The sun was shining, and the air was crisp. It was a relatively peaceful day as Naruto stood before an all too familiar stone. Its surface was etched with the many names of those who had fought and died serving the Village Hidden in the Leaves. He was reflecting during a time that should have demanded his focus, but he had a brief moment and this day required reflecting. Today he would reflect on the past, the present, and the future, as was his ritual on the twenty third day of July.

Today would have been Sasuke's twenty fourth birthday, had he been alive to celebrate it. His name had never appeared on the stone. He died a traitor to the village, and so his memory would only be honored by Naruto and perhaps those who chose to remember Sasuke in a positive light or as the antihero with a truly tragic life. It had actually been difficult for Naruto to even have Sasuke buried in the village walls, and Tsunade had fought tooth and nail against laying his body to rest beside Sakura. She relented only because Naruto was resolute in this wish. She still sees the whole arrangement as a mockery to Sakura, but Naruto would always respond with a warm smile and affirm that those two wouldn't want it any other way.

It was quiet for the moment, but he knew that it wouldn't last long. Things never stayed quiet for long in the village, but in spite of this the village was beginning an age of peace it had never known before. The largest threats it had faced were dealt with years ago the day Naruto faced Sasuke in mortal combat. Tsunade had faced off against Orochimaru, and survived the fight until she was saved, for lack of a better word, by the resurrected parents of Sasuke. She didn't describe the battle much, but always said that it was precarious to try and fight Orochimaru while always having to look over her shoulder and watch her own back. Nevertheless, when the fight had ended she discovered that Orochimaru had possessed the body of his former subordinate Kabuto putting an end to their threat. She spent the rest of the day at the village gates preparing for the worst, but hoping Naruto would be found on the horizon.

His reintroduction to the village was a celebration, partly because the great hero of the Leaf was back home, and also because he had saved the village yet again. As he got to the gates the crowd parted and gave him a clear path. She stood there, just as she did when he would be returning home from a mission in the years prior. Her eyes were full of hope and promise, a tear of joy was blazing a trail down her cheek. A smile brighter than the sun itself slowly grew on her face. She had one hand clutching her jacket held right over her heart, as if to try and keep it from leaping out of her chest. Naruto remembered saying something, and it was probably kind of cheesy, but she didn't care. Hinata broke into a dead sprint and launched her delicate looking frame into a fierce hug.

This was not to say that the continuation of their relationship was easy, or that they had no issues to deal with, but in that moment they had each other, and in that moment they knew that somehow things would work out. As they spent the following weeks resolving the personal issues that had become aware to them both, and Naruto reacquainted himself with village life again. Once Hinata felt her confidence surging from the assurance that Naruto had never seen her as a second choice or someone he would just settle for and once Naruto was confident that Hinata was not going to abandon him at the first sign of difficulty their romance began with a renewed passion.

Naruto's time alone searching for Sasuke had born fruit. He had finally found a passable solution to the Caged Bird Seal puzzle. He never could find a way to remove the seal in its entirety; the seal was simply far too secure, and Naruto was not as great at the sealing arts as some had claimed. He was, however, able to find a way of altering the seal's design in such a way that it would protect the Hyuuga clan's famous Kekkei Genkai upon their death, while at the same time would remove the ability to use the seal as a torture device. As an added feature Naruto constructed this new seal so that new applications it did not require it to be placed only on the forehead, but could be placed just about anywhere. As a show of good faith and their confidence in Naruto's work Hinata, Hanabi, and Hiashi all received this new seal. Hiashi declared the moment to be the beginning of a new age of unity for the Hyuuga clan where the torch of destiny would be carried by all and not just main branch. It took months for Naruto to alter the seals of the entire clan, and months more to teach the technique to the clan leaders. For the first time, the destiny of the branch families of the Hyuuga clan was firmly placed in their hands.

Naruto spent most of his days in the years following at Tsunade's beck and call. She claimed that it was specialized training so he could learn decorum, polity, and negotiation, but to Naruto it seemed to be her just pawning off all of her paperwork on him. The truth was a mix between Naruto's perception of the situation, and what he discovered to be Tsunade's attempt to make Ino a full-fledged combat medic and someone who was worthy to take up her mantle in the medical corp. Tsunade would tease and provoke Ino's ire concerning a lack of true progress, but the truth was Ino was becoming a medical ninja of great renown under Tsunade's tutelage. It was strange to Naruto, but it never seemed to feel as if they were trying to replace Sakura. From a military preparedness standpoint they were trying to fill in the gap Sakura's death had left, but from a more emotional and personal stand point it just felt like they were doing what they could to honor her memory.

Tsunade announced her plans for Naruto become the Hokage proceeding her to the jonin in order to check for their approval, and he passed unanimously. As the news trickled down to the ears of the villagers not a soul was surprised, and they were incredibly cheerful that Naruto would be the next Hokage. Shikamaru would often tease Naruto telling him that Tsunade only made the announcement to prevent the village from revolting, and not because she actually wanted him to be the Hokage. Naruto would promptly tell Shikamaru to shove it, and they would laugh like old friends do after giving each other a hard time.

