Chapter 4- Apologies and New Beginnings

"Have you come here to finish what you started earlier?" Sarutobi asked wearily no longer having any will left in him to fight this unstoppable force of nature before him. Maybe she was a vassal of the gods come to punish Konoha for the sins they had committed against an innocent soul such as Naruto's. If that were the case then he would gladly take his punishment for the part he had played in the abuse Naruto had suffered. He didn't know how close he had actually come to the truth with that errant thought.

Suijin just looked amused but slightly guilty at the same time.

"No Sarutobi I am not here to fight you" she said with a small smile "I am actually here to apologise for the words I said before." The Hokage's jaw hit the ground at this revelation and he automatically lifted his hands into the air and performed a release for any genjutsu that might be affecting him.

"But why?" He asked disbelievingly "You were right I did let Naruto be abused in order to keep peace in Konoha and I did try to make him think that he should work to earn peoples trust and respect, even though he shouldn't have to."

Suijin raised her hand putting an end to his growing rant "I know Sarutobi and don't get me wrong the part of me that cares for Naruto like a mother will always hold some resentment to you for the choices you made about Naruto." She stopped as Sarutobi hung his head in shame before continuing in a kinder tone

"However I am also a fighter and a healer so I know that sometimes hard choices have to be made that help the many by giving up on a few. You had your back up against the wall and did the best you could under bad circumstances, that's all I could reasonably ask of you. You protected him from the worst of the abuse, gave him a home and money to live on and gave him hope and a dream the only way you could. You did all that you could while being in an important position that affects everybody in the village like the Hokage."

"I would like to believe you but my heart refuses to listen to my head when I remember what he looked like after some of the worse beatings."

"If that's true Sarutobi then that only reinforces my belief that you are a good man in a bad position." Suijin said gently trying to rekindle the will of fire that she knew had been dampened by the old buzzards that circled around him making his job that much harder. If Naruto was to be safe then she needed Sarutobi to be the man he had once been again. He needed to become the God of Shinobi once more.

"I'm tired of this job" Sarutobi groaned "I'm exhausted with the political scraps the stupid councilman and the concessions I have to make this unworthy village strong. Sometimes I feel that the whole thing is pointless and that the ideals that the First and Second Hokage passed down have been corrupted and forgotten."

"Then MAKE them remember!" Suijin growled having had enough of the pity party "You are the Sandaime of Konoha the God of Shinobi; make them remember, instead of playing the political game by their rules go by your own. If you know someone is corrupt then find evidence that they did something wrong and arrest them. You are the most well liked and well known figure in Konoha so use that to your advantage as well, instead of sitting in your office signing stacks of paperwork that your advisors set up to distract you hire a secretary to sort through it all get rid of the meaningless crap and only deal with the issues that the leader of the most powerful military force in the Elemental Nations should deal with. You say that the civilian council blocks your moves to help Naruto because you have no power over civilian matters correct?"

Sarutobi nodded his face nothing more than an expressionless mask.

"Then why are you spending all day and night signing papers that are nothing but civilian matters" she went to the stack that Sarutobi was about to work on and pulled out a few random sheets.

"This document is about the bakery across the street that is asking for help with a rat problem and this one is about the orphanage asking for a skylight." She turned to Sarutobi "Is this what you think a military leader should be doing? If the civilian council is so determined to isolate you from their affairs then make them deal with this work. Isolate them from you, see how far they get without your shinobi helping them anymore."

She threw the papers down on the Hokage's desk and stepped forward to look him straight in the eye "Where is the God of Shinobi that sent the enemy running when he entered their sights?" she demanded. "Through Naruto's history lessons I've heard of what you did in your prime, you've fought in 2 wars against greater numbers and more villages. What happened to that man?"

"He grew into an old man that felt too tired to fight for the things he believed in anymore."

"Well I think it's about time he made a comeback" Suijin stated calmly "After all, wouldn't you rather go over to the other side to where your predecessors wait with your head held high and your conscience clean than as an old broken man who watched and did nothing as a once great village collapsed around his head."

Silence filled the Hokage's office as Suijin finished her speech and waited for Sarutobi's choice, she really hated putting the poor old man through such a guilt trip at his age but he was the only person perhaps in the whole world that was on Naruto's side and she was willing to use any method she could to get him even the smallest bit of aid.

