Author's Note: Yes, I have plans for how big events like the Nine-Tails Incident or the Fourth War and other fun things unfold. Or not, seeing as I've managed to just throw the cannon completely off the rails. No, I'm not telling what they are yet. I wouldn't want to spoil anything. *rubs hands together and cackles* :)
Chapter 24
Kakashi was sitting up in a tree reading as usual when Sakumo returned home that evening. "Hi, Dad!" he called, spotting his father coming up the walkway to the house. He closed his book and jumped down to land lightly in front of Sakumo. He frowned at the somewhat distant look on his father's face. "What's wrong?"
"Huh? Oh, nothing." Sakumo's tone was distracted.
Kakashi didn't move, continuing to block the path. He glared up at his father. "You're a terrible liar, Dad," he stated. "I'm not some little kid anymore, you know."
"I'm a shinobi, I'm an excellent liar. And you're twelve. You most certainly are still a child," Sakumo said as he stepped around his son and entered the house.
"I'll be thirteen in three days," Kakashi reminded him.
"Still a child!"
"Not according to the laws of the village."
"According to the Laws of Your Father."
Kakashi scowled but let it drop in favor of staying on the original topic. "Stop trying to change the subject. What's wrong?" he asked again.
"Lord Hiruzen is stepping down as Hokage."
Kakashi's brow rose. "Really?"
"He feels that the Village could benefit from new leadership after the last War. That we need a stronger leader going forward, someone who can unify the village."
Kakashi frowned slightly. "I guess that makes sense. I've heard talk and rumors around the village and people aren't too happy right now. That doesn't explain why you look so glum, though."
"Lord Hiruzen wants me to be the next Hokage."
If he hadn't been so uncertain Sakumo would have found the look of shock on Kakashi's face humorous. Kakashi stared at him for a full minute, his mouth hanging open, convinced that his father had to be joking. He finally shook himself and shut his mouth. It still took him another moment to regain the ability to speak.
"You're serious?" This didn't seem like the type of thing his father would joke about.
"Unfortunately."
The solution seemed ridiculously simple to Kakashi. "If you don't want the job why didn't you just say no? It's not like they can force you to be Hokage," he said pointedly.
Sakumo gave a humorless smile. "Wanna bet?" he asked ruefully. Hiruzen had made it clear that he was their choice. In other circumstances, Sakumo may have been able to refuse the position and someone else would be chosen to fill the role. But short of deserting the village, Sakumo had no choice in the matter. The Council had been divided on the choices presented and the daimyo was too weak-willed to make a ruling to break the stalemate. Sakumo had been the third option that everyone had agreed on; if somewhat reluctantly in Danzo's case. Sakumo was well known, liked, and respected in the village. He was trusted. There was no one else currently capable of uniting the village at a time when unity was desperately needed. Sakumo didn't think he was up to the task but the current Hokage and Council apparently felt differently. Sakumo didn't want the role but since it was being thrust upon him anyway, he would do his utmost to uphold the ideals on which the Village Hidden in the Leaves had been founded and stood for.
"You're going to be the Fourth Hokage…" Kakashi said slowly, trying to process what his father had told him. He had never considered the possibility that his father would one day lead the Leaf Village as Sakumo never expressed any desire to wear the Hokage's hat. Jonin Commander he could have seen. But Hokage… He never would have seen that one coming.
"Don't remind me."
"When -?"
"Next week. Lord Third doesn't want to waste any time."
Kakashi couldn't help himself as something that he knew his father would never have thought of occurred to him. He loved his father dearly but this was too much. A mischievous smile spread across his lips. "So, when are they carving your face into Hokage Rock?"
Sakumo buried his face in his hands.
"Wow, your dad's going to be the new Hokage. I still can't believe it!" Guy said, bouncing on his toes in excitement.
"Yeah…" Kakashi was still a bit shocked himself. He stood with Guy in the crowd awaiting the Third Hokage to officially hand his office over to the Fourth. As family to the incoming Hokage, he could have secured himself a spot right at the front of the crowd. Kakashi preferred to be where he currently was. Dad did not want to be Hokage and Kakashi wasn't certain he would be able to keep the smirk off his face when he officially took the hat. He didn't relish the idea of being put on D-ranks for the entirety of his father's tenure. Sakumo wasn't a petty man but Kakashi was certain he'd find a way to justify it if he felt his son was laughing at his discomfiture.
