(When Naruto tells Sarutobi that he wants to be a Hokage just like him but even better than all of them combined, he decides to actively groom Naruto for the position)
He couldn't help the warmth that spread through him as this little child of sunshine personified, the near spitting image of his father, looked up at him with such a serious face. He had to shove down the urge to coo and pick him up. Instead he smiled, "Better than all of us combined, eh?"
"That's right!", little Naruto nodded looking determined.
"Well then, I guess I have no choice but to help you then. After all I'm the only one left who can show you how it's done", his humor slowly left his voice to broadcast his sadness, Naruto blinked at him looking unsure. Shaking off the melancholy that had gripped him, really Minato should've been alive to teach his own son how to be a leader not to mention keep this job out of his hands, and smirked at little Naruto which caused the child to pout at him. "It's going to be a lot of hard work however-" "I can do it!" "And a lot of it will be pretty boring", he continued as if he wasn't interrupted.
Naruto gave him a 'duh' look, "Grown ups are always doing boring stuff but I bet the fun stuff makes up for it." Sarutobi laughed at that, "Yes well, keep up that frame of mind and I'm sure you'll be fine".
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
"Now Naruto, there are three things about paperwork that you must understand. One, you must always fully read and make sure you understand everything written before signing. Two, you must possess a keen intellect and broad vocabulary. This will help in understanding what you read or are being told. Three, and this is most important, it is a never ending foe that will become more troublesome the longer you leave it so it is best to tackle it swiftly.
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
Sitting in his office, Sarutobi looked up from his paperwork over to Naruto. The child was sitting at a desk that was a miniature version of his own doing his homework with a face of utmost concentration, looking for all the world as if he was a chibi-kage doing paperwork. It might've been the hat he was wearing that was a child's crude version of his own. He allowed a small smile to form as he recalled when Naruto had decided that he needed his own hat to wear for the lectures he listened to and work he did in this very office.
'Ahh, the logic of a child's mind', he pondered as he refocused to his own paperwork.
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
"Wrong! Again", Sarutobi stated calmly, sharp eyes on Naruto's form as the child wobbled through the first set of katas that he was teaching him. He was going to make sure Naruto could do the basics flawlessly! It also had the side benefit of getting the child tired enough to actually go to sleep instead of constantly getting out of bed to check that he was still in the house.
"Hold!" Sarutobi barked quickly causing Naruto to freeze immediately in his stance. Carefully, the old man adjusted Naruto's limbs into the correct positions, explaining why it was important then demanding he try it again.