Finally after what seemed like hours the old Hokage's head rose up as his gaze left the floor and met Suijin's inquisitive gaze. She almost shuddered at the raw power that had risen behind those once kind and gentle eyes.

"You are right" he said shortly "If I let the village deteriorate any more than it already has then I would never be able to face those that gave their lives to protect it and the beliefs that go with it."

He turned away from Suijin and released the silencing seal that covered his office before calling for the Anbu that were stationed outside of the door. When they entered they immediately fell into a fighting stance and started to make hand signs to attack.

"Enough" Sarutobi snapped impatiently "Do you think that if she was a threat right now I would be standing with by back to her leaving myself wide open. She came here to ask me a question and now she has an answer she will leave." His eyes snapped to Suijin as if daring her to contradict him, she did not quickly vanishing in a swirl of water. Sarutobi turned back to his Anbu that had relaxed once Suijin had left but the one on the right was trembling with anger.

"What is it Anko?" He asked the Anbu on the right wanting to her to get over whatever was bothering her before he went into detail about the changes he wanted to make.

"Yugao is in the hospital because of her" Anko snapped angrily "What were you doing talking with her instead of fighting her." The other Anbu looked at her as if she was crazy and began to back away out of the line of fire.

"I'm going to stop you there Anko before you say something that will get you in trouble" The Hokage said coldly "You seem to have forgotten who you are talking to and the amount of power your demands have on me. I know you are upset about your friend getting injured but do not make demands of your commander and chief in his own office."

Anko gulped audibly and backed away submissively "I apologise Lord Hokage it will not happen again" she muttered looking at the ground.

The other Anbu cleared his throat nervously "Erm Lord Hokage while I wouldn't have put it quite as bluntly as Anko did could you please explain what that woman was doing talking to you when just a few hours ago you said she was to be avoided at all costs?"

"A change in perspective is all that changed now can we please drop this subject?"

"I'm sorry Lord Hokage" The Anbu said in a steely voice "But I cannot drop this subject until you give a reasonable explanation for your actions. For all we know that woman could have affected you in some way to bring down the leaf village from within."

"Since when did a military order become a debate" Sarutobi muttered irritably. "Fine if it will stop your doubts I will tell you. I was talking to her because she wanted to know why I who used to be called the God of Shinobi was letting civilians and council members rule me. Summed up she told me to get my act together and do what is right not what is easy, I agreed and chose to stop corrupt politicians walking all over me. This is where that all starts so would you stop questioning me and listen to what I say?"

"She still hurt Cat" the Anbu named Anko muttered rebelliously under her breath. The God of Shinobi turned to her with a frown.

"Anko I never thought I would have to lecture about being naive, we are ninja that means that in our line of work we could be fighting to kill someone one day then be allies the next day. Suijin fought my Anbu because I ordered them to attack recklessly the fault was mine not hers, I was foolish and chose not to see the obvious truth. That my own ninja's had attacked Naruto ignoring my laws and the Yondaime's last wish, Suijin killed them in defence of Naruto who she apparently see's as her son. That is not something I will fault her for because I would do the same for any of my family. I will hear no more about this and if I hear you have been making things difficult for the boy because of this vendetta I will not be pleased do you understand me?"

Anko bowed her head suitably cowed.

"Good now I want you to go and wake up the council members both shinobi and civilian and call them to the council chambers for a meeting in one hour. Tell them that if they are not there when I arrive then they can consider themselves dismissed from their positions. Got it?"

"Yes Lord Hokage" The two Anbu said before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

Sarutobi sat back in his chair and prepared himself mentally for the screaming contest that was to come. What he was about to do would rock the very foundations of Konoha's governing body and would make him more enemies in the civilian sector than he could probably afford.

A memory flashed through his mind of Naruto lying face down on the ground behind Suijin, his clothes were torn and ripped and blood stained the ground surrounding him showing that he had been bleeding severely before he had healed.

The aged shinobi's eyes flashed open with renewed determination, he would not allow children in his village to be put through that by the villages own shinobi. He would make the leaf village remember justice again no matter how much trouble it caused him.

He looked at the clock and began to make his way towards the council chambers ready for the battle to come.