I may have taken on a slightly different style since starting University (though my grammar appears to have stayed the same), but I do hope that you are still enjoying this story. I am eager to hear what you think of it and ideas for what you think might be happening next.

Please enjoy it, lol.

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Naruto = flash back

'Naruto' is thoughts/thinking

"Naruto" signing/sign language

"Naruto" speaking.

"Naruto" Demon

"Naruto" is demon enhanced.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto just some DVDs and games.

Chapter 42

"Why did you turn into that mangy thing?" Kurama snapped.

Naruto stopped looking through the images that were playing in front of him, turning to look at the giant fox at last. He tilted his head, blinking at the fox before answering.

"You get to see everything I do; you've seen my memories, right? Do you really think it would be appropriate for me to turn Gamabunta into you? And what do you mean mangy thing? That thing has a name, Nami, and it's the last connection to my mother that you are insulting." He turned back to his memories. "What did I miss?" he muttered to himself.

"You realize I am a great and powerful demon! I could eat you!" Kurama growled.

"Shut up! And let me find what I missed!" Naruto snapped, watching two screens at once.

The fox glanced at the scenes playing out in front of the boy, the old Hokage and that damned turtle faced ninja, Hikaru were displayed.

"You didn't miss anything." He grumbled swishing his tails in agitation. "You can't save everybody." He waited for the anger to return to Naruto, shocked when it didn't happen "Time to wake up boy, you have people waiting for you."

Naruto blinked open his eyes the constant beeping sound next to him told him he was in the hospital, he couldn't remember what had happened to put him there. He sighed; the fox had kicked him out of his own head. He turned his head finding Kakashi there no sign of his book in hand; he kept running his fingers over the little scarecrow in hand.

"About time you woke up."

Naruto turned his head to see Doctor Yori Takumi stood in the doorway. He moved over slowly closing the door behind him. He nodded at Kakashi whose head had looked up when the doctor spoke. The doctor sat on the edge of Naruto's bed.

"I did expect you to be out a lot longer than this. Every one of your clones disappeared at once, so I expect you will be experiencing a slight headache in the near future. Naruto you put yourself through a lot of strain, I need you to slow down, for me. Just for a few days."

"Where's Hikaru?"

"He hasn't been brought in yet, I'm keeping my eye out for him don't worry." He rested a hand on Naruto's knee. "People are still coming in. You'll be informed as soon as he arrives I promise. I'm sure your sensei wants to get you up to date." He turned to Kakashi, "You know where to take him when you're finished."

Kakashi nodded, waiting until the doctor left, he finally looked up at Naruto.

"I was worried." Kakashi began.

"I could tell." Naruto replied. "How long was I out?"

"It's the early hours of the morning."

"Half a day, how'd I get back?"

"Sasuke brought you back; he's being treated with Sakura. Naruto, I..."

"Kakashi stop. We're okay, I can sense them in their room." He hesitated, "Kakashi where's my grandpa?"

"Asuma and Konohamaru are waiting for you in his room."

"Would you take me there, I don't have enough strength to get there myself."

Kakashi exited the room with Naruto on his back, piggyback style. They easily slipped past the medical personal and fellow shinobi arriving outside the Hokage's room. Two ANBU were stationed outside. Naruto slipped off Kakashi's back.

"I don't hate you," Naruto turned back to Kakashi as he stepped into the room.

"I hoped you'd say that." Kakashi sighed, his hand tightening around his scarecrow toy.

(Line)

Naruto shut the door behind him with a soft click. The beeping of the heart monitor attached to the Hokage was the only noise in the room. Asuma was leaning against the wall, while Konohamaru was sitting as close to the bed as he could get. They were the only people in the room. Naruto edged over careful on his sluggish feet.

"Is he going to wake up?" Konohamaru broke the silence.

Asuma looked up from his position glancing between the two children and the old man that meant so much to them.

"No he's not. He used a jutsu that you just don't come back from." Naruto explained.

"He's been waiting for all of us to be here, so we could say goodbye." Asuma nodded.

"But I don't want to say goodbye I want him to wake up." Konohamaru moaned, tears falling.

"We don't get to say goodbye often in this line of work." Naruto brushed a hand across the old man's face.

"I'm really going miss him." Konohamaru cried burying himself in the old man's chest.

