Notes: Hello everyone and welcome to the first chapter of my story "The Hokage We Need" which was inspired by "Traban16" and his story "Naruto The REAL Fifth Hokage."

I read that story and loved the premise, and wanted to give my take on it. While that story is serious but has many comedic elements, this story will be more serious and focused on Naruto's relationships and the world around him and how it's changed. I will have some humor of course, but not to the extent of Traban's story(Which is an excellent story and I'm not taking anything away from it)

Also of note, I will not have any character bashing in this story, none at all. I don't like character bashing as I feel every character has both good and bad qualities to them, and while some characters early on can be annoying/hated(Like Sakura), I feel like they get much better as the story goes on, and that it outweighs the bad from early on. That's my take at least.

There will be Harem elements in the story, as many girls will indeed fall for Naruto(Gaining the power of Hokage can do that for you) but this is not a Harem story. Naruto will end up with only one girl, and though I've not decided on exactly who that is, I hope to give all of the girls at least proper development.

I also changed Naruto a bit to better fit the story, he's still goofy but has a hidden mature side, and has been trained by Jiraiya since he was young(I felt like this was the only way to make him realistically strong enough even to be considered)

Finally, as I said at the start, with this being inspired by Traban, you may see some similarities, especially early on. I really loved some of the chapters(Especially the inauguration) so forgive me if I steal a few lines hehe.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy it.

Edit 4/19/2019: Should have done this a while ago, but oh well. Anyway, this is now obviousely a Naruto/Temari story so you can ignore those remarks above. Also you can find a full list of the planned pairings on my profile. You can also find a seperate story with lemons of couples in this story if you're interested in that by searching for my other profile "ProfWayne18" or for the story title "The Untold Erotic Stories"

The rain felt like shurikens as it pelted the palace that housed the Fire Daimyo, as the guards surrounding the area stood unmoving, stone-faced, only willing to move at the slightest sense of danger.

Inside of the building sat the Fire Daimyo himself at the base of a long table, his council sitting on the left, while the right contained delegates from the Hidden Village In The Leaves known as Konoha, visible unrest could be seen on their faces.

No one said anything, as the Daimyo had instructed that the first person to speak would be someone he personally called to attend the meeting. But the silence was deafening; if one listened carefully, they could hear the nervousness from the Konoha's breaths. They were, after all, attending a meeting they had hoped to only attend as a celebration, not as an emergency meeting, but it couldn't be helped.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, Konoha's third Hokage, had been killed in battle by his former apprentice and a member of the legendary sannin, Orochimaru. Unlike when the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, had perished, there was no previous living Hokage who could take back over.

So this meeting had to happen, the Fifth Hokage of Konoha had to be decided and fast. The more time they wasted, the weaker they looked to the outside world, it didn't help that they were straining their resources having to rebuild the village from Orochimaru's attack.

As the silence grew louder and louder, it was finally shattered as a knock was heard on the door, and after one of the servants opened it, the legendary Sannin Jiraiya walked in with a darkened view, making the delegates look at him in confusion. Once the door was shut and the Anbu made sure that they still weren't being spied upon, Jiraiya spoke.

"I've arrived as you have asked, Daimyo-sama." Jiraiya stood straight and bowed, a rare sight to many, but his actions nailed home just how serious the current situation was. Everyone had to be attentive and had to make sure their minds were entirely focused, for their decision would impact Konoha for years to come.

"Ah, Jiraiya! I'm glad you came; you are critical in the discussion we are about to have." Those words from the Daimyo made the delegates a bit tense, but also a bit relaxed as well. While it would be unorthodox, nobody would oppose the Daimyo is he chose Jiraiya as the next Hokage, except for maybe one man.

Jiraiya nodded as he walked forward as one of the servants led him to the other end of the table, directly facing the Daimyo, which made him feel a bit on edge. After sitting down and getting accustomed to his strange sitting position, the Daimyo continued.

"Now, this meeting has been called because my dear friend Sarutobi has breathed his last breath, and has departed for the next life. Because of this, Konoha is without a Hokage, something that immediately puts our great country at risk."

