Chapter 56: Patients and Celebration
Now that she's truly met the man, Tsunade could appreciate not only the position he was put in, but the job he was doing as the Hokage. Kakashi Hatake to her when Jiraiya first broached the subject of her return was nothing more than some runt whose head was too big with an audacity that she didn't appreciate. However, with her glimpse of what he was forced into as a successor of a position he didn't have any intention of taking, Tsunade could admit that he was merely doing what he could in the shit situation he was placed in. Now, that didn't mean she has switched her stance on returning to the Leaf, not by any means, but it made the arrangement a bit easier to swallow. In the weeks that she's stayed in the village, Tsunade was still battling the ghosts that appeared around her and the memories that fought to resurge to the front of her mind, but those things could be mitigated somewhat through the work Kakashi has put her to.
Sarutobi-sensei was someone that needed an eye on him consistently for the first few days out of his operation. She was aware and unwilling to bend to the possibilities of complications should they take his recovery too laxed. The truth of the matter was that the old goat was staring at a fine balance between recovery and relapse should he be faced with too much stress too soon, or really at all. If they really wanted to take advantage of this time she was able to scrounge out of the old Kage's heart, no worries that were outside of the menial could be brought to the man's attention. It was too risky to try him with such things and, for the most part, that's been easy to do while the man still sat in the darkened basement of the Leaf Hospital.
Now, though, with all of Tsunade's work with Hiruzen done for now outside of the usual check-ups, Kakashi was quick to put two more patients on her agenda. The man was crafty, that's for sure. It wasn't lost on Tsunade that the two patients she received were those that would need regular and constant supervision in no short-term fashion. The Slug Sannin was aware that she wouldn't be able to drop in, do some medical work, and leave to fall back into the life she's lived for so long now. She knew that there would be many roadblocks ahead of that and any Kage worth their salt would fight her every step of the way. This, though, a Jinchuuriki and a kid planted with one of Orochimaru's Cursed Marks was essentially the official order telling her to get comfortable. Truthfully, Tsunade didn't know whether she should curse the man or let out a dry laugh at the impudence of someone that was over twenty years her junior.
It wasn't all gloom, staying in the village. Tsunade wasn't blind to the change in Shizune's mood at being back within her birthplace. She wouldn't lie to herself and deny the entertainment her nights drinking with Jiraiya brought her or the feelings she felt in seeing her old teacher come back to the land of the living. Only a week back and Tsunade was feeling the grasping claws of the village that were meant to keep her rooted within its walls and at its command. It was Tsunade's natural instinct to fight it all and carry through the duties assigned to her with bitterness that would display how much she hated what she was being forced to do, but she couldn't bring herself to. Anytime the notion struck her, everytime she felt the discomfort of being connected to this place and those within it, Tsunade could only be reminded of how easily Orochimaru snatched her and Shizune. She was reminded that, as she was now, Tsunade was in no position to prance around the lands like she was untouchable and infallible. Who was to say that Onoki of the Stone or Ai of the Cloud wouldn't get overzealous and send their people to snatch them? Who's to say that it wouldn't be Shizune that found a kunai buried within her and not the next pet they decide to take in? Tsunade wasn't arrogant enough, as of right now, to say that she was better off elsewhere.
That was why Tsunade was marching toward her next long-term patient with a clipboard in hand early into the morning. To her right, as she marched down the main road of the village toward her destination, Jiraiya was marching along right with her as he whistled a tune into the cloudy morning sky. She never asked him to come with her, but given who she was to inspect Tsunade supposed that it should have been expected that he wouldn't be anywhere else. How he figured that she would be headed there right now? She didn't care to know.
The apartment building that her patient lived within wasn't something she could call luxurious. In truth, the building itself was as rundown as one could expect without it being truly abandoned and far from what Tsunade herself was living around. Still, the pair of Sannin climbed the stairs of the building to the highest floor and knocked on the door of Naruto Uzumaki's dwelling, waiting patiently for an answer. Jiraiya, who was standing behind her as she knocked, only waited a few seconds before he nudged her way from the door and let himself right in.
"Really, you oaf? You can't wait two seconds before shoving yourself into someone's home?" She borderline shouted at Jiraiya while following the man into the small apartment, both filtering to the left and taking a seat at the shabby dining room table. There was, as to be expected, no shame on Jiraiya's face. If anything, the man almost seemed proud at his blatant disrespect of boundaries.
