Summary: Let's go back in time. What if Tsunade really had declined the position of Hokage, and Jiraiya also stubbornly refused to give up his independence. Who else would be able to fill this challenging spot?

A/N: Maybe this will stay as a oneshot, maybe not. All I'm asking you is to suspend your disbelief and take a slightly unusual trip with me down history lane :)

Godaime Uchiha

"There is one person who would be particularly apt for the job." The Sannin said, almost as if musing over the possibility. "Someone who could do the work with much more dependability and application than either Tsunade or I have the attention span for." Nobody chuckled at the joke, though they agreed. "I think you know who I mean, especially in light of Orochimaru's attack. One needs, indeed, someone at least as strong, if not stronger than that man to protect Konoha."

And of course the elders knew who Jiraiya-sama spoke of. They knew, equally, that Jiraiya-sama spoke truly, if rather audaciously.

"All that needs to be done is to facilitate his integration back into the village. I know many who would oppose rather violently to even the merest suggestion of him anywhere near this place, not to mention inside the Hokage's apartments and in a position of power. And there is also the task of getting him here. No one knows what his state of mind is after the last five-odd years."

"But if he is willing, and if we overcome all the obstacles…do you think it will suffice? Do you think Konoha will be safe? That is all we are asking of whatever candidate that competes for the position."

"I believe that, in the hands of Uchiha Itachi, Konoha will do nothing but flourish."

And thus it was decided.

000

Jiraiya and a group of select Anbu from Root were sent to retrieve him. He listened quietly to their explanations, ignoring Kisame's baffled expression. He did not ask for time to deliberate. If Konoha wanted—no, needed him back, he would not, could not decline. As Orochimaru before him, he left the Akatsuki without a word, and Akatsuki watched him go with contempt. No one who gave up the privileged position thus was worthy of being acknowledged, least of all chased after. He asked only one thing from the council, and the council conceded willingly. But for a few select jounins and chuunins, no one was to know the truth about him. They would loathe him, and he would let them loathe until he could clear his name anew or perish by the hand of one of his ill-wishers. Or until he was too blind to do the job. But he would not have people worship him as a hero. There had been nothing heroic in what he had done, no matter how good it had been for the village. There was only slaughter, and then more slaughter until he was so sick he would be the first to exercise punishment upon himself. One could say this was his way of making amends.

As for his little brother…

000

"The Hokage wants to see you." Iruka announced to Team 7, with concern in his brown eyes especially directed at Sasuke, who he could see was still blissfully ignorant.

"Hokage? What Hokage? I thought Tsunade-baachan didn't want to. I thought nobody had decided yet!" Naruto had just come back from his trip to find her in the remote gambling village where she had been hiding, and she had agreed to return, but only as a medic-nin, no more. Still, Iruka, as everybody else, could see flashes of the strange necklace the boy was wearing around his neck, a symbol that, to those who knew their history as well as Iruka did, signified much more than simple ornament. Thus, the Chuunin wasn't left without some notion of how much his young ward had grown in the past few weeks, and how that would influence his reaction to what was now happening.

"The new Hokage, Naruto." he explained, not without a slight shudder. That Itachi had been chosen-Itachi the traitor, Itachi the murderer-was nothing short of shocking. That he had accepted sent waves of dread rolling down Iruka's back whenever he had to think about it. Kakashi had explained it all to him, information courtesy of Jiraiya-sama himself, who had found out about it years ago from Danzou's secret files...not that it was really a secret anymore anyway what with Itachi being appointed as Hokage and the truth eventually leaking out as truth often does, and he knew that the fear of being killed in his sleep was absurd, but he still felt himself occasionally succumbing to doubt, and it wasn't pleasant.

"Who is it?" Sakura wondered. "Is it someone we know?" She thought of the imposing blonde woman who had healed Sasuke and Kakashi with impressive ease but of whom Naruto talked very vaguely, in great spurts of either praise or outright rudeness.

Iruka, who was still mulling over how to answer the question, decided to go for the route of minimum disclosure.

"You'll see."

