Gomen for the very long wait. Please read and review! Remember it's the only thing that motivates me to write.

WARNING: short chapter ahead.

Disclaimer:

I don't own it.

Chapter 5

Naruto crinkled his nose and cocked his head to the right in the wonder in front of him. He looked at the large white pillow with suspicion before poking at it. It squirmed.

His big blue eyes bugged out. "H…hello?" He asked uncertainly. And much to his surprise, "Hello." The pillow answered back. While he was perfectly willing to accept the pillow as a living thing and speak to it as such, He wasn't honestly expecting it to answer him. Once he'd recovered from his initial surprise, he considered the creature thoughtfully before speaking again, choosing the most important question that came to mind.

"Do you like being a pillow?"

"I like pillows."

The blond noticed that it hadn't answered his question, but he let it pass. "Do the other pillows like you?"

The response this time was said somewhat slyly. "They worship me."

His jaw fell. "You're a .. a pillow god?"

"You could say that." There was such a thing? How could he not have known this? He felt a bit humbled suddenly—

'I am speaking to the God of Pillows! Well, the pillow did sound surprisingly intelligent.'

He was still contemplating this when the voice inserted into his thoughts:

"Naruto-sama, as much as I like seeing you stare and rode the pillow for hours, I must remind you that you have to be at the academy within ten minutes." Tenpou stood by the door of his room watching him with a hint of amusement and fondness.

'Nani?'

"NANI!" Naruto scrambled up and threw dived to his closet to find his clothes. Tenpou nodded his head and closed the door smiling to himself at his young master's antics.

"Double ranked ninja!"

Iruka merely smiled softly as he ruffled absentmindedly at the whiskered blond boy's hair who is at the moment grinning somewhat sheepishly yet proudly when confronted at the other academy genin graduates outbursts of his jounin vest wore over his usual clothes.

"Hai, it is because Naru-chan here has already taken the jounin exams at another village and passed."

Meanwhile a certain Uchiha is gripping strongly at the edge of the table.

A pink haired girl raised her hand. "But sensei. If Naru-chan is already a jounin why did he took the genin exams?"

Iruka's eyes gleamed and he raised a finger, looking more like an eager teacher just about to handle his first class. "It is because Konohagakure is different from the other villages, while we acknowledge a certain foreign ninja's previous rank, there will be no short cuts and that shinobi would be forced to become a genin once more.

Question: tell me, what are your ideas of what are shinobis really?"

From the back Shikamaru made a muffled groan. "Jeez, we already passed and he's still making lectures."

A boy raised his hand. "They are the people that protect the village and the clients."

A girl followed next. "They handle the dirty jobs like assassinations and other stuff."

"Shinobis are tools of war." A certain boy with glasses and high collar muttered loud enough for the teacher to hear.

The brown haired chunnin nodded approvingly and pointed the Jounin Naruto to an empty seat which the boy took immediately with relief. It is quite uncomfortable being stared at you know.

"Right, while your definitions are correct and yes, shinobis could be considered as tools, they are first and foremost just employees. If a ninja from another village transfer his alliance to another village with the approval of both Kages then the ninja would retain their rank. Because of that Naruto is still a jounin…"

Sasuke is now gripping the table so hard that his knuckles have turned white.

"…But Konohagakure have higher requirements than the other villages. That certain nin would have to climb his way from genin to other higher ranks. Naruto for example will not be allowed to accept missions higher than class B and if he does been assigned to a higher mission he would have to be accompanied by a superior jounin. Until his other rank (genin) would reach his other rank he will have to be contented with lower missions. The requirements are quite a bother to fulfill but it helps by building up loyalty that way."

"So it means that Naru-chan could have individual missions aside from the missions given to his team?"

"Hai."

A whisper of awes can be heard from the back. Iruka picked a paper from his desk.

"Now, for the teams…"

Break:

A knock came from the door. "Hokage-sama, the council wants to speak with you."

Sarutobi sighed and massaged his temple. 'I suspected as much.' He turned to the amazement that is Tenpou who has already finished a half of the paperwork that normally takes, him, the third, three days to finish.

"Tenpou-san, would you like to come with me?"

The younger man looked up from his work and pushed his small metal frames back. He smiled kindly. "Hai, thank you Hokage-sama." He arranged the documents before standing up and following The Third.

"I see that Uchiha Sasuke is rookie for this year." An old woman in white robes observed as she read the profile of the said so Uchiha.

An old man beside her wearing similar white robes replied. "It is already expected as the sole survivor of the gifted clan." The woman nodded before picking up another profile. There is a picture of a whiskered blond boy pasted at the upper left corner.

"However…"

"Explain yourself Sarutobi."

"Why are we not informed of this?"

"Why have you let this Kyubbi vessel back in the village?"

"Why have you let this boy enroll at the academy!"

The third merely lets a small spark of chakra light up as his pipe and places it at his mouth before looking at the two. "Miyabi…" he looked at the woman, "..Tsuyoshi…" He turned to the man, "I don't even see why I'm called just to be asked by these questions."