"Ah, don't worry, princess. The kid wasn't gonna be here unless we came before the sun was up. He's training more likely than not, but we can be here for when he comes back." There was a flip of a hand that exemplified further how uncaring the man was of her complaints as he stood to sift through the cabinets of the kid's kitchen, helping himself to a pack of instant noodles that he started cooking right away.
"And we're just supposed to sit here and wait for however long it'll take for the kid to train through the day?" She sighed out to the man's back as he tended to his stolen meal, but all she got in return was a half-hearted shrug.
"What would you rather do, Tsunade? We're already here, might as well wait for him to come back. It's not like you're in a rush." That was the extent of their conversation, Tsunade choosing not to further go back and forth over a man too stubborn to reason with. Instead, the woman settled the file of the Uzumaki onto the table and sifted over the little information she had on the kid.
Overall, the village had all that there was to know about Naruto Uzumaki. He was their Jinchuuriki, afterall. There was likely never an instance in the kid's life that there weren't eyeballs on what he was doing until he started taking missions out of the village. However, when it came to medical history, they had nothing on the boy until the last few months. Not once in the kid's early life did they bother to do regular check-ups on the Uzumaki's vitals or anything of that nature. Now, in a stroke of delayed brilliance, they've decided to finally make sure that they knew everything they needed to know about Naruto's body.
As Tsunade shifted through the file of the boy that was, by distant relations to her paternal grandmother, her family, she and Jiraiya patiently waited in the shabby apartment for hours, but eventually there was the telltale shake of the doorknob that pulled them both from the nonsense conversation they were having about Jiraiya literature endeavors. Only when she turned her head to the boy that lived in the apartment that they broke into did she realize Jiraiya's fascination with him. She couldn't claim to have known Minato Namikaze, but she wasn't completely ignorant to the man. Everyone who was alive and in the shinobi world at the time knew what the Fourth Hokage looked like, and Naruto Uzumaki was stunningly similar to the man.
Naruto didn't meet them with complaints of their trespassing or any true surprise. Instead, the young shinobi simply stared at the two Sannin that sat at his dining table, that was littered with evidence of Jiraiya's snacking, with an eyebrow raised and a questioning look being sent at Jiraiya. The kid looked small as he stood alone in the open door with his chunin uniform that was fitted loosely on his frame hanging off of him more so than it should have. She was looking at a kid that looked both younger and older than he should have and it sat unwell with her.
"What's going on, Jiraiya?" Came the dry greeting and Jiraiya looked exaggeratedly put out by the boy's lack of excitement. As there always was with her teammate, banter was passed around back and forth between the two, but before they could dig too deep into it, Tsunade cleared her throat to grab both boys' attention.
"Look, kid, we're not here to take too much time. I just have to look at you, make sure you're healthy, and report it to Kakashi. The buffoon," she jerked her thumb over to Jiraiya, "is here to check your seal." And just like that, all was settled in the room. The boy quickly shed his flak jacket and navy long-sleeve to allow the pair to do their work. Jiraiya took a knee in front of the kid, getting himself close to the intricate seal that plastered itself on the boy's skin as Tsunade stood at his back and allowed the green chakra wash over the boy's body.
Whatever grunting that Jiraiya made was thoroughly ignored as Tsunade was entranced by what she was seeing within the boy's body. The medical chakra sunk into his skin and allowed her to scan through the boy's muscles, bones, and organs. She looked for anything that could be of concern, any stresses that could be found, and any evidence of the taxing life that came from being a shinobi. But no matter how deep she looked, Tsunade couldn't find a single thing wrong with the boy. Even coming directly from training, as seen by the dirt that marred his skin and clothes, she couldn't even find a bruise. Muscle fibers were whole and intact, bones were stiff and strong, and there wasn't any evidence that Naruto even set foot out of his room. Everything was perfectly in pace as it should have been.
However, the amazement that she felt at the incredible health Naruto was in was immediately overshadowed by the thick and thorough grumbling scowl that Jiraiya had plastered on his face. The Toad Sage didn't bother to speak his issues aloud when he returned to his seat, choosing to look at Tsunade for her to begin.
"You look good, kid. Even if I was checking up on some random civilian they probably wouldn't look as healthy as you do." She couldn't even keep her astonishment to herself as she spoke, writing down her notes in the boy's file as she did. When she looked up, though, Tsunade expected to see relief or some sort of pride at his own health, but instead Naruto only looked put out by it.
