Second of five Updates.

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.

Thank you to my Beta Spaded Ace18.

Thank you for the all the follow, favourites, alerts and reviews.

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 43 - Starlings.

Shikaku grumbled sending a glare over to Ibiki who as usual was not bothered by it. Damn the man for being the head of Torture and interrogation. Naruto was not going to be happy when they got there, no doubt he already knew but he was going through so much right now. How he would react would be anyone's guess. Why couldn't Hikaru wake up? He was needed more than ever now the Third had died. They stopped outside the room where Lord Hyuuga was waiting.

"He will get angry no doubt, if I have to I will block charka points, he saved a lot of lives today not just during the invasion, he rescued Neji. Something I couldn't do. He has changed the life of Hinata, and has become very dear to her. I will not let him harm himself or anyone in his anger."

"We could make him do it." Shikaku asked.

"You made this decision you face it." Ibiki growled.

The Hyuuga lord knocked on the door, Sparrow answered it opening it wide for the three ninja. He returned to his spot by the window, the three stepped into the room. Naruto was leaning on the bed Hikaru's hand gripped in his own tightly. The beeping of the machine was the only sound.

"Naruto, I have something important to tell you." Naruto inclined his head but didn't take his eyes off Hikaru. "We have just voted on the Third's successor."

A clone stepped away from Naruto, he turned looking at them he signalled to the two ANBU and flew out the window. The three shinobi blinked in surprise before following the boy out the window. Lord Hyuuga activated his byakugan to keep up with the boy's movements. He led them up to the private training ground on top of the Hokage monument. He stopped and waited as they arrived.

"I don't want you to tell me that he made me his successor. I don't want it. I never wanted it. He knew that but he made me it anyway. Who does that?"

"He must have had a reason for it Naruto, you know that."

"You are the perfect candidate. We've voted nobody is going to dispute it." Shikaku confirmed.

"The villagers will. I may have won your trust but I haven't won everyone's. The villagers won't want a demon running their village, yet alone an eleven year old boy. I can't fight against that." His voice choked. "I don't want it."

"You don't want to be Hokage?" Genma's voice floated across the group that had arrived.

"Why would I want a job where I am sending people off to die? I'd rather people come back from a failed mission then to die completing a mission. I can't send the people I care about off to die." Naruto spun to face the assembled group.

"Do you really have such little faith in us?" Iruka asked moving to the head of the crowd. "They voted you in Naruto, they would go to hell and back for you."

"That's what it's going to be though. Because of this attack all eyes will be on us, the entire world is watching and waiting for our next move. We have to prove our strength, but we lost a number of shinobi in this invasion, some amazing people are dead or hurt and we are stretched so thin, we don't have the man power to handle the higher ranked missions or counter the influx of missions that we receive. I'm scared." He whispered falling to the ground.

"I'm scared too, Naruto." He crouched to Naruto's level, his hand resting on his shoulder. "But I trust you. I know you. But you're not alone in this, you have friends you can count on, you have family, not just the Sarutobi's but us too. You're like a little brother to me Naruto. We won't let you down and we won't stop until you tell us what to do. We're with you in this no matter what you decide to do with the title." Iruka smiled.

"I don't know where to start?" Naruto asked, wiping the tears away.

"Start with the village, the buildings and things." Iruka prompted.

"Building can be rebuilt, I worked so hard to get some of these buildings renovated and now there's barely anything left of them. But all the people got out I know that. They can help us rebuild. We have trading partners with the Land of Wave, Tazuna is a builder, reach out to him that we need help to get our village too flourish again. We need to get our civilian life settled and flowing so they don't worry so much. Keep the people happy and busy." Iruka smiled at Naruto; once he got going he was fine. He was glad that Lord Hyuuga had the foresight to explain everything to him.

"Sand. Do we have any prisoner's from the Land of Wind?" he watched Ibiki nod. "Send them back to Sand. They were manipulated against us, send them back, and let them know we are open to talks of a treaty."

"Are you sure about this?"

"Yes, Orochimaru disguised himself as their Kazekage, I doubt he is still alive, they will be in a similar situation to us, and we can give them the missions closer to their border, it will help with the influx on missions we receive."

"Can I suggest taking this to the Hokage building?"

"Yes, right umm, Iruka thank you. You should get back to your students I'll send a clone along later today." Naruto quirked his lips, he turned to an ANBU in a Boar mask. "Would you mind taking me to the mission room, I don't want to work in Grandpa's office." The ANBU nodded and wrapped an arm around Naruto, the two disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"You should go too. He'll need help he is only a child after all." The Hyuuga Lord stated looking at Shikaku.

"I'm not going to get a drink any time soon am I?" He sighed, turning and leaping off after the Hokage.

(Line)

Naruto appeared in the mission room, he smiled at the ANBU behind him. He walked over to where the missions were assigned browsing through a couple of scrolls. He turned when he felt a few more ANBU arrive.

"Would one of you collect Kotetsu and Izumo for me, they're going to be on desk duty for a while. Would someone tell what the name of the person wearing the cat mask is, the woman with purple hair.

"Yuugao Uzuki."

"Bring her here for me."

The Hokage's assistant came into the room. She smiled and turned showing Izumo and Kotetsu hauling in a desk for him to work at. A second desk appeared, being pushed in by Raido and Genma. She settled behind the second desk. He smiled and turned to Kotetsu and Izumo.

