AMBU operator Cat was kneeling in front of the Sandaime of the Hidden Leaf.
-"Lord Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto accomplished the impossible."

The wrinkled visage of Sarutobi Hiruzen cracked a smile.
-"Did he steal Kakashi's Icha Icha?"

The solemn emotion that radiated from Cat was evident to see, even with her mask.
-"He….he cured Hayate's cough."

At this the old man paused signing paperwork (the ENEMY) (EVIL EVIL PAPERWORK) to peer at her.
-"Are we talking about the same Hayate? The one that not even Tsunade could …..?"

Cat was nodding fervently, her head testing the limits of the mask bindings. That stuff was properly secured, otherwise, it would have flown away and crashed through the window.
-"Now Hayate-kun got more cardio than I!"
Memories of their last time together made her giggle and flush crimson, from toes to ears.

The aging Hokage held back a groan with the ease of practice while standing up to the window.
These old bones won't let me hold on the hat for long enough for another candidate to pick up the burden.
Peering across the glass pane, he saw his village.
Kakashi can barely function, still spending hours every day at the Memorial Stone. Asuma, while skilled beyond the needs of the chair, won't touch it even with Enma's staff…..Gai? …
He looked at his arthritic hand.
Age is incurable. It gets anyone and there is no cure.

..

Cure?
-"Cat, bring me Naruto please."
-"Hai!"

Hayate Gekko, the village's premier swordsman, twirled and danced along the training ground 73.
-"Everybody talks about the 44, Fear the Forest of Death. Bah"
He twirled and chopped in half a dog sized bat, it proboscis flapping wildly.
"… but that is safe. Anko-chan keeps the denizens in check."

Naruto was currently holding one of Hayate's legs for dear life.
-"I GET ITTTTT! NOW CAN WE GO BACK TO SAFEEWHATISTHATTTTT?!"

A horse sized lizard sent its tongue towards them, only for it to be sliced in bacon stripes.

Rolling his shoulders, the deranged swordsman made a show of pointing towards the panicking wingless wyrm.
-"And behind the first door we have ….DINNER!"

Naruto clamped onto the madman's leg for dear life and closed his eyes.
-"LEARN HEALING THEY SAID! IT WILL BE SAFE THEY SAIIID!"

In a swirl of leaves, the masked visage of Cat manifested. She took into the scene without so much raising an eyebrow. Without the mask it wasn't obvious, take my word for it.
-"Hayate-kun, the Hokage wants Uzumaki to see him."

All joviality left Hayate's face and was replaced but grim determination. He clutched Naruto in a bear hug.
-"Mine! You no take away my Doctor!

Hokage's Tower.

-"…and that's why Gekko-san is with us."

The Sandaime stepped his aching fingers on the polished desk.
-"Two birds with one stone, since I was going to summon him as well. Tell me, Jonin Gekko Hayate-"

Said deranged fella coughed into his fist.
-"Sorry Lord Hokage but-"

Cat grabbed his arm, shaking with barely restrained worry.
-"Your cough! It returned?"

Hayate placed a peck on the mask, making Cat blush till the tips of her ears.
-"As I was saying, Lord Hokage, you seem to be mistaken since I am but a Tokubetsu Jonin."

The aged Sandaime picked up a scroll and made a show of unfolding it.
-"By the will of the blah blah blah….Gekko Hayate….blah blah blah… was deemed fit for the rank of Full Jonin."

Naruto chose this opportunity to pat the human waterfall hitherto known as Hayate.
-"Congrats man!"

Cat clamped her claws on the freshly minted Jonin.
-"Remember the promise? We were going to get married when both reached Jonin?"

Naruto ignored the bickering couple, and dodging the waterworks, approached the Hokage.
-"Sup, old man?"
-"Naruto-kun, could you please indulge in the curiosity of an old man?"
-"You get crotchety and gossipy in old age, don't ya?"

