Her legs were in one chair, her rear in another. Her cheek seemed almost glued to one of the armrests, and her snoring was audible…loud enough that he was certain it was what had awakened him.

For some reason, he found himself thinking that the scene was cute.

He flexed his neck muscles, stretching and quietly yawning. The last thing his hazy brain could pull up from the late night before was the middle of one of her sentences…he found himself wondering who fell asleep first. But it didn't matter anymore, he realized with a smile. He wasn't going to wake her up now…she'd done enough.

"Thank you again, sleepyhead," he whispered. "I'll take it from here."

From the Yondaime Story Arc:

Yondaime: The Strength of a Nation
Chapter 5: Lighting The Fire

Mikoto-chan must've been really tired…the sun was shining directly on her face, but she didn't drop any hint of awakening. Reaching for her forehead and a quick caress, he stopped short as her brow wrinkled slightly. His conscience got the better of him, and he snuck out of the room. Fine…I won't wake her. I need to go anyway.

With careful movement, he avoided the creaky steps and maneuvered his way out the front door, knowing how easilyhis wifewould awaken if she had any hint he was leaving. Locking the door before closing it, he donned his forehead protector and began the journey.

Another day, another dollar.

Before he could even leave his house on the horizon, his plans for the day were modified. Senses honed over twenty years subconsciously turned his head at the first hint of footsteps behind him, and conscious thoughts activated his Sharingan a split second later.

"Fugaku-san! Wait a minute, dang it!"

The Uchiha's eyes narrowed into a squint, even though he could clearly see the young 10-year-old boy running toward him. After all, it wasn't his eyes that were having a hard time comprehending what they saw. The Sharingan gave him all the details he needed to identify the boy. His short, black hair that hung in the air…a Konoha forehead protector oddly displayed around his right elbow…a pair of clear goggles covering his eyes.

Fugaku fought the urge to scowl in frustration. The boy was Uchiha, Fugaku reminded himself, and he had received Uchiha on his front doorstep before. As chief of police, it wasn't even that out of the ordinary, especially in recent days. But, whatever the occasion was that would bring a genin to his house at 7 in the morning couldn't be good."Uchiha Obito. What do you want?"

The boy skidded to a stop a foot away from Fugaku, kicking up a cloud of dust that covered the man's shoes. Again, the scowl never fully set upon his face.

"I have a message from the Hokage!"

Fugaku straightened up automatically, and then realized the Hokage's messenger was a third his age. "What message does he have that couldn't wait until I got to work?"

Obito took a moment to breathe before replying, and the suspense didn't do anything to help Captain Fugaku Uchiha's mood. "Ara—Hokage-sama requests the presence of the Uchiha at the amphitheatre at 9 o'clock to discuss an urgent situation…"

Fugaku nodded. "Okay…a delegation from the police department will be sent, and I will join them…how many does he wish to speak to?"

The youth seemed to pause for a moment, as if considering his words. Then, abruptly…

"No, you don't understand. He wishes to speak to the Uchiha. All of them."

Fugaku's jaw dropped slightly.

Obito snapped his fingers. "Wait! That's not what he said. He said every shinobi! So, I guess he wanted every genin on up…"

The jaw wagged mutely as Fugaku struggled to gather his thoughts. In the end, anger won out.

"He can't have all the Uchiha."

Obito shrugged. "He is the Hokage…"

Maybe, if he knew how hard he was pressing…smashing on Fugaku's buttons, Obito wouldn't have said that. But, Obito was a genin, unfamiliar with the extraordinary amount of work a police department did on an average day. He also didn't realize this had been a week no one would call average.

Had there been a table around, Fugaku would have been sure to pound on it forcefully. Instead, the infuriated man's Sharingan attempted to burn a hole into Uchiha Obito's brain, and the boy turned away from his gaze. Fugaku's voice roared with authority, nearing the point of yelling. "We are conducting an investigation into Sazuka's death…we have official business that needs to be done! I'm not sacrificing my entire department just to—"

"Please do not kill the messenger…" Obito looked away for a moment.

