Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me, just this story does and the concepts behind it.

Title: Hokage

Chapter 1

Author: Fuji S. Yuki

Pairing: ItaNaru, SasIru, KakaSaku Subjected to Change Maybe

The title of Hokage was the goal of the golden haired boy known as Naruto the outcast. At the age of nine when he first heard of the name and its meaning he swore he would one day gain the title of Hokage.

At first it was for selfish reasons to be recognized and wanted but then one cannot fault an orphan for these wants and selfish desires.

What people didn't realize as the boy keeps on yelling out his goal and wish was that it wasn't just the title that the boy sought.

No what Naruto the little carrier of the nine tail fox wanted the most was to be needed by those that he loved, to be wanted by those in the village of Konoha. No one knew about this need some just thought the boy was playing a prank and scoffed at such a desire for they despise the demon carrier.

However, slowly as time passed and seasons changed the village slowly started to change their view of the little boy. The bright smile and sharp brilliant cerulean eyes sparkled with warmth that would light those around him with happiness.

Surely at first people were against the demon carrier until they were betrayed by the lone Uchiha of Konoha. When people gotten word of the damage the fox carried took in trying to retrieve the beloved Uchiha they started to see a small sparkle of light. Then slowly their resolve to hate the boy grew dim and as the season passed they watched the young boy grow and be taken away from his home of the leaf.

Many that still held a grudge against the nine tail fox slowly forgot about the boy since he now no longer existed in the village but traveled instead with a respected Toad Sannin. However, according to some village girls they would have protested against the word respected when it came to that perverted author of Icha Icha Paradise.

Stories were told about the golden sun of Konoha as people labeled the youth. His stories were told of his accomplishment and great deeds and just like leaves they drifted over the shinobi network until they came to the hidden village of the leaf.

Rumors were given about how the youngster was in the village of water. Working hard doing mission after mission the summoning that he could do of Toads and the saving of people from great misfortunes.

Until one day the two returned.

Jiraiya of course was proud of his apprentice the youth had gain quick knowledge like his father. However, it was great pains that the old toad Sannin remembered his former pupil the father of this lad that look so similar to him.

Cerulean orbs that contained life and wisdom stood the same between father and son but it was the demure the behavior that told the difference between the two. The same determination to help friends and love ones still existed like a bond between the bloods of the Uzumaki clan. Strong love for the village they were born in and like any they would die for those that live inside it.

Slowly both teacher and student entered through the gate. Naruto's keen eyes skimmed the area of the village with fondness and then turned his eyes to his perverted Sannin of a teacher. "Are you going to see Tsunade-obaa-chan?"

"No. I think it would be best that I do not see her just yet."

Shaking his head at his sensei's perverted intentions Naruto turned away and smirks lightly, "Just don't get into too much trouble."

"Who me?" The innocent look was plastered over the Toad Sannins' face.

"Yes. Just be glad I don't try to stop you." Naruto nodded his head and with a sudden leap he vanished.

Jiraiya shook his head at the young man's words and headed on his way to the location of that bath houses in hopes to further his books with graphic perversions.

The ANBU that were guarding the Hokage's office were watching their surroundings. Even though they knew that no one would dare try to attack the offices it was still their duty to keep up the patrol.

Their eyes widen slightly behind their mask when they felt a jerk of power and immediately a sudden swish of wind a blonde appeared before them.

Many of them didn't recognize the teenager but his sun kissed hair was familiar. Dressed the youth was in black except for a light trench coat of white that flowed with his movement. A pendant of blue unidentified crystal sparkled around the blonde's neck as he smiled at them in serenity.

"I'm sorry if I startled you." Snapping to attention one of the older ANBU seem a bit put off about something regarding this young man. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto just returning with my sensei, Jiraiya the Toad Sannin."

The guards nod their head in acknowledgement as they let the youth through. The older ANBU was still a bit put off as the blonde went through the door.

The younger ANBU glances at him through his mask for an explanation. The other ANBU just whispered softly, "He reminds me of the Fourth."

Only few other individuals actually remember meeting the fourth and working with him. Only a few remember what he looked like in real life instead of that face on the mountain.

The other ANBU looked at his comrade then at the door in wonder. "That wouldn't be possible would it?"

"I'm not sure."

When Naruto walked into the room he noticed that Tsunade was busy behind paperwork while her assistant lingered behind her to pick up papers that fell onto the floor when the fifth Hokage was nodding off.

"Nee-san." Naruto announced his presence in the room.

"What is it now?" Obviously the Slug Sannin was unhappy with the load of paperwork she has to go through. Her eyes never left the paper even though they were closing at a rapid rate from the dullness of such a chore.

"Tsunade-nee-san I thought you would be glad to see me again since it's been over four years." Naruto announced softly. Normally in the past he would have called Tsunade obaa-chan but things change.