A coarse laugh escaped the Kami no Shinobi.
-"That we do, Naruto-kun, that we do. Now could you explain why your sudden interest in healing?"

The Orange Menace put his hands behind his head and squinted, trying to recall a memory.
-"Remember when you said that it was a shame that I didn't use, and I quote, ALL my ENDLESS energy into more noble endeav…endevvv stuff?"
-"Endeavours, Naruto-kun."

Snapping his fingers, he continued.
-"That's it! Well, I went around the village looking for people who could use energy and then I saw the hospital nurses saying they were drained. Lotsa patients and they couldn't keep up."

Sarutobi pressed his lips into a thin line.
Tsunade was right, we needed to invest more in the hospital. Add it to another of my many blunders.
-"That is a sad reality. We try our best with what we have but it's a grim fact that those who pursue the healing arts, usually have more finesse than power. That leaves them drained after only healing one patient."
Taking a drag from his pipe, he ruminated over the fact.
"Now, now, how can you control your chakra with enough subtlety to heal? Your clones in the academy were a testament to your appalling ability to pour tiny drops of energy instead of flooding it."

Naruto leapt on top of his desk, disarraying budget forms and construction approvals. With a grin too wide for his face, he hollered.
-"I DON'T! FULL POWAAAA!"

-"Naruto-kun, you can injure someone with too much energy, that is beyond reckless."
-"No if its me!"
-"Yes it is! You can burn the patient's chakra coils you fool! It takes years to learn how to redirect the energy needed to heal!"

Naruto took a letter opener and sliced his hand, then shoved the closing wound to the old man.
-"NOPE! My chakra heals on its own!"

Hiruzen had lived a long life ripe with unbelievable exploits. He learnt from Harashima and Tobirama, fought in more than one Shinobi World War, among many other deeds.
But hindsight still got him blindsided.
He smacked his face with enough force to dislodge the AMBU from their perch atop the roof.

-"Hey old man, it's raining men!"

After ordering tea to calm his nerves and getting a full explanation of Naruto's reality-shattering discoveries, the ageing Hokage made his move.

-"Now, now, Naruto-kun. You realize that people WILL kill when they find out what you can do, right? I am making an S-class Secret of your ability. As of today, you can't heal anyone before we make a full background check with Torture and Interrogation Division."

Naruto's joy was snuffed, the light on his eyes dimming at the same time his smile became a rictus on his spastic face.
-"BUT OLD MANNNNNNNN THAT'S UNFAIIIIIIIR!"

-"It's for your own good, Naruto-Kun. Remember the many kidnapping attempts? Even your friend Hinata was a target a few years ago."

The fire returned, and what a flame it was! A raging inferno burst behind his azure eyes, consuming any shadow of doubt.
-"The hell! Not if we stand strong! I will make everyone stronger!"
He launched himself, both hands alight with the chakra equivalent of a nuke, and shoved it onto the shrivelled hand of the prune Sandaime.

The fury of ten thousand suns burned across Hiruzen's soul, only his previous experience with Tsunade's cooking preventing him from fainting in despair. His veins bulged, his flaming skin charring his robes, and even his hat sparked flames.
-"Your …..will…iof…FIIRRERRE….fire….is getting out of HHhanndnnnnn…"
The flames reached a crescendo, eating away a week's worth of BUREOCRACY!BUURNNNNBUURRRN DAMNED PAPERWORKKKK MUAHHAHAHA….till he felt a draft. Yet….somehow the window was still closed.

Cat grabbed a rug and held it in front of her still-scorching superior.
-"Lord Hokage, your …weapon's pouch is showing…."

He didn't pay her any heed, he couldn't. His hands, his face his…..his…he could see his feet again!
Jumping with joy, Cat was forced to move accordingly to preserve the modesty of the Fire Shadow.
-"THE KAMI NO SHINOBI IS BACK!"

-"Old man, put on some pants!"