The Future of Konoha
 

Sasuke Uchiha stood in front of the enormous gate, not moving an inch as the wind tussled his traveling cloak and over grown hair. It had been almost eleven months since he walked out through Konohagakure's doors on another of his walkabouts and while he had traveled far and wide, seen and heard the wonders and gossip of the world, he was glad to be back. No more of these trips, he'd decided, no more leaving Sakura to be a single mother. Sarada was a dutiful fussless daughter but she would be graduating from the academy soon and he thought that spending one last year teaching her shuriken would be far better than wandering.

Taking a step forward felt right and he all but forgot to sign in with the guards at the gate, though he was sure they'd never actually stop him. They were off a younger generation and rather than harboring any personal feelings toward him they simply watched him with awe. All the way to the Hokage's mansion he walked slowly, taking his time, and drinking in all of the sights of his hometown. Even now he had a hard time adjusting to the sheer peace and happiness emanating from the people of Konoha.

Sasuke stood in front of the Hokage's office before he knew it and smiled to himself before knocking with the back of his bandaged left hand.

Naruto Uzumaki was busy with his paperwork since he is the hokage now, he had changed a lot in the village, he also put new gate guards on duty and he had made them build new kinds of buildings some modern buildings to be more exactly. The blond haired boy also had made sure to keep an open space where once the Uchiha district was, he wanted not to just build there without Sasuke since it belongs to Sasuke he wanted to know what the other wanted to have for buildings there. Naruto always loved to be the hokage and now that he was he was kinda getting annoyed and wanted to just leave the room for a day, it was really boring always doing the paperwork and he now knows why Kakashi-sensei and Granny-sama always were trying to make up excuses.

Naruto noticed that he needed to go to a meeting and gasped, " oh damn!! i'm late!" he yelled as he ran quickly to the meeting room where the council and the daimyo already were waiting as he bursted into the room and took his position, " Excuse me for being late" he quickly said as they discussed everything about how things were going and how about the open space in the village, " well like i have said before, I will make sure that it would get build up again but i'm waiting for Sasuke uchiha to return it's his district and he has the right to choose" he said to them as they continued to discuss about that but finally they agreed. Soon the meeting was over as he let out a sigh of relief, and walked back towards the hokage room letting out a yawn since he was feeling pretty tired, he haven't been sleeping three times in a row lately because that he needs to get up with the paperwork that was so much though luckily the end was in sight of all those papers.

Naruto sat down in his chair and closed his eyes as he smiles softly, " aah " he purred though when he heard the knocking he almost jumped up and quickly grabbed the stamp and some papers, " yeah come in! and yeah i'm already busy with the paper works again!" he said thinking that it was his assistant. Naruto was lucky that Tsunade and Sakura both have been able to make a new arm for him so he finally had both his arms again for already 6 months and if Sasuke returns he had already prepared everything so that Tsunade and Sakura also could give Sasuke his arm back again so that he also would have both his arms.

Sasuke entered the office without a word and smirks as he looks upon his friend, hard at work, before he begins to chuckle. "Dope." he sighs, as if he'd seen his long time rival just yesterday. "I'll never understand how they made the kid with the worst test scores Hokage. Be honest, Shikamaru does the paperwork doesn't he?" Sauntering over her takes a seat across the desk from the blonde Hokage and steeples his fingers beneath his chin like always. "The village looks even nice than when I left. Your improvements are really coming along. I guess old man Tazuna's really got his work cut out for him."

When Naruto saw Sasuke he let out a sigh of relief and pushes the paperwork away as he grinned and stood up, " teme!" He said excitedly really happy to see his rival back again and to see that he was doing okay so far he could see. The blond haired boy laughed at that comment and shrugged, " maybe because I have the worst scores but still being one of the strongest in the village" he said grinning, " nah sometimes he does, though it's not like I'm being any different then Granny-sama you know Shizune always did the paperwork for her as well. Haha though Sakura sometimes can be very strict so I can't always push it towards Shikamaru" he admitted, as he pointed towards a chair in front of him to gesture Sasuke to sit down, " hehe thanks, it was being difficult though to get the council and the daimyo so far to accept the changes. It was my opinion that it was time for the leaf village to get more modern houses" he said putting his hands behind his head and leaned back in his chair, " old man Tezuna is really awesome, he knows what I want and could organize everything really great, but well you already saw that though there is one thing I have left alone since I wanted to discuss this with you" he said getting to business as he sat straight up and grabbed a map with blue prints and grabbed one about a specific place the Uchiha district and fold it out on the table, " it's about the Uchiha district, I was able to hold them off for now but that's because I want you to choose what for buildings you want to have there and which building you which to live in see it as a welcome back gift from me, everything will be paid for the things you want there so don't worry about that" he said with a smile to Sasuke, " when you know what you want then tell me and we will have a meeting with old man Tezuna. " he told to Sasuke as he then leaned back again, " say how was your journey? " he asked curious wanting to know everything.