He smirked behind his mask. His father had been in rare form that morning, fussing about the house, pacing nervously, grumbling to himself, and just generally irritable about the entire thing. Sakumo despised politics. Kakashi had been giving some serious thought into getting his own place. Dad was going to be impossible to live with so long as he was Hokage. He had flatly refused to move into the Hokage's residence within Hokage Tower. He already had a home where he was quite comfortable, thankyouverymuch. Which meant Kakashi was going to be subjected to his sulking about day in and day out.
"Kakashi! Guy!"
Kakashi turned and saw Rin making her way towards them. "Hi, Rin," he greeted. "How's your medical training going?"
She beamed as she brushed her shoulder-length brown hair back out of her face. "It's great! I'm learning so much! I've even been able to start assisting in minor surgeries. There's so much I still need to learn but it's all so interesting!"
After the Kannabi Bridge mission, Team Minato had disbanded. They all felt the loss of Obito keenly. Neither Kakashi nor Rin could picture their team with a different teammate taking his place. Minato hadn't forced the issue, knowing his students needed time to grieve. He still had his own guilt to deal with. It had been his decision to split the team and he often thought it had been a mistake. He had wiped out a large force of enemy shinobi but he hadn't been with is students to protect them. One had died and another had been maimed. He was no longer certain he was suited to be a jonin leader.
The Hokage hadn't objected. The destruction of Kannabi Bridge and taking out such a large force of shinobi had been a huge blow to the Land of Earth. The Tsuchikage, upon learning that both the Yellow Flash and the White Fang were involved in that mission had pulled many of his remaining forces back to defend their own borders. It had weakened the Land of Earth in more ways than one. The weakening of the Hidden Stone had been enough to cause the Sand Village to withdraw from Fire Country. The Lands of Lightning and Water, also war-weary, had seized upon the chance to recall their own shinobi. It had been the beginning of the end of the Third Shinobi War.
Kakashi had been glad to hear of Rin's choice to devote herself to studying medical ninjutsu full-time. He missed her as his teammate but she was much safer in the village than on the battlefield. "That's great," he said, genuinely happy for her. Rin had been the peace-maker of their team when he and Obito would butt heads. She was a kind and gentle girl who hated fighting yet who would fight fiercely to defend her friends. "I knew you'd make a great medical ninja. You've always had the best chakra control of all of us. Your field medical ninjutsu was good, too." It had been thanks to Rin that he had been able to receive Obito's Sharingan. The transplant procedure was not difficult but it did require a degree of chakra control that was usually only achieved after years of medical training. Had it been performed by another field-medic he would have had a much longer recovery period.
Rin flushed slightly at his praise. She'd had a crush on Kakashi since their early days at the Academy. She had been delighted and worried when she had learned she would be on the same team and him and Obito. Kakashi had been leagues ahead of all of their peers, even at a young age. Obito had been her best friend practically since they could walk. Even though he was often tardy and clumsy, he worked constantly to improve. Once he and Kakashi had become friends his skills had improved by leaps and bounds with his new friend to train with him and offer advice. She knew she was not as skilled as her teammates. She had often felt that her medical ninjutsu was her only real contribution to the team. While certainly valuable, she hated feeling as though the others were constantly protecting her because she couldn't protect herself. She knew some offensive ninjutsu and was competent enough with a kunai but she would never be in the same league as her teammates.
She had known that Obito had loved her for a long time. While she loved him, it was as a cherished friend and not romantically. After their final mission together, she had gotten the courage to tell Kakashi how she felt about him. He had told her kindly that he simply didn't share her feelings. She had feared that her confession would lead to him avoiding her or for things to become uncomfortable and awkward between them. He treated her the same as he always had. She had been hurt that he didn't reciprocate her feelings and had shed some tears over it. But she was glad that their friendship was largely unaffected.
She had heard his final promise to Obito to always protect her. She didn't want protecting. She knew that Kakashi would do everything in is power to keep his promise. Even if he didn't return her feelings, she still loved him and she couldn't bear the thought of him – or anyone – dying for her. Studying to become a full-fledged medical ninja seemed the best way to be both useful and keep herself out of danger. She had to admit that she was greatly enjoying her time spent in the hospital, apprenticing to the doctors there. She may never be on the same level as Lady Tsunade but she had found a place where she could shine, too.