"The Nine-Tails heals me quickly." The boy said with some more than a little unease in his voice as his eyes glanced around. He answered her unspoken question without ever meeting her gaze, clearly not comfortable talking about the Nine-Tails around other people. Tsunade made sure to make note of his admission in the file, but Jiraiya's interruption gave her some pause.
"About that, kid. We gotta talk." The Toad Sage was stern with his voice and seriousness overtook the normally goofy persona he usually boasted. The man sat forward in his seat and pointed at the seal on Naruto's stomach, flicking a hand in an area where many inky lines conjoined near each other, but not fully touching. "I noticed it when we first met, and at first I thought it was just the seal shifting in the many years it's been active. Now, though, I know that can't be right. Two Four Symbol Seals are supposed to converge and meet to make a single, impossibly strong Eight Trigram Seal. However, as I've studied this seal, more and more space is gathering between the two seals, making their bond weaker. I'm worried that the more Nine-Tails chakra that naturally flows through the seal, the more the seal breaks down."
Tsunade studied both Jiraiya and Naruto's faces at the revelation. Sure, she understood the gravity of the situation, but she was so far removed from it that such a revelation didn't hit her quite the same as it might them. Jiraiya, for all the laughs he was willing to dispense, looked as grim as he's ever looked. The boy, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as disturbed by the news. In fact, there seemed to have been a sense of realization that she had no context to place.
"I know we talked about it briefly, but we need to start getting you prepared to start training with the Nine-Tails' chakra, otherwise the seal will break under the strain of the Tailed-Beast." Jiraiya spoke like he was preparing for an argument that he wouldn't bother trying to entertain, but when Tsunade studied Naruto's face, there was no fight to be had. Silently, the boy thought, thinking hard on things she couldn't begin to imagine. Much like his entrance to the apartment, Naruto stayed more reserved than Tsunade could've ever expected, more reserved than a young teenage Jinchuuriki had any right to be.
Naruto didn't offer any words in his reply, only solemnly nodding his head in acceptance of Jiraiya's demands. She had expected more back and forth or perhaps some conversation to sprout between the Toad Sage and the Jinchuuriki, but instead Jiraiya was ushering her out of the small apartment and saying quick farewells to the young chunin as they walked through the door. It wasn't lost on her what little connection the two had despite how often Jiraiya would mention the boy unprompted. It made her turn her questions on the man as they headed toward their next teenaged high-class patient with a peculiar seal and a questionable future.
"What was that back there, Jiraiya? I thought you two would be buddy-buddy." Tsunade asked the man that walked by her side and again she was met with the serious Jiraiya that seemed to be more and more commonplace than she was used to.
"He's a complicated kid, Tsunade. He's more complicated than anyone his age needs to be, but that's how it goes. Kakashi told me I had to take it slow with him so I will, and I'm sure you'll be better off doing the same if you're going to be keeping an eye on his health." They continued their walk toward the Uchiha compound in silence, Tsunade idly sifting through the near-bare file of the Uzumaki in her hands one last time before switching to the second file she was carrying on her.
Sasuke Uchiha's file was a much more complete work of what an important patient's file was to look like. From infantile data produced through regular checkups that extended throughout his youth to all the medical and psychological examinations that accompanied him after the genocide of his clan. Anything she wanted to know was written down with meticulous detail all the way into the current issues at hand. Currently, it was already noted that the Uchiha was seeing an increase of aggression and mood swings that were more frequent and intense than usual, according to both Anko and Kakashi. An unhealthy obsession with training grew, despite the boy already being more than dedicated to the shinobi life, and now with the concern of the unknown Cursed Mark, this obsession could be considered dangerous to the Uchiha's health.
Fun.
Tsunade was sure that her and Jiraiya's abrupt visit at the boy's home was going to be well received. Her lack of enthusiasm was compounded when the pair of Sannin entered the clan compound of the near-extinct Uchiha and were exposed to the sheer silence of the once bustling clan grounds. Roads were empty, buildings were lifeless, and all Tsunade could think of was the extravagance that once was in the once great clan. Given the scene around them, Tsunade was less than shocked when the door she stood in front of stood closed after she gave it a knock, and even less so when the second knock was ignored as well. A glance was shared between her and Jiraiya before a third knock was going to be made but a voice interrupted her before she could make contact with the wood.
