Open Inauguration of the 5th Hokage

[Uchiha Asuka]

Asuka had been standing in her office for hours, her old office now. She remembered the first time she had set foot inside of it, how alien it all seemed. How Rayne was standing next to her, congratulating her on how much she had grown. Now, she was gone and Asuka was leaving her old office for a new one, a better one some would say. With a deep breath, she knew what had to be done. Or rather what had been already chosen. Standing up she slowly walked to the door, holding her hand a little above the handle. Thinking on what her decisions had brought her, how the good ones had changed how the Main Branch was run, how strength wasn't the only thing that mattered but was given a strong point. How the bad ones had brought death and destruction upon the village and the people she cared about. Closing her eyes she opened the door and walked out of the Main Branch office. Leaving the position she had held for years. Leaving the Main Branch Sennin position behind.

It usually wouldn't have taken so long to walk from her office towards the Hokage's office but for some reason, her feet felt heavy, as if time had slowed down. Was this really the best decision for the village? Was she the best decision for the village? So far her only contribution was being a good lackey. Like a well-trained dog simply following her master's orders. But now, she had been entrusted with the future of the village. With not only keeping the village blooming but keeping it safe and secure.

She stood outside of the Hokage's office for a few minutes, she hoped Takeshi was inside. Something about the presence of her biggest mentor and teacher made everything better, or at least, it made sense. She took one more deep breath and knocked a few times, just as she had done a thousand times before walking through the door. Unfortunately, no one was waiting for her. She took a few steps around the villages, memories flowing through her mind.

The first time she met the man, the first time she got punished for being brave but overly stupid. Where plans were drawn to deal with frost. Countless meetings with promotions, orders, fights, arguments. So many times she had been called out on her bullshit, so many times she had called people out on dumb decisions due to the fact that her voice mattered. But ultimately the decision was Takeshi's. Now the decision would be hers.

She walked over to the desk and saw a letter addressed to her. She looked at the robes and smiled, the silly man had forgotten them. But upon closer inspection, it was clear it was her robes. The 5th Hokage's robes. With a slight smile she shook her head, even gone he didn't cease to surprise her. She opened the letter and started to read. Upon first inspection, it seemed like the normal resignation letter but as she continued to read the words got more personal, more emotional. She could feel the stroke of the brush as Takeshi wrote it, his voice reading each word out loud. Her eyes tearing up as she took a deep breath, trying to contain her emotions.

She couldn't.

A sniffle escaped her lips as she finished reading. Cleaning her eyes with the sleeves of her Kimono a smile bore her face. Indeed, every word true. She knew what she was going to say no. Taking the robes she slung them upon her shoulders and walked out of the office, her office. The smile on her face not leaving she took upon the Hokage's mansion roof. Where her predecessors had given their own inauguration speeches. Now she was going to give hers.

She looked around the people outside, those who she would now have to lead, and with a smile on her face finally started to speak. "To start I'll tell you a story." She smiled taking a deep breath. "The tale of a young child who came upon this village with bloodied feet, no money, no shoes, no friends, no parents, no money. Who spent the first years living in this village homeless." She stopped for a few moments. "Then she was given a chance. She was given a chance to study and get stronger, she was given a chance to chase and win her own future, complete her dreams. And what was the first thing she did? She got punished for being an idiot and decided to prank the ANBU Sennin. Smart right?" She laughed placing a hand on her hip, shaking her head. "This decision was finalized by my predecessor and the village's council. But I want you to know that it was much more than that."

Asuka smiled "I would like to thank some people who helped and raised me to get me to where I am today. From prankster to Hokage, quite the upgrade." She chuckled

"First I would like to thank Hyuga Yukio. My first teacher at the academy, he who saved my life time and time again, who later became not only one of my co-workers but also one of my closest friends. Wherever you are, we miss you.

"To Haku Yuki, the first mentor who was mean enough to teach me not only how to throw punches, but how to take them. Pro-tip to those who don't know her, don't anger her... being a popsicle isn't fun." She smiled

"To Maru, even though we didn't get along you taught me sugar coating isn't the way to teach a lesson. Let alone a life lesson."

