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The villagers of Konoha woke up to a bright and auspicious week. Not only was the sky celebrating but it seemed that the air in Konoha had a hint of festivity. Everyone was in a bright mood, as Konoha was about to begin a new era.
The ushering in a new leadership that would finally leave the dregs of war and a broken ninja system behind, one that was laced with pain and suffering; and bring in a new dawn that would instill only peace and harmony.
When Tsunade announced her retirement to focus only on the hospital, it came as no surprise who her successor would be. Although the matter had been discussed before, it never really had come to fruition. So when Hatake Kakashi took on the mantle, it was unanimously agreed by the Daimyo, and the Council that he was indeed the new leader to bring in much needed peace and healing to the ninja world.
Of course the idea was met with its fair share of naysayers. Naruto had adamantly declared that his old beloved sensei has betrayed him by succeeding before he did. So after much persuasion and feigning disgruntlement on Kakashi’s part, he agreed to take the blonde on as his protégé, announcing symbolically who his next successor would be, to no one’s utter surprise.
With his formal induction still pending, Kakashi’s first move as Hokage was to disband ROOT and assimilate them as working members of ANBU and the village. Although the move sent shockwaves, particularly to the old regime who had relied so much on ROOT’s illicit activities, Kakashi moved to make it perfectly clear that Konoha and by extension, the ninja alliance, would no longer hide in the shadows and conduct experiments on children.
Already making bold moves, Kakashi often found himself at the receiving end of a lot of berating from the elderly council, something his advisors Shizune and Shikamaru found amusing. However, it did not stop him from moving ahead with approving more infrastructure to be built, expansion on housing, health care facilities and new academy curriculum projects, despite the aggressive nature of his moves.
‘You need to slow down, making too many important moves immediately before your induction isn’t sending in the right message. It shows you’re in a hurry’ warned Shizune one day,
‘Why? I’ve already been selected by the council and the Daimyo, all there’s left is the ceremony, and I know this is a tricky time, but I need to make sure that they know that Konoha is still standing strong, despite the war and the Akatsuki attack and we will emerge stronger and better’
‘I know, but the council isn’t happy with the new and aggressive moves you’re making, they think a lot of change is too sudden and people won’t be able to handle it’
‘The council is never happy, and if we keep moving with the same ideas, we’ll never get anywhere. Handle the council for me will you, Shizune-san? And if those old geezers don’t relent I’ll go in and pacify them, ultimately we all want peace and stability, I’ll keep appealing them to that’
She sighed and dropped the subject.
‘Is that all?’ he asked.
‘No, actually we wanted to finalize a few things for your induction ceremony’
‘Ah, why do we need to do it again?’
‘It’s to declare you as the new Hokage in front of all villagers. The ceremony will take place on the roof of Hokage tower, and of course all heads of the ninja clans in Konoha will be there, a small ceremony to declare their allegiance to the new Hokage, just a formality that has been practiced since the time of the First Hokage’
‘Right, that…very well, draw up a list of all heads of clans, I suspect we’ll have some new ones in the mix too’
‘Yes, the Yamanaka and Nara clans have new heads of clans representing them’ she smiled
Kakashi nodded, his eye crinkling slightly.
‘There’s something else I need you to look into, but I was hoping its discreet’
If Shizune looked confused, she didn’t show it, rather asked him what he had in mind.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Sakura was running late for her afternoon lunch date with Ino and the girls. After the war ended, she had effectively taken over hospital operations and resorted to damage control immediately to tend to the wounded who were being transported to Konoha at a rapid pace. However, with time, the less critical patients recovered enough to travel, and so, with the dead buried, and their ceremonies attended, the ninjas of the shinobi alliance all returned to their respective villages to heal, to recover and to resume their lives.
With Tsunade announcing her retirement, Sakura found herself free to focus on her passion projects, like training new medics, establishing a poisons division and the new Children’s Mental Health clinic. It was an arduous process, especially to get the council’s approval, but with Kakashi’s new mandates, she was able to establish her long time project. They even managed to provide her with the clinic’s first patients.
It was decided that the children picked under ROOT’s program and some young adults would be the first patients referred over to the new clinic. With the clinic making waves, Sakura and Ino both made a name for themselves, although Ino went on to work closely with the Intelligence Division, taking on her rightful place as a Yamanaka successor and the head of her respective clan.
With her duties compelling her to take on more responsibilities, Sakura often found herself managing the clinic on her own, not that she minded. It was her ambition, and with the struggle she had seen Sasuke and Naruto go through, it was only befitting that she did what she could to make sure, no other child or shinobi went through something like that.
With Naruto taking on more responsibility with Kakashi and Sasuke returning to the village after his two-year journey of atonement, Sakura found her time divided in many places.
She had been spending more time with Sasuke something she had never thought would happen, but she found it quite pleasant. He often sought her out, walking her home in the evenings after her shift was over, or dropping by the hospital if he was nearby.