"Are you two who Kakashi-sensei told me to expect?" Came a quiet voice from behind the two, annoyance clear within its tone. A furrowed brow and a subtle scowl match the voice Tsunade turned around to, the sight of Sasuke Uchiha dressed similar to that of Naruto Uzumaki as he approached the entrance to his home. The boy pushed through Tsunade and Jiraiya and opened the door to the dwelling, entering it by closing the door behind him but also not directly inviting them in. Only when he was already in the dining area that was visible through the entryway did the Uchiha speak up again. "Are you coming?"
"Calm down, princess. No need to get testy yet." Jiraiya was already saying before Tsunade herself acknowledged her tightening fingers or clenched jaw. Taking a breath, Tsunade followed Sasuke's path through his house and into the dining area that shared space with a kitchen separated only by a countertop. Sasuke was standing on the other side of that countertop with his arms crossed and eyes sharply inspecting his two visitors with no small amount of suspicion.
"What do you want?" Sasuke asked with a harshness that was distinctly different from Naruto's approach to them. As she stood there, not doing anything inflammatory by any means, Tsunade could spot the irritation in the Uchiha rising considerably and without reason. Before she let the boy snap out whatever his anger was directing itself at, Tsunade spoke up.
"The Hokage sent us to check up on both your physical fitness and the Cursed Mark. From now on, we will be the main ones looking after your health." She explained with a tone of professionalism that she was wholly unused to. Again, much like the Uzumaki, her words were only taken with a short nod of the boy's head.
Just as they had with Naruto, Jiraiya and Tsunade both did their examinations while the other worked on the opposite side of the boy. With the positioning of the Cursed Mark, Jiraiya took the boy's back as he looked at orochimaru's work with a twisted scowl while Tsunade again bathed her hands in green chakra. However, in stark contrast to the state of Naruto's body and the picture of health it displayed, Sasuke's body was practically in shambles. Tsunade could feel the sluggish circulation of chakra in the boy's system, she couldn't count the amount of partial tears that riddled muscles, ligaments, and tendons, and she couldn't help but be concerned at the spiderwebs that extended through many bones across his frame. Where Naruto showed the picture of health and stability, Sasuke looked like he was a corpse staggering on his feet. While Naruto could be confused with a boy that never worked a day in his life, Sasuke could be passed off as a senior shinobi who just came home from war.
Again, an eye caught Jiraiya's face and she wasn't relieved to see that his face matched her own feelings on what she was finding. Only when Jiraiya too stepped away from his probing did Tsunade move to make any statements. She met the eyes of the curious Uchiha with a stern gaze, one that couldn't be confused with anything else but cautionary.
"You need to take it easier," she began without any other preface, "if you don't you'll be finding yourself in a hospital bed for a very long time. I don't know how you aren't there already. You should be practically crippled." The Slug Sannin had no intention to sugar coat her findings from the boy, but already she was seeing that her words were carrying any real weight to the boy. Arms recrossed over Sasuke's chest as his scowl only deepened more and more with each passing word.
"It's not quite that simple, princess. This seal," Jiraiya nodded down at the boy's neck from behind Sasuke, "has its claws deep. I don't think there is a single thing that isn't influenced or interfered with by this mark. Best guess is that he's being driven forward by the seal while also numbed from any discomfort until the point where his body can't take it anymore and the seal becomes a crutch." They fell silent, Jiraiya walking around to join Tsunade in front of Sasuke as he reclothed his upper half.
"So what? I just have to sit around and do nothing until I feel better? I don't even feel bad." Sasuke shook his head in his own exasperation, "I can't just sit around if I still feel good enough to train." Sasuke's dismissal was quick but not particularly harsh. The kid was brushing their words off like they were talking about the weather.
"That's not really your choice, Uchiha. My report goes to the Hokage and he decides what you do." Tsunade could only ignore the glare that was sent to her, but fortunately there were no arguments to rebuff as their welcome was quickly worn. Tsunade only had the time to write the notes she needed to in Sasuke's file before her and Jiraiya were being led out the door they only just entered.
They were nothing but preliminary visits. They were a chance to establish a baseline for Tsunade and Jiraiya to build off of as Kakashi meant to keep a sterner eye on his two young assets, but already there were many question marks that Tsunade was faced with. Many question marks that could only be settled with time and patience.
