Despite it All

[Hey so since I've readers asking some questions a bit of a heads up here. This story is extremely AU, so keep that in mind.]

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Hiruzen's POV (Kage Manor - Hidden Leaf Village)

Hiruzen calmly sat in a cozy and loosely organized office. His desk sat as many desks of important men did, terminally covered in various documents, receipts, letters, requests, and whatever else the council could convince the busy man to take a look at. Mixed in among the documents were various objects indicative of a leader. Coffee, discarded meals, empty envelopes. Yes, even with a cursory glance, someone would recognize the signs of a leader burdened with work. Choosing to stay up late into the night to stay ahead of the never-ending workload. 

He considered a series of folders in the center of the large ornate wooden desk, each marked with a picture of a teen and various documents explaining various facts and observations of the person the folder disclosed. He lit various candles in the large office, lighting up the office in the darker hours. Throughout the office were awards and pictures of the past leaders. All from various walks of life, each garbed with red and white robes, each marked "Hokage." The old man's eyes glance at them, and he smiles. He was glad to be reminded of the standards he had to uphold. But he knew his mind was wandering due to mere boredom. 

With ironclad control, he drifted back to the various files before him. He picks one up with narrowed eyes, a young blonde teen on the cover. He had unruly spiky blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and a giant smile framed by whisker-like lines. It would've been a great shot if not for the blonde's personality shining through a sly middle finger snuck into the shot at the bottom of the frame. As well as the bright orange jacket that seemed to shine with brightness. Unfortunately, his love of orange seemed permanent. Hiruzen, as wise and powerful as he was, simply did not know what to do with the teen. Naruto Uzumaki, on paper, was merely yet another shinobi under his employ. But in truth, Hiruzen considered him family. He had promised his father he would ensure his growth and safety, and Hiruzen had achieved it, but now he would need to ensure his surrogate grandson and the village had the new teams they needed. 

As Hokage, he was responsible for the Village Hidden in the Leaves to protect its borders and continue growing its military might. As it always had been in the lands of the Elemental Nations, the power was split between the Five Major Hidden Villages. The Village Hidden in the Leaves; his nation known for producing powerful shinobi, the coveted Hyuga clan, its fertile land full of lush and gigantic trees, and rumors of a powerful "beast" under their control. Despite that, they were known for being more peaceful or "soft." 

There was also the Village Hidden in the Clouds, contained high in mountains and shrouded by clouds; known for their advanced technology, aggressive behavior, and powerful beast, they were the strongest nation before the Third Great Ninja War in which they were defeated by the leaf. 

The Village Hidden in the Sand was a more unique nation. They lived in the incredibly harsh desert and, as such, were a more hardy bunch. While their shinobi are not particularly known for their power, they are a versatile and lethal ninja. And while their nation may be looked down upon, they intend to rectify this however they must. Hiruzen would need to be wary of them. 

The Village Hidden in Stone was a more troublesome thought. Located in a series of massive canyons, they are rumored to have the safest village known to be an impenetrable fortress; little other information is known. What is known is their nationalist mindset, destructive techniques, and powerful hidden shinobi in their employ. The last one was arguably the least concerning and yet the most mysterious. 

The Village Hidden in the Mist had always been interesting. The entire stretch of land they inhabit is surrounded by rivers producing a constant mist. Also, giving a natural defense, the common water nature shinobi could easily defend themselves and the land. They had shined among giants for purely the shinobi they produced. Ruthless, talented with blades, and known for unique bloodline traits. But this had changed; unlike the stone, there was no info anymore, only rumors of a vicious civil war. 

A world full of such turmoil, it made his bones ache. The next generation would have to be exceptional to keep their home safe. Such is why Hiruzen sat and pondered these files. Yet another duty of his would be to determine the arrangement of the new genin teams. They would grow together, fight, and die together if unfortunate. Chemistry and complementary skills would be needed for each team. Otherwise, a poorly assembled team would be a surefire way to ensure their deaths. While they did have one test remaining to ensure they passed. Regardless, it was usually obvious to the veteran who was likely to join and who wasn't. After all, it had been Hiruzen who'd proposed the current academy setup.

Previously they would take them as children and use them as active soldiers at 12. And while this structure had seen success with a litany of leaf-produced and noteworthy shinobi such as himself, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Minato, and Kakashi.In contrast, the relaxed and reckless style of the past had created some truly evil men. Men who were whispered about as if legend. Such as the murderous Itachi of the fallen Uchiha. Or the criminal genius Orochimaru of the Sannin.

Hirzuen had noticed how many newer shinobi didn't make it far. Often dying harshly in battle. While the ones that did were truly splendid, it had led to a difficult time with them needing more and more shinobi. Not to mention as the traitors had made clear these powerful shinobi often suffered mentally due to this. Hiruzen had met with his sharpest minds and sleekest shinobi, but an easy solution could not appear. So Hiruzen