What it takes to be Hokage

Chapter 25

"Now before you say anything." Hiruzen started, taking a puff from his pipe, "Because I can see the denial on your face, Naruto-kun. And I can call you kun, since you're younger than me. After all you 'died' at around my eldest son's age." Hiruzen chuckled, honestly enjoying this fact more than Naruto thought he should. "It's fascinating to see how similar you are to Namikaze Naruto." The man paused yet again, appearing to mentally compare the two Naruto's in his mind for a moment before continuing. "Let me start by engaging in an old man's pass time, by telling you some stories from my youth."

Naruto relaxed a little and nodded, still choosing to keep silent.

"I remember the day my father Sarutobi Sasuke, the then clan head of the Sarutobi clan, received the invitation to join Konoha. Senju Tobirama was an imposing man, young, powerful and intelligent beyond his years. Worse still, he knew it." Hiruzen paused to chuckle. . . .

Hiruzen threw the shuriken, watching its path intently as it sailed towards the post. It was a hot day, the sun glinting off the metal, reflecting back at Hiruzen almost painfully. The sudden commotion by the compound gates caused him to look away and miss the shuriken's landing. He immediately started running towards the gates, eager to see what had the guards so noisy, training all but forgotten. He hadn't gone more than two feet before his father barked out "Hiruzen, stay out of it. This doesn't concern you." His father was sharper than most would give him credit for. He was a quiet shinobi, preferring to think first and act later. It was a trait that garnered him a lot of respect from the other clans. His judgements were often astoundingly accurate.

Hiruzen hunched his shoulders and pouted. His father ruffled his hair with a soft smile. "Go back to your training. The pout disappeared, turning into a mischievous grin. That hadn't been an order. He waited for his father to walk around the corner before scaling the wall and carefully working his way towards the gate, trying to be as quiet as possible. It was good training.

A lone Shinobi stood at the gate's entrance. He appeared patient, his posture one of a man born into high ranking. He couldn't have been more than twenty, yet towering over the shinobi guard who was pointing a tanto's blade in his direction. He didn't appear phased by the tanto, staring at the gates as he waited, perhaps for Sasuke to appear.

"Put the blade down, I will deal with this man." Sarutobi Hiruzen matched the man's posture, only there was a grace to the older Shinobi that the younger had yet to learn. "After all, Senju Tobirama is a man who should only be treated as a guest." Hiruzen's eyes widened. Senju Tobirama? No way? He'd only ever heard stories of the man. Looking at him now, comparing him to the stories he'd heard, Hiruzen couldn't help the excited glee bubbling in his chest.

That glee turned to ice the moment Tobirama's sharp gaze slid over to his spot on the roof. He would have ducked out of site, if his body were able to move past the shock. The gaze was piercing, seeing a world that Hiruzen could only imagine. Strangely, there was a measure of expectation as well. What the man could be expecting was anyone's guess. Hiruzen was hardly older than 7, still young by Sarutobi standards. However, by Senju standards one could say he was greatly lacking. Was that what Tobirama was looking for?

No, it was something else. Something more.

Then, just as suddenly as it had started, it was gone, leaving Hiruzen free to take a deep breath. Senju Tobirama. A fearsome shinobi indeed. Hiruzen watched as his father walked with Tobirama to the meeting room, not daring to follow this time. There were some things he wouldn't be able to sneak past his father and this was one of them.

"It was only later that I learned that we had received the invitation to join Konoha. We didn't accept right away. My father was a careful man. He was no fool to the dangers such a dream as Konoha would face. He waited, wanting to see how the newly formed village would fare against outside threats. He also wanted to see how it would affect the Warring Clan states. If two fated enemies could come together then perhaps there was hope." Hiruzen put his pipe down, eyes distant with the memory of his father. "A few months passed before my father made decision. And so we packed up and moved towards Konoha. The day we arrived, well that was quite a memorable experience."