"How does it feel Tsunade?" Jiraiya asked out of nowhere, the underlying humor already audible to Tsunade's. The Toad Sage was already speaking again before Tsunade could answer his clearly rhetorical question. "We visited two chunin and neither of them had any idea who you are." He finished with a loud laugh, one that triggered a vicious swing of Tsunade's right hand that met the stagnant air that was once the position of her former teammate.
Though it was at her expense, a smirk formed on the Sannin's face. It was a smirk that betrayed the comfort she felt in a place she least expected it, a comfort she's lacked for many years.
The last couple weeks were more or less blurring together for the old Kage. Well, if one were to be entirely honest, it seemed like the last few months were all a big blank in the mind of Hiruzen Sarutobi. How could it not? He was bed-ridden still because of how weak his body was, a weakness that his sweet student, a student he settled a long time ago that he would never see again, assured him would be there until he finally passed. He was much too old and danced far too close with death for his body to reassemble itself once again. Whatever he once was shall forever stay in the past, and Hiruzen couldn't bring himself to truly despair that fact. The fight left his mind some time ago, and now that fight has finally left his body.
There was an acceptance to his current condition that Hiruzen knew discomforted those that were tending to him. Be it his son, his grandson, Kakashi, his students, or his comrades that he served with, all of them outside of Danzo looked at his quiet acceptance with no small amount of questioning. He's known for a while that his time was close and Hiruzen could only thank those that worked for this last gasp of life. He could only be thankful that these final days of peace, separated from the chair he's been in service to for so long, as he could appreciate the world in a way he couldn't for so long.
All that was left now was to make it all official. While ceremony and festivity was a bit of an antithesis to the shinobi's life, a life of service and duty, it was still important to allow those within the village things to look toward. A leader couldn't force solely propriety on those he led without giving them the chance to let loose, and Hiruzen was glad that his successor didn't have to be told such a lesson. As Hiruzen was basking in his thoughts, Asuma was already waiting to aid his old broken body onto the wheelchair that was placed just next to his bed. Had this been only a week ago, Hiruzen wouldn't be able to promise that he wouldn't fall asleep before reaching their destination, but now the last vestiges of life flowed strongly within him, his overall weakness aside.
"Ready for me, are they?" Hiruzen asked his son with a chuckle. He was glad to be met with a smile from the boy that used to look at him with such distaste. It was a boyish distaste founded from the expectations of others, along with Hiruzen's own missteps, but there was no disregard of the happiness that was felt at seeing his son's grin.
"They will be soon enough, but I thought to grab you early. Can't have Kakashi getting cold feet now, can we?" Asuma joked with a chuckle through his words. Hiruzen let out what was likely taken as a dry gasp, but reveled in his successor finding a little crowd too much for him to face.
Asuma pushed Hiruzen out of the room that had been his only dwelling for the past couple weeks and, with the aid of a hidden guard, removed him from the dark and depressing basement of the Leaf's hospital. Even before Hiruzen was gifted with direct contact with the fresh air, when he just saw the brightened lobby that was clear of all visitors and possible spectators, Hiruzen felt the airy lightness of the world fill him. No longer was he confined to what many likely labeled as his final resting place and now he could admire the land he almost hastily left without a proper goodbye. Warm rays of the sunshine wrapped the elderly man in a warm blanket, a gentle breeze filled his lungs and cleared the dank basement air from him, and every chirping of a bird or rattle of a bug was more beautiful than any musical score he's ever heard. There was no dampening the smile that settled softly on his face or the deep peacefulness that filled his being.
His son shared various happenings with the civilians that he's heard over the past few weeks, gossiping of the pedestrians that held no weight in the duties Hiruzen was once mantled with. He listened to rumors of petty arguments, shop closings, and minute celebrations that held little to no purpose other than to fill the air. Hiruzen appreciated his son's ramblings as it helped the old man's mind not dwell on all the eyes that currently trained themselves on the pair that leisurely made their way to the Hokage Tower. No considerations of why he was such a spectacle had to be made when he was hearing of the nonsense that people not dedicated to killing concerned themselves over.