Fugaku's brow furrowed in concentration. "Every second wasted is risking a loss of information in every criminal situation happening within our borders and without…do you realize what you're asking me to do?"

Obito slowly turned his head and faced Fugaku once more. "He said it was vital that every shinobi be there, sir," Obito said, voice quivering slightly.

Fugaku paused once more. Yes…he is here on borrowed authority…Obito-san is not the one making the request. Fugaku took a deep breath, and probing red eyes slowly turned to a peaceful brown. And anger turned to curiosity. "What information does he have that will make this meeting worthwhile?"

Obito smiled and abruptly bowed to Fugaku, then turned away somewhat rudely. "My mission was complete when I passed the message. Please consider doing what he asked…"

Fugaku caught on a moment too soon, and grabbed the boy by the arm before he could escape.

"What is the purpose of this meeting?" Fugaku loosened his grip slightly, sending a silent message to the boy.

Obito frowned and jerked his arm free of the man's grasp, but he caught the message and turned to face his elder. "He didn't tell me. He said I'd find out when I got back." Obito fought the urge to express his annoyance fully, and instead measured out a teaspoon of insolence. "I still need to inform the Hyuuga, so if you will…"

Fugaku's eyebrows rose slightly at that comment, then he closed his eyes and nodded silently. The boy ran off, leaping onto the rooftops. A moment of consideration passed before the captain shook his head and turned back toward his path to work. He suddenly wished he'd stayed asleep like his wife.

The Hyuuga? What is the Yondaime doing?

Hatake Kakashi, too, was completely perplexed.

True, he was only 5, and he had only just become a shinobi about a month before. Maybe he had no clue about how things were supposed to go. But, Kakashi suspected a village as powerful as the Leaf hadn't gotten that way by being disorganized and spontaneous. Perhaps it was a sign of the times.

On the day after he first became a ninja, a grand assembly had been called; the Third Hokage had decided upon his successor and was announcing his retirement. That had been a monumental event, and Kakashi understood the importance of it. The amphitheatre had been packed, and the authority of the Fourth Hokage was established directly by the authority of the Third. Kakashi had figured that to be a one-time thing...to see all the power of the Leaf gathered in one place for one purpose. It had been a grand sight that he wouldn't soon forget.

It was even harder for him to forget now, however, for he and the other genin were now in the same position. In fact, as far as he could tell from looking behind him, all of the Leaf were once again gathered to hear their Hokage speak. Did these types of events happen often? He couldn't remember a single one from his time in the academy...

Kakashi vividly remembered the morning's events, for they had been so sudden. Once his team arrived at morning practice, Arashi-sensei had quite abruptly cancelled. Instead, they were to head to the area where they had gathered on that historic day. He told Kakashi nothing more, but he pulled Obito aside for some reason. Kakashi had sat and waited in the very same spot he had sat in before. After a while, other genin began to trickle into the area. It became obvious that he'd called an important meeting when ANBU began to appear in some makeshift version of their normal uniform.

Kakashi frowned and tried to simply let things happen around him, but as more and more shinobi showed up and took seats, his mind wouldn't stop considering the absurdity of a meeting like this. This country couldn't have functioned very well if meetings like this were commonplace. Was it expected for a ninja village to take a random day off from missions? Would the people begging for protection or babysitters be calm and understanding when their requests were delayed 24 hours? Isn't the village putting itself in danger by turning its eyes so far inward? There were so many reasons to believe that meetings like this could not be commonplace...

These reasons were what had Kakashi feeling so apprehensive. For the Yondaime to call a meeting like this so soon after the last one meant something. Kakashi's experiences with the Yondaime had led him to trust the man's abilities. He was a strategical think tank, and a confident fighter. He didn't seem like the type to allow things to overwhelm him. He was the calculating type...very little of what he did lacked purpose. That fact made Kakashi even more curious.

