Hokage: I want to be just like you

OV: A new season and a new Hokage.

AN: This is a pretty uneventful chapter, just some continuity… Next chapter will be exciting…and that folder…and fireworks…and flashbacks

This doesn't accurately follow the Naruto timeline Gaara has had Shukaku taken and been revived, Sasuke has defeated Orochimaru,

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Naruto stood behind Tsunade's desk. No, my desk. He mentally corrected himself. He wouldn't be inaugurated for three weeks, and yet he liked the feeling that wearing the title Hokage gave him. True, there were still some villagers who looked at him with distrust; and a few murmurs that this wasn't a good idea, but overall the village had been welcoming to him in his new role.

He picked up a folder that was lying in the center of the desk. It looked nondescript, however one word hastily scratched in the corner caught his eye; Uchia.

He hesitated to open the file, it wasn't his, and he had a bad feeling that doing so would be a mistake, yet his hands had a mind of their own. He gently flipped the cover open; and bound inside was a picture of a dark haired boy with pale skin and dark eyes. He was standing in front of another boy who looked so similar, and yet very different. The second boy was obviously a few years older than the smaller one, and the lines etched on his face made the distance seem even greater. Behind them stood a stern looking man whose eyes were unmistakably mirrored by both boys; also in the picture was a pretty woman. She has a kind face. Naruto noted.

Just as he looked for names as to whom these faces belonged he heard footsteps approaching. He quickly closed the folder, and replaced it on the desk. He pretended he was just turning away from the window to notice who had come into the room, instead of having been standing just behind the desk. "Tsunade, Baa-chan!" he exclaimed excitedly.

She smiled at him, her brown eyes soft and glinting with some as yet unknown emotion. "Don't get too comfortable yet, I'm still Hokage for three more weeks," she admonished; her grin giving away that she was merely poking fun at Naruto.

She paused to look around the cluttered room, causing the buoyant atmosphere to tone down to a more serious tone. "You'll have more time to get settled in than I did, and you can be useful to help me clear my things away," she commented.

Naruto looked out the window to the carved visage of the Sandaime Hokage. He grinned that lopsided grin of his that appeared when he was thinking. I'll make you proud, Sarutobi-domo, he thought with pride and respect. He grinned at Tsunade's larger than life image before pausing to contemplate the face that was sandwiched between these two.

I wish I could have known you, but I understand why you did what you did. Now that I am Hokage I want to be just like you, Namikaze, Minato… Father. He didn't know it, but he looked like the ghost of his father standing in the Hokage office gazing upon the carved faces of the past Hokages.

Tsunade paused in her task of sorting papers when she caught site of the blonde. The image of him standing proud and silent reminded her how much he did look like his father, and she thought yet again how foolish she had been not to have seen it the moment she met the boy. Her thoughts turned to Minato, and how he'd been one of Jiraya's favorite students.

As if the thought had summoned the person, Jiraya strode into the open office, his sandals clicking against the hardwood floors. "Ah, so I see we're making room for the new Hokage already," his eyes were bright and shining, and his face was lit with mischief. "Naruto, we should let Tsunade finish packing up her papers. Let's go get some ramen." He was fully laughing now at the look Tsunade had given him, and at how quickly Naruto had raced out the door. A thought crossed his mind that he might want to remind the blonde that running through the corridors shouting 'ramen, ramen, yay, yahoo,' might be unbecoming for the Hokage. However, he just couldn't bring himself to dampen Naruto's enthusiasm, it was no secret that Naruto had little to look forward to for so long in his life, and even still had dangers lurking in the shadows.

Instead he hurried after the receding mass of gold and orange escaping the angry shouts that were issuing from behind the door of the office they had just come from.

Ichiraki and his daughter were as delighted as ever to see Naruto, and offered him a congratulatory bowl of ramen to celebrate his longtime dream coming true at last. "Itadakimas!!!" and soon the bowl was slurped clean. Jiraya bought himself a bowl, and actually paid for Naruto to have seconds, a rare treat. Being Hokage is even greater than I imagined!! Naruto thought.

Seeing the look of bliss on his face, Jiraya marveled at how it took so little to make Naruto happy. But he supposed that having nothing but sadness, Naruto had learned to find joy in the everyday mundane. He thought this trait would be a good feature for the Hokage to possess, and Jiraya understood that this quality of Naruto's to always be him self no matter what, was also his hidden strength. He had watched for himself how this simple boy could effect change on those around him.

Jiraya knew of many important people expected to make the trip to Konoha for the inauguration, and their only reason for coming was to pay something toward the feeling of owing a debt that can never be repaid to the simple person who had opened their eyes and brought about change in them. This would definitely be a party to remember. A small feeling of foreboding ran through his body, and was gone as fast as it had appeared, almost before he even registered it for what it was. He hoped he was wrong, for Naruto's sake, as well as Konoha, he hoped everything would go well.

(A very unprofessional and poorly thought out time skip…I don't feel like boring myself with the paltry details of the entire time between that day and the ceremony day. So it's the day before Naruto's inauguration…)

Naruto wandered through the village as he normally did. Today however, there was nothing normal about the village. There were banners everywhere, and the feeling in the air was one of anticipation, and excitement. Tomorrow I become Hokage.