"To Maki, who taught me that no matter how far you get pushed down, you can still get back up... even if it's as a partial skeleton."

"To Kotori, who was not only a cute little sister but someone who saw life as a way to move forward. Who's life lessons won't be forgotten... nor everything else." She looked down and stopped for a few moments.

"To Santaru Soku. I couldn't have asked for a better sister, a better teacher, and a better punishment dealer. We've come a long way from the small apartment in the maple district."

"To all those in the Academy who at one point passed through my doors, couldn't be prouder of the bunch of pipsqueaks you lot turned out to be. Always keep growing."

"Last but not least, to Uchiha Takeshi. The one and only who basically taught me almost everything about being a leader. How to be fair and strict. How to move lead by example. How to listen and respond. How to take definitive action when it calls for it. How to care."

"We Shinobi live to serve. To serve those who can not protect themselves, we live to make the lives of those we protect easier. We live so that no one has to needlessly suffer and we are fairly rewarded for that service BUT it comes with a price. The life of a Shinobi is nothing less than hell, we see the worst in people, we take on the worst in people, we have to either kill or be killed. There are those who fight in the front lines, keeping us safe from upcoming dangers. There are those who fight to keep the pieces together while others fight in the shadows, fighting dangers before they even appear, never being shown the appreciation we have for their job. We are Shinobi. This is the life we chose and I will gladly help Konohagakure prosper. I will happily lay down my life for Konohagakure as your 5th Hokage." She raised her arm in the air, a paper slipping out from her sleeve she caught it with two fingers. A bright smile on her face.

She tirled around and made a couple of hand seals, elemental clones popping to each of her sides. At amazing speed each clone took to a different rooftop, throwing their own paper into the air. Asuka bit her finger as the lines in each of the seals connected. For those familiar with it, it was a summoning circle. "And the first order of business." She giggled as the sky darkened, to those down upon the floor it would seem as if the sky and sun disappeared. To those familiar with Asuka and her whole gist, this was one huge glitter bomb. Asuka giggled as she took one of her storage seals and opened it, a bright white umbrella. "Thank you Konohagakure! I won't disappoint you!" She snapped her fingers and the bomb exploded.

Spoiler

the air currents was enough to be felt but not actually blow anyone or anything away. More of a way to spread the glitter. Asuka laughed at her own prank, finally giving an end to the prankster with a literal bang, probably... she still had to unwind herself from time to time.

 

[Kato Hana]

Manzo stood in the back of the crowd wearing his black robes of office, Hannya standing next to him a giant smile on her face. It was a dark day in Manzo’s mind. Not that Asuka has taken the office bu that Takashi had stepped down. Takashi was one of the few in the village that had earned Manzo’s respect to give him an honorific. There had been quite a few in the village leadership that had not deserved to be there but Takashi did. It was going to be interesting to see how the village progressed under the new leadership.

He had known this day was coming, he wouldn’t be very good at his job if he didn’t. He would support the 5th Hokage as he had supported her as her head Jounin. As she unleashed a summoning circle pouring glitter on everyone Hannya slapped him on the shoulder. ”Now that is how you give a speech, why couldn’t you have had a more flash and glitter in your speech?” She was now dancing in the glitter.

”I am pretty sure that was not the image I wanted to present.“ She looked at him then collected a bunch of glitter and blew it right in his face.

As much as he tried to wipe it off, it was glitter which meant as he finally made his way to greet the new 5th Hokage, not much of the glitter had been removed.

”Congratulations Lady Fifth.“ He said with a smile on your face. ”Decide to start your reign off with a bang I see.“

 

[Nakano Karasu]

Karasu didn’t want to be late. The Inauguration of the Fifth Hokage was about to start. It just seemed like yesterday that she arrived in the village with her dad after being attacked by bandits. It was the Fourth Hokage that allowed her and her dad to stay in the Leaf Village. It changed her life. No longer did she have to go from village to village like a transient nor did she have to hide who she was to not try and stick out as much. She was accepted for being herself and was able to have a home with her father which later would include sharing a home with Jirou, Kashikoi and Hinata. Karasu thought back to those days where she was scared of just about everything because she knew it meant that her and her father may have to leave another village once again. No longer does she have to fear leaving, now she has a determination to protect this village that gave her life a purpose. She also wanted to be a beacon of hope to others just like the previous Hokage was for her.

