Disclaimer: Naruto and all it comes with does not belong to me. It's all Kishimoto. This is fiction, don't confuse.

To those who reviewed: Thank you for your positive comments. :D It helps.

Let me clear something up: Sakura is not one of those people wanted to be the Hokage. Tsunade just asked her to be there for undisclosed reasons of her own.

I also have perfectly reasonable explanations for those shinobi Homura and Koharu chose. First of all is that they were either trained by one who was Hokage, or a descendant—I'm taking liberties with Asuma, because I am assuming he was related to the Sandaime because he is "Sarutobi Asuma."

Gai is the exception. I happen to like Gai. I think he is Kakashi's rival. Thus, being equal in power, I consider them both able shinobi to compete for the Hokage name. And there is my reasoning. I'm tellin' ya, I thought this through.

Part I

Chapter I-b

Recap: Everyone watched as he parted his lips and spoke the words, "I, Uchiha Sasuke…"

+

"… To lead a generation of new and greater strengths is a shinobi that has been undergoing training for the past six years under my guidance, my kounin. Uzumaki Naruto."

Looking at his clenched fists, Naruto broke into a relieved smile at the words, and he remembered the last thing Tsunade had said to him—that in the end, it was still her choice. Though, he still wondered who had been those that the executive committee brought before the Hokage to take his place. Besides Kakashi, of course.

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. Feeling a hand on his back, he looked at Sasuke who was smiling as he glanced at him, but moved his eyes back to the Hokage. Naruto followed Sasuke's example and looked to…Tsunade. She was still the Hokage now, but what should he call her, formally? Sensei, he supposed. Looking at Tsunade's pleased face, Naruto found that he had entirely missed her speech after his name was said.

+

"…reject your offer."

Sakura sighed in relief, and a small smile curved on her lips. She really should have known, how could she have doubted? Those two were the ones who knew each other best. Better than Sakura, but not by much.

Homura gave a silent sigh. "Very well. Dismissed."

Asuma turned and left, smothering the end of his cigarette stub and pulling out a new one as he left.

Sasuke on the other hand, stayed where he was. Folding his arms, looking only at the Tsunade, he said, "I wish to speak with Hokage."

Sakura thought she knew what he would say to her, and figured she would stay and, perhaps, give her own opinion.

Tsunade rested her chin on her hands clasped before her, and waited for the two council members to leave. She didn't even have to look at their faces to know they were affronted at Sasuke's rudeness, and hers, as well. She did not even watch them as they left.

"Uchiha."

"Hokage." He nodded.

Tsunade sighed and leaned back into her chair, allowing her hands to collapse to the table. "What an unpleasant meeting. Even Kakashi was unprofessional."

"When Kakashi is pissed, since when did he ever care for protocol?"

At this, Tsunade's eyebrows rose. "Well, I suppose I don't know Kakashi so well as you do." A lie.

"Hokage." Sasuke looked at her in the intense way only he could. "I am confused about this last meeting, and perhaps a bit angered…" Sasuke inclined his head. "I was under the impression that Naruto was your kounin."

Sakura was surprised once again. She knew Naruto had still been under training, but she did not know what it was for. Though her question was answered on why Naruto wasn't there, this only brought up even more questions.

"Naruto is my kounin. However, there are circumstances in which this meeting had to be held. And I have to say to you, Uchiha, that I am just as angered, if not more, than you."

Sasuke's brows furrowed.

Sakura finally spoke. "Then why hide the fact that he is your kounin? The first thing you said during the meeting was you were looking for a successor. You never even mentioned Naruto."

"Simple tactics. I didn't want anyone to think there was competition."

Moving from his thoughts, Sasuke asked, "…And those 'circumstances' you said, what would they be?"

Tsunade sighed. "Further than that some people objected that he was my kounin, it is not my right to say." Placing her hands firmly on the desk before her, she stood. "Now, I believe your questioning is over, so, I bid you farewell."

Bowing lightly, Sasuke left the office.

+

"Please wait,"

He stopped walking and turned to face the speaker.

"We would like to inform you that you are in the council's favor, and—"

"I already declined."

"We wish you to reconsider."

"I refuse."

""If you were to only—"

"The way it would go is that Naruto takes the Hokage title. No one is more suited than he, not even myself. That you cannot deny." He turned around. "I have plans of my own, and I bid you my leave."

Uchiha Sasuke walked brusquely away.

+

"Kakashi!" Naruto said in surprise. As he had first walked through his door to the humble place he called home, he had been removing his jacket and putting his keys in his pocket, and it wasn't until he looked up that he noticed his former sensei lounging on his open window, reading a book.