The golden haired lady lifted her head in shock as she looked at the once boy that she gave her precious necklace too. "Naruto?"

"Yes. Nee-san." The blonde smiled in greeting and felt a bit warm when the Hokage jumped over her desk to engulf him in a hug. Obviously pleased by the new address and the presence of the child she considered her own.

Her assistant had left when she noticed that no work was going to be done leaving the Hokage alone with the teenager.

"You grew."

Naruto's lips curved into a slight smirk, "So I've noticed."

A light whack on his head made him laugh even though it was in jest. "You've changed." Tsunade noted with pride, "Jiraiya mentioned how much you accomplished and rumors of a Golden Sun of Konoha seems to travel all the way here."

"I sincerely think the stories have been over blown out of position nee-san." Naruto gently lead the Fifth to a chair and sat her down while he took his own seat. "I also doubt I would be this Golden Sun, but enough of these words, how are the other's doing?"

Tsunade wisely noted that Naruto had indeed grown up, he was fairly in good spirits, and was good at manipulating the conversation to his liking. In the letters from Jiraiya she noted that the Sannin had mentioned that before Naruto was a mess until one day he seems to just flow like water and start to smile again.

The message had worried her about the health of the boy that she considers like her god son. The deed of the Uchiha Sasuke boy had wounded him to the quick. By what she could tell and even though the boy smiled by day according to the letter he cried by night until one day it disappeared.

However, by what Jiraiya had indicated it was all private matters and that it would take time before Naruto would confide in anyone about the wounds of his past.

"Sakura is doing fine she is coming along nicely as a medic-nin." Tsunade informed the golden haired teen while monitoring his behavior. All she noted was warmth and went on, "Neji has been accepted as a Jounin at the age of sixteen even though you achieved that status two years ago."

"It's good that Neji is walking down the path he always wanted to go."

"Iruka-sensei has mentioned he has grown considerably." Tsunade mentioned softly as she noticed the softening features as an addle smile linger over the blondes face.

"Yes Iruka-sensei was always the sly one on noticing changes." His fingers stroke the blue crystal of his pendant in thought. "How is Iruka-sensei?"

The fifth let her eyes close with a soft sigh, "his retired from the ninja academy."

Surprise filtered through those crystal orbs as they peered at her for an explanation.

"Iruka-sensei as you know was asked to take on the job as an instructor by the Third." Tsunade stood up and went to her desk and slid open a secret compartment pulling out two boxes. One carved in red wood polished by carvings of names that were not heard of. Placing the box on top of the desk while leaving the other box made out of Sakura alone off to the side for a later time.

Approaching the table Naruto looked at the box, "He showed me that once." As a slow memory seem too filtered through the blonde's mind, "Iruka-sensei that is…"

"He said that when the time was right and when you become a Jounin he wanted you to have this." Tsunade explained softly not wanting to upset Naruto but by what she could tell he was accepting everything. Soaking it up like a heavy monsoon on a cactus tree out in a dried aired desert.

Opening the box Naruto slowly took out a pair of familiar goggles. His fingers smoothed over the worn edges as he smiled at the pair in fond memory. "My goggles," his fingers lingered as he brought out a picture of a young Iruka next to the Third Hokage he was dressed in armor and a Hunter-nin mask hanged off his arm. The blonde wasn't surprised at the revelation of his old teacher.

In a way he always knew that Iruka was different, now his suspicions were confirmed, "Where is he?" Turning his eyes he looked at Tsunade with eyes that show longing for a long ago memory.

"Iruka-sensei," Tsunade began, "is missing he was on a mission two years ago to track a missing-nin." Her lips tighten in thought, "a wayward student as he said when he was given a folder." Her eyes pleaded with Naruto to understand, "I didn't intend for it to be this way. It was just we couldn't risk the chance that we couldn't get the missing-nin back or at least eliminate him…before matters get out of hand."

"You sent him after Sasuke." Naruto's voice had frosted over into a calm whisper as he set the frame down his fingers descended to tug out another item this time a journal. Opening it Naruto felt the concern look that he was getting from the Lady Hokage. Flipping it open a photograph slid onto the desk slowly he flipped it over and glance at it.

A smiling Iruka was shyly hiding behind a beautiful lady with ebony haired while she seems to be talking to a man with blonde hair in a Jounin outfit. Little Iruka was blushing as he was peeking attentively at the older man. "Iruka-sensei knew father?"

Tsunade knew that Jiraiya would tell Naruto about his father since he trained the Fourth. "How do you know that is your father?" Chiding gently feeling warmth and love for such a lost child.

"He has my smile." Naruto then slid the picture into the journal and tugged out another item it was a bracelet that Iruka had showed him when he visited the other's home. The bracelet was in the color of silver and had designs of animals imprinted onto it.