Karasu made it to the central location of the Leaf Village where the famous Hokage building was. There were crowds of people there to welcome the new Fifth Hokage. Karasu looked up as she saw Asuka take her rightful place as the Fifth Hokage. It was definitely an honor that was bestowed upon very few. Something that Karasu herself was striving for. She wanted to be recognized and respected just like all the Hokage’s. This was her village now and nothing gave her more pride than showing that she was here to protect the village with all her might. Of course she had a long way before she could be considered on the level of an Hokage. She welcomed the hard and arduous road that it entailed.

Karasu clapped as Asuka had accepted her position. She thought back to when she first met Asuka. She had only just arrived in the village not too long after where she really didn’t know a single soul. She remembered her own curiosity upon eavesdropping on a couple of academy students who were about to spar. Without understanding that it was the moment that really changed her life. Asuka had made a Samurai come after her and the other students as some sort of crazed and unofficial test that was set upon them. Karasu didn’t know it was a test at the time. All she remembered was the Samurai charging at them. With no time to really react Karasu did the only thing she felt was right. She defended the students by using her own sword that her father had made for her to protect everyone.

Though Karasu was very scared at the moment her actions ended up getting praise by Asuka though she failed the test by not communicating with the other students. Asuka was even chastised by the Fourth Hokage Takeshi for doing an unauthorized test on them. Still the praise was noted by Takeshi and in return her and Hikaru became Genin. It was a day she would never forget. It literally changed her life. Karasu knew that Asuka was not a typical Shinobi yet at the time she didn’t know her rank. To be considered a Hokage, Karasu figured that Asuka must have worked hard to get to the highest level there was for a Shinobi in their village. She was beyond proud and though she always thought that Asuka was very unorthodox in her methods she always admired her. Karasu would be proud to one day walk in her footsteps. Seeing as the festivities were dying down she went to congratulate the new Hokage. Taking out the glitter in her hair from Asuka’s prank which Karasu had to admit was brilliant, the young Genin made it to the top of the building and saw that she was not the first one here to congratulate Asuka. With a sincere, respectful bow to the Fifth Hokage and a wide smile she looked at Asuka. “Congratulations Lady Fifth. I know you will be an amazing Hokage. The glitter bombs were simply perfection!” she turned to Manzo and gave him a nod of greeting. “Manzo Sensei.”

 

[Nanjirou Soku]

"Nibachi, how do I look?"

"Marvelous, Soku-sama."

A inhale of sharp breath which is slowly let out as Soku examines her garb for the last time. Flowing blue robes with the logo of the Santaru clan emblazoned on the back, her black hair pinned up in a bun and for the occasion, her usual sword rested in a gold and platinum sheath that had intricate engravings on it as she stepped outside to face the entourage of clanspeople waiting. Today was a special day, a day unlike any others. It was one of those things you saw in a era if you were lucky enough to witness but for the seasoned Captain, this was personal. This was a delicate misson unlike anything else she had done anything before. " Are we ready then? ""Everyone is already headed towards the gathering area, Soku-sama. I suggest we set out as well.""Let us do the same then." Quiet, reserved, that was how the woman could be described as she began walking, Nibachi beside her followed by a few elders of the clan in tow.

Asuka, Asuka, Asuka, Her little, troublemaking, precious sister had done her proud. She had done the impossible, done that which the Captain could not even deemed feasible. When it had been announced to Konohagakure, Soku had to do a double-take? Surely not, but no it was a sign that eventually even great figures like Uchiha Takeshi had to pull up a chair and let the new era of shinobi mold the village into what they wanted it to be. Uchiha Asuka, her sister in arms was being sworn in as the Fifth Hokage of the Village Hidden in The Leaves.