When they made it to the Hokage Tower, Asuma made no induction that they were to enter the building that looked immensely more imposing when one was confined to a wheelchair. Instead, his son merely parked the chair just outside its doors and waited for whatever it was they were waiting for as he pulled out his pack of cigarettes. Hiruzen wouldn't lie, after so many years of sucking on his pipe and basking in his own vice, seeing his son pull out a cigarette and move to light it made his mouth water for his trusted pipe. A trusted pipe he wouldn't be allowed to tug on again should those around him have their way. Asuma caught his eye just before he clicked his lighter into a blaze, whatever glint he caught in the old man's eyes caused him to put the lighter down entirely.
"Ah, sorry Dad, I forgot you can't smoke anymore." The younger Sarutobi called out with a tone that betrayed a small amount of gloating at his little freedom. Hiruzen only intertwined his fingers on his lap while his eyes busied themselves with the partially clouded sky.
"You would think seeing your father in such a sorry state would teach you a thing or two, but I suppose such stubbornness is genetic." He shot back with a harmless bite of his own that was gifted with a snort as a reply. "Now, what are we doing sitting out here? I thought Kakashi wanted to meet before we got started?"
"And what? You expect me to carry you up to the Hokage's office? No, we'll sit out here until Lord Fifth gets around to seeing us." Wizened eyes trailed upwards again, acknowledging the tall and broad walls that climbed higher than most in the village. It was true, to his son's credit, that it would be pleasant for neither of them to facilitate his weakened body to his old office. There was a loss that Hiruzen felt within him at such a thought. That office was such a prevalent part of his life and now he couldn't even get to it without a tremendous effort with little ends to meet. Perhaps that was a good thing. Maybe it was the best thing for him out of it all. What could be better for keeping him from the stresses of life if he could even enter the most stressful chamber? Still, that didn't diminish the dull thrum in his heart and mind.
Old, leathery fingers danced amongst themselves as the pair of Sarutobi fell into silence as they waited for Kakashi to join them. A thumb passed a feathery touch over the countless wrinkles on the back of his hand, of a hand that he remembered being once smooth, strong, and youthful not long ago. Brittle, ugly things that were once fingernails covered the tips of his fingers, dyed more of a yellowish color for one reason or another in the list of ailments he now carried. Fat, aching lumps were what his knuckles now disguised themselves as, each digit more creaking than the last when he flexed his hands in this way or that. Age caught up to him so fast that he was seeing all of these things for the first time now when all the time he had left was borrowed. Hiruzen didn't despair any of these observations or feelings, though. He didn't feel sadness at each realization that was made at his own age and mortality. Death was a constant companion for those that follow the service of a shinobi and he would only bask in the opportunity to go out in peace.
Little time needed to be passed for Kakashi to walk out of the Hokage Tower with his sole visible eye squinted at the welcome of he and his son. "It's good to see you out of that dour room, Hiruzen. Thank you for bringing him here, Asuma."
Kakashi addressed them warmly and Hiruzen couldn't help but revel in the man's comfort in the situation. The forced shove into the Hokage's seat seemed to have allowed him to thrive in the responsibility of the hat and Hiruzen couldn't be happier for the boy. It was everything he had hoped to see when he named Kakashi his successor.
"Of course, Lord Hokage. So, how are we doing this?" Asuma asked the young Kage, emphasizing his question with a dramatic nudge of the head at the wheelchair-bound old man. Kakashi let his head fall back excessively, seemingly trying to eye the height of the tower as he stood in front of it, but when he turned back to the pair of Sarutobi he only gave them a thumbs up in return before positioning himself behind Hiruzen.
"Hang on, Hiruzen, I can't exactly promise a smooth ride." Was the only warning he was given before a rush of air drowned out the world around them. When all was settled, Hiruzen found himself on the hard floor of the circular roof that topped his old tower. The breeze was stronger atop the tall structure and both he and Kakashi were properly being overseen by the stone faces of the other Kage that led this village before them and, in Hiruzen's case, after. Kakashi stayed where he was behind Hiruzen, gently pushing him closer to the edge of the roof from where they initially landed on the transition upward. The closeness to the edge of the building allowed Hiruzen the bird's eye view of the village with the height they stood above it, already spotting the crowds of bodies that made their way toward this very building.