'It was my mothers.' The lingering voice of Iruka whispered in his memories. 'She would get dressed up and wear this bracelet that my father made for her with his chakra to protect her.' His voice would laugh softly, 'Then when I grew up she gave it to me on my tenth birthday. I always did have slim wrists like her, even as I grew up. People made fun of me for having these hands that were small, but I remember wearing that bracelet and I could feel the love.' Fondness flowed through the chuunin sensei eyes as he looked at Naruto.

'The next day I never saw her again.' Lingering touch of a hand on his head as his once ruffled blonde haired was mussel by the older man. 'Naruto the world is a harsh place. But always remember that I care about you even if I am not really here.'

Naruto slid open the clash and snapping the bracelet closed, his eyes drifted down as he felt a familiar sensation of arms folding him as the chakra running through the bracelet hummed then calmed to accompany his own, "Iruka-sensei arigato."

"Naruto please don't go look for Iruka-sensei." Tsunade mentioned worried that the youth would go charging into territory where the surviving Uchiha would be located in.

"Nee-san, I won't." Naruto open his eyes to peer at the Fifth's disbelieving stance. "Iruka-sensei wouldn't want me to go after him." His eyes clouded, "Besides his alive."

The vague answer wasn't what Tsunade expected from the brat or at least the previous image she had in her mind. "Why do you say that?"

"Iruka-sensei survived a lot." Naruto started to place everything back into the box with care. "He wouldn't just die that easily. He isn't that simple." A smile broke out bright and cheerful, "After all he manage to keep up with me when I was a kid, nee-san."

"So I see." Shaking out the cobwebs in her mind the Slug Sannin slid the other box in front of Naruto, "Since you've already met the criteria of coming to age. It's my responsibility to see that the will of the Uzumaki clan would be passed on to you. Originally when you made Jounin the will was supposed to be effective according to your father's wishes." Waving her hand, "But since you were gone it wasn't effective until you returned. This is what your father left for you, inside you'll find a map with a key to the house that belonged to your father."

Taking the box Naruto lifted a key out of the box after placing the lid off the side. "Thank you."

A hand slid to grasp onto the young man's shoulder, "Naruto your father would have been proud of you. I'll let you get settled down, but before you go, I just want to ask you one question."

Stacking the box Naruto shade his head in amusement, "If it is about where I want to go from here now that I am back." He smoothed the boxes with his fingers, "I'll have to say a position where I'll be alone." His eyes clouded over, "A hunter-nin would possibly be a good idea versus that of ANBU."

"Are you sure?" Suspicion tenses up the older ladies muscles as she ponders if Naruto really did want to go after his former teacher.

"If your thinking I am going after Iruka-sensei that isn't why…" Naruto tilts his head back and stared at the ceiling, "I've been working alone on missions Nee-san. I hardly remember what it was to be like a team even back then." Then snapping back to the present he lifted up the boxes, "However, ANBU is a good place to remain home being a Hunter-nin means I would leave the village again. Which by what I can tell you dislike the idea; can you tell me why Nee-san?"

"Orochimaru isn't erased from the world yet Naruto." The Hokage slowly slid into her chair as she felt the years catch up onto her, "He hasn't taken Uchiha Sasuke as his vessel our spy network tells us it is because he cannot be found by either Orochimaru or the rest of the Sound Village."

"When was this?"

"Two years ago." Keen eyes started to calculate quickly, and then shifted into silence, "You fear that Orochimaru would come after me."

"Yes," was the only answer the fifth could give to the blonde.

"You sent Iruka-sensei to do the job two years ago. Then Sasuke disappeared exactly the same time?"

"Not exactly," Tsunade hedged wondering how much she should divert but by how quickly Naruto was calculating it wouldn't be long before he knew all.

"Iruka went before Sasuke disappeared from Orochimaru." The glance into the Fifth's eyes confirmed that his guesses were correct. Sighing he started for the door his back to the Fifth Hokage of Konoha. "I doubt that Iruka –sensei is a traitor."

Tsunade looked on with pity at the conviction of this young man, "Why is that brat?"

A sad smile flashed in a millisecond before it melted into a smile of warmth, "Because Iruka-sensei would rather die then betray his friends." Then without another word he disappeared a soft wind blew across the room with the faint smell of the sea lingering in its wake.

Rumors had been spreading through Konoha regarding the arrival of the

Golden Sun of Konoha. People grew curious since none really knew who it could be. The circuit was racing around as stories of a golden haired man arriving at the gates to an ANBU being stunned into silence at the presence of such a hero. Then again pretty much all of the gossip was border line from the truth and with each passing second the tale warped into an uncontrollable mob.

While this was going on a pink haired chuunin walked oblivious to the rumor mill. She was content with the presentation of information she was gaining from her studies with Tsunade rather it was obviously fantastic that she was furthering her studies by now.