What could have possibly happened that garnered this order of attention?

Kakashi noticed that the crowd had filled out completely. Suddenly, the noisy crowd became almost completely silent. Kakashi glanced to his right, and spotted a line of village elders making their way to the front of the amphitheatre. Behind them, the Yondaime himself was walking, his eyes focused directly ahead of him. Arashi-sensei and the elders walked onto the raised dais in front of the crowd, and he took a couple of steps forward, toward the edge of the stage. Kakashi could sense the apprehension in the air as the Hokage silently looked over the crowd.

Kakashi sat quietly and alertly watched his sensei. Whatever the reason for this whole ordeal, he'd find out soon enough. He hardly even noticed when Obito took a seat next to him.

Arashi sighed as he stepped up onto the dais, his eyes scanning the crowd. His first time on this stage, the faces of the crowd had been covered with smiles and laughter...the smiles, he imagined, were for him. The laughter had inevitably been directed at his instructor, Jiraiya, who was heavily embarrassed by his outburst in the middle of the ceremonies inducting the new Hokage.

This occasion was notably different. Arashi couldn't find a single face among the shinobi that had a smile...various ranges of stress, confusion, and concern covered their faces. It amazed him to realize just how heavily the spirit of the village had been crushed...and it had only really taken two weeks of messy situations to pull everyone knee deep in the murk. The human spirit could be a truly fragile thing.

Arashi inhaled sharply, so captivated by the pain of his people that he didn't even realize he had been holding his breath. Arashi sent silent thanks to Sarutobi, because thanks to the Sandaime, he at least knew what his best chances of reviving his nation were. A defiant smirk crossed his face, despite the circumstances. They were going to get through this together, damn it.

But, what exactly am I supposed to say to get them to realize that?

Sarutobi hadn't taught him that part. Arashi parted his lips, and decided that he would just speak his heart...

"I have watched Konoha from my window for months now..." Arashi paused slightly, not quite deliberately.

"I've watched the hustle and bustle of the streets...the energy and smiling faces...in a way I never understood before, I know now that this village thrives on the efforts of every individual shinobi..."

From his quiet seat near the edge of the genin line, Kakashi glanced up into his sensei's eyes, probing in curiosity. Is this a planned speech, or is he just saying whatever came to his mind?

"But, in the past week, I've watched silently as those faces have become more and more concerned...weary...and perhaps even afraid. The streets of Konoha are more and more empty by the day, and the village's energy has drained away."

Obito's eyebrows rose. He'd noticed many more adults whispering, and something had seemed off, but he certainly didn't think it was as drastic as his sensei was making it out to be.

"I suspect I know why this has happened, but I don't believe anyone knows the full depth of the situation that has their brothers and sisters so worried. I personally take the blame for that, as I've allowed these situations to fester for too long without bringing them to your attention." Arashi solemnly bowed his head for a moment, but the crowd remained silent.

Kakashi glanced to his left and spotted a look of worry on Obito's face. As Obito turned and made eye contact, his younger teammate looked at him wide-eyed.

What have I so thoroughly missed? Kakashi caught a different look on Obito's face, one far more painful than the first.

And...what does he know about this that I don't?

--

Obito frowned and looked down at the grass. This has to have something to do with Sazuka. Somewhere in the crowd, he knew, Fugaku and the rest of the Police Squad were around. Part of him suspected they'd get their answers at this meeting...but another part was worried about what the answer would be.

Obito felt his body start to shiver slightly. His father had once told him that his Aunt Sazuka would be the one to train him if he ever learned the art of the Sharingan. Fate had decided upon a different destiny for her.

He felt the enquiring gaze of another genin upon him, and turned to face Kakashi. He made no effort to shield his anxiety from his teammate, instead pleading for an answer with his eyes...

Who could have killed her? And why?