"Are you ready, Lord Fifth? After this it will only be you. After today your face will be carved into the stone that sits above us and it will be your head that the hat must remain on." Hiruzen spoke to the man that watched over the village along with him. This would be the last thing Hiruzen would ever have to do for the sake of this village and for the sake of his duty. While Kakashi would be tasked with getting fitted for his proper Hokage clothing, Hiruzen would be spending his days in the Sarutobi lands admiring what he could while he could. One of them would be beginning their short life of peace while the other would be properly beginning a, hopefully, long life of the ultimate service.
"You know as well as I do that there is no way to be ready," Kakashi sounded like he forced down an extension of that sentiment, an extension that Hiruzen could only assume dealt with the conflicts around him. Conflicts that weren't his business. "But I'm more ready than I was a few weeks ago and I will be even more so a few weeks down the line."
Old eyes squinted shut, turning from the ever-growing crowd that closed in on them as he let out a hearty chuckle at the response from the man behind him. "A diplomatic response if I've ever heard, Lord Hokage. You are more prepared than I was on this day of mine. I trust that you will be what we need to see the Leaf through to the future."
That would be the closest Hiruzen would get to political talk. Or, more accurately, the closest he was allowed to get. From then on, Kakashi and Hiruzen only watched the crowd that now settled immediately around the Hokage Tower, the gathered rumblings of the countless conversations turning into a growl in their ears from so high up. It was clear now that Kakashi's orders to gather have been properly heard by all, the stragglers trickling in at the back end of the group less and less as the minutes passed by. His assumptions were justified when a porcelain mask of a hawk appeared at their right side and settled the Hokage's hat on Hiruzen's lap before disappearing once again without a single sound to be heard.
"I suppose this means that it's time?" Kakashi asked him, the weight of his single eye being felt on the back of Hiruzen's head. The old man nodded and hummed in response, giving one last glide of his hand across the brim of the powerful mantle of the Hokage. He didn't trust his voice to speak any words for the moment, his throat lumping with emotion and his eyes briefly drowning in his thoughts of the past. "You can begin when you're ready, Lord Third."
The boy's words weren't that of a passive push in hastiness, but that of respectful courtesy. It was the courtesy of letting an old man bask in a life he's been basking in all morning; the start of his own epilogue. A stiff swallow and a short clearing of his throat was all Hiruzen needed to clear himself from his own thoughts. He pulled his eyes from the hat in his lap and sat as straight as he could in his wheelchair, looking down at all of those below him. He took several deep breaths before he began speaking, knowing that his next words would be taxing on him.
"Thank you all for joining us here this morning!" Hiruzen called out to the village below, his voice projecting and echoing with the wind to carry it out further. "It has been sometime since I've been able to present myself to you all, and it is my duty to declare this as the very last time! From this day forward, it is not I that you will look to, it is not I that you will depend on, and it is not I tasked with leading our great village forth! On this morning, I declare Kakashi Hatake as my successor and the Fifth Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves!"
Whatever pains in his lungs and throat that came from such a strong string of proclamations were ignored. The lightheadedness that grew the more he spoke wasn't as important as the moment itself, and so it too was set aside. Only when he finished and the hat of the Hokage was lifted above his head by his own weakened strength as he leaned forward in his wheelchair and taken by the man that stood behind him did Hiruzen allow himself to recover. He gasped for air to refill his lungs, sweat dabbled his forehead, and his eyes fell heavily to try and force sweet slumber upon him, but Hiruzen pushed it away with all the strength he could muster. He stayed awake to listen to the man that now stood a step in front of his chair at his left, admiring the visage that was made with the hat and its cloth that fell over Kakashi's shoulders. Hiruzen listened carefully to the words and promises Kakashi made to their people, to his people, and felt nothing but pride.
With that pride, though, there was also a sense of guilt and regret that riddled his elderly mind. Hiruzen knew that this was all he had left, but it was Kakashi that faced the gloom and darkness of the future. When Hiruzen stepped down for the first time, he gave Minato a world that was left at peace. It was a bloody peace, but peace nonetheless. Kakashi, on the other hand, would be fighting battles for years to come, and Hiruzen knew that the boy didn't deserve such a fate.
In his old age, Hiruzen found that it was oft the one's that didn't deserve such responsibilities that were best equipped to be tasked with them. A pattern that took many lives, and a pattern he hoped could spare the man that never asked to be in such a position.
It's official, Kakashi was named Hokage in front of all, Tsunade got a chance to look at the two trophy boys of the Leaf and we kinda got a peek at how Sasuke was holding up with the Cursed Mark. Exciting stuff with only more to come.