenty people helping you, people that you trust and can rely on to carry the burden of protecting this village with you."

"But what if I'm not ready?" he asked. "What if I make a mistake?"

"Then you learn from it," she replied. "No one is perfect, Naruto. And do you really think Tsunade-shishou was ready to become the Hokage when she did?"

No. She hadn't been. In fact, she hadn't even wanted to become the Hokage, but she'd done a good job when it mattered.

The reminder made Naruto fall silent. Sakura, however, wasn't interested in seeing him get lost in his own thoughts again.

"Naruto, can I ask you a question?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, sure."

"Do you think Tsunade-shishou was wrong to choose me to lead the medical campaign?"

Naruto recoiled, looking for a moment almost offended by her question. However, before he had the chance to launch into another inspiring speech, Sakura interrupted him. "Don't argue, just answer the question."

Brow furrowed, Naruto's reply was a firm, "No."

Tapping his shoulder lightly, Sakura drawled, "So... why are you questioning her choice to make you her successor?"

Naruto paused, digesting her words, before sighing. "Because I'm an idiot?"

Smiling faintly, Sakura shook her head. "It was a rhetorical question, Naruto."

He sent her a small grin. "I know."

Rolling her eyes good-naturedly, Sakura punched him lightly in the arm. Although, the fact that Naruto was feeling well enough to crack jokes did make her feel a little more at ease.

Picking her cup of now-cold tea off the group, Sakura found herself wondering just how soon Naruto would be taking office and if she'd be back in time for the ceremony.

"Officially, my training ends at the end of next month," he replied, "but Tsunade-baa-chan said we probably won't hold the ceremony until the spring." He tugged lightly on the blanket over their shoulders with a grin. "You know... when the weather is nicer."

"You mean so that you have a few extra months to figure out how to do your job before she abandons you to vacation in Tea Country," Sakura replied knowingly.

Beside her, Naruto chuckled. "Yeah, that too."

"So, who else knows about this?" Sakura asked before tipping her head back and downing the rest of her tea. "Have you told Hinata?"

Naruto shook his head.

"What about Sai or Kakashi-senpai?"

He shook his head again. "Nope, just you... and Tsunade-baa-chan... and the village elders... and the clan heads... and the other Kages..."

Unable to do anything other than smile at him, because - future Hokage or not - he was still Naruto, the knucklehead ninja she'd grown up with and loved like a brother, Sakura held up a hand to interrupt his rambling. Then, she asked the simple question, "Can I tell anyone?"

Eloquently, Naruto shrugged. "Tsunade-baa-chan didn't say to keep it a secret. I just didn't tell anyone because I wanted you to be the first to know."

Surprised, and incredibly touched, by the gesture, Sakura smiled at him. Then, pulling the blanket off their shoulders, she grabbed his hand and tugged him to his feet as she stood. Not letting go of his hand for a second, she then led him away from where they had been sitting and towards the stairs on the eastern side of Hokage Mountain. When he asked her what she was doing, she said nothing, continuing to instead guide him forward until they stood at edge of the cliff above the empty space beside the carved face of the Godaime Hokage.

Once she was satisfied with their positions, Sakura dropped Naruto's hand and raised her hands to her mouth, curling her fingers into the form of a makeshift megaphone. Then, she took a deep breath and shouted.

"HEY, KONOHA!" she yelled. "GUESS WHO'S GOING TO BE THE NEXT HOKAGE!"

Lowering one of her hands, Sakura turned her attention to the wide eyed blonde standing beside her and pointed at him. "HIS NAME IS NARUTO! UZUMAKI NARUTO!"

When she was finished, Sakura took a step back from the edge and shot the man next to her an expectant look. "It's your turn, Naruto."

For a moment, he just stared at her. Then, he presented her with the biggest, happiest grin she'd ever seen before squaring his shoulders and turning to face their village.

Raising his hands to his mouth, he shouted, "THAT'S RIGHT, KONOHA! YOU'RE LOOKING AT HIM! IT'S ME! UZUMAKI NARUTO!" Pausing in his speech, Naruto looked down at the village, watching with bright eyes as people began stepping out of their homes and into the streets to look back up at him. Then, after glancing back at Sakura and seeing her nod encouragingly, he lifted his hands once more.

"I'M GONNA BE THE NEXT HOKAGE!"

Beaming, Naruto turned to look back at Sakura who motioned for him to continue.

Pointing at the blank rock face below his feet, Naruto added, "AND WHEN I DO..." he stomped his foot on the edge of the cliff. "...IT'S MY FACE THAT'S GONNA BE CARVED HERE!"

Giggling to herself, Sakura watched as her best friend continued to shout to the people of their village standing below and secretly prayed that to the heavens that the village would still be in one piece by the time she and the others returned.

A/N #1: Somehow, Naruto hijacked the almost the entirety of this chapter... and, frankly, I'm okay with that. BECAUSE HE'S GONNA BE HOKAGE! DATTEBAYO/BELIEVE IT! - (I almost put one of his catchphrases in, but it felt so cheesy that I just couldn't bring myself to do it. lol)

A/N #2: Anyways... To be honest, this is the kind of bond I've always felt should have been on display between Naruto and Sakura. I mean, yeah, I know that bringing Sasuke back and saving the world was always meant to be the focus of the show and all, but let's be real... Naruto and Sakura have been through A LOT together and I just don't feel like the canon does enough to appreciate that. So, I wanted to do their friendship justice. (Thankfully, there is a lot of amazing fanfiction that also does this!) Just my opinion.

A/N #3: Also, I'm not going to lie... I'm not really sure where this chapter came from. Originally, I had intended it to be another short scene (sort of like what I did in Chapter 5 with Ino and Kakashi) to help provide some background information and establish the general place the characters were in their lives. However, it seems like I ended up having way too much fun writing about Naruto... which is totally fine, just unexpected.

Anyhoo... thanks as always for the support and let me know what you think!

~Smash41KMF

- 01.25.2021