Hiruzen sat silently at his desk, puffing on his pipe mindlessly. He looked at the small infant lying in his student's arms. The boy was like a carbon copy of his father. There was no way in hell that no one in the elemental nations would not make the connection of who his parents are and try to assassinate him.

"We need to discuss what to do with Minato and Kushina's son."

"Naruto," Jiraiya corrected quietly, gazing at the baby with a fond smile. Azure eyes stared back at him, as his finger was directed into a wet mouth before a burst of giggles erupted from the child.

"What?"

"His name is Naruto. Minato and Kushina allowed me to name him and I chose the name of the protagonist of my first book."

"Didn't you tell me that you got the name from eating ramen?" Hiruzen asked incredulously.

"Yeah," Jiraiya chuckled. "But it also means maelstrom; a fitting name for an Uzumaki descendant don't you think?"

"I have to say it might be perfect for the boy. He will undoubtedly take the shinobi world through a torrent of waves once he is older."

"What do you mean sensei?" Jiraiya asked confusedly.

Putting out his pipe, Hiruzen exhaled tiredly. "Just before you found me next to Minato and Kushina, Minato imparted his last words to me."

Jiraiya widened his eyes and his breathing came out shakily. "What did he say?"

"I hereby recall the Sandaime Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, to active service as the Hokage. It is my wish that upon your retirement that my son become Godaime Hokage."

A silence ensued and stretched for a few minutes before Jiraiya broke into tears.

Hiruzen walked to the council room in complete calm. The guards looked at him curiously before he placed the Hokage hat on his head. Immediately they fell to their knees in respect.

"At ease. Please open the doors, so I can put an end to whatever side show is going on in there," Hiruzen spoke as he heard a number of yells and sneers from behind the doors.

The ANBU and Daimyo guards stood and made way for him as they opened the council chamber doors. At the sight of the Hokage hat and robes, the council chambers became as silent as death itself. As he walked in he made sure that his face was hidden from view, not wanting to cause a scene until he established himself in his position. He walked straight to the center of the council and took his seat.

"Hokage-sama?" Hiashi spoke up somewhat unsure.

Slowly, Hiruzen brought up his hand and removed the hat, inciting gasps of shock from each council.

"Minato has died defeating the Kyūbi. Before he died he recalled me to active duty and as such I am once again Hokage until I find a suitable successor. End of discussion. Moving on to other matters; the Yondaime's funeral, as well as the funeral of every fallen shinobi and civilian will be held in exactly three days. Every available shinobi is to report at the top of the tower in exactly one hour for orders. We will begin reconstruction immediately after we have determined the extent of the damage. After everything is said and done we will update our current roster of shinobi's and move on with our lives. I do not wish to dwell on this matter any longer than necessary. With the defeat of the Kyūbi there is no reason to drag the matter out. Let it be known that I am proclaiming this day as 'The Day of the Will of Fire.' Dismissed," Hiruzen said in a firm voice that carried power and authority.

As the council members cleared the chambers with no argument, Hiruzen let out a deep breath. He never felt so relieved that Minato had insisted in having him train alongside him; he was still able to honor the mantle.

The fire daimyo looked at his old friend, catching the gleam of absolute peace and anticipation. "Hiruzen, I do hope you plan on informing me about what's making you so happy despite the horror the fates have incurred on the village today."

"At this very moment our Godaime-koho is leaving the village for training. He will not return until he is ready to make his appearance into the shinobi world," Hiruzen replied with a very smug smirk.

The daimyo's eyes widened at the response; "You have chosen a successor already Hiruzen?"

"I have chosen no one. Minato-kun chose his successor right after he recalled me to service. I had never seen a man smile as happily as he did as he spoke his last words."

"I don't understand if Minato-kun chose a successor, why did he recall you as Hokage?"

"Our Godaime-koho is but a child at this point in time."

"Surely, you jest old friend. I can't believe you condone stripping a boy of his childhood. How could Minato-kun make such a decision?"

"Our Godaime will have a childhood just as any other child. The only difference is that he will always have heavy protection. At this moment he is under the protection of his family who will train him in their family arts and the basics of the arts of Konoha. When he is eleven, he will return to Konoha and graduate as a genin, despite his honorary jounin title as the Hokage-koho. Make no mistake though, that child will undoubtedly live up to his honorary title by the time he returns, his family will take no chances. The only reason I plan on letting him play the part of a genin for a while is so he can see the inner workings of the village firsthand."

"But Hiruzen, how is it that Minato-kun had so much faith in the boy to name him Godaime?"

"It's simple really; how can he not have faith in his own blood?" Hiruzen answered shocking the fire daimyo into silence.

A/N: A small prologue to the story. Next chapter will be up soon!