-Kenzo age 8-

  Pov: Hiruzen

  *Puff*

  I take another puff of my pipe and I raise my eyebrow at the piece of paper in front of me.

  ...

  Well, it seems that Kenzo has kicked Naruto into gear a little... his grades have gone up from being the worst in css to being just below average... that is good to see.

  Above average in the physical csses though- perhaps Kenzo was right to some personal hands on csses rather then focusing on the theory and memorising stances, Naruto learns much quicker this way.

  Kenzo has been introduced into learning the basic three of the Academy and learning your first jutsu is always hard... and it did confirm that he cannot even begin to cast ninjutsu- annoying but I have given an exemption to him just like I have given Rock Lee with Gai's persuading.

  Hmmm- The Taijutsu test will be handled for Lee but now I need to make and accept a different test for Kenzo... I also need to find a suitable Genjutsu master for him to learn under.

  ...

  Kurenai is close to becoming a fully fledged Jonin... perhaps I will promote her before Kenzo graduates so he can learn Genjutsu under her.

  Also helps me decide a Jonin teacher for Daichi and Haru who have been undecided... the amount of Jonin giving applications for teaching this year quite low- and I doubt that Kakashi Hatake would pass Kenzo considering how zy he has gotten... which I am not compining about- he needed a break.

  I shift through the papers... right, I need to start looking through Jonin teacher candidates for the css after Kenzo... so many cn children- usually they are more spread out.

  I will ask about this at the next cn head meeting- I should get this all out of the way as it will take some years to make sure every cn head is happy with their sons and daughters teams and Jonin sensei.

  ...

  Then we can hold a confirmation meeting a month before they graduate...

  Alright.

  Now that these papers a settled I need to start working on the Uchiha district recmation documents... how awfully depressing.

  ---

  Pov: Naruto

  *Thwack!*

  "O! That could have broken my arm!" I yell.

  "But it did not" He retorts.

  My eye twitches and I am forced to twist my upper body away from his next attack.

  We are currently in the Academy training grounds and I am practicing the upper body section of my taijutsu homework- Iruka-sensei said my defensive forms where all out of whack.

  *Smack!*

  "Perhaps try dodging my punches?" He kindly suggests and I hold back a yell.

  My brother is someone I love. But sometimes- most of the time when he helps me I wish to strangle him, this training has improved my grades and Iruka-sensei is happier that O keeps dragging me to css whenever I skip... I miss skipping and not having to put so much effort into things but man is it fun to have Iruka-sensei compliment me! And for everyone to not just dismiss me as being weak!

  So I train with my brother who is effective and cruel.

  "The one who wears shirts would take off his shirt in disappointment at your taijutsu..." Kenzo sighs in mock disappointment.

  "I still have no idea what that means!" I retort and he smiles.

  "You are close- *thwack* never mind, you wont get it will you?" He raises his eyebrow and I focus up.

  ...

  *swish*

  *sm*

  Damnit.

  Dont say it.

  Stop.

  No!

  "The Bright one would dim at your idiocy" He mocks and I get a tiny bit more annoyed at him.

  Effective.

  "You definitely don't got this" Kenzo ughs.

  Cruel.

  I'm just gd he stops acting like this after training... if he was like this all the time I would have resorted to violence by now.

  "Naruto, Kenzo! I see that you are getting extra training in as well" Lee approaches and starts running ps as we both nod at him and continue.

  "..." Kenzo smirks at me.

  "Don't even think about it" I say.

  "The Slippery one would grip tightly to the floor in boredom due to your constant failures" He mocks.

  This- I will- how does he just- so frustrating! Aaaarrrgghhhhhh!

  ---

  -A week ter-

  Pov: Kenzo

  "Hey Naruto want to train?" I ask calmly.

  ...

  "What have you done?" He asks warily.

  Pft- maybe I should stop with the surprise training sessions.

  "Alright, alright, I was just bored" I say as I stretch on my bed.

  I miss my orange box... feels like forever since I got a skill to train.

  I hear Naruto shuffle around start going through his cupboard.

  "What are you doing?" I ask.

  "Oh- Iruka-sensei told me that I should start sorting my wardrobe and begin to think on what I wish to wear for the future" He says.

  Oh! Right I still have to do that... I have until graduation so I have all the time in the world.

  "Hey, O? Why do we have to do this again?" Naruto asks.

  "Having your everyday wear be the same and your uniform allows you to be identified easily as a ninja within the vilge, you are also constantly prepared for sudden missions and attacks- this is why I have been starting to carry weights in a pouch recently as our teachers want us to get used to carrying our tools and items everyday and everywhere" I tell him and hear a hum of understanding.

  "So being spottable and pockets- got it" He says and starts shuffling through his stuff.

  ...

  "Why do I feel like you have gotten the wrong idea" I ask.

  "I don't know...?" Naruto responds.

  "..." I remain silent and contempte.

  Ah, cant go too wrong can he? Doesn't matter that much anyway, if he buys a terrible uniform he has a teacher to tell him different- not like I can give style advice in my current situation.

  ...

  Speaking of I haven't seen in a while, maybe I will go cloud gazing in my private spot.

  I get up and head to the bathroom to get dressed.