Everyone in the room nodded as the air began to apply pressure to them once again, the relief that Jiraiya had seemingly brought had already vanished, as the gravity of the situation re-emerged from the shadows.

"As such, though it has only been a few days, I believe it is wise to go ahead and name the next Hokage of the village" The Daimyo readjusted himself as he closed his fan and pointed it at Jiraiya, as everyone's eyes followed it, more faces of relief began to appear as they did. "Jiraiya, I would like you to be the next Hokage of Konoha!"

The smiles of the delegates were immediately visible, showing that almost all of them approved of the pick. While it was true that Jiraiya was perverted and they were a bit worried what laws he might impose because of that, there was no denying his strength, and he would, at the very least, be a fair ruler.

However, not everyone agreed with the pick…"Daimyo-Sama, I object to this."

The man to speak was Danzo Shumura, a power-hungry man who was known to many as a shady individual. Though his actions had never been proven, many knew of the tales that had followed him throughout the years, and his brutal practices he used on people. "Hm? Ah...Danzo...Is there a reason for your objection?"

"It's rather simple, Jiraiya has not been in the village for years now, instead traveling the world to write his fantasy books. While no one in the village can match his strength, I don't feel he would have the commitment for the job and may leave one day out of boredom."

The other delegates scowled at Donzo; they knew what his plan was. But they couldn't say anything about it, everyone was allowed to object, and it was generally unacceptable to refute an objection especially since it was partially correct about Jiraiya.

The Daimyo opened his fan back up as he began using it on himself again as he cast a side glance at Donzo "I understand your concerns Danzo, but Jiraiya has always been a favorite of mine, I believe he would do a fantastic job."

Danzo gripped his sleeves but didn't show any emotion on his face; he couldn't argue back against the Daimyo, lest he wants several Anbu agents cutting him down. So he stayed quiet and waited for the conversation to develop.

After no one else spoke up, the Daimyo folded his fan back up and pointed it back at Jiraiya "So Jiraiya...Do you accept the position of Hokage of Konoha?"

There was silence for a moment, as the delegates began to breathe sighs of relief and were already preparing for the trip back when Jiraiya once again bowed "Daimyo-sama...While the proposal greatly honors me, I have to refuse."

One he had spoken, all the delegates froze and looked at him in shock. They couldn't believe it. They were confident that Jiraiya would accept the position, especially since some of the older ones who had known him for years, knew that was his original plan when he was young before he set off on his adventure.

Despite the shock from the delegates, the Daimyo quietly opened his fan back up and began fanning his face as he kept his content look "Well, I was expecting that type of answer, unfortunately, so it came as no big surprise. But it does allow me to tell you the true reason you were called here."

Jiraiya looked up from his bow before straightening himself as the other delegates all looked at the Daimyo, confusion in their eyes.

"Since I knew you wouldn't accept the position, I called you here for a different reason." The Daimyo snapped his fingers as one of his servants brought him a file, as he looked down at it. "After discussing with my advisors, and looking over the battle report for myself, I have decided on two candidates for the job and wanted to hear your opinion on them. You know both of them after all. One is currently residing in the village, while the other went off on their own journey just like you did."

Everyone in the room immediately knew who the Daimyo was talking about when he mentioned the one who went off on a journey like Jiraiya; however, they didn't know who he was talking about still residing in the village. However, some of the delegates did begin to look nervously at each other, as Danzo began to smirk, it had to be him they all thought. He did, after all, control a part of the Anbu, even if it was secret to the public.

Sensing what threat could arise should the Daimyo choose the one from the village, one of the delegates, the Jonin Commander Shikaku Nara, rose up as he spoke: "Daimyo-sama, I wish to nominate Kakashi Hatake for the position of Hokage!"

The other delegates looked at him in surprise, but all of them except for Danzo just nodded and seemed pleased with his sudden surge of inspiration. While Kakashi had his question marks, it was a no contest between him and Danzo.