Arashi began again, breaking everyone out of their introspective thoughts again. "There are few things a shinobi village can value more than information...knowing the situation fully can save more than a few lives, and often can decide the outcome of an engagement. As such, I've done each and every one of you a great disservice by being secretive about our situation. That's a disservice I intend to end today. You all deserve to know what's happening within and outside of these walls. Hopefully, this will clarify some of the rumors you may have heard, as well..."

Arashi took a deep breath. He hated being the bearer of bad news, but it was definitely necessary news this time. He sighed and continued on. "Many of you were aware of the fact that some of our chuunin and young Jounin ninjas were disappearing on the way back from completed missions, and we've suspected foul play for months..." Arashi shut his eyes for a moment, as if trying to fight back some emotion. When he spoke again, his voice wavered slightly. "We have confirmed foul play. They were found underground, along with the culprit. Orochimaru, the snake sennin, has been performing illegal experiments on their bodies, mutilating some and murdering others. Our attempts to capture him proved less than successful, and he has since left the country."

Pausing for a moment, Arashi noticed that no one responded in shock to that "news". It seemed rumors had effectively distributed the truth in this case. Now for the first bombshell...Arashi took another deep breath.

"We know of at least two ANBU captains who were killed upon Orochimaru's violent exit from Fire Country...and we have reason to believe that he came back for his student, Mitarashi Anko, and murdered Uchiha Sazuka somewhere along the way."

The whispering in one part of the amphitheatre picked up abruptly as what the Yondaime had said began to sink in. Somewhere within the crowd of Jounin, Uchiha Fugaku thought he might get a headache soon. He'd gotten some information, all right...

But how was he supposed to believe that that killing had anything to do with Orochimaru? It was a simple kunai to the abdomen, not even a guaranteed killing blow! And besides, it was well known that Orochimaru enjoyed slow and painful kills...Sazuka had no other wounds to be noted. Fugaku would have a good word with Yondaime-sama about his sources and their reasons for such a belief...

He didn't even consider the fact that there might be more to speak of...until Arashi spoke again.

With a fresh breath, Arashi added, "For their own reasons, Orochimaru's former teammates Tsunade and Jiraiya have both chosen to leave the village as well, and their return is not anticipated."

A few gasps. Apparently that one hadn't gotten all the way around...Arashi entered damage control mode.

"One of the rumors I'm seeking to eliminate is the idea of the Sannin turning against Konoha. While Orochimaru has vowed revenge for his exile, neither Tsunade nor Jiraiya left on negative terms with the village...Jiraiya is in fact doing prolonged reconnaissance for us. But their exit marks the end of an era for us all." Arashi gave pause, as if to hammer in the idea that there was nothing else to be said on the subject.

"I'll answer anyone else's questions about the Sannin situation as best I can, but I believe there's another situation that needs our attention much more for now..."

As Arashi explained the situation with the Rock and Cloud villages, the crowd became even more somber than the young Hokage had imagined they would. Silence dominated the amphitheatre, with the exception of the voice of the Yondaime. Arashi trailed off and scanned the crowd once more. Grim faces all around, as expected with so much bad news. But Arashi's face grew more concerned as he noticed something else. Many of those faces were looking down, and those that weren't looking away seemed distant and glazed.

Sudden movement near the back of the amphitheatre drew Arashi's eyes toward a late shinobi. Someone was attempting to slip into the Jounin line, and Arashi smiled when he realized it was Nara. Few would hear the end of it if they were late to a mandatory meeting by the Hokage, especially one happening after 9 in the morning...but Nara had an excuse, Arashi knew. She'd stayed up with him the night before on into the morning, helping him gather his thoughts for this occasion.

Seeing her reminded him of the hopes he'd had for this meeting. It had been much more solemn than he'd planned thus far, but he couldn't figure out how to change that on the fly. Unsure of how to combat the emotions he felt within himself and saw brewing on the shinobi's faces, he remembered his own words from earlier...words Nara had planted in his head the night before. I have to speak my heart…and pull no punches. Arashi looked out into the crowd at the pained faces and stared them down.