"Soku-sama? Are you crying?"

"Nibachi. Shut up."

A few moments later and Soku and her little rabble of clanspeople merged with the crowd identifable only by the sky blue robes they wore though the female shouldered her way a bit into the rabble of the people, Nibachi not far behind resting his spear on his shoulder. Soon however, the waiting period was over as Asuka appeared and it was a sight she would have to get used to. Those robes..Soku stared for a brief moment letting the reality of the situation sink in. A far cry from the little fiery firecracker she had been when Soku had first met her, that little girl had been molded and grown into the finest woman that stood before her. It was a sort of pride she held, a pride in the fact she had played a role in where Asuka was today.

Her name was mentioned and her head snapped up to listen trying her best to suppress the tears, tears of joy that sprang forth. A nod of acknowldgement was given towards Manzo, the robes of the ANBU Sennin bright as day, Soku not trusting herself to speak out of fear she might just turn into a emotional mess from how happy she was. Soon enough, the speech was over and Soku stood there for a minute in silence before her hand dropped to the hilt of her sword. Sliding it out of her sheath, she thrust the blade high into the air, tip pointing upwards and her voice, steely and blunt in nature rang out above the others.

"Long live the Fifth Hokage!"

It was like a chain reaction as the friction sound of steel against leath resounded as her clan members followed with their cries, those who had weapons gesturing towards the air. Nibachi simply thumping his spear in a sort of rhythm to give it the appropiate send-off. She didn't even bother to hide the moist droplets that were running down her cheeks as the cloud of glitter exploded above them all covering them all in the sparkly, shiny stuff. "Wait here." She ordered Nibachi before navigating her way where everone was making their way to congrulate Asuka.

Her turn came and she stood there for a second, eyes a bit red from all the crying she had been doing standing there for a minute in silence. A hand would then beckon towards Asuka. "Come here." She would then attempt to embrace the girl in a tight hug closing her eyes for a brief moment. "You have no idea how happy I am today. Go out there and kick some butt." She whispered into her ear before releasing their newly-found leader and stepping back, a smile now on her place. "Best of luck on your new position, Lady Fifth. If you need anything, we are at your service."

Always. A hand touched the crystal necklace that sat at her chest before she stepped back to allow the next greeter in line to step forward

 

[Sugihara Aki]

- (♫) Now playing: The Eternal Steam Engine, arranged by Uni Akiyama​

Hikaru stood in the crowd next to her father, dressed as formally as she could manage with the clip indicative of her Medical rank proudly fastened to her headband. They wore the traditional green color of the Amari, her mother’s clan. She hadn’t seen the Amari themselves in quite some time, unfortunately, since her father Kaito had been somewhat out-of-favor with them for years. She was sure the group of mostly old people in matching green was somewhere in the crowd, though; it would be easy to convince an outsider that the population of several villages had gathered at once to celebrate the 5th Hokage’s inauguration. Hikaru peered up at the roof of the mansion that was the centerpiece of the gathering, her vision blurring for a moment. Perhaps it was finally time to begin wearing glasses… everyone she could think of on her father’s side needed them. On that thought, she looked around for her grandparents- they were somewhere in front of them, having arrived earlier. She spotted them and waved.

At last, the voices of the crowd fell as Uchiha Asuka appeared on the rooftop. She wore the embroidered robes that symbolized her office, of the same style as the four Hokage before her. The red and white had become a part of who Takeshi was in her mind, and now her Academy teacher would be the one to wear them… it was still so amazing. Beside her, her father smiled, “Funny feeling, isn’t it? The passing of the torch… it’s a time-honored tradition for the Hokage, a very noble thing to do. I remember when the Fourth was inaugurated; of course, I had never met him before then!” Hikaru nodded, sighing. As Asuka spoke, the girl recalled the first time they had met- it was at the library (of course), and she had recruited a pair of students to help her find a book about pranking. She remembered being so surprised that the Main Branch Sennin would act so informally around her… then she had wrecked half the library trying to practice her chakra control, and Asuka had helped her clean it up. For the first time since then, she felt fully conscious of this woman’s status. Standing before this crowd was someone with the capabilities to govern the village, the next Hokage… and she was on a first-name basis with some kid whose biggest accomplishment was suddenly being promoted to Medical Chief. Looking around, Hikaru realized that she wouldn’t be surprised if Asuka was on a first-name basis with almost everyone there. Beneath the prankster, the teacher, and the serious-faced leader that she was, the 5th Hokage was the most humble person she knew, and her speech echoed the depths of her modesty. She spoke of her own unassuming beginnings, and thanked everyone who had helped her up- she even mentioned her students at the Academy, of which Hikaru was glad to consider herself one of them.