'I guess I need to go back and check on them,' Naruto thought as he retrained his focus on the task at hand, 'Sakura, Sasuke, they remind me so much of us. I hope that I can help them develop deep and lasting bonds with each other,'

He moved with great haste to the place where he had left his prize. He found each of them sitting just as he had left them. Two boys each flanking a young girl tied to a post. He stayed hidden to watch the scene unfold. The boy to her right offered her his lunch in clear defiance of the rules Naruto set for the final leg of the bell test. The boy had a short cut head of navy blue hair that is common of the Sarutobi clan. Naruto was never too sure how the young Takashi Sarutobi was related to Asuma, Konohamaru, or the Third, but the boy was not exactly how he remembered any of the shining examples of the great Sarutobi clan. He was orphaned during the war, but because of his heritage he had the makings of a great ninja. Graduating at the top of the Academy he was sure of himself to the point of arrogance. Naruto, however, could not deny that the boy was skilled beyond every expectation that he held. During his test Naruto was thoroughly impressed by the fact the boy could already use a basic nature transformation technique.

The girl seemed surprised that the young boy offered his food to her. Misaki Kimura was also a war orphan. She lived in a small farming village in Fire Country that had been nearly destroyed during the war. She lost her parents, and the village had lost track of her suffering in the effort of reconstruction. She was brought to the village by Teuchi who was passing through looking for a new source for certain ingredients. His compassion had given her hope, and the stories of an orphan who became a powerful ninja that saved the Leaf village inspired her to become a ninja herself. She was brash and boastful which annoyed several of her Academy classmates, and didn't do terribly well graduating at the bottom of the class. She had no natural talent as a ninja, but Iruka suspected that she was just a little slow on the uptake. She was quite clever though, and once she felt she had mastered a skill she would use it in very inventive ways. Her improvisation in a fight made her flexible, and dangerous in her own unique way. Her lack of fundamentals and natural talent was holding her back though. There was a determination in her character, a fire in her eyes, that made Naruto confident that she could go far as a ninja.

The other boy seemed to be equally surprised, but wore a gentle smile and offered his food as well. Hiraku Hyuuga was a gentle soul who had displayed great skill throughout the years he spent in the Academy. From what he had seen of the boy and from the information he gained from Iruka and Hinata, he is a perfect blend of both Neji and Hinata. Both his skills and his character seemed to reflect the best of both. He was fierce in battle and truly gifted amongst the Hyuuga, but he was a gentle and caring young man by nature who seemed to serve as a balance between the personalities of Misaki and Takashi. His profile had said that he, like many of his clan, had exceptional chakra control. His skill in the Gentle Fist, and his apparent mastery of chakra control training exercises such as tree climbing and water walking had already been displayed that afternoon, and Naruto knew that he would grow into an astounding ninja. Hiraku, however, lacked interest in combat. Naruto had to goad, tease, and basically insult the boy to get him to engage. When he did fight, he was a handful, but it was giving him the motivation to actually do it that was the challenge.

Traditionally they would make a team out of the number one boy in the graduating class, the number one girl in the graduating class, and the dead last. As a general rule, they try not to have more than one girl per team. This is done in part to cut down on the amount of teenage dramatics that girls seem to get wrapped up in, and partly because there usually are not enough girls enrolled in the Shinobi program to have more than one per team in the first place. This year was the first time in some random statistical anomaly, that Naruto "unintentionally" ignored, in which a girl was at the bottom of the entire class. The natural solution was to simply do what the village did the last time this happened, which was to pair up the girl with the top two boys of the graduating class.

'Well, they broke my rule. It's time to scare the pants off of them until they tell me why they did.'

Smoke erupted mere feet from the trio, and as it cleared Naruto stood arms crossed and a look of pure feral rage was on his face.

"What do you think you are doing?" Naruto asked as the children looked at him in absolute terror, and Naruto was doing his best to keep up the act rather than split his sides in laughter.

"Gi-" Takashi started and stumbled. He was mustering up courage to face his Sensei, which Naruto took to be a good sign. "We are giving Misaki part of our lunch Naruto-Sensei,"

'It'll take a while to get used to the whole Naruto-Sensei thing,'

"WHY? I told you not to feed her under any circumstances!"

"Because," Hiraku started. He seemed to be calm, but was still fairly frightened by Naruto's display. "You said that the test was set up to see if we could act as a team instead of acting as individuals,"

"SO WHAT! I also said that you be dropped from the program all together if you broke the rules again! So why did you do it?"

"But Sensei," Misaki almost sounded like she was complaining. It was as if this display was not affecting her anymore.

'She's kind of fearless too. I think that she'll do splendidly.'