"Me too." Naruto said, as Asuma came over allowing Naruto to lean against him.

The room became quiet as they said their final goodbyes to a man that had meant something different to all of them. The machine's soft beeping changing to a steady whine.

(Line)

Ibiki looked over at Shikaku as they surveyed the damage to the village; Naruto was right as long as there were people the village would continue. Smoke from the battles drifted over their heads. The head of the ANBU arrived along with the two council members. Shikaku sighed while Ibiki smirked four fellow ANBU were on adjacent roofs as support. It would be a long journey to the fire daimyo, but he would need to know that the Third had died in this attack on the village and preparations for the Fifth would need to get under way.

They left quickly over the roof tops, they would not be long. Ibiki watched them go then turned as Jiraiya arrived with a familiar blonde haired, turtle mask wearing ninja in his arms. They both rushed quickly to the hospital as the fires were finally brought under control.

Jiraiya slammed open the hospital doors. Doctor Yori was just dropping paper work off at front desk when they entered he turned ushering them to follow him into a private room. Sparrow and Fox appeared out of nowhere and refused to leave while the doctor started to scan Hikaru. Ibiki slipped out of the room and walked steadily up the stairs to where Naruto was. He knocked on the door before entering.

Konohamaru was asleep on the bed Asuma ran a hand through his hair pulling a blanket up over the boy. Naruto walked over with a pitcher of water and a glass handing one to his uncle while putting the other down. The Hokage's body was covered by another blanket. It was eerie seeing the family like that. Naruto turned to look at Ibiki as Asuma looked up.

"What is it Ibiki?" he asked.

"I'm sorry to intrude, Jiraiya has just turned up with Hikaru." They both turned to look at Naruto.

"I'm needed here, but I need to go to him Uncle Asuma, I can't lose him too." Naruto's eyes watered.

"Leave a clone here. Konohamaru will understand. I won't leave him." Asuma stated.

"Thank you." Naruto hugged his uncle pulling away and leaving a clone in his place.

"Take me to him." Ibiki nodded.

(Line)

Naruto walked slowly into the room, he was so sure he'd lost Hikaru too. He'd fallen from such a height. Sparrow and Fox were in the room too, but they moved aside as Naruto fell onto the bed. He gripped Hikaru's hand tightly.

"Please wake up, I can't lose you too." He cried.

Jiraiya stood outside the room with Ibiki. He sighed pushing off the wall.

"The council have left to meet with the daimyo correct?" he asked.

"Yes they should be back tonight."

"That fast." He quirked an eyebrow.

"The Third had picked his successor. They are merely going there to be told that the choice cannot be changed. He made sure of it. The jounin vote will be held as soon as they get back." Ibiki nodded.

"You can take care of the village for now, I'll be back in three days, watch over the kid." Jiraiya nodded.

"You will be needed for the vote."

"My vote will come; we need to find out how far Orochimaru's deceit runs."

"Don't be reckless Lord Jiraiya; we need all the able bodied people we can right now."

"I need to check in with my spy network, don't worry I'm not running away, I've got an investment in this village." He glanced back to the door, before walking away.

(Line)

Shikaku released a breath; it had been a rather eventful meeting with the daimyo that was for sure. Who knew the two old councillors could argue like that. Their meeting which should have lasted all of an hour lasted four and a half instead. He was rather impressed to have the ANBU captain on his side; they perfectly balanced each other's arguments, which surprised everyone including them, but allowed them to effectively shut the two elders up destroying their rather biased arguments. A small smile graced his lips as the gates of the village came into view, the sooner this vote was over with the sooner he could drink. Most of the ninja's would be at the hospital, they would need as many allies as they could muster for this vote to win.

Ibiki must have sensed their arrival as he appeared on the roof of the hospital accompanied by all of the able bodied jounin of the village. The large group moved off as one towards the Hokage building, the council room was going to be significantly over crowded. He watched as several white masks appeared from nowhere and joined the group already gathered inside the building.

The jounin stood waiting as the council members walked in, even Kakashi was there. He had been dragged unceremoniously in by Kurenai, who had a clone of Asuma next to her. In fact half of the room consisted of clones, a testament to how many of them were injured or otherwise occupied. The room settled into silence as Danzo finally arrived taking his seat at the council desk.

