Chapter Text
"Iruka Umino will be the next Hokage."
The voice of the old village sage was apathetic but perfectly audible. After this sentence, he waited for a reaction, as the old woman nodded firmly. Both Jiraiya and Tsunade gave a shriek of surprise, Iruka? Hokage? It was true that he was a good jounin but why him?
"Huuh!? And you guys when did you decide that?" asked Jiraiya with genuine confusion, he once heard his former teacher that name, a boy who lost his parents in the previous ninja war. But he never met him in person.
"I came all this way for nothing? Tch!" Tsunade crossed her arms angrily, though a relief coursed through her body, even after what they had been through, she didn't feel sure she wanted to be the hokage. Doubts and insecurity gnawed at her head.
"It is true that it is sudden, but it was Hiruzen's request."
Both sannin paused their complaints and doubts, exchanging glances at their mentor's name, attentive to what else they would say
"Among the documents that were in the third Hokage's office a letter was found where he assigned Iruka as the next Hokage, of course we did not know about this and that is why we allowed the search for Princess Tsunade. We can leave her as Hokage but now the decision rests with you, princess."
The eyes of the medical ninja traveled back and forth thoughtfully. A couple of seconds later she turned around to leave the room, making Jiraiya to follow her with a frown, their shoes echoing in the corridors of the tower; stepping out onto the balcony of the place, Tsunade leaned on the metal bar that served as a railing and sighed heavily, What now?
"What are you going to do?"
"Mhm?" Tsunade looked at her childhood friend, who was looking at the village with his arms crossed, with a serious expression. That was a heavy question "I'm not sure.... The sensei asked for it, but... I don't know what's best. Tch..." She bit her fingernail in frustration. Maybe, just maybe. The best option was for Iruka to stay as Hokage, if the third chose him it was for a reason. A reason she was going to respect.
Tsunade inhaled calmly and looked up at the sky for a couple of seconds before she speak.
"I'm not going to be Hokage. But I will stay in the village, I will help in any way I can. Even work at the hospital. Besides, the boy brought me to check his friend and there are people who need my medical support."
The wise toad let out a couple of amused chuckles, scratching his cheek with a finger "Alright, the counsel need to know. Who knows, maybe that Iruka isn't a bad choice."
[...]
Somewhere in Konoha, a young jounin with toasted skin was smiling calmly as he finished teaching his classes, even after being assigned as a jounin around four years ago, he asked not to have his classes taken away, though of course, they were decreased exponentially, though that didn't mean he was affected.
Waving goodbye to the students leaving the classroom, he was rearranging the papers on his desk, until hurried footsteps approached his classroom and quickly opened the door "Iruka!" It was Izumo, his friend and partner. He looked agitated, he didn't quite know why.
"Izumo, is something wrong?" he asked as he slung the strap of his backpack over his shoulder and approached the other calmly
"You are wanted at the Hokage Tower, the council is looking for you, I don't know what for. But they said it was urgent."
Iruka frowned and quickened his pace to the place, with Izumo at his side. It didn't take them long to reach the place, he fiddled with his fingers before asking permission to enter the room where the council was, encountering two figures that looked familiar but he said nothing and bowed in greeting and respect "Good morning, it's a pleasure to see you in health" And partly.... He was lying. Kinda. But that would be for later.
He didn't want to sit in the couch in front of him but was instructed otherwise and took a seat across from the four people. A silence of a couple of seconds settled in the room, making Iruka nervous. Hotaru, the only woman on the council looked at the blonde woman next to her and she raised her eyebrows in surprise "Do I have to say it? Very well, Iruka Umino!" she pointed her index finger at the named one making him startle, he had a very strong presence. He straightened his back and paid attention "You will be named as the fifth Hokage of Konoha!"
Again silence settled in the place, the young jounin opened his eyes with too much surprise until he managed to articulate something "Eh-?"
...
"EEEHHH!?"