"Takashi said that you were way too good for us to take on by ourselves," She started, "So if any plan was gonna work then Takashi said I would have to eat and regain my strength, so that's why they were offering me their food,"

'Really, Takashi said that? Maybe he isn't stuck up like I was worried he was,'

"Takashi!" The boy snapped his gaze to Naruto's, his confidence in his actions was clearly visible in his eyes. "You deliberately disobeyed my orders. You will never fulfill your dream of serving on the Guardian Shinobi Twelve if you are removed from the program. If you want to become a genin, then kill Misaki now!"

Misaki was worried, and perhaps a little hurt that Naruto would order her death like that. Tears were building in her eyes. She looked so certain that Takashi would end her life to fulfill his dream, and Naruto knew when this was over, after Takashi decided one way or the other, he would have a talk with the girl and help her understand that this was only a test. He would never let any harm befall her, and like all of the teachers and instructors he had over the years, he would die to keep her safe. Misaki's hope was restored, but in a seemingly unexpected way.

"If you try it Sarutobi, I will stop you," Hiraku said matter-of-factly as he stood up taking defensive stance of the Gentle Fist form. Upon hearing that she had a stalwart defender Misaki's signature mile-wide, radiant smile was plastered on her face.

'So this is your motivation Hiraku. Just like Neji you are a noble warrior, like Hinata you possess a kind heart, and like both you will defend your friends no matter the cost. Teaching you will be a true honor.'

Takashi drew his kunai knife. Hiraku rushed to move between an oncoming attack, and Misaki braced for impact. But the attack never came. Rather an attack was made, but not against Misaki, and not against Hiraku. The kunai was thrown toward Naruto. It was a bit off target so Naruto stood unconcerned. As the blade passed by it tore against the material of his headband, and Naruto was curious if that was his intended target.

"Well, that seemed a bit unnecessary," Naruto said as his voice and countenance returned to normal, "I guess you don't mind not becoming a ninja after all?"

"You don't deserve to wear that headband," Takashi said with a flare of arrogance that reminded Naruto of Sasuke ever so much.

"Come again," Naruto said showing a bit of frustration at the child's words.

"You want to wear that head band and you expect me to call you Sensei, but you would just command me to kill a comrade without any second thoughts? Go ahead and drop me, I wouldn't want to be your student anyway," Naruto almost smiled at the kid's bravado, but wore a straight face to keep up appearances.

'This is going to be a whole lot of fun.'

"Well, it's a shame you feel that way. How about the rest of you guys? Do you all feel the same way?"

They shook their head in agreement with Takashi's words.

"I'm sorry to tell you," after pausing for a dramatic effect Nartuo finally let the foxy grin he had been holding back show "you pass!"

There was a breakout of confusion on the children's faces as they tried to figure out how they passed.

"You defied the rules I set for you and finally began thinking about the team as a whole. Rather than acting as individuals and thinking only of yourselves you realized that the group's success was the only way to guarantee any success. Even when faced with an impossible choice you still thought of the group. Takashi, you were willing to sacrifice your dream and Hiraku, you were willing to risk your life. This is what it means to be Shinobi. My Sensei once told me that those who don't follow the rules are scum, but those who don't care about their comrades are worse than scum. So from here on, I am proud to call all of you my genin students."

Misaki was cheering wildly, while Hiraku and Takashi smiled at their little victory.

"Alright I'm a genin! I'm that much closer to becoming Hokage!"

"Whatever loser!" Takashi responded to Misaki's raving, "You couldn't become Hokage in a million years. My grandmother stands a better chance."

"I'm going to be Hokage one day!" Misaki answered, "It's going to happen. You can bet on it!"

"I wouldn't be so quick to doubt her Takashi," Naruto said as he moved to untie the girl making sure not to just leave her there like he had been.

"Why is that Sensei?" Takashi asked with a snide voice, "It's not like she has any real skills or natural talent, so how could she ever become Hokage. The Hokage is supposed to be the best and most powerful ninja in the village, so what makes you think she could do it?"

"Well, you might have heard that I am supposed to be the next Hokage after Granny Tsunade decides to call it quits right?"

Takashi shook his head in affirmation.

"When I was first starting out as a ninja, my Sensei gave me the same exact test I just gave you."

"You must have gotten one of the bells Sensei," Hiraku spoke with a quiet amazement in his voice "Lady Hinata always speaks of how you are the greatest ninja this village has seen since the Fourth Hokage,"

Naruto blushed slightly and began scratching the back of his head. Hinata's praises always embarrassed him, not because she was praising him, or that she thought so highly of him, but despite all of his bragging and showmanship he never cared to stay in the spotlight too long. "Well I don't know if I'm that good, but to answer your question Takashi. I think she can do it if she works hard and gives it her all, because when I took this test, I was tied to this very post just like she was."

"No way!" Takashi was shocked that the great and powerful Uzumaki Naruto he had learned about from Iruka was ever a lame ninja.

"Yup, it's the truth," Naruto said as he untied the final knot. "I even graduated as the dead last of my Academy class too. So that's how I know that she can become Hokage if she really works hard at it,"

They stood thinking about all that had happened, and all that had been said. Naruto dismissed them informing them of their training schedule and as they began to leave Naruto called out "Misaki, I'd like to speak with you for a moment," and with that Misaki came running back to him curious as to what he could want.