Ibiki smirked the faces of the two elders were not happy. He frowned seeing the impassive look on Danzo's face, what was going through that man's mind. Nami gracefully crept in from the office a scroll in its mouth. The cat leapt up onto the desk and settled proudly in front of Danzo. Shikaku smirked holding out a hand as the cat butted its head against it.

Danzo grabbed the scroll and unravelled it, his frown deepened as he glanced over the contents of the scroll. He tossed an annoyed glance at Nami, before he began to address the masses.

"You as Jounin have been gathered here today to approve the choice of the next Hokage, my fellow councillors have returned from their meeting with the fire daimyo, they along with the acting jounin commander Shikaku Nara and the head of the ANBU tried to discourage the daimyo from this choice to no avail."

"We did not!" Shikaku stated. "We are behind the Third's decision. He chose a successor, the whole point of the meeting was to inform you that the choice had been accepted and would not be changed."

"It was a poor choice, by a foolish old man." Danzo slammed his cane down.

"How dare you." Everybody in the room stopped. "The Third was flawed yes but everybody is. We have all made mistakes. But you opinion on the candidate should not come across in this way. He picked the person whose name is on that scroll months ago. Do not forget what it is that the Third said to you the other night." Nami growled.

'The cat talks,' was the one thought going through everybody's mind.

"I did not bite the hand of a snake only for you to bitch and argue over his decision. His dying breath wasn't wasted on trivial matters; he died knowing that the village would continue on, that it was in safe hands. If you can't see that then perhaps you need to start looking underneath the underneath." Nami hissed.

The room was frozen in shock, Nami the cat could talk, and not only that, but the cat had shouted at the council members. How often was it that you found out that the cat that was always attached to the Hokage was able to talk, which meant it could listen as well. Just how much did the cat know?

"Before you start scheming about my demise, remember there is a law against harming me. I am Lady Sarutobi's cat; no harm is to come to me. Besides cats only live for about fifteen years anyway, so there are only a few more left in me." Nami sat licking a paw.

"Perhaps we should continue with the vote?" Shikaku suggested moving closer to Nami.

"Quite," Koharu stated.

"The third chose Naruto Uzumaki as his successor." Homura stated.

"He is a child. That is a lot of pressure to put on one so young."

"And what if he doesn't want the title?" Takeru stepped forwards.

"Then he makes the decision, with the council to pick his replacement." The ANBU captain stated.

"Naruto will understand why he was chosen, he may not like the fact that he was. But he always has the best intentions when it comes to this village. He will make the right decision that suits him." Ibiki stood forwards.

"Now to cast your votes. Those in favour of Naruto Uzumaki as Fifth Hokage raise your hand."

Most of the room raised their hands; including all of the ANBU present and any jounin who had meet or worked with. Shikaku and Ibiki shared a look, they had enough votes.

"Those opposed."

The council members raised their hands along with the rest of the jounin who hadn't voted.

"It is confirmed, Naruto Uzumaki has a majority vote. He is the new Hokage." Danzo growled before leaving the room along with the two elders.

"Did anyone think to bring Naruto here?" Asuma asked.

The room went very quiet; they had not discussed who would be the one to inform Naruto of this decision. It should have been Hikaru's job but he was incapacitated. Those who were clones quickly released, filling the room with smoke, so they were not chosen. Kakashi was a bad choice his relation with Naruto was shaky at best. Asuma couldn't do it either he was needed as a family member more than anything right now. Takeru shook his head, taking himself out of the equation. They could ask Iruka to do it but he'd likely have a similar reaction to Naruto. Shikaku didn't want to do it as he was the one that had seconded the choice which left...

All eyes turned to Ibiki.

"Fine, but you're coming with me." He pointed to Shikaku.

"When's a guy meant to go and get drink." He muttered under his breath.

(Line)

"Sarutobi may have stopped us from choosing the next Hokage, but we still have some control. Re-enforce our latest laws. The boy won't be able to change them as they involve him. Matters will have to be taken into our own hands." Danzo scowled. The two elders nodded and left.

"Target the prince, let's see how well he can perform without his lap dog shall we?" he spoke to the shadows. The masked ninja stepped back into the shadow.

"You may have thought you had stopped me old friend, but there are other ways to poke a monster."

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