As her speech drew to a close, Asuka raised her arm to the sky. The Medical Chief blinked, watching her clones scatter above the gathering to specific points that reminded her very distinctly of something. Suddenly, the Hokage made a motion she knew she recognized, and something enormous and brightly-colored loomed above the crowd. The ball burst, and a torrential downpour of glitter stormed its way out, headed straight for the hundreds below. Hikaru gave a yelp, shooting a shocked glance at her father, who was chuckling and looking at the sky as well. She cared deeply for Asuka, but she had never enjoyed getting glitter on herself, perhaps accentuated by her service in the sterilized and pristine hospital. From beside her, Kaito laughed, “Just don’t get any in your eyes.” Inescapable, the shimmering tsunami swept over those gathered for the inauguration, covering every surface with billions of tiny, sparkling mementos of the best prank in the history of the Leaf Village.

A short time later, Hikaru led her father towards the point of convention in the crowd, the place where Asuka would be. Moving through the throngs of well-wishers, she spotted Karasu and the ANBU Sennin Manzo nearby. The pair of Miyazakis arrived after the Hokage’s sister, Soku- her very first tutor, in fact. She gave a nod to the ANBU captain as she stepped back, then faced her teacher with an irrepressible grin. “Congratulations, Lady Asuka. This is my father, Miyazaki Kaito- we wish you well in your new position.” He bowed, as did she, and then Hikaru continued. “Honestly, I don’t know what else to say. Thank you for teaching me what’s important about being a Shinobi- I was proud to call you my mentor even before you went and got promoted. I’ll always be glad to help carry stuff on a shopping spree, or call you captain on a mission. Here’s to the reign of the Fifth Hokage!” “To the Fifth Hokage!” The two of them stepped to the side, and Hikaru dipped her head to her once more before turning back into the crowd to perhaps look for Karasu.

 

[Raijin Jirou]

Today was the day of the inauguration of the Fifth Hokage and Jirou did not want to be late to pay his respects and congratulations. Both Jirou and Kashikoi wanted to look their best. Jirou had given Kashikoi a bath and a thorough brushing. That was an adventure in itself. Kashikoi hated baths and Jirou ended up taking two baths. The end result was worth it since Jirou was dressed in freshly pressed and new robes. He felt it only right to try and look his best. He still would need to meet with the new Hokage regarding his first assignment. He had been made a genin by the Fourth Hokage and now he would begin that tenure under the Fifth Hokage. This was an important moment and he felt pride as he tied the headband around his head. He finished getting dressed lastly adding his pouch, the sword in its holster across his back and the chakra blade in its holster on his belt. He had come to the village a starving, half-drowned refugee from a village that had been destroyed by bandits. The Fourth Hokage had allowed him to stay and over time he had found a home with Karasu, her father and Hinata. He trained and worked hard to reach where he was now and he recognized that he still had a lot of training ahead of him especially if he was to fulfill his ambition of becoming the Hokage.​