"What is it Naruto-Sensei?"

'Man that just sounds weird.'

"I wanted to speak with you about the test," Naruto started unsure of how he could both apologize for the order he gave, and reassure her that she was never in any real harm. It was going to be awkward for Naruto at the very least, but he continued "I want to say I am sorry if I got you worried back there. I wanted to test Takashi, but you have to know that I would never-"

"It's alright Naruto-Sensei," Misaki interrupted. "It was all a part of the test right? Old man Teuchi always tells me stories about you and your adventures. He always says that you were the bravest ninja he ever knew, and you would always defend people with all of your strength. I was kind of scared, but I understand what you were trying to do. I know you weren't going to let him hurt me."

Naruto laughed a little. "You remind me a lot of myself when I was your age," and she beamed at the thought of being just like the one person she admired most. "You are way too understanding, just like I am. Promise me something, will you?"

"Sure Sensei!" her grin spread from ear to ear. Just like Naruto was back in his youth, this sweet little orphan girl was eager to please anybody who was willing to give her the time of day and honestly believe she was worth something. "What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to promise me that you will work really hard to learn what I have to teach you. Promise me that you will always try your best. Promise me that you will find people who are precious to you, and promise me that you will fight to protect those people."

"I promise Sensei," the girl said with a bright, warm smile. Her long black hair fluttered as the breeze picked up and her deep crystal green eyes bore into Naruto's as she said something that Naruto will never forget "I promise I will do all of that, and I don't go back on my word!"

As she ran home and the image became smaller and smaller on the horizon Naruto couldn't help but feel like he had been staring into some odd mirror. 'If you can do all that, then perhaps one day I can proudly call you the next Hokage, Kimura Misaki,' he thought as he began to gather his equipment.

"Naruto," a familiar voice called out to him, as he looked for its owner. It was not that he didn't recognize Hinata when he heard her, but seeing her face was much more rewarding than listening to her disembodied voice. Her soft, gentle eyes met his as she stepped out from her hiding place on the edge of the wood. "How did things go?"

"I thought it went pretty well. What did you think? You were watching right?" Naruto asked the young woman.

"I thought you may have been a bit rough on them," Hinata responded with concern written on her face.

"Kakashi-Sensei gave us the same test, so I guess I was just doing things as I was taught. To be quite honest I'm not too sure that I'm cut out to be a teacher like this. I mean I can teach a jutsu or two like I did with Konohamaru, but I don't know about teaching them everything."

Hinata smiled, and that smile always seemed to melt Naruto's troubles and doubts. "I think that you will be a wonderful Sensei. I could see the way they look at you. They admire and respect you. Even Takashi looked a little disturbed when you ordered him to kill Misaki. Hiraku always wants to hear about you when he sees me. So I can tell that those two hold you in high regard."

Naruto laughed heartily, "Yeah I think you may have given Hiraku ideas about me always being some amazing super ninja or something," and Hinata giggled in response.

"I might have exaggerated a little here and there," and though it was hard to distinguish with the trademark Hyuuga eyes Naruto caught the playful look the woman was giving him as he took her hand in his. They began to walk back toward their home in the village.

"Misaki reminds me so much of you," Naruto placed his one free hand on the back of his head as a subconscious signal of embarrassment from Hinata's words.

"Yeah, I figured you would say that. It is a little scary how she seems to be just like me,"

"Do you really think she can become the Hokage someday?"

"Did you think I could become Hokage?"

Hinata smiled, but never answered. She didn't need to though. He knew that Hinata always had faith in him. They walked the village streets enjoying the ambient sounds of village life and the scenery that came with it. The village was growing, and had become a refuge for those who had lost their homes in the war. People who had lost everything were rebuilding their lives and families future under the canopy of the Hidden Leaf. Naruto was spearheading a project to tear down the walls of the old Uchiha compound and put the buildings to use as low cost living space for the wartime refugees. He was also pushing to turn Sasuke's old home as a monument to the true legacy of the Uchiha clan. It took months and every ounce of influence he could muster to disclose Itachi's mission to slaughter his kin and his desire to manipulate Sasuke into regaining the clan's good name in the eyes of the village. He hoped that if people knew the truth and knew how Sasuke's quest for revenge ended, that it would foster a mindset of trying to truly understand people rather than just closing off the hope of resolving differences peacefully. The public embraced the truth of Itachi hailing him to be a hero and adding his name to the Memorial Stone. Vindication, however, was not given to Sasuke. Though people seemed to be sympathetic of his story, the scars Sasuke left were still too fresh for people to simply forgive him.

Only time would tell if anything that Naruto had accomplished or worked for would be an improvement upon the world that he had entered into. It had been nearly seven years since the end of the war, and the Grand Shinobi Alliance may have been disbanded, but diplomatic relations were still as strong as they have ever been. Issues with other nations were attempted to be resolved through negotiation before taking military action. In all honesty there had been very few real issues. The only problems they faced were the occasional boarder dispute with some minor nations, the rare scare created by unannounced training drills near boarders, and domestic problems with village infighting or natural disasters. When all things were said and done life had been peaceful for a long time.