The Daimyo continued waving his fan as he raised his free hand to his chin. "Hm...I've heard good things about him. He's the Copy Ninja who helped take out the Mist Swordsmen Zabuza. Indeed his skills are impressive; however I have reservations about his mental state, as I've read he had an unpleasant childhood, and he still carries some of that hatred and sorrow with him. Until he can let go of the past, I'm afraid I cannot consider his nomination."

Shikaku bit his lip in frustration as the grin on Danzo's face reappeared, and once he saw that, Shikaku couldn't contain himself "Then I ask that you reconsider your decision on Danzo!"

The other delegates didn't flinch, but all of them could read like a book when the words left his mouth. They were all thinking the same thing, but none of them spoke, out of fear that Danzo might retaliate once he assumed office.

However, the Daimyo just raised an eyebrow as he kept fanning himself "Hm? I don't have anything to decide on when it comes to Danzo."

"Huh? You mean. He's not the one from the village you have your eyes on?" The Daimyo simply swung his head, causing relief to wash over the delegates while Danzo again clenched his hands, but didn't retaliate. He would continue to let the situation play out, and while he may not be chosen, he could easily get close to the Fifth and easily become his or her successor when they...Mysteriously...Pass away. "Then...Who is…"

"Before that...Jiraiya!I want to hear what you think about my first choice." The Daimyo closed his fan once again as one of the servants laid a picture down on the table that everyone recognized as the Daimyo pointed towards it "Another member of the Legendary Sannin, Tsunade. She is the granddaughter of the First Hokage, so I believe she has the heritage for the job. Her skills as a Ninja in both the battlefield and the medical field are unmatched, and though easy to anger, she has a kind heart. Do you believe she should be the fifth, Jiraiya?"

Jiraiya looked down at the picture as a nostalgic smile came upon his face. How long had it been since he last saw Tsunade, yet alone as young as she was in the picture? Everything the Daimyo had said was true, nothing was wrong. But Jiraiya's smile vanished as he crossed his arms and closed his eyes. "My only worry is that she wouldn't want the job. I don't know if she would be willing to accept all the responsibility that came with it, especially after all she has been through"

"I see...Somehow I was expecting that answer as well…" The Daimyo spoke as the servant picked the picture up off the table as an unnerving silence returned. "Well...I wish to give you the other candidate I have thought of; However, I want to reveal something."

Everyone in the room gave the Daimyo a confused look as he reopened his fan before he began speaking.

"Konoha is the most important village of our country, as it houses our strongest military and economic impacts. Because of this, I don't wish to have a new leader installed every decade or so, as every time a new one is installed, it creates a time of weakness, especially during an emergency meeting such as this. While I would have preferred Jiraiya or Tsunade, the truth is that with them, we may be having another one of these meetings in just a few years due to their age, something I do not want."

The delegates nodded, understanding where the Daimyo was coming from; After all, a big reason that Minato was chosen was that it was thought he would rule for decades, yet…

"So my choice that currently resides in the village is someone young, very young; in fact, younger than Minato was when he was chosen." Everyone raised an eyebrow and looked at each other, was there someone that young and powerful in the village? If there were, they would still need to train to reach that power. "If you're wondering how young...Well, they were competing in the Chunin exams just a few days ago."

When the Daimyo said that, everyone in the room mentally gasped and gave him looks of confusion. Someone that young!? While it was true they would rule for decades, could they give someone that young that much power? After all, the Hokage was the absolute ruler of the village and could do whatever they pleased. It wasn't a democracy, it was an absolute dictatorship, and giving someone that much power at a young age? It was so risky that it made some of the ones present visibly nervous.

However, Danzo seemed content with the idea, which scared some of the delegates. He seemed content because someone that young would easily be swayed, and with as high of a position he held, Danzo could quickly gain the power he wanted, even if he didn't become Hokage. So to him, he was content with that choice.

However, another question arose, just who was he referring to? They wanted to narrow it down to the winners, but since the exams went unfinished, that gave them a lackluster bubble to choose from. If they included everyone, then the obvious ones that jumped out were Sasuke Uchiha for his incredible power, Neji Hyuga for his family ties, and Shikamaru Nara for his intellect.