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As he and Kashikoi walked to where the Inauguration was being held, Jirou remembered meeting the now Fifth Hokage for the first time when they had brought Hinata to the hospital. He remembered how she had struck Hinata over the head with a frying pan to stop his screaming. He had thought that she was actually a medical ninja. He wondered just what they were in store for with this ‘Frying Pan Hokage’. Jirou and Kashikoi arrived and made their way towards where Karasu was to hear what was being said, “That is the new Hokage. I hope she likes us. She is going to be giving us missions to complete. If she doesn't like us we might just get a frying pan to the head.” As everyone cheered for the new Hokage, Jirou saw her weaving hand signs and then there it was. A huge bang and an explosion of multi-colored glitter that went everywhere. It was in his hair and all over Kashikoi. Jirou was not a fan of glitter. In fact he loathed it. It got all over and it was like having sand in your shoes. He grimaced a bit knowing he was going to be finding glitter for weeks. Still he would not begrudge the Fifth Hokage this moment. He wanted to make a good impression and he was already nervous enough. Waving to Manzo who was standing not very far away, Jirou bowed in greeting to him. “Hello, Sensei. That glitter bomb was something else.” Afterwards the line moved forward again and Jirou with it, while he waited to extend his own greeting to the new Fifth Hokage. He already missed the Fourth Hokage not sure what to make of her and hoping that glitter bombs would not be a regular thing.​

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As he finally reached the front of the line not too far behind Karasu and two others who he gave a nod of thanks to, once they stepped aside and made room for him to step forward. “Thank you,” he added. It was now his turn. Stepping up before the Fifth ‘Frying Pan’ Hokage, Jirou bowed respectfully. “Many congratulations on your appointment, Lady Hokage. I am not sure if you remember us from the hospital when we brought Hinata in. I am Raijin Jirou and this is Kashikoi. We are at your service.” Kashikoi bowed towards the Hokage, his front paws stretched out before him and his rear end in the air. Once Kashikoi was standing he shook a mess of glitter out of his fur towards the Hokage and whoever else was nearby. Jirou looked somewhat embarrassed adding, “That means he likes you, Lady Fifth. Sorry about that.” There were still so many others in line and he did not want to take up any more of her time then necessary. At least not right now. He would make an appointment to see her later. “Okay Kashikoi we better go find Karasu and let the next person in line have a turn.” Jirou and Kashikoi moved aside for the next person in line. Jirou gave them a smile hoping that they didn’t mind possibly having glitter shaken out on them by Kashikoi. Now moving through the crowd they were looking not just for Karasu but also for whatever food might be served at Hokage Inaugurations. With all the smells and sights of the crowd, Jirou had lost sight of Karasu. He was also hungry having left the house without grabbing something to eat.​

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[WC: 825]​

 

[Uchiha Asuka]

Asuka waved as soon as Manzo walked forward, laughing at the glitter that was stuck on him. With a nod of her head she spoke. "A literal bang, quite the spectacle if I do say so myself. Do think it's going to take me a while to get used to this whole Lady Fifth thing." She shrugged, giggling. Her new title was indeed off putting since she spent so long being under someone. But in any case, it was fun. "Glad too have you in the team Manzo. Gonna need of those ANBU expertise." She slightly bowed, basically telling that she respected him and what she stood for.

"Karasu!" She smiled moving forward and giving her old student a hug. It had been a while since she had last seen the girl and she was very glad see had come. Karasu was a living embodiment of the success of the academy and how it turns people into fine Shinobi. "So good to see you!" She spoke, finally letting go of the girl and clapping her hands together. "Thank you! You liked that little stunt? Always had a fund for little harmless color palets that are hard to clean up."

Asuka didn't necessarily notice her big sister behind her which is why she was surprised when she was basically yanked away from the conversation. Rude. But the hug and the words that followed made her sniffle. She returned her sisters hug. "Couldn't have done it without you." Asuka giggled as she was let go, stocking her chin at the suggestion. "Well, you can prank Manzo for one. He needs a little color in his life." Asuka turned to Karasu with a smile, clearly suppressing a laugh. "I can actually do that now."

Asuka let Hikaru speak first. Afterwards, like a small child, she skipped towards her and gave her a hug. Shaking her fathers hand she smiled. "Nice to meet you Miyasaki-san." She clapped her hands together "Well, I was proud to call you my student before you ended up as chief. Just keep doing good in the hospital."