This of course would not remain. The tailed beasts had yet to return to the world, and when they did there would be several issues that Naruto had yet to find solutions to. The first was containment. Having been a jinchūriki, he was uneasy about the notion of saddling anyone else with the burdens that come with being the container for a demon. Sure, there were benefits and unimaginable power, but there was also the loneliness of an outcast and the fear of losing control. Naruto was one of the few voices that remained adamant about not creating another jinchūriki. Gaara also spoke out against the act, but noted the only practical solution was sealing away the demons inside of a human being.

The other major issue that this created was maintaining a balance of power. The first Hokage oversaw the distribution of the demon's powers in such a way that each of the shinobi villages had a sort of war deterrent, but even the work of the genius First Hokage could not prevent war from breaking out again. It really seemed as if the more work that was done to secure the safety of the village, the more jeopardy that it would be placed in later. Perhaps, Sasuke was not too far off.

"Hinata, do you think that Sasuke was right?"

"What do you mean Naruto?" She focused her eyes on Naruto instead of gazing into the little shops that lined the village streets.

"Sasuke told me that shinobi were like a disease in this world. He said that because of ninja the rest of the world will never know peace. Do you think he is right?"

Hinata's face grew worried as she heard Naruto speak, and Naruto silently wondered if he should have just kept his thoughts to himself.

"Shinobi are trained to be weapons. We are told to cast aside our feelings and do what we are ordered. We are forced to make hard choices between what we want and what is right, and often we are put in situations where we must compromise our beliefs and sacrifice our dreams. Sometimes we are treated as tools, and sometimes we convince ourselves that we are tools. However, I don't think that the ninja is the source of all of the trouble in this world. Naruto, you could erase shinobi from all existence, but the people who wish others harm will still exist. They will acquire a new form of power, and they will use it to hurt the innocent."

"So is there really anything we can do to make things different, or are we just trying to look left while we are already looking right?"

"Well Naruto-Sensei," Hinata teased.

"I swear when you finally take on a genin squad I am going to give you so much trouble," Naruto interrupted. His question and teasing threat did not seem to damper her playful mood.

"I think if you were to teach your students how to first be honorable people, rather than teaching them to be living weapons then you might be taking a step in the right direction. Teach them that power is not meant to be a sword, but a shield. Teach them that ninja are to be guardians and not heartless killers. Teach them how to listen to other people's hearts and not just the words they speak. Naruto, you shouldn't worry so much about trying to solve all of the problems in the world. You are a wonderful man, and I love you dearly. Just do your best, do what you know in your heart is right, and remember that I will always be here to help you."

The swirling mass of stress and crisis that had built up inside Naruto's thoughts was melting away. Hinata had somehow always been able to calm him down, help him focus, and take on whatever he was up against. When he was a boy she was in the background cheering him on. As they grew up she stood in front of him to protect him from his own doubt. Now here she stood, by his side urging him to keep moving forward. As long as she was by his side he would continue to push toward his goal. That thought brought a warm smile to his face as he pulled her in close and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"So," Naruto began quizzically, "what does the beautiful Uzumaki Hinata have planned for tonight?"

"Um," she tried to reply as normally as possible, but the blush was growing more prominent, "I was going to make us some dinner, and well, I guess spend time with you,"

"Sounds like a plan to me," as he thought about enjoying Hinata's marvelous cooking he saw what he thought to be a tuft of dark blue hair working its way up the path to the stone faces that adorned the rock wall overlooking the village. After focusing his eyes on the figure in the distance he discovered that, sure enough, he saw Takashi was walking the path alone. The look on his face was one of somber reflection, as if he was deep in thought. Naruto knew better though, he had worn that mask many times in his youth. He wore it when he felt as though the world was falling around him. He wore this mask so he did not have to shed tears, because to do that was to let the rest of the village know he was weak and vulnerable, and it would let the world know it was defeating him. "Hey Hinata, I'm going to catch up with you later, there is something I need to do real quick," and with that said he gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek and rushed off to catch up to his student.

Drawing upon the strength of the Kyuubi's chakra he adorned the cloak of power and in a flash of movement that was near instantaneous, he was resting upon the carved image of his father. He waited for the young boy to reach the top. Doing so allowed him to take a moment to enjoy the simple pleasure of watching the sun set in the distance. The way the sky was painted with various shades of red and blue. The violets that were made from their mixture gave him a sense of peace. This place, these people, this village, it was beautiful, and it was precious to him. For this village and its people he had been saddled with a great burden, been treated as an outcast, made friends, fell in love, and grown into the man he is. This place was as much a part of him as his very blood. "Sasuke, I wish you could have seen it as I do. I wish you had loved it as Itachi did. I wish you would have done it all differently. If you had only decided to protect the village, then who knows what might have happened. You could have helped me affect the change that we both knew this village needs. Heck, you might have even become Hokage in my place, but I guess I'll just have to fight Konohamaru to keep the job."