Her plans were running that she would be able enough for the next Jounin exam. Even though her parents thought it would be great if she remained at Chuunin level. Sakura has many goals she wanted to accomplish one being to never be a burden and the second was to protect her friends and love one.

Funny that her goals would mirror those of Naruto. Sakura's lips turned into a wistful smile as she thought about the missing blonde it had been four years since she had last seen the loud mouth ninja.

Pulling her gloves to tighten it around her wrist Sakura walked on to her next appointment with the ANBU hound of Konoha. Over these four years Sakura had manage to open a rapport with her former sensei, Kakashi.

They pretty much were on first name bases since Team seven had dissolved and only thing left in Konoha of the former reminisce were Kakashi and Sakura. They were colleagues and both treated each other with respect and courtesy at least when they weren't on a roll with their illicit games.

Of course no one could really pin point when these games came upon the two. Perhaps it was because both didn't have a heart to diminish the bridge of their past. Maybe it was because both hoped that the once former team would be united again.

However, even that was a supposedly big question mark since the whole incident of Naruto almost being killed by his supposed rival and best friend.

But there exists hope in the two even though it grew smaller and smaller with the days passing.

Sakura shook the thoughts out of her mind as she brought her foot down and propelled herself into a jump hurrying toward her destination at the bridge where her former team use to meet.

In a burst of cherry petals she landed on the bridge and grinned mischievously at the familiar mop of hair. "Sorry if I kept you waiting."

The book snapped closed as Kakashi's one eye curved into a smile, "It's pay back for all those times isn't it?"

"Mmmhmm." Sakura chuckles as she threw him a bag, "Courtesy of the bookshop keeper."

Puzzlement flittered through one eye of the copy ninja as he pulled out something out of the bag and his eyes immediate lit up, "A new edition of Icha Icha paradise how did you manage to get this?"

"Oh I received a copy and since I helped heal the Shiba-chan's leg since he fell out of a tree while trying to get his cat down, his father the book keeper gave me this book for free."

"Didn't you get weird looks?"

Sakura made a innocent face at her former teacher, "For one second before I told them it was for you."

"Ah so they remembered how thoughtful of them."

A vein popped up on Sakura's temple as she sighs heavily, "Who else would try to buy them out of Pornography Kakashi." Shaking her head wearily.

"But Sakura-chan." Kakashi whined as he threw himself onto the floor wrapping his arms around her ankles while pretending to sob, "I can't live with out my porno and I thought you agree that it was fine since you gave me some."

A reddish flush came over the pink kunoichi face's as she smack the ANBU hound with the perverted book. "Stop that it's embarrassing especially with you screaming it out loud you jerk."

Kakashi then went back to normal, "Surely you jest Sakura-chan…after all you're the only one that seems to buy me anything for my birthday and I do after all let you have my strawberry mochi ice cream during our lunches. Surely you can't be embarrassed by my display."

"We'll." Sakura considered in thought and then frown, "it can't be helped since your insane and pretty much everyone is talking about us one way or another what with all those pranks you pull."

"I don't play pranks." Kakashi declared but then amended quickly, "much." Then shoving the book into his spare pocket he grinned behind his mask, "Besides you dish it out too so you shouldn't complain."

"Well it is time for lunch we better head out."

Kakashi nods his head, "yes that would be best." As they made their way at a easy pace toward one of the ramen stands as their common tradition, the silver haired man mentioned quietly, "Sakura did you know that Naruto is back."

"Eh?" Shocked at this turn about announcement. "What?"

"I found out from Asumi who found out from Genma and well I don't want to know where Genma heard it from." Kakashi dismissed the idea of going on with who, what, where, and how.

"So Naruto is back." Sakura sat in her spot and stared at the menu for a few minutes, "why hasn't he come to see us yet?"

"He just got back three hours ago Sakura-chan." Kakashi soothed his former student as he'd signal for his regular from the cook. "Besides I think Tsunade-sama wanted to talk to him for a bit about some issues."

"Yeah." Sakura picked up her chop sticks and fiddle with them, "I think he'll feel bad about Iruka-sensei's missing in action status."

A hand landed gently on Sakura's shoulder, instead of her head, it was an unspoken agreement between the two that they didn't treat each other in the sense of teacher and student. Especially since Sakura was now fifteen and slowly going to turn sixteen in a few months. "Don't think about it now, we'll go see Naruto once we finish eating."

"Do you know where he could be?"

"We could always ask Hokage-sama."

Nodding her head in agreement Sakura wave her hand, "Mister I'll have the shrimp ramen," then turning to Kakashi she smiled, "Your paying…"

"EH! But Sakura-chan that isn't fair!"

Author's Note: Still trying to figure out what to do. ; First time trying this sort of story.