She turned the conversation to more immediate matters. "You should be up front with Asuma," she scolded. "This is a big day for your father!"
"Tell him that," Kakashi replied. "I think I overheard him muttering something about wondering if there were any openings in the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist before he left the house this morning."
Rin was scandalized. She knew full well that Kakashi's father was the famous White Fang. His loyalty to the village was undisputed. "That's not funny, Kakashi! Becoming Hokage is a huge responsibility and I'm sure he'd like to see you being supportive."
"I am being supportive. Dad doesn't need me to make a big production out of it. He knows I'm here. That's enough."
She frowned at him. Guy placed a hand on her arm and shook his head, silently telling her to let it go. If there was one thing Guy had learned over his years of friendship with Kakashi it was that he had his own unique way of expressing his emotions, especially softer ones that left him vulnerable. Despite his quiet nature, Guy knew his friend was no less passionate than he himself. Kakashi didn't express it in such a loud and exuberant manner but it was there for those who knew how to look. Sakumo may have been much more open with his feelings but he knew his son. He would know to look for him here, mingled with the crowd, rather than at the front. Kakashi was right, it was enough.
"Nice outfit," Kakashi said as they returned home, not bothering to hide his mirth. He had admired and idolized his father since before he could walk but seeing him dressed in the traditional red and white Hokage robes rather than his usual shinobi uniform was a sight he would never forget. Sakumo tossed his son a dark look as he pulled the ridiculously wide-brimmed hat from his head. He ran his hand through his hair, making it stand back up in its usual unruly spikes from where it had been flattened by the hat. He grumbled irritably as his bangs fell into his eyes without his headband to keep them back.
"Shut up. Or I'll make certain you're the next one to wear it."
"No can do! Nepotism and all that!"
"You do remember your history lessons, don't you? Lord Second was Lord First's brother. Lord Hiruzen was their student. The Hokage's chair is steeped in nepotism!"
"You're better than that," Kakashi deadpanned.
Sakumo glowered. "Don't bet on it," he growled. "In the meantime, you can run D-ranks. As a jonin instructor."
Kakashi blanched at the thought of being in charge of a genin team. The genin would likely be as old as he was if not older. Images of a horrible babysitting mission-gone-wrong from when he had first graduated the Academy flashed through his mind. "On second thought," he backpedaled, "Lord Third made a terrible decision. You should be the last person to ever hold the Hokage's position. The entire village should be up in arms and threatening revolt at the very notion of it!"
"I always knew you were a smart boy."
Kakashi revisited the idea of finding his own apartment. Dad as Hokage was going to be an absolute nightmare.
"Minato-sensei!" Kakashi said, surprised to find his former jonin-leader at his front door a few days later. "What are you doing here?" He flushed as he realized he had come off as rather rude. Minato smiled brightly at his former student.
"Hello, Kakashi. Your father asked me to come. Is he –? "
"Let the man in, Kakashi," Sakumo said as he appeared behind his son. "Aren't you late for training?" he asked pointedly.
"If you wanted to have a private conversation, you could've just said so," Kakashi muttered sulkily as he slunk out the door. Sakumo was certain that if being Hokage didn't drive him mad, Kakashi's teen years would. For a child who had never wanted to be like other children he had seemingly fully embraced 'brooding teenager'. While glad that his son was acting like a normal kid his age, Sakumo did wish that Kakashi would have chosen a less trying behavior to imitate.
"Come on in," Sakumo said, waving Minato inside as Kakashi disappeared down the road. "Don't mind my son. Apparently now that he's thirteen he's decided to try 'sulky brat' on for size." His tone was fond and only slightly exasperated.
Minato smiled. Having been his jonin leader for several years, he was used to Kakashi's blunt and often undiplomatic way of speaking and was knew the boy wasn't trying to be offensive. If he was trying to offend you, he'd make certain you knew it. "He's a normal teenager. Weren't we all, once."
"Speak for yourself," Sakumo said.
Minato couldn't help but look around as he followed Sakumo to the kitchen. He had seen the outside of the house before, having walked Kakashi home when he had first been placed on his team but he'd never been inside. It was neat and orderly, something he'd expect of both father and son. There were not many ornaments or decorations displayed yet there was still a cozy and welcoming feel to the small house. It was a home that had sheltered generations of the family and would continue to do so in the years to come. Minato himself lived in a more modern apartment on a bustling street. He enjoyed being in the middle of things, of being able to step out his door and be only moments away from his favorite shops and restaurants. Though he couldn't deny there was a certain appeal to this quiet home.
