It was about five months ago, after much deliberation, that Naruto had finally decided to leverage Konoha's strength to achieve his own ideals. It was at that time he had expressed his intentions to Nara Shikaku.
Lord Shikaku's advice back then had been for him to wait for the right moment. Naruto had assumed this "right moment" would be when the Fifth Hokage, Lady Tsunade, stepped down. He hadn't expected that in just five short months, Shikaku would present him with such a significant surprise—the chance to become a Hokage candidate.
"I'm truly grateful for all your trouble," Naruto said sincerely to Shikamaru and his father.
"It's still uncertain who should be thanking whom," Shikamaru replied with a faint smile. If there weren't sufficient benefits involved, why would the Yamanaka and Akimichi clans agree to publicly support Naruto's bid for Sixth Hokage?
Naruto and Shikamaru chatted casually as the western sun slowly dipped below the hills. "Let's go. We can have dinner at my place," Shikamaru said, getting up.
Passing through streets that felt both familiar and foreign, they arrived at Shikamaru's home just as the evening twilight was being replaced by the encroaching night.
"You're back," Shikamaru's mother, Yoshino, said, poking half her body out from the kitchen.
"Sorry for the intrusion." Naruto smiled, scratching his head.
"Naruto-kun! It's been a while since you last visited," Yoshino said, surprised for a moment before breaking into a warm smile. "Please, have a seat. Dinner will be ready soon."
Ever since Naruto's arrival, dishes had been added to the dining table one after another. By the time Lord Shikaku returned home, the table was practically groaning under the weight of the food. "This is quite a feast!" Nara Shikaku exclaimed in amazement.
After dinner, the three of them moved to the courtyard and sat down. "Shikamaru has probably told you everything?" Nara Shikaku asked. Naruto nodded.
"My idea is for you to return to Konoha under a different identity—or rather, your true one." "Hmm?" Naruto and Shikamaru exchanged a look, both seeing the confusion in the other's eyes.
"Three months is neither long nor short," Shikaku continued. "If we don't take a few shortcuts, I don't have much confidence in your successful election." He turned his head to glance at the Hokage Monument carved into the cliffside. "Naruto, if I were to ask you to revert to your original surname, would you be able to accept it?"
"...Namikaze?" Naruto was taken aback. Influenced by his past life as Wolf, he didn't have much attachment to names; after all, they were just designations. Wolf, Sekiro, Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto... To him, they were all the same. As long as people knew they were referring to him when they used a name, that was enough.
"That's right." Nara Shikaku nodded gravely. "The Third Hokage had you take your mother's surname back then to ensure you had a safe environment to grow up in. But for the you right now, dealing with those who once threatened your growth would be no harder than crushing an ant." "Once you step into the light under your true name, the Fourth Hokage's old guard will all come out to support you. With their backing, the pressure on you will be much less."
"The legacy of my father's generation..." Naruto followed Shikaku's gaze towards the Fourth Hokage's stone face on the monument. His father in this world had died young, but from birth until now, he had always felt his father's care and influence, even in his absence. "I'm willing," Naruto said, a new resolve in his eyes.
"I'll make the arrangements for you tomorrow." A wave of relief washed over Nara Shikaku. The most difficult step was complete. He had truly feared that Naruto, due to his childhood experiences, might reject changing his surname. "You should stay in Konoha for this period. You'll have a lot to keep you busy."
...
Meanwhile, in the Hokage Tower.
"Uchiha Sasuke and Kakashi are practically set as candidates. But there's still one spot left. Until the next Jonin Council meeting is convened, those factions probably won't stop their maneuvering," Tsunade remarked with amusement.
"It's not certain yet. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio hasn't made their move," Jiraiya offered a different perspective. "If Shikaku decides to act, the remaining spot won't be up for grabs by those other factions."
"Konoha's younger generation only has those two truly outstanding talents for the position," Tsunade countered. "Unless Shikaku himself runs, whoever the Ino-Shika-Cho supports is destined to just be an also-ran against Sasuke or Kakashi."
"True enough," Jiraiya conceded with a look of agreement. Barring any surprises, the Sixth Hokage would likely be chosen between Uchiha Sasuke and Hatake Kakashi. "Actually... if we were to really choose the most suitable, Uchiha Itachi would be it," he said, hesitating noticeably as he spoke the name.
"But his past dictates that he cannot step into the light," Tsunade sighed as well. Neither of them shared the Third Hokage's generation's deeply ingrained view of the 'Uchiha clan as an unstable element.' Thus, they both viewed Itachi's talent and his love for Konoha in a positive light.
"What did surprise me was the Sarutobi and Shimura clans. That they would support Kakashi..." Jiraiya mused, stroking his chin. "I thought they would support Sarutobi Asuma."
"They must also be aware that Sarutobi Asuma stands no chance against Sasuke, who possesses the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan," Tsunade shrugged.
"It's just a pity about all the paths Old Man Hiruzen paved for him," Jiraiya sighed. The Jonin sensei for the next generation of Ino-Shika-Cho! Countless Jonin coveted that position. One could only imagine the price their teacher, Sarutobi Asuma's father, Konoha's Third Hokage—Hiruzen Sarutobi—had paid to secure it for him.
"To have so many resources and only achieve the combat power of a regular Jonin..." Tsunade wore an expression of someone exasperated with a protégé who failed to live up to expectations regarding Asuma. "The elders of the Sarutobi and Shimura clans aren't fools; they wouldn't make a useless effort backing someone with no chance."
"Tsunade, between Sasuke and Kakashi, who are you leaning towards?" Jiraiya asked with a grin.
"Trying to get my opinion, are you?" Tsunade shot him an annoyed glare but still shared her thoughts. "At this stage, I'm leaning more towards Kakashi. After all, he's experienced more and is more mature in his thinking. But for the future, I'm more optimistic about Sasuke. Having awakened the Eternal Mangekyo, his aptitude is unquestionable. The experience and worldly wisdom he lacks will eventually come with time." "Besides," she added, "when it comes to being Hokage, strength is valued more than experience, especially these days."
Jiraiya nodded; his views were similar. The existence of leaders like those from Akatsuki and Naruto's own Dragon Heritage organization had amply proven that once an individual's personal strength reached a certain level, the power of an organization became almost secondary.
...
Shiranui Genma, a senbon perpetually in his mouth, looked up at the elegant restaurant before him, Seigetsuen, and clicked his tongue softly. Due to the Sixth Hokage candidate elections these past two days, he had lost count of the invitations he'd received, but the number of times he'd been to this particular restaurant was still remarkably few. To be able to host gatherings at Seigetsuen required not only funds but also considerable influence. Rumor had it that the owner behind this establishment was the current Fire Daimyo, but there had never been an official confirmation, and no one knew the truth. What was true, however, was that no one dared cause trouble here. The last ones to invite him here had been the Sarutobi and Shimura clans.
"As I thought, you're here too." A voice called out. He turned his head to see two men approaching him. One had a prominent scar on the left side of his face and short brown hair—Namiashi Raido; the other wore green sunglasses and had rather handsome features—Yamashiro Aoba. "Raido? Aoba?" Genma was surprised. All three of them had served in the Fourth Hokage's Guard Squad and were old acquaintances.
"This invitation is a bit special," Raido stated.
"What do you mean?" Genma asked, puzzled.
"Hayate and some of the Fourth's other old subordinates went in ahead of us," Namiashi Raido said. Although Raido's answer didn't directly address the question, Genma understood his meaning, biting down on the senbon in his mouth. "It really is a bit special..."