"You two placed a bet on me at the exam, I need you to help man the mission desks. I want you to give out any D ranks situated in the village to Academy students; we can start building their team working skills early. C ranks to capable Genin only, I don't want any casualties remember. That frees up the B ranks for Chunin, the majority of the S rank missions will go to the ANBU along with competent Jounin, and all Jounin will be taking A rank missions. If you find any close to the border of Sand keep them back till we hear more." Naruto stated. He sighed as the first load of paper work arrived.

"Genma would you go through this paper work and remove anything to do with the Chunin exam, it's not something I can deal with as it involves me personally and I don't want to be seen as biased, leave for the new Hokage to handle." He split into another clone this one going to help Kotetsu and Izumo.

"A wise decision, who do you propose to take over from you?" Koharu asked walking into the room with Homura.

"One second," Naruto turned looking to Yuugao who had just arrived.

"Would you mind stepping away from your team for a while? I know that they are your support system and you need them right now but I want you to be my extra body. I would like for you to act as one of the messengers working between here and sand, I know you were one of the ones most affected from the invasion, but you may well get the answers and the closure you seek there."

"And you don't think I am after revenge?" She turned her mask to the side.

"That's why I want you to go, because you don't blame sand for this. I am sure sand will be willing to aid us in any way we deem necessary, since the surrender, but I think an eye on the ground would give us better information."

"You want me to spy on them?"

"I want you to asses them. Orochimaru tricked them; they are just as much the victim as we are. I think a great alliance can be formed between our two countries."

"Understood."

"Take Tsubasa he needs practice if he's going to be a messenger bird." Naruto nodded. "Sorry to keep you but I did call for her before you walked in."

"Who would you propose as the next Hokage?" Homura said grumpily, he wasn't pleased that they had been shoved aside for an ANBU.

"Well I was thinking Jiraiya, but I highly doubt he would take on the role. Many of our shinobi are in the hospital, a medical expert would be a huge advantage to the village especially now. Lady Tsunade's expertise and experience would greatly benefit the village." Naruto looked to see the council were interested. "Of course nobody knows where she is at the moment, which is our main problem; the only person I think would be capable of finding her would be Lord Jiraiya, but he has left the village and I am not sure when he will return." Naruto sat back in frustration.

"Why did you send the ANBU to Sand?" Koharu asked.

"Because I think Orochimaru took advantage of them. He didn't have enough forces to perform this attack on his own. But also because of Gaara. I've never met someone else like me and to see him like that what he's become, it scares me. That could have been me. I'm rather more stable than him and not as much of a threat as he can be. I think he deserves the right of stability just as much as I do. There should be contingency plans for a tailed beast attack or break out, but there is still a person there, and should be treated as such." He stopped looking back at the two elders. "Seeing as I'll be stepping down soon, there is no need to make this news public. I know you don't like me, but I would really appreciate your help in running this village."

"You are a rather interesting individual." Koharu nodded.

She stood and walked over to the mission desk observing how they were sorting the missions.

"Can someone find out how many confirmed casualties there were? We need to start making arrangements for the dead." Naruto called out signing a piece of paper and adding it to the pile.

Homura stood with an annoyed look, Naruto was making some excellent points but that didn't mean he was okay with them.

(Line)

Naruto stood up kicking his chair behind him, hitting and knocking the masked assailant back. Fox landed behind Naruto blocking the assailant's path. Sparrow pushed against the dulled tanto aiming for Hikaru's heart. Naruto slashed out with a kunai forcing Sparrow's opponent to move away from Hikaru. He sensed Kakashi and Asuma moving towards the room.

Fox's hand flew through seals, he caught the foot of his opponent in earth, he pulled his tanto out as the earth was smashed away he smirked slicing as he moved pushing the person back. The door splintered into bits as Asuma knives glowing cut through the assailant. Sparrow spun clashing with his opponent he felt water climb up his leg but continued to clash. The water surrounded them both. Naruto turned to see if Hikaru was awake. He was still out.

Kakashi's wayward hair appeared as he stepped through the window, hands clasped in a seal. His sharingan glared at the two in his water prison. Slowly he separated the two, forming two separate spheres and dropped the one around Sparrow. He coughed and spluttered but turned to Naruto making sure he was okay before turning back to the masked individual trapped in the sphere.

"Root." Fox growled.

All eyes narrowed. Naruto went to step forwards then stopped. He would have to let go of Hikaru's hand if he did. He looked down at their hands deciding he wasn't ready to let go yet. He sent a look to Sparrow and Fox who instantly understood. Fox turned tanto extended slicing through the water and stabbing the trapped assailant through the heart. He twisted for good measure. Kakashi blinked and dropped his hands the water pooled to the floor along with the assailant.

"Why did you do that? We could have interrogated him."

"Not if they were Root, you can't. They can't talk." Sparrow spoke for Fox.

"They weren't after Naruto. They were after Hikaru." Fox wiped off his tanto.

"Get Hikaru moved to a more secure room. Asuma bring Konohamaru to the tower, we'll spend the night there." Naruto hesitated. "Would you mind staying with us?" Naruto looked at Asuma.

Asuma walked over hugging Naruto tight. "It's okay to be a little boy. And scared of what's going to happen. I couldn't leave you two today, I'm not going to leave you both." He smiled feeling Naruto's shuddering breath.

Kakashi stood back watching this show of affection and seeing the scared little boy that the Third had named his successor. Naruto was a strong person; he would pull through this with the right people behind him. He hated the old man for putting Naruto in this position. He was too young and very emotional, it wasn't a fair decision, and yet he had raised his hand for Naruto, he helped secure him in this position. He wouldn't let him down. He would do everything he could to make Naruto's time as Hokage easier.

But he would have to escape from the irate nurses that had come to find out why one of their hospital rooms had been the centre of a very bloody battle.

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