Nara stood at the back of the crowd, near her Jounin counterparts, and blended in as much as she could. But, the last thing she'd expected was total silence in the amphitheatre as she arrived, and the back of the room had noticed her arrival—if not the entire group. Glancing at the huge amount of people who turned around, looking like they half-expected a ninja of another village to attack, Nara had a good idea of where Arashi was in his speech…

But, something changed in that one moment…she could sense it. Nara quickly turned her gaze onto Arashi, not noticing that most of the people staring at her did likewise. It felt like he was trying to keep calm before…but now…

"Please, get that look off your faces." Arashi was speaking coldly, and the edgy tone on it didn't escape Nara's ears. "I'm serious."

More of the crowd looked up, confused.

Arashi looked out to the crowd, his voice slightly wavering…and Nara blinked as she began to recognize the emotion on her friend's face…perhaps a bit of reluctant empathy.

"I know that look…I've seen it many times on the faces of my teammates…when they think we've bit off more than we can chew…I've seen that look on the face of my genin team…it's the look of defeat…of despair." Nara watched carefully as Arashi balled his fists, seemingly fighting off the same emotions that she knew he himself had embraced not too long ago. "I know how you feel…but I can't accept it!"

"I am not defeated!" Arashi cried out, his voice raspy, yet powerful. "And neither are you!" Many more people were startled out of the haze of doubt and despair by the power with which Arashi spoke. Alert eyes all around the amphitheatre averted their gaze to him, and Uzumaki Nara smiled. You've got their attention now, Arashi-kun…can you make them believe?

Arashi took a deep breath and attempted to force down the swirling emotions within him. But, even as the anger began to subside, he couldn't help but sympathize with his people. He could see in their faces…the strain of an imaginary burden…but one that threatened to become real very soon. And he knew that soon enough, each of them would wonder—as he had—whether or not he (or she) could equal the challenge set before him.

"Listen…"

"Sandaime-sama was an amazing Hokage...he went to incredible lengths to avoid war with the other villages…and I'm just starting to understand just how delicate the situation he was dealing with was. The other shinobi villages have often been deterred only by our strength...so they've waited for a moment of weakness. Others remain our friends only by continued effort and diplomacy, and because of a strong memory of the pain of war..."

"But this generation has no famous wars...no dead relatives to tell of...no new orphanages. That's the wonder of the changes Sarutobi was able to make in Konoha and the other villages...but it also has eliminated the fear of war that was the mark of Sandaime's era. It's only a matter of time before one of these countries wills itself to return to the battlefield…and we are the primary target of merit."

Arashi broke out into a smile as he considered what his mentor and senior had done. "But Sandaime-sama did so much more than that! He changed the entire infrastructure of the ANBU in order to train better and more confident leaders for the next generation. He's worked for years to make the chuunin exams a global event, so that exams—and not wars—could be the proving ground of the shinobi villages. And he raised a generation in Konoha that would know and love peace and never fight worthless wars." Arashi shook his head and smiled. "I can never amount to half of what he was to this village."

"But the beauty of what he's done is that I don't have to! He worked every day to make sure of that…" Arashi extended his hands to the crowd. "And the proof of his work is standing before me now." Arashi could feel the smile on his face broaden as he considered his next words. "I don't have to make Konoha strong…he already has worked in each and every one of your lives."

The smiles on the faces of the shinobi were vivid, and Arashi knew then that he would succeed in his mission. Which reminds me…Arashi licked his teeth and smiled. "He did give me one charge, however…" Arashi took a couple of steps forward and sat down on the edge of the stage, making focused eye contact on a few people as he continued.

"He told me that this village was built on the arms of strong leaders…and that its people would fight for their friends. But, when a true struggle comes, and their strength begins to falter…when they feel that things are hopeless…they might need a reminder of how strong they truly are."