She found it quite endearing. She knew Sasuke still had trouble dealing with the villagers and their scornful attitude but she knew he bore it well. Naruto would often drop by his new apartment and convince him for training. It was funny how quickly the three had established their routine back to the old days, of course they each had responsibilities, especially with Sasuke preparing for the upcoming chunnin and subsequent jonin exams, but she knew in its own way, life was slowly getting into some form of normalcy.
Spotting, her blonde best friend at a nearby café, Sakura waved at her and sat at the table where the rest of the girls chatted excitedly about their lives.
Temari and Shikamaru had recently tied the knot and were enjoying their version of marital bliss while Hinata and Naruto were slowly moving towards their nuptials, setting the entire village abuzz. Even Ino had gushed about her recent and tentative relationship with Sai, something that had sent Sakura in a wave of shock, frenzy and happiness for her best friend.
She wasn’t ready to reveal her own tentative understanding with Sasuke to anyone, although she knew they all suspected it would fall naturally with time, like everything else. She barely knew what was going on with him, she knew it was right and that things would eventually happen, but sometimes she doubted if Sasuke felt the same as she did.
That one day he told her that he only reciprocated, or tried to, because she had expressed her feeling repeatedly, and was only compelled to care for her. She knew there was no reason for these doubts, but somewhere, the thought still bothered her. That Sasuke, finding it impossible to stay in the village and not having any reason to, would eventually leave again.
Sighing, she clinked her sake glass with the girls and they talked about their work and plans.
‘I haven’t gotten a single time to myself with the new cases we’ve been assigned, and with Hinata’s wedding in a few months, there’s still a lot to do. Thank you for letting me help you with that by the way’ said Ino turning to the dark haired girl.
‘Ah, no problem, Ino, I’m the one who asked.’ She replied quietly.
‘Yeah, but I still feel bad for not giving it my full attention’
‘You’re doing more than you know, Ino,’ Hinata smiled back at her. She still had trouble expressing herself so openly, but a friendship with Ino would help her calm her nerves and get rid of wedding jitters.
‘So, Temari, do you have any plans tomorrow? I was thinking we could go pick out our kimonos, I’d ask Sakura but I know she’s booked for two counselling sessions in the morning’ the blonde glared playfully at Sakura who simply rolled her eyes. ‘So, what do you say?’
‘Ah sorry Ino, I can’t, I’m having tea with Shikamaru’s mother tomorrow. She has to help me go through the Hokage’s induction ceremony procedure, I swear these clan traditions get to me every time’ she replied, clearly annoyed.
‘Oh right, that’s in two days, so you’re going too then?’ Ino asked slyly.
‘Of course’ smiled Temari.
‘Oh great, we’ll see each other there then’ piped up Sakura, who was immediately met with incredulous stares.
‘Um..forehead, what?’
‘The induction ceremony right? I guess I’ll see you there too, Sasuke told me he was going after Kakashi asked him and wanted me to accompany him’
‘Sasuke…asked you?’ asked Ino, as if lost for words.
‘Yes pig, he asked. I know, what you’re thinking, at first I thought it was weird, but then I realized Kakashi-sensei’s being inducted as Hokage in front of the village, so Naruto will definitely be there, it’ll be a nice team 7 thing. I’m sure he must have realized that I’d be watching from the crowd and not from the tower and invited me’ she laughed at the memory of how Sasuke had quietly and nervously asked her to go with him. She had found the whole thing endearing, if not strange.
Ino and Temari looked at each other with stunned looks, while Hinata hid her shy smiles.
‘What?’ Sakura asked. ‘Why do you look as if I’ve grown another head or something?’
‘Because you’re the one who isn’t making any sense’ replied Ino
‘Ino, what are you-’
‘Sakura think, why are the heads of clan meeting with the Hokage?’
‘I thought it was an ancient ceremony where heads of ninja clans swore allegiance to the Hokage and recognized them as the protector of their clans and village.’
‘Exactly. It’s extremely exclusive and tight lipped, of course now it’s just a formality since the council and the Daimyo vote on it, but back in the old days, when the clans were still at war and held a lot of influence, they had to formally acknowledge the Hokage as the protector of their clan’s secrets and lineage in turn they would be called to protect the village in times of need.’
‘I already know this Ino, what’s your point?’
‘My point is, forehead, ancient clans, especially the Uchiha were answerable to an elderly council of their own who debated issues like clan lineage, succession and in that case, whether or not they would acknowledge the first Hokage. So no one just goes there on a whim unless its unanimously agreed upon’
‘But there’s no council now, just Sasuke and he must have thought this trhough. He asked to accompany him, I’m sure he didn’t do that on a whim’
‘No he didn’t, but his intentions aren’t what you’re thinking either’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Forehead, don’t you still get it? Sasuke practically proposed!’
It was Sakura’s turn to be stunned.
‘Eh?’
Ino sighed, so Hinata gently explained.
