Hiruzen stood atop the Hokage monument, watching over the Leaf as he weighed the current dilemma plaguing his mind. At this very moment, every jonin had been called in, gathered in one location to debate and decide on who among them shall take the position of 5th hokage, while Hiruzen was left wondering what he was going to do about Naruto.

That ceasefire we so desperately needed, at the cost of Naruto's jinchuriki status being known to the other villages...a sad but needed trade. I kept his identity as Minato's son safe, but he will be a target for the rest of his life regardless. I intended to keep an eye on him, fund his development and needs while he grew into his own man...but that isn't a viable option anymore. I fear even with stepping down as hokage once more, I won't have the time to take the boy in to raise myself. To be of use to the village, I'll have to perform as an ANBU...and in my growing age my skills will waver more and more. I'll likely die before Naruto can grow into a young man and he'll be left alone again.*

The 2 elder advisors of the Leaf who trained under the 2nd hokage with him, were rarely silent. For once they opted not to say a word, just allowed their friend to vent.

Hiruzen took out his pipe and began smoking calmly, his eyes wandering over the village until they rest on the home of Minato. "He would be safe in ROOT, for a time. Danzo would corrupt him, and give him a worse life than that of an orphan eventually. A fate Minato wouldn't wish for his son." Hiruzen knew if he couldn't decide what would become of Naruto soon, he would practically be leaving the boy open to capture or assassination. He needed to act fast and make a hard call on what to do with the boy...

Meanwhile, the Leaf jonin were hard at work picking sides and debating on electing their next hokage. Amongst the crowd of elite shinobi, their youngest attendee Kakashi Hatake seemed at a loss on who to even begin for consideration. The others around him had already made up their minds on certain candidates, and those who didn't make up their minds yet were hotly debating about the pros and cons of their top shinobi. Several around him were lamenting how they wished their Lord 4th were still here, or that Jiraiya was willing to take the job.

Chouza Akimichi was proudly slapping his hand on his gut, boasting that "In sheer raw power we all know IM number one here! I'd even be the BIGGEST kage of them all! Come on it just makes sense to make me the next hokage!"

A jonin from the Inuzuka clan waves him off, arguing that "You got the brawn but where's the brains? Your buddy Shikaku Naara is a better fit for the job!"

Shikaku groaned, looking annoyed at how many people kept bringing his name up. "Look I get it, I'm already one of the top dogs here and an advisor to the hokage but I'd be totally miserable behind that desk 24/7 it's a DRAG!"

Another jonin chimmed in with a supportive, "Not wanting it just makes you all the more suitable for it! It's that humble quality!"

Inoichi Yamanaka snickered at how much that was backfiring on his friend. Kakashi decided to step away from this group, go elsewhere in the room and listen in on who the other top candidates were. He listened closely, honing in on Hiashi Hyuga making his case for the position.

"I am the Leaf's top taijutsu user, my mastery of the Hyuga clans techniques already put me on par with the likes of other Kage candidates no doubt under consideration for the Stone and Mist. On top of that, my conviction speaks for itself. I will tolerate no rivals and do what would be necessary to put the Leaf ahead the other villages. I'll weaken some of the smaller villages if need be, cut off their potential before it can come back on us if a form of retainership can't be reached with them."

Shibi Aburame was making his stance, "If elected hokage, I would make keeping the jinchuriki safe a chief priority. My clan would monitor the boy 24/7, ready to strike should he fail to keep the beast at bay."

As kakashi overheard more and more jonin debate, he was then caught off guard as a pale hand cupped his head. He jumped and drew a kunai to the hand that touched him so suddenly, "Who-" Kakashi lowered his knife as he saw who surprised him. "Lord Orochimaru?"

The only sanin still in the village, was greeting him with a warm, if albeit intimidating and chilling smile. "Kakashi...it has been a long time since we last spoke. You look well." Kakashi assumed this was flattery. "This must be odd for you, your sensei being our last hokage and not even making it to a second year in the position before he's gone. To be here, part of the group that must find his replacement, I pity you Kakashi."

Kakashi looked down at the floor, "You want to be hokage, right Lord orochimaru? You want me to support your bid for it."

"If you wish~ It would be most appreciated. After all, we're connected you and I. Minato was Jiraiya's student, and Jiraiya and I are sanin. There's an unspoken bond between us thanks to that chain of master and apprentice relations. Even my protege, Anko and you share this same bond. You two ought to have some training together. I have her on a special assignment right now...perhaps you can join her when this is over?"

Kakashi recalled he hadn't seen Anko in a few weeks. The last he saw her she was gushing about some "Super cool test" orochimaru said he was going to surprise her with. "It must be a long mission. Is she okay, with you here and her still out on mission?" Kakashi's tone then became a bit more serious as he looked back up and asked, "You didn't abandon her, did you orochimaru?"