  "Where are you going? Want to go shopping for my uniform in a bit?" Naruto asks.

  "Nah- you know you don't have to get a uniform immediately right? I am heading to meditate and do math, physical training, anti-ramen, no pranking and flower picking" I ask and give my best lie so I may stare without scaring my brother to death.

  "Alright... I just want to catch Sakura-chan's eye- does blue go with red? She likes red. What goes with blue... orange right?" He asks.

  "I am sure your Sakura-chan isn't that shallow as to go only for looks- I will be back by tonight, eat without me" I reply and get dressed before leaving the house and waving to Naruto who still goes through his wardrobe.

  I leave and head through the streets of Konoha, I eventually arrive at the eastern parts of Konoha where the houses mingle with some of the forest, weaving through that I find my spot- a secluded space no one uses and goes to.

  I slowly undo my blindfold and I open my eyes slowly to reveal the beautiful green trees around me... they shake in the wind and I fall on the vibrant green grass to stare at the sky... where the leaves gracefully fall around me.

  Haaaa~ this is nice... sometimes the simple stuff is great.

  ...

  *crunch*

  I hear the crunch of a leaf as someone steps behind me, the shadow falls onto my person.

  "Don't look me in the eyes, let me get my blindfold and make sure to remain out of my line of sight" I warn and get up to blindfold myself.

  "Excellent- I am gd that you know how dangerous those eyes are... but I do not need your protection, you may stare at me" The man decres and I turn to see an old man in a robe, one arm hides within and one of his eyes is bandaged.

  "Hm- thought you would have squealed, who are you?" I ask with curiosity.

  The man takes on my gaze and smirks with satisfaction.

  "Quite the Dojutsu... I can feel my instincts fighting against my rational mind- I am Elder Danzo... I have a proposition for you" He smirks in a definitively evil way and his eye glints with madness... I recognize a mad man when I see one... and this man stares with hunger and greed.

  I smile- a mad man who wants something from me? Oh~ how it churns my curiosity, what could the mad man want from this child? This harmless completely insane child.

  "For me? Consider me intrigued" I say and y back down on the floor to stare at the clouds.

  "You are underdeveloped- someone with potential that I could mould into a great ninja..." He decres.

  ..?

  So he is interested in my trained abilities? Useless then, what would I do with training under someone who is clearly greedy for abilities that I am training just fine?

  "No longer interested" I say and start to focus less on him.

  "You would give up a chance to become a great ninja? Not even giving a second thought to training under someone who was taught by lord second and fought by the side of Hiruzen Sarutobi?" He gives me his lore and I pce it somewhere in my mind pace.

  "Yes- training my 'gifts' do not interest me at all" I reply and I hear him sigh.

  "I suppose you are nothing but an ignorant child, what were you intrigued by before then?" He asks with curiosity.

  "That you had something interesting to say- I am already being taught by the Academy and I do not need extra or better training..."I yawn as I look up.

  "Very well then Kenzo- I was never here" He decres before vanishing.

  Cssic ninja move, sucks that I cannot flicker away like that due to my affinity.

  ...

  Perhaps I should have brought a notebook and some coloured pencils to draw my desired uniform as a ninja... best to do so when I can see after all.

  Or maybe I should just ask someone more knowledgeable about such things- gramps would be happy to help I am sure.

  ---

  Pov: Hiruzen

  "So he refused- will you drop this now?" I ask Danzo.

  "The brat did not understand a single thing that came from my mouth, he will see the truth when the time comes" Danzo replies and takes another sip of his tea.

  "Are you certain he didn't understand? I was watching and he seemed to be interested until you offered 'just teaching', something the Academy does just fine" I smirk at Danzo's glum face.

  "You know he is hiding something... your student saw so too, you cannot just let him go unsupervised- especially since spending two years with Oorochimaru to mould him, we need him to remain loyal to Konoha" Danzo tells me.

  He is right about living when Oorochimaru had the opportunity to take him... he had a few subordinates that could have taken Kenzo but they didn't... is Kenzo loyal to Konoha? Or did Oorochimaru get to him? It makes a lot of the reported torture sessions make sense with how calm and sane Kenzo is... I would be a fool to ignore this... and yet there is nothing I can do to prove Kenzo is loyal, Oorochimaru is crafty...

  "I already have someone keeping an eye on him" I tell Danzo and he scoffs.

  "Sure- but always?" Danzo raises his brow.

  "I have given the same amount of attention to him that I have to Anko Mitarashi" I respond.

  "Meaning barely any at all. You hold too much trust Hiruzen- I suggest you pass on that hat to someone better suited or start making better decisions" Danzo stands up and leaves my office.

  Haaa- Danzo has been much more proactive since the massacre... though he is right, I need to pass this hat off to someone more suiting, someone who could actually lead Konoha past its recent events... I am not built for peace.

  If only young Kakashi would take this role... if only he had people to help him move on...

  Perhaps leading a team will be good for him- he will definitely wish to teach Naruto...

  I suppose I must continue to prepare for the future, if I can not find another capable Hokage for Konoha than my two students will have to take the title... if not they will have to find another to take it unless they want my my old friend to be in charge.

  Thanks for reading :)