Sasuke frowned down at the map unsure of just how to handle such a problem, because it truly was one that would take a lot of thought. Rolling the map up he held it up as he asked "May I take this? I'll need time to think over what to do with my...family's lands. I'll have an answer to you as soon as I've decided." He stuffed the rolled up paper in his traveling pouch before leaning back in the chair, gripping the armrests as if he were a king upon a throne. "My trip was good. I met with the remnants of Taka; Juzo's doing well meditating at the rebuilt Fire Temple, Karin's started up a lab on some old island base Orochimaru's, and Suigetsu's...collecting. The other villages, from what I could tell without being noticed, are all calm and going about business as usual. No overt militarization. The only thing I have noticed is rumors of continued unrest about the Village Hidden in the Rain. When I visited it was gloomy, but no more than expected. Still, might deserve some attention."

Naruto smiles softly and gave a soft nod when Sasuke rolled up the map, " sure you can take it, take your time thinking about it. Haha did you thought that i could have decided this all in one day? i have uh.. been a month busy with thinking about this " he said with a blush as he rubs the back of his head, he then listened curious to Sasuke's story about his journey as he chuckles, " i think some meditating couldn't be bad for Jugo he seemed like he needs that. really sounds good so they have been able to do something with their lives as well without getting on the bad side again. I haven't expected it so fast actually but i'm glad to hear that." he said as he then nods softly, " I already thought so, It's not so bad though to have some peace for now, though i want everyone to keep remembering what the times were back then and that they shouldn't lack of by thinking that it won't happen anymore because there is always chance that someone more evil or as evil as Madara would come back again." he said to Sasuke as he turned around in his chair as he stood up and looked out of the window and looked up at the faces of the past hokages, " I..see. The village hidden in the rain.. Sasuke, would you like to take the position of what Danzo was before? you would have all the command of the ANBU and the ANBU black ops. I would like if you could check it out, and i will come with you because i want to see if i can do something there to help everything back to how it should be." he said softly to Sasuke before turning around to look at Sasuke. " so what do you say, do you take the position? "

Sasuke tensed. It was subtle but he knew Naruto would pick up on it instantly and as such didn't even try to mask what minor tells he gave off. Danzo. "I understand what you're asking me. That it's an honor. But that man...Danzo...what he did to the village, to my clan, to Itachi was unforgivable. Of all the blood on my hands his is the one I'd never wash off. He deserved his fate." Sasuke said, his voice soft and slow. He could still see that abomination of an arm when he closed his eyes. "Do the elders even know about this? I doubt they'd approve. I'll think about this too, but don't exp a quick answer." he continued, not liking the cold feeling in his stomach this conversation produced. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have an heir to check up on."

Naruto blinked and blushes as he looked down, " sorry Sasuke I mean it was stupid from me to bring that up. Well would you then like to take the position of my personal bodyguard ? " he asked to Sasuke as he smiles softly, " I still need someone to be my bodyguard after all every Kage has someone " he said with a chuckle, " besides I'm the seventh Hokage and if I say that I want you as my bodyguard then I decide that, I don't give a fuck what the elders say about this, things have changed Sasuke they don't have any power in what to decide for the village it is I who decide this now" he said as Naruto really looked a lot like Tsunade as when she was hokage because he also couldn't stand the elders because he had a lot of hard times with them he smirked, " did you thought they would have easily accepted the changes to the village like that? " he gave a soft nod, " I understand, I'm sure Sakura and Sarada would be very happy to see you back Sasuke, I'm happy to see you back as well. But before you go" he said opening a drawer and gave a gift to Sasuke, " it's a late birthday gift for you, since you weren't here. You know" he said with a soft smile and rubs the back of his head like he always used to do, it contains something that he knows was Sasuke's favorite thing in the world what he always wanted to have.

Bodyguard? That was an interesting idea the Uchiha certainly hadn't seen coming. He'd played that role several times on missions and had acted in a similar capacity during his with Orocimaru, but Naruto was different. Not only because any enemy the blonde dobe came across would be crushed just as quickly by Naruto himself, but also because they were best friends, and day in day out as his attendant would certainly strain that. Hell, even during their Team 7 days they could hardly stand so much time on top of one another. "I'll think it over." Sasuke replied sincerely as he got up to go. He turned and looked at the gift with a smirk and said "Dobe."

Naruto grinned and nods, " otherwise you may think of your own position, what you want to be here" he said sitting down again and looked at Sasuke, " take your time, but don't forget that you may open that gift when your at home and for god sake take some time with Sarada and Sakura " he said waving Sasuke off mentioning him to go home, " See ya Teme" he said with a smirk.