Sasuke, who had remained quiet during the whole exchange, sporting his ever-present bored expression that managed to make girls melt more effectively than all of Jiraiya's seduction techniques put together, was not as impassive of mind as he was of body. He too was thinking about this mysterious Hokage that wanted to see them, Team 7, to exclusion of all other priorities that went with newly undertaken duties. Unless he or she was super-efficient, there would be at least a week's worth of work to do before getting introduced to genin teams. No, Sasuke did not like this one bit, though he did not make his discontent known.

Another thing that irked him was Naruto: Naruto who still acted the fool like he always had, but who had, in such a short period of time, accomplished so much. The blonde idiot had changed in the space of mere months. It made Sasuke doubt himself, and the Uchiha didn't like that either.

He brooded over it while they walked towards the Hokage building, barely noticing the animated chatter between his two team mates as they tried to figure out who it was they were out to meet. He did notice how Naruto was taller, how his shoulders were broader and his back was a bit straighter, all adding to the impression of confidence radiating out of him. Could he really be as strong as he seemed? Stronger than Sasuke, even? So strong that for some reason, Itachi had wanted him and no one else. So what did that say about his quest to destroy his brother? Was it doomed to failure if he couldn't even catch up with the town idiot?

He didn't look up while they crossed the threshold or went up the stairs. Not when the door to the hall opened and they walked through, though he should have, because as his team mates' footsteps died down, so did their cheerful conversation. In fact, if he had paid a little more attention, he'd have become aware of the stunned silence and overwhelming tension that saturated the room. But as it were, he just absentmindedly waited for the new Hokage to speak so he could lift his head and acknowledge the persons presence.

He heard the individual behind the great mahogany desk clear his throat lightly. He heard Naruto growl. He'd have written it off as nothing, but Naruto never growled in the face of positive authority, not when he had crude jokes at his disposal to convey dislike. Sasuke raised his head. Blinked. Felt his mouth go dry beyond being able to utter any kind of sound.

"Sakura, you'll be working with Tsunade from now on. I've been informed of your desire—and need—to improve as a shinobi from Kakashi. This is the best venue for you."

The voice, quiet, polite impassive…it was his voice. And the face, even the pose and expression: hands before him on the table, clasped neatly, back held straight as if there were really nothing to him sitting there, where he radically didn't belong.

"You…" Sasuke started, after gulping in some air. He had activated his sharingan: no genjutsu in sight, not a henge, as far as he could see, so it really had to be…

"Naruto, Jiraiya has requested you in particular as a pupil. He wants to personally look after your training. You'll be leaving tomorrow morning." A pause. "And I'm sorry for attacking you. That was…regretful. I truly hope you'll forgive me."

"You're Sasuke's brother. The man Sasuke wants to kill!" Disbelief colored the blonde genin's voice, and the words came out as more of a question than an assessment of the situation. Naruto started shaking.

"Sasuke, there will be no need for you to make use of whatever power Orochimaru has given you. You'll be training with me, since I, like you, possess the sharingan and will be able to help you develop your skills to their maximum."

Itachi shifted in his chair slightly, all business. He waved a hand. "Dismissed, all of you. Sasuke, your lessons start tomorrow, field three, 9 am. I'll be expecting you."

But Sasuke wasn't listening anymore. With a roar, he launched himself at the man before him, chidori flung out in front of him ready to rip through any obstacle in its path. The mahogany desk suffered, splinters flying across the room as he continued on his route of destruction. The black haired man did not duck, indeed, he didn't even flinch. But upon contact with his younger brothers' hand, Itachi burst into a cloud of smoke, leaving Sasuke flailing furiously at air.

"DAMN!" he screamed as he punched the wall, creating a fist-sized hole in the brick. "GOD DAMN!"

Sakura and Naruto could only look at him with concern, Naruto still shaking slightly, remembering his interaction with the mysterious sharingan owner in the black cloak who even the pervert sennin seemed to have so much trouble with. If that had been Itachi, and this had also been Itachi…

What on earth was Itachi doing, sitting in the Hokage seat and handing out instructions as if it were the most natural thing on earth?