"ARE YOU BLIND SARUTOBI!" Tsuyoshi raged.

"If this DEMON is back then it is but important for us to question if you really know what you're doing." Miyabi hissed.

"To put the villagers at risk…."

"Tsuyoishi." The third tried cut in.

"…is questionable whether you are still fit to be hokage."

"That monster should be contained…"

Sarutobi balled his hands to a fist his tone made a hint of warning. "Miyabi I don't think that…"

"…Or better yet IT should be executed."

"It makes us wonder Sarutobi whether you have turned senile."

"To put such threat to the village, you better find a successor quick Sa…"

"ENOUGH!" The third thundered shutting up the council immediately. Tenpou who is standing by the wall remain his face completely blank.

"You have overstepped your boundaries. What I decide and take action to is none of your concern."

"It is our concern if…"

"I said SHUT UP MIYABI! The council has been formed to serve as the advisers of the current Hokage as well as the back up power in authority when the position for village leader is vacant. Until I still remain in reign you two have no right to question my decisions and beliefs."

"Sarutobi we…"

The third glared at Tsuyoshi. "UNTIL then I suggest you two to keep your opinions and orders to yourselves. I don't need ignorant fools trying to sway and distract me."

The woman gasped and the Tsuuyoshi sputtered. Sarutobi lets a small smug smile form at his lips.

"Know this Miyabi, Tsuyoshi, it doesn't matter how long I have known the both of you but this continuous attempt to take over my power has tire me. As of this day, I officially disband and remove the council from power."

"You can't mean that."

"You need us!"

Sarutobi chuckled and put on his headdress as he gestured Tenpou to follow him out. The younger man nodded. "I suggest that you find other jobs at your current 'vacation'. I believe we are in need for a few cleaners?"

Tenpou smiled. "Hai, there is an opening Hokage-sama." The third chuckled again before waving at the two previous council members. "I'll be waiting for your application forms, till then have a nice day." With that the door closes leaving two stunned and unbelieving seniors.

Break:

Just as the door closes, Tenpou bowed low. "Hokage-sama, I'm sincerely grateful for defending the young master. But is it wise?"

Sarutobi lets out a small laugh and motioned for his secretary to straighten up. "Bah. Forget it Tenpou-san. I would have been more than a fool if I let them stay."

The two of them walked towards the veranda. Tenpou reveled at the touch of cool wind meeting his skin. The third slightly lowered his hat, partly covering the sight of his face. "…back then, those two are one of my closest friends. Miyabi and Tsuyoshi gave sound advises and are very compassionate towards the people."

"…"

"But then, they started to hunger for power. I knew about it yet I let them slide. I let them abuse my trust in hope that they would get better and forget about it, instead they grew worse."

'It wasn't the first time that had happened.' A certain face of a pale skinned student of his flashed at his thoughts.

Tenpou leaned at the stone railings with his arms crossed as he watched at the distance. "…It is hard to resist the call of temptation when you could hold it in minimal reach. However, there are just too many people that would succumb to it as well there are just too many who are too blind and immersed to the past doings that they could not see the present."

The third breathed out. Smoke curling from his lips. "Only a content man would refuse such call but they are right about one thing.." At this Sarutobi lets his lids fall shut to crescents, at the same time, the action magnifying the laughter lines at his aged face. "…I am too old for this job."

He dramatically mocked a sad sigh. "If only Naruto-kun isn't so young. I would put him to my seat pronto."

The younger man laughed. Sarutobi smiled, his soft voice barely heard but himself. "Fool me once, shame on you…"

Tenpou smiled knowingly as he heard the words. "Fool me twice, shame on me."

The third laughed, easily masking it with false cheer. 'Yes, I may be a fool in more ways than one. But until I still have a single breath left in this old body, I'll protect and do what I can for the children who carry the wheel of fire.'

Break:

"Bastard old man!" Kisame ran his Samaheda through a fat balding old man like a saw. "You gave me the wrong map!"

Itachi merely looked stoically as he stood by the doorway of the mapmaker's house.

Needless to say, the mapmaker could only answer in guttural sounds at the swordsman's action. Kisame cursed again before letting the quickly cooling body fall to the floor. He swiped another map at the table before turning his heels. Itachi nodded and they both left.

The brunette looked at the piece of drawn parchment at his hands with narrowed eyes before looking up front. He blinked and looked back down again this time with his sharingan activated. A small frown pulled down his lips as the thought of, 'That Mountain is not supposed to be there.' Crossed his mind.

He turned the map upside down yet still he made no better sense at where they are. Kisame, a little off by his back seems still pleased at what he did at the old man back at the village very far west.

A little bit annoyed and a little bit frustrated Itachi righted the map once more and try to make sense of it. His eyebrows twitched when his line of sight falls at the bottom right corner.

"Earth country…"

Kisame who is whistling stepped up to his side. The brunette thrusts the map at the blue man's chest and uttered, "You are an idiot kisame."

Bewildered, he looked down. A few moments later a loud cry of anger can be heard throughout the region. Itachi merely covered his face with one of his hands and shook his head.