His musing continued until he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned to his right to see his new student taking a seat on the stone head of his relative Sarutobi Hiruzen. He let the boy get comfortable and wondered what was going through the kid's mind. He was curious if Takashi even knew Naruto was there. It surprised Naruto to learn that he could become so still and calm that people would not notice his presence, even if he wasn't trying to hide. Minutes pass and Naruto's impatience gets the better of him. "It's a beautiful sight isn't it?"

"Naruto-sensei?" The boy responded with noticed shock in his voice, "Did you follow me here?"

"Kinda. I saw you heading up the cliff so I thought I would join you. I've been here for a while really, so I guess you followed me. I was starting to wonder if you were going to make it," Naruto harassed playfully.

"What did you want?" Suspicion was ripe in the boy's voice.

"Nothing really," Naruto was hoping to break through whatever emotional defenses the boy had erected. It was early in his life and he was still emotionally vulnerable. Whatever demons the child might be facing, whatever unresolved issues remain in his heart, and whatever closure he needs from the loss of his family Naruto wanted to deal with them quickly. While he holds no grudge against Kakashi, both he and his Sensei knew that the Sasuke crisis may have been averted had Kakashi been more proactive in fostering a real relationship rather than creating a rivalry. "I guess I thought you could use the company,"

"Why would I need company?" He was masking his pain with attitude.

"The look on your face told me you did. You looked lonely,"

"Like you would know what it's like to be lonely. You're the greatest ninja in the village, and you're going to be Hokage. Everyone knows you, everyone respects you, and everyone wants to be near you. What would you know about being lonely?" There was venom on his lips, and a subdued anger on his breath. He had yet to really be harsh, but Naruto could tell that he was pushing all of the right buttons. Should he keep pushing them then they would get to the root cause, and a solution could be considered.

"Alright, let's say you're right. Let's say I don't know a thing about being lonely. Tell me, what is it like?"

"You wouldn't understand,"

"Make me understand," Their eyes met and he could see the boy was amazed by his absolute desire to connect with him on some level. Yet, Takashi's amazement did not draw from the kid's frustration. Naruto was still pressing an issue that he clearly didn't want to discuss, and it was obviously beginning to irk him.

"Fine," the boy replied curtly. "I am lonely because I have no family."

"What about your clan. The Sarutobi clan is your family isn't it?"

"Technically yes, but nobody has time for me. I don't matter to them. It's almost like I don't even exist," His fists were clinched and his voice was being laced with the anger rising toward the surface.

"Konohamaru doesn't have time for you?"

"No, I never see that guy. He's supposed to be the head of the clan or something like that, but I've never seen him outside of village ceremony stuff,"

That comes as no real surprise. Konohamaru was a captain in the ranks of ANBU, so free time is something that comes at a premium for his younger counterpart. When he got a moment he would have to talk to Tsunade and Konohamaru about either settling into a focused shinobi career or becoming serious about leading his clan. He can't keep doing both. Those who are in desperate need of the clan's compassion and leadership are beginning to slip through the cracks.

"What about Kurenai-sensei?"

"Who is that?" It then became clear that Kurenai never really immersed herself in the business of Asuma's family. They had not wed before Asuma's untimely death and even though she had his child, membership into the clan had never been offered to her. Not surprising as tradition goes, but Kurenai must not have sought out the clan for help either. Preferring not to impose Naruto imagined.

"What happened to your parents?" While Naruto knew that answer already, sometimes things just need to be said instead of bottled up inside.

"They died in the war. I was young when the war started, but I can remember them. They loved me, we were happy, and the war stole them from me,"

"They died heroes. I can't say I know them, but I can say they are true heroes. They were protecting the village from the greatest threat it had ever faced," Naruto was really just reflecting but it was loud enough for Takashi to hear him.

"Protecting the village!" Takashi was yelling now, and he had hit the nail on the head. The orphan was angry at the village, and likely everyone responsible for the war, and by proxy for the death of his parents. "Let the village burn, I don't care! We were happy!" Tears were flowing freely down the boy's face as his words came through with a sobbing voice. "We were happy. We were together. We were a family. They didn't have to go. They didn't have to fight."

Naruto let the young boy cry for a moment. What he said next could possibly be the very thing that keeps the boy from journeying down the trail that Sasuke blazed. If Naruto couldn't help this kid work through his issues then it was likely he would seek some sort of vengeance against the village. If that happened he would be breaking the one promise that Sasuke ever asked of him. Minutes had passed and Naruto had decided upon his speech. To be honest this was probably the first one he had planned out. While it would still be heartfelt and full of emotion, he wasn't just improvising this time. If this one worked out in the end then Naruto had decided that he might just plan more important speeches rather than simply winging it.

"Can I tell you a story?"