‘As head of the clan, my father will be present to acknowledge Kakashi-sensei as Hokage, Hanabi will be there too accompanying him, since she will take over the Hyuuga after him’ she paused at that, and Sakura understood how it was still painful for her sometimes to accept.
“Shikamaru-san will be there as head of the Nara clan and Temari as his wife will accompany him’ she continued
‘Not his mother, who was the previous clan head’s wife’ interjected Ino ‘And I’m going as head of the Yamanaka with my mother, because Sai and I aren’t there yet, and I don’t want to scare him away, so that leaves us with you’
‘Me’ said Sakura
‘Sasuke asked you because he’ll be there too, as head of the Uchiha clan. For the first time in forever, an Uchiha representative is present in the village and he plans on showing up to tell all the other clans and especially the council that he’s here in the village as a citizen, not a threat’ explained Ino
‘And that he’s a part of the village and the future that Kakashi is building. You by his side, represents a future for the Uchiha. It’s quite the power move if you ask me’ finished Temari with a smirk.
Sakura could only stare and gape at the trio.
Sasuke proposed? This was his way of asking her. He was rarely a man of words, but he instead showed her….this was so like him! She thought angrily, how could he? She felt stupid sitting there in front of the girls completely oblivious how her life had been altered. Or at least the opportunity for that had arisen.
‘He proposed’ she finally croaked out.
‘Yep, congratulations!’ cheered Ino
‘I…I still can’t believe this’ she said slowly
‘It’s up to you, if you want to be there, though I think its best if you did speak to him about it’ Ino advised.
‘Better to hear from him’ concurred Temari, while Hinata nodded.
Swallowing thickly, Sakura said hurried goodbyes and headed out to search for Sasuke and finally get a straight answer.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
She found him training in the old grounds Team 7 once used.
Approaching him quietly, she stopped a few feet away when he turned and greeted her silently with a nod and half a smile, he reserved specifically for her.
‘Sakura’
‘Sasuke’
‘Thought you were meeting your friends’
‘I did. We discussed a few things’
‘Aa’
‘Sasuke’ she began, mustering up the courage to ask him. What if Ino was wrong and this was a horrible misunderstanding? What if she makes things even more awkward between them and he doesn’t want to have anything to do with her again?
‘Sakura’ he spoke, looking expectantly at her.
‘I…Ino said a few things and I..well they left me a bit confused’
He tilted his head to the side in silent question
Inhaling deeply. ‘They discussed the induction ceremony and what it represents. I-I honestly thought it was going to be a team 7 thing, I didn’t know, what it meant, and what you asking me meant’
‘I had thought it would be a way to make the point clear’
‘Well, considering how I’m not from an ancient clan, I don’t know the intricacies of one’
He sighed. ‘You know that doesn’t matter’ Sakura noticed how he looked uncomfortable and almost shy.
‘There’s a lot that I don’t know either, mostly because the clan didn’t include me in the directives’
‘I know’
‘So I thought you would understand what being there meant’
‘I do now. It’s just...I felt like an idiot sitting there with them explaining things to me. I know they meant well and they are my friends but I don’t know anything about ancient clans, how do you expect me to be a part of one when I don’t know how things were for you’
Sasuke sighed.
‘I don’t know that either, they’re not here. Not my family or the clan or the stupid council who should be here debating on the matter but they’re not, and I’m glad, because I’m not asking anyone permission. I asked you and I’ll understand if you don’t want to, but let’s not bring the clan elders into this’
Sakura stood there processing it all for a moment.
‘That’s…the most you’ve ever said to me’
‘Sakura’ he said in warning and she giggled.
‘Of course I’ll go. You knew that’s what my answer would be. I just wish I knew what I was agreeing to and not hear from three different people, who, by the way, will probably tell the entire village by now.’
He simply looked at her and rolled his eyes.
Sakura smiled affectionately at him.
‘One other thing…you’re doing this to show the elders up too aren’t you? Trying to show them that you’re still here, alive and now the clan they tried to get rid of has a future in this village’
She could see a hint of a smirk and a storm behind his dark eyes that she loved so much.
‘Maybe. Or maybe I’m just curious to see how Kakashi will respond’
Sakura laughed loudly at that.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Needless to say Kakashi’s induction ceremony turned out to be an unforgettable one.
Not only was he characteristically late, he forgot his official lines to be presented to the Daimyo present and even stumbled while walking in his robes, much to the childish glee of his advisors and one annoying blonde protégé. But the biggest surprise was expecting to find one student standing at the spot of his ancestors and instead finding another, clad in a formal dark blue kimono and grinning like a child.
The reactions ranged from stunned silence to hidden smirks and gleeful cheering (courtesy of Ino) to open mouthed spluttering, much on Naruto’s part.
It didn’t help that Sakura wore the Uchiha colors, a very obvious show of her purpose of attending the ceremony.
But one look at the elders’ face and Kakashi knew that he was headed for one historic reign indeed.