What it takes to be Hokage

Chapter 27

Minato stepped back slightly, assessing the situation, though it was extremely difficult. He wanted nothing more than to slice the Uchiha bastard to ribbons, but he needed to know what the hell was going on. At any rate, what a Kami Damn understatement on the Shodai's part.

Madara gestured towards Minato, his expression bland. "This is the all amazing Namikaze Minato? I expected more."

The Shodai tsked letting go of Minato's wrist, choosing to ignore Madara and walking over to Kushina who was still hugging Naruto as tightly as she could. Minato followed, yet keeping a close eye on Madara. This distraction may prove fatal if he wasn't careful.

"May I?" The Shodai gestured an intention to take Naruto from Kushina's grasp and for a moment she resisted.

"What are you going to do with him?" Kushina asked, hopeful that perhaps there was something the Shodai could do to save her son. Why else would he want to take him?

"Give him the respect he deserves. He was very brave." The Shodai's gaze softened and Kushina let go so that he could pick Naruto up.

"Did you see? Were you there?" Kushina's tone had darkened, perhaps silently demanding why he hadn't done anything to save her son.

"I saw in my own way. Yet not in the way you imagine." Naruto replied regretfully.

The Shodai gently closed the boy's eyes before lifting him and carrying him towards the Konoha forces. Minato wanted to follow, but he also wanted to take the moment to attack Madara again. This might be the best opening he'd get.

"Hokage-sama, it would greatly gratify me if you followed me. Please bring your wife as well." The Shodai stated, sending the current Hokage a glance over his shoulder, one that demanded he obey, eyes showing a stern determination not unlike the determination he'd see in his own son's eyes.

"If you're going there, then should I take it we're enemies?" Madara called after their retreating forms, watching them go with a thoughtful expression.

Naruto paused a moment, considering his response. He turned to face Madara, his features blank. "One day? Give me one day to assess the situation. Your clan stays on their side, Konoha forces stays on their own side."

"Fine, you have six hours. But I want to talk to you, alone. At your convenience." Madara turned signalling that Shisui, Menma, and Itachi should follow him, the boxes disappearing as they walked back towards the rest of the Uchiha clan. Naruto's gaze moved over the opposing forces. They had used their week to prepare their defences. A surprise attack would not have been very successful. There were jutsu traps, seals, and physical barriers all around the Uchiha forces.

Minato didn't miss the fact that the man had addressed the Konoha forces as though he was not one of them. In fact, he appeared to be entirely neutral. He'd stopped the attack on Madara, yet he wasn't helping the man either. How was he here? What was his objective? Minato moved to Kushina, wrapping an arm around her waist in a poor attempt at consoling her as she quietly sobbed into her hands.

Naruto turned away from the Uchiha. Six hours wasn't as much as he wanted but it was something. He would have to make the most of it. There would no doubt be questions, and there would be arguments. He'd have to handle them all in the coming six hours. He wanted to go to the infirmary tent. They'd set up the basics the moment they'd arrived and for that he was impressed. For their first major conflict they'd managed to cover a lot of the basic necessities. To save time he shunshinned closer to the Konoha base before walking through its entrance. Kushina and Haruto broke away from them, moving towards what Naruto assumed as the command tent.

As they walked, the Konoha forces grew deathly quiet, unsure of what to make of this new development. It wasn't a situation they had encountered before and to be fair, Naruto hadn't provided proof that he was the Shodai at all. He could be a spy, an infiltrator, an enemy. Yet no one stopped them, each shinobi moving out of the way with a stunned bow. Naruto allowed his gaze to travel over the people Minato and Kushina had chosen to bring with them. Some he knew, others were completely unknown to him, but scrutinising them was for a little later. For now, he had to solidify his place amongst those incharge. They had to believe he was who he said he was.