Silence was his answer, but Takashi had pulled himself together and seemed to be attentive. "There was once a young ninja, who much like yourself, was very gifted. He was the best ninja of his generation, and the village was proud of him. Also like you this boy was alone. His family had been murdered by his older brother. He blamed his brother on his loneliness and vowed to kill him as payment for the pain his brother brought him. He joined a genin team, and even though he tried to make friends he still felt alone. He discovered that one of his teammates was also alone. He learned his friend had no family at all, and had been all by himself since the day he was born. Even though they had a lot in common, it wasn't enough for this young man. His teammate only understood loneliness, and didn't know what it was like to have a family and then lose it. His friend tried to understand. He tried his best to connect, but his best wasn't good enough. The boy grew in strength and skill and left the village to kill his brother. He abandoned his teammates because nobody understood his pain. Even though he was surrounded by people who cared about him, nobody understood him, and so he still felt alone. When he left the village he severed the bonds of friendship he had created with his team. He left to fulfill his goals, but what he didn't know was that when he left his teammates understood his pain. When he left he created the same loneliness in the hearts of his friends that he always had felt. What he didn't know was that he had done to his friends just what his brother had done to him. He created a hole in the hearts of the one's he loved most."

Naruto let the story sink in for a moment, giving his young student time to reflect on what he said. "Do you know why I told you that story?"

"No," Takashi's voice was calmer now and he seemed to be deep in thought. Naruto figured he was trying to figure out the significance of the story.

"I told you that story because there is a lesson for you to learn from it,"

"What lesson is that? I never said I want to leave the village and I don't have a brother to kill, so what do I have to learn?" a slight edge returned to his voice, but it seemed to be warded off by his curiosity.

"I wanted you to realize that there are people who care for you. You may not see it, and you may not recognize them, but they don't have to understand your pain in order to truly care about you. They don't have to know exactly what you are going through to help you alleviate the pain you feel. I want you to know that there are others who care about you and others who understand your pain far more than you can know."

"Sensei," Takashi started. His face was sullen, and had been moved in some way by what Naruto had said, but even Naruto knew that it wasn't enough. He had left room for questions because he had more he wanted to say. "Was that story you just told about you?"

"Sort of, but I'm not the main character. The boy I was talking about was Uchiha Sasuke. I was the teammate,"

"You were the one who never had a family, and your teammate's family was murdered by his brother?"

"Yeah, I never knew my parents. It took me a good sixteen years to even learn their names. I grew up the jinchūriki of the Nine Tailed Fox, and people despised me for what I carried. I was ignored by the entirety of the village for most of my younger years, and I became a ninja to earn their respect and acknowledgement. Kinda selfish now that I look back at it, but those didn't stay my goals for too long. When I learned that Sasuke was alone like I was I really tried to connect with him. I wanted to be like him. He was a fantastic ninja, but it wasn't enough for him. Fame, respect, friendship, nothing mattered to him except the power to kill his brother. He left the village and told me I would never understand because I never had a family in the first place. What he never knew was that when he left it felt like I lost a brother."

"So did you mean that you were the one who understands my pain?"

"Kind of. I know exactly what loneliness feels like, and I know what it is like to lose those who are precious to you, but I still don't really understand what it is like to have a real family."

"Then who did you mean?"

"I was talking about Misaki," Naruto said plainly and gauged the reaction of his student who scoffed at the idea that the girl who wanted to play ninja was anything like him.

"What makes you think that she is anything like me?"

"I shouldn't really tell you. It's her story and if you want to hear it you should really ask her, but if you are going to be on our team I can give you the basics. Like you, she was orphaned during the war. She grew up in a farming village out in the north eastern parts of Fire country, and as the village was trying to rebuild itself she was forgotten. She lost her parents and was cast aside, so she knows exactly how you feel. If you ask me, I think she looks at you the way I looked at Sasuke when I was your age. I think she sees you as a goal of sorts. She sees you went through something similar, and she wants to become a ninja of your caliber."

There was mild shock on his face. Clearly he had not known Misaki's story. He, like many others probably had, only seen what was on the surface. They only saw Misaki as a brash, if ambitious, young girl who was nothing but talk. Takashi was thinking on what had been said, and as the sun sank below the horizon the last bits of daylight were clinging to the darkening evening sky. Naruto stood up and prepared himself to head out. He had given the boy plenty to think on. Their conversation wasn't over, not by a long shot, but for now it was best to allow the young man time to reflect.

"Well, I better head home. Remember we will meet up at the training grounds at sunrise. In spite of the test today, I am a fairly punctual person so I want you to be there on time. We'll do some team training, I'll show you a few exercises and drills you can do individually, and then we will report for our first mission assignment."

The boy nodded in comprehension of his instructions before Naruto continued, "Takashi, if you ever want to talk, or just need a place to stay my door is always open to you." Just as he was about to jump off the stone face, Takashi spoke.

"Sensei, I don't understand,"

"Understand what?"

"Why would they throw their lives away to save the village? Didn't they want to stay? Didn't they want to be happy?"