"I'm sure you all are aware of how much faith Sandaime-sama had in your will to fight. I too share his belief…that Konoha can and will defend its own," Arashi spoke confidently. Arashi took another deep breath, and then continued. "But the time is coming where that belief will be put to the test."

"Shinobi of Konohagakure, we can defend this village…but it may take years of our efforts to stop the Stone and the Cloud. I will make every effort to buy us time…but I will not deny that war could be around the corner. With one great shinobi village defending itself from two other villages, every ninja within these walls needs to be prepared for anything."

Arashi looked to the genin. "If war does come to our borders, there will be many changes within this city that younger shinobi may have never seen. The main one to be concerned with…is that your teams may be reorganized. Your Jounin will be needed in the field and on the borders of the country, and you may be teamed up with other chuunin or genin that you don't know. Take what time you have to learn from your Jounin while they are here…and get to know your teammates as best you can. And work toward the day when you will be able to defend your friends…we may need you soon."

The Yondaime stood up once more, and raised his voice a bit. "As for you who are older, you at least somewhat know what's coming. Those of you who are in ANBU will have some extra responsibilities in keeping the security tight around our village. The Police Department will help with that…" Arashi paused in thought, and changed his mind. "We can talk about this another time. But, remember to teach your genin everything you can. Help prepare them for what is to come…and fight for their sakes when the time is right."

Arashi glanced around to all the warriors of the Leaf, and saw that the faces were anxious…but he no longer saw the fear and despair of before. "We're all in this together, Konoha…but that's exactly why we can win!"

Smiles crossed the faces of the shinobi, and Arashi allowed the warm silence to linger for a moment. But…only a moment.

Arashi wiped the smile off of his face and used the most commanding tone he could muster. "What are you all still looking at me for? ANBU, back to patrols! Captains and commanders stay here! Jounin and chuunin remain…genin, dismissed for the day! Ikkei!"

Just like that, more than half of the meeting's attendants abruptly disappeared at a wave of Arashi's hand. He knew that planning their next moves might take the rest of the day…but Arashi was convinced that the hardest part of the day was done. The dark cloud had been removed from over his village…and for once, there was hope that it might not return.

Author's Notes:

I was surprised by how difficult it was to write this chapter. Writing the speech wasn't so bad, but when I read it back to myself, I realized just how dull a chapter that was just one humongous speech would be. I hope my efforts to spice things up with different points of view and other characters did…something for it. In the end I found doing the whole thing like that was just too much, so I let Arashi be Arashi for the second half of the speech.

My original thoughts on what this chapter should be are now in question. After seeing how difficult it was to write this speech, I'm wondering if an entire chapter dwelling on the Cloud-Stone-Leaf Conflict would end up being too dry. Admittedly, the rest of the buildup to the conflict and the actual battles would probably be lacking in monologues…and therefore wouldn't be as dry and straightforward as this probably was.

But in addition, I'm questioning how necessary it is to tell that story here. This chapter and speech was necessary, I thought, to close up the era of peace in the Leaf Village...I don't know if I see the same importance on illustrating the times of war, even though much of the legend of the 4th Hokage outside of Konoha probably stems from the upcoming conflict with Stone Village.

I'm going to take a little time to weigh my options on this one while I work on Valor and Harmony's next chapter. If I choose to skip this part, then we'll flash forward to the second major event in the Yondaime's reign…

A few more notes added after the post...for those who don't remember, Uchiha Fugaku is the future father of those kid prodigies, Itachi and Sasuke. His name isn't used much in the series, I realize, so quite a few may not have caught that detail...not that it's very important to the plot of the chapter.

Those of you who have been reading my work for a while may have noticed by now that I'm a fan of introducing new characters by their thoughts before their names show up...my hope is that by doing so, I'm giving you a chance to get into the story a bit more...making the characters a bit more 3-d to you, as opposed to just a name (and maybe a face). If that hasn't been the result, or if you think I'm taking it too far with my mysterious act, please feel free to say something about it.

Heck, say anything. All feedback is welcome feedback!