Sakumo motioned for him to take a seat at the table as he went to check on the kettle on the stove. "Tea?" he inquired.
"Yes, please," Minato managed. Seeing Sakumo performing such a normal activity was throwing him a bit. Minato mentally scolded himself as Sakumo finished setting the tea things out and poured a large mug for each of them. He was a high-level shinobi but he still needed to eat and drink just like everyone else. He had become more comfortable around Sakumo in the years since first becoming Kakashi's jonin-leader but old habits died hard.
"I'm going to get right to the point," Sakumo stated as he took the seat across from Minato. "I didn't ask to become Hokage. I've never had any ambition towards the Hokage's seat and I certainly didn't want it." He met Minato's blue-eyed gaze. "From what I am told, Lord Hiruzen wanted you to succeed him."
"Really?" Minato blurted in surprise. He had aspired to become Hokage someday but had never imagined being considered for the position so soon.
"Hm. Danzo wasn't having it, though. He wanted Orochimaru. And the Council was split on your age – some felt you were too young."
"I see."
Sakumo took a sip of his tea. "From what I understand, things got quite heated."
"Then how did -?" Minato's curiosity got the better of him.
"I end up here instead?" Sakumo snorted. "Shikaku Nara, damn the man!"
Minato's lips twitched. He doubted he was completely successful in keeping the amused smile completely off his face. The new Jonin Commander was absolutely brilliant, as much of a genius as Sakumo or Orochimaru. He had proposed a candidate that there couldn't be any objection to. Sakumo was powerful, intelligent, and renown, all qualities needed in a Hokage. That he was personable, well-liked, and respected even outside the Hidden Leaf was a bonus. He was older than Minato but certainly not 'old' by any stretch of the imagination. His protests about not wanting the position aside, he really was nearly perfect for the position.
Sakumo gave him a dark look, not having missed his mirth. Why did everyone seem to find this entire thing so damn funny anyway? It was utterly ridiculous, not amusing. He wasn't cut out to lead the village. He didn't want to be here. He wanted to be at the missions desk collecting his next assignment. To his credit, Minato did his best to smother his amusement and rearrange his features into a more serious expression.
"I don't intend to hold this position any longer than absolutely necessary," Sakumo continued. "Hopefully, no more than a few years. Just long enough to try to establish a lasting peace between the Nations and let tensions in the Village settle." His dark gaze turned piercing. "Lord Third felt you'd make a good Hokage. I don't disagree. With some experience, the Council can't possibly object when I name you as my successor. Therefore, I'd like you to be one of my advisors."
Minato was speechless. Sakumo watched him as he worked through and processed what he had just been told and offered. "Me? But – "
"But what? You've shown that you're a capable shinobi. You're smart. You were able to get through to Kakashi, which is no mean feat. I'm terrible at politicking and negotiations. They seem to be right up your alley, though."
Minato didn't believe that for a second. He knew Sakumo was more than capable of being diplomatic when he needed to. "Surely there are better candidates, people more suited -"
"Like who? Old men and women who wish things to continue as they always have? Lord Hiruzen stepped down because he wanted change to come to the Hidden Leaf. Change means new ideas. I'm sure you have more than a few."
"Well, yes. But -"
"I also need someone who I can trust to give me straight, honest answers. I don't want advisors who are going to tell me what they think I want to hear. I want people who will tell me what they really think. I cannot lead this village if I don't know what the people – both shinobi and civilian – need and want. I don't have an agenda other than to see a village at peace and I'd prefer my advisors to be the same." He swirled the liquid in his cup around for a moment before continuing. "Look, this works out for both of us. I get someone who can smile and make nice through negotiations. You get some much-needed first-hand experience with the running of the village. I can step down, you can take over, everybody's happy."
Minato took a long sip of his tea. Sakumo waited patiently while he lowered the mug and stared into it, thinking things over.
"I'm honored," Minato finally said sincerely.
"That's a yes, right?" Sakumo ran a hand absently through his unruly hair. "I told you I was no good at this. Why can't anyone just say what they mean?"
"It's a yes," Minato agreed.
Sakumo looked relived. "Good. You can start tomorrow morning. The sooner the Hidden Leaf recovers, the sooner I can retire!"