Naruto knew the boy understood the ninja's duty to his village, and how sometimes that leads to sacrifice. What the boy didn't understand was why people are willing sacrifice their own lives in spite of the fact that it would tear them apart from all they love. "My parents died the day I was born. My father sealed the spirit of the Nine Tailed Fox away inside of me, and my mother died alongside him trying to keep me alive during the sealing process. Their death saved the village. It also condemned me to a life of loneliness and pain. The village was safe, and even though I was alone, I grew up in a place of relative safety. My parents ensured that I would live, and I would be safe. I imagine that your parents had similar thoughts. They knew what they were doing. They saw the village as something precious, something worth protecting. I imagine that they thought of the village that way because they saw you as something precious and worth protecting."

The boy didn't seem too surprised by this revelation. From what Naruto saw of his reaction it was almost as if Takashi knew the answer already, but had locked it away in the back of his mind and forgot about it while looking for someone to blame. The free flow of tears that were streaming from his eyes reflected his relief at learning that his parents had not sacrificed themselves needlessly. "I'm sorry Sensei. I'm breaking the rules. A shinobi never lets anyone see them cry, right?"

It was less of a question and more of a statement by the sound of his voice, but it didn't matter. Naruto never was one for the rules. "I don't see anyone crying here," Naruto said as he turned again to leave.

"Naruto-sensei," again the boy interrupted his departure with another question, but Naruto wasn't too sure what he could be wanting this time. "How did you get over feeling so alone?"

"Well, like I said I never really knew my family or what it was like to have one. So I guess I just considered the people closest to me to be my family. My genin team was the first time I felt like I had family. The older I got, the more friends I had, and I cared for my friends as if they were my family. That is how I got over being so lonely all the time I guess. I considered everyone I thought as a friend to be someone precious to me. I think of the village as something precious to me because it is my home and the home of my loved ones. So what you could do Takashi is hold your friends close, protect those who are precious to you, and learn to think of the village as one big family," Naruto said with a grin on his face hoping that this pep talk would be something that would be a positive moment in his students growth.

"I'll see you tomorrow Takashi,"

"Later Sensei," Takashi had a smirk on his face as Naruto left him to his own devices. Naruto wasted no time returning home. He had kept Hinata waiting on him long enough, and was quite eager to get home.

Traversing the village via the rooftops at night Naruto thought of the future he was building with his young genin. He knew that they held the same hopes, the same promise, and the same potential that his team did so many years ago. He thought of the home he would be building with Hinata. It would be the home he never had and always wished for, and still in some respects it would be the same home that his parents had secured for him with their blood. He thought of the family he would be building within the village as its Sixth Hokage. It would be a long and difficult road, but he would instill the desire for finding a sense of family with one's brothers in arms just as he had with Sasuke and Sakura.

He stepped through the threshold into his modest home, and he heard noise in the kitchen. The sound of dishes clanking together was soon joined with the soft, sweet, sound of his beloved wife, "Naruto? Is that you? I left you something to eat. I wasn't sure when you would get back so I started without you,"

Naruto didn't answer. He just walked up behind the young woman and wrapped his arms around her, holding on to her firmly. He kissed at the nape of her neck, which caused Hinata to be just show her concern after getting past her initial excitement caused by her husband's advances. Naruto was an affectionate man, but he rarely initiated his affections when the mood didn't at least hint at the contact. Call it naivety, but it was just one more thing where Naruto was slow on the uptake.

"Is something the matter Naruto?"

Naruto understood why she was concerned. It was Sasuke's birthday, and it had been a day where Naruto would typically be quiet, reserved, and introspective. Today he just wasn't bothered by the emotions surrounding Sasuke's life and death. He thought about what the day had brought, and he was his typical happy go lucky self. He appreciated the moments in his life where both Sasuke and Sakura had been present. Despite the pain, tears, and hardship he was grateful for them. Both their life and their death had shaped him in ways that gave him focus, tested his goals, and strengthened his resolve. Now he is in a position that required him to live in the moment to ensure success, and Kakashi had been a great help in moving on and letting go. So, he responded with the only conclusion he could draw under the circumstances.

"No, I'm alright. I am just happy to be home,"

Hinata turned to face him separating their contact for the moment, "Naruto, the other day you were talking about a promise you made to Sakura. At first, I thought that you meant the promise to bring Sasuke home, but you said it was something else," Naruto was unsure what brought this about, but was not surprised she asked. She wanted to know the moment the topic came up, but he had to go to a meeting to determine what team he would be assigned to. As such the conversation was cut short.

"Sakura knew how I felt about you. She wanted me to promise to her that I would love you just as much as she loved Sasuke," Naruto answered.

"How much was that?" Hinata asked curiously.

"She loved him until her dying breath," Naruto replied as he drew his bride into his embrace.

"What do you have planned for tomorrow," she asked as they enjoyed being in each other's arms.

"Tomorrow?" Naruto said thoughtfully, "Tomorrow I'm going to be building legacies."