He turned down the path that led to the main gates, and wandered without looking where he was going. He shouldn't have been surprised when he bumped into someone, but he was. He instinctively cringed and waited to get told off for being clumsy, he still wasn't accustomed to the reverence and stature of Hokage. Instead he heard a familiar voice laughing at him.

"Gaara!!" he shrieked, forgetting any dignity and rapidly embracing his friend. "Temari, Kankurou! Wow this is great!" He released a crushed Gaara, and radiated excitement. "What are you guys doing here?" he asked.

"You baka," Temari chided, "Do you think we'd miss your inauguration?" Kankurou reprimanded her for insulting Naruto as he was now going to be Hokage, and they had a hasty argument over the correct treatment of the blonde. Naruto looked at Gaara and without a word they snuck off leaving the other sand siblings to argue to their content. It didn't take long for them to notice the whole entourage dispersing, and they quickly concluded their disagreement, for now anyway.

Naruto happily led Gaara through the village, pausing only for the Kazekage to dismiss his personal guard, and everyone else to take their luggage to their rooms. They walked and chatted until they reached the Hokage building. Naruto, in a fit of inspiration, decided to show Gaara his new office; so they headed inside.

Tsunade's small cache of personal belongings had been moved, and the office had been repainted. It was a toned down red and the sun striking the walls gave an impression of flames dancing throughout the room. The stacks of paperwork had been left, although they were considerably smaller than they typically would be as Tsunade and Shizune had been diligently trying to get all left over work completed before the inauguration.

The two men took seats in comfortable chairs, and sat in companionable silence for a few minutes. It seemed this was all the stillness Naruto could withstand as he began to fidget in his seat and soon politely ask Gaara how his trip had been and how long he would be able to stay.

Shikamaru stuck his head in the door, and looked relieved to find Naruto sitting in the office. "You really should let someone know where you are now, Naruto. It's going to be troublesome to have to chase you all over the village to try to get things done." He complained.

Naruto just grinned wider and ask Gaara if he would like some tea. Shikamaru muttered something about being an undersecretary, not a servant, but left to go prepare the tea before he was even ask to do so.

Soon their conversation was disrupted again with a group of people entering the office. Naruto didn't mind as they were his friends with whom he'd grown, trained, and served numerous missions with. It seemed there was some sort of gathering that night at the Hyuuga estate, and they would not take no for an answer. Gaara and his siblings were warmly invited also.

Naruto couldn't remember any time in his life when he'd felt so at peace with the world as he did right then. People wanted him to come, and they had planned celebrations in his honor.

The day passed without further incident, and Naruto arrived at the Hyuuga estates bringing Gaara, Temari, Kankurou, and an unexpected Kakashi with him.

They were welcomed into the gardens where a formal tea had been set. The scent and color of flowers provided a naturally festive backdrop. Naruto was seated in a place of honor, and was served a traditional formal tea ceremony by an unusually composed Hinata. Afterward the Hyuuga's presented him with several gifts, and music softly played while everyone enjoyed a quiet celebration of the new Hokage.

At the end of the evening, Hiashi, the Hyuuga clan leader offered a pledge of loyalty to Naruto. There seemed to be something more he wanted to say, but he bowed away gracefully instead.

As he walked home with his group of friends, one by one bowing good night to Naruto as they reached their homes, Naruto finally got a true understanding of family and how close bonds really had made a difference in his life.

Finally, as Naruto had planned, the last stop was Gaara and his siblings. Temari and Kankurou offered their well wishes and good nights to Naruto and retired to their rooms. Gaara sensing Naruto had something to say waited behind. "Gaara, I am glad I met you. You are a dear friend, and I am glad for your friendship."

Gaara looked as if he wanted to reply, but Naruto smiled and continued," Tomorrow, we will formally be allies, I don't know how, but all we went through before has led to this moment. Two of the Countries will be at total peace, but more than for Konoha, or even the Fire Country, I am glad to call you my friend."

Naruto's official escorts were astonished to hear such mature words coming from the typically loud and over-energetic blonde. They passed a glance and smiled a feeling of certainty that this would be a great time for Konoha.

Gaara stared intently into Naruto's eyes. He didn't try to speak; his voice had left him as tears of joy welled in his eyes. He grabbed Naruto in a tight embrace, conveying his thanks to his friend for rescuing him with his warmth and emotion. Both Kage's escort's looked away pointedly, knowing this was a private moment between the two men.

Gaara released his hold on Naruto, and finally finding his voice whispered, "Arigato, Naruto." Unspoken in those simple words of thanks was love. Naruto had given Gaara the gift of love.

Gaara and his guard ascended to his rooms, leaving Naruto to walk with his band of Chuunin and Jounin for the last time to his little apartment. Once inside he looked around at the barren remains of what had been his only home. All that remained was a small pack of belongings he wanted to take to the Hokage's office in the morning. Everything else had already been moved into the Hokage building to his private rooms.

He prepared for bed, and silently said good bye to his home, he knew he'd be too busy in the morning to think to do it.

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