Naruto had just arrived home from a nice workout jog to calm his nerves. It was today that Tsunade had told him the little 'meeting' would take place, and his tension had been building all day.

Where was the old confidence? He wondered.

Said sensei now moved his eyes from his book, and faced Naruto. With his usual lazy look to him, he said, "You could probably guess as to why I'm here."

Naruto's fists clenched. "The…the meeting?"

Kakashi looked thoughtful. "Well, I suppose you could say that. I was there, and it is the root of why I came…"

Naruto leaned forward and spoke a bit eagerly. "So, you could tell me…who was there? What happened?"

Closing his book and tossing it to a table inside, Kakashi scratched the bridge of his nose and answered, "No…I kind of left."

Naruto dropped to the floor, and sighed heavily.

"Well, I can see that you are down about this whole thing…" Kakashi began massaging his head with his hand. "I'm a bit angry, too, but…I suppose Tsunade couldn't help it. It was only to please her council."

Naruto whipped his head up. "Angry?"

Kakashi glanced at Naruto, then looked out the window. "Probably for the same reason Tsunade is…so I left as soon as I found out what that little gathering was for. And instead of needlessly arguing with Tsunade like some people…I came here to reassure you." Kakashi remembered the subtle anger on Sasuke's face as he left. Poor Sasuke doesn't know just why people would object to Naruto's succession. He's probably speaking with Tsunade now, and he'll be left in the dark anyway.

"You came to reassure me?"

Kakashi sighed. He loved to be around Naruto, but sometimes it was tiring because you had to explain a lot of things to him. Oh well, he would have said this anyway. "I came to see you because I have no doubt in my mind that you will succeed. So really, I came here to celebrate." He smiled under his mask, and lifted something from outside the window.

Kakashi held a bottle in his hands now, and was fiddling with the top. "I figure as soon as Iruka finds out, he'll treat you to ramen, and you're almost twenty, so…I thought I'd bring a more adult celebration." Kakashi held up the bottle for Naruto to see.

Naruto's eyes widened. "That's…"

Pulling his mask down around his neck, Kakashi's smile widened. "The finest sake I could afford."

"Oh, wow!" Naruto exclaimed and scrambled off the floor to give Kakashi a leap-hug. "You are SO cool!" Naruto loosened his grip. "But maybe, should we invite Iruka, or Sasuke, or—"

Kakashi covered Naruto's mouth. "No. They'll find their way over sooner or later. Maybe."

Knocking his hand away, Naruto said, "Uhm, okay. Then, why don't you get out of my window, and we'll crack the bottle." Naruto giggled to himself. "I never even thought about it, I'm almost twenty…hey, when it's my birthday, I think I'll have a drink with 'Bunta like he always wanted."

"…Sure."

Naruto elbowed Kakashi. "Aw, don't worry, I'll invite you, too!"

They both sat at Naruto's cramped dining table. Kakashi produced two small drinking glasses while Naruto opened the bottle and poured the first set.

"Hmm…sunset's a nice time to begin drinking, eh, Kakashi-sensei?"

Amused, Kakashi nodded. But his mind was elsewhere. Putting his elbow on the table, he rested his chin on his hand. "Around this time…yeah. You are the youngest to get so close to the title…a bit younger than my master…younger than the third…" Kakashi downed his drink.

Naruto's brows were furrowed in thought. "Your master…the fourth…?"

"…Yeah."

Naruto looked about to shout, but he stopped and slowly laid his head down on his folded arms, eyes downcast. "…Oh. That's cool, Kakashi."

Kakashi smiled to himself. What a silly kid. "You want to hear about him, Naruto?"

And he could suddenly see Naruto's bright blue eyes, full of suppressed excitement. "Oh, yeah!" Naruto grinned widely. "Think about it, Kakashi, I'm, like, almost trained by the fourth or something!"

Grinning stupidly, Naruto sipped his sake and laid his chin on his arms, attention all on Kakashi. "So, sensei, tell me about your sensei…"

+

Naruto grinned as humbly as he could when he exited the building and Iruka walked up to him, an uncontrollable smile on his face, and offered to buy him dinner.

"Hehe," Naruto laughed. "Let me check by schedule, and I'll get back to you…"

Throwing his arm around Naruto's neck none too gently, Iruka spoke loudly, "I'm afraid I'll just have to drag you to dinner with me, and you'll have to postpone all else, because I could really care less about your other appointments!" Iruka ruffled Naruto's hair, and, leaning in close, whispered in his former student's ear, "Because I really want to tell you just how proud of you I am."

Naruto's eyes stung as they stayed like that, close. Glancing at Kakashi as he saw him pass, he thought he saw his other sensei give him a wink.

+ End Chapter I+

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