Yet all three posed problems. Sasuke was powerful, but he was fueled by hatred and revenge for his brother, who had massacred their entire clan, so could he be trusted with that much power? Neji had shown incredible chakra control, yet he was brash and often overlooked foes, which lead to his defeat against Naruto Uzumaki. Finally was Shikamaru, who had a great intellect that could be matched by almost no one, yet he was incredibly lazy, and often paid little attention to conversations.

Out of all of them, Shikamaru seemed like the best choice, since his dad was the Jonin commander. Also despite his laziness, he knew what he was doing most of the time, so he would at least be knowledgeable with missions and the such. He was the least risky choice out of them all.

"So Jiraiya, would this choice be better than Tsunade?" Jiraiya gave a confused look, how should he know? He didn't even know who they were after all.

"Daimyo-sama, I'm afraid I can't answer that if I don't know who you are referring to."

"Oh? But since it concerns you, it should be rather easy to figure out. After all, the young one I'm talking about is the only son of Minato Namikaze." As soon as the words left his mouth, both Jiraiya and Shikaku went wide-eyed and stared at the Daimyo as sweat came down their face. They were the only ones in the room who knew about Minato's son, so they immediately knew who he was talking about.

Naruto Uzumaki...The Jinchuuriki of Konoha…

Jiraiya tried to speak, yet no words left his mouth; How could they? To be asked on the spot if your godson could become the most powerful man in your village!? What could he reasonably say?! "Also Jiraiya, I'm not choosing him because of his bloodline. I know you have been training him ever since he was young in secret, and that he held back in his Chunin Exam. After all, it was thanks to your training that he was able to help save Konoha during the attack."

That was true. Ever since Naruto was a baby, Jiraiya had secretly watched out for him, and once he was old enough, he began secretly training him to become a ninja, making him more powerful than anyone other Genin, in fact, his power could be compared to a low ranking Jonin. He was the perfect one to lead the future of Konoha, but…

"Daimyo-Sama!" Shikaku stood up and slammed his hands on the table as sweat rolled down his face "I-I know how powerful he is...But you know how the village treats him! If he were to become Hokage suddenly, we would have full on riots in the streets, or worse!"

"They only treat him like that, because of Sarutobi's decision not to reveal the truth to anyone. I feel that if the truth was revealed, and he continued to prove himself, then everyone would eventually accept him. Of course, him becoming a good leader would speed up the process."

"Um…" One of the delegates, a woman from the Retired-Ninja council named Shinya, raised her hand and spoke: "Who exactly is Namikaze-Sama's son?"

"I will only reveal that if Jiraiya deems him ready...If not...Then I advise you to begin searching for Tsunade." Jiraiya gritted his teeth as he looked at the table he was sitting at. Could he do it? Could he in good faith say Naruto was ready?

No, he couldn't. At the same time, was anybody ready? Just a week ago, Sarutobi was alive, and the village was celebrating the Chunin Exams...Now? Now they had no leader, and the village was in ruin as many ninjas were still missing or presumed dead.

So was anybody ready? The only answer to that...Was Hell No...Nobody was…

He knew this, and Jiraiya had to accept this...It wouldn't be a popular decision by a longshot, but...Naruto might be the Hokage They Need, But not the one they deserve or want…

Jiraiya took a deep breath as he stood up from his chair and looked directly at the Daimyo as he gave a smile "I fully support his nomination as Hokage!"

"J-Jiraiya…" Shikaku looked at him with worry, but as soon as he saw the resolve in his eyes, he felt a sense...Relief? No...Perhaps it was gratitude? Whatever it was, it made him feel at ease, and after a moment he stood back up as well "I, as being the only other one here to know of Namikaze-Sama's son, also fully support his nomination as Hokage of Konoha!"

The Daimyo looked between the two of them before he smiled and shut his fan as he stood up and pointed the fan upwards "Then it's settled...With this, I appoint Naruto Uzumaki as the Fifth Hokage Of Konoha!"