Orochimaru simply chuckled and waved his question away. "When the time comes, I'd love to see Jiraiya and Minato's legacy live on through you. Something I can help you accomplish if I have your support Kakashi.~"

With that, Orochimaru walked away, disappearing into the crowd. Kakashi blinked, processing the words he'd just heard. Even after being confronted directly by one of the top candidates, he was still as unsure about who to choose as when he first walked in. *Orochimaru rivals lord 3rd in power and skill, but he carries such an ominous aura to him. He always scared Obito...he wouldn't want Orochimaru for hokage.*

The young jonin felt lost. He wanted to leave. Why did he have to help elect a successor to the title his mentor held only some weeks ago? Why should he help elect someone for the job his departed friend hoped and dreamed to have one day? He felt as if fate was punishing him for failing to keep Obito and Rin safe. Shoving the absence of Minato and Obito in his face and forcing him to make a decision.

As he wandered about once more, he overheard another candidate making his case. "-and so to help build better relations between the clans in the Leaf, I would abolish the Uchiha as the sole police for the village. I would make it an open job to any shinobi so the Uchiha aren't straddled with the sole responsibility of maintaining authority."

Kakashi came to a stop, and stepped closer to overhear this. He thought he recognized the voice. *Obito complained a few times about the hate his clan got for being the only police force in the village. He said it got his clansmen unnecassary dirty looks and gossip. Made folks more wary of the Uchiha.* As he got close enough to see who was preaching this, he came into view of the head of the Uchiha clan, Fugaku.

Fugaku was confident, standing firm with his arms crossed as he had gathered quite a crowd of jonin. "We've worked hard to earn our place in the world, and I don't plan to waste this short ceasefire Lord 3rd obtained for us. I'll make sure the academy's regimen is stricter, in a way where we produce the same quantity of ninja but of higher quality. The Uchiha standard will become the standard for all."

Fugaku's gaze then met kakashi's. Even with his headband covering the sharingan Obito gifted him, he felt the Uchiha head's eyes pierce through it. He felt that Fugaku's eye contact bore the same conviction Obito had when he was determined to rescue Rin before he met his death. He knew this man was determined to be hokage and make the changes he was promising. He no doubt wanted to sweep away the rumors that the Uchiha had anything to do with the 9 tails attack and prove his clan was for the Leaf. He was a man, that Kakashi could see worthy of succeeding Minato.

Hiruzen was now in the Hokage's library, not to read anything from it's vast collection but to meet with his secret ally. These two old men had enough collective stress between the two of them in this room to make the the hokage election gathering seem like a vacation.

"Hiruzen, you made a terrible mistake agreeing to this. It's one thing to confess the identity of our jinchuriki, but to step down as well? It's shameful. Lord Tobirama never would have allowed such an outcome."

"Danzo, I did what I had to so we could know even a brief time of peace. Aren't you tired of all the fighting and grief our village has suffered? Our people needed a reprieve."

Danzo grunted and tapped his cane on the floor in protest. "I'm not tired because I can't grow tired. If I do, my guard lessens, and if my guard lessens we become vulnerable! To top it off, you made this ridiculous call to have the jonin VOTE for our 5th instead of simply naming Orochimaru hokage. He and I would be the most efficient leadership in the Leaf." It was silent for a moment, as Hiruzen didn't find it worth the time to argue about his decision on how to handle the hokage succession. Danzo scoffed, and continued his rant, "As if I hadn't enough to manage, now I must take this Nauro matter into my own hand-"

"You'll do no such thing. Naruto's fate is my decision still to make. Placing him under ROOT is the last resort. Am I clear Danzo?"

"Hmph. You intend to raise the boy yourself then? As if you'll have the time to manage that. You and I both know you won't retire quietly, you'll resume your work as a shinobi and take on the most dangerous of missions for the village. Away for weeks, to months at a time until you don't return one day. Or will you force an unruly jinchuriki onto another clan? Wherever he's placed those watching him become targets as well. You aren't thinking about the asset that he is."

"That asset, is still an infant and the only reason we still have a Leaf village today. I refuse to let him fall into danger, especially since his current predicament is my own doing. This is my responsibility Danzo, and I will find a suitable place for him. One he deserves. It's the least I can do for the boy, and for Minato."

Danzo turned away from his old rival, "You may try, but you know as well as I that should it take too long...for the sake of the village I must take him. I will give you until his first birthday, as a courtesy and not a day more. By then, if you haven't found a home to properly watch the boy, he will belong to ROOT from that day forth."

Author's notes: not super eventful but needed for some ground work. next chapter is a bit more stuff being set in motion and a check up on the other kage. The real good exciting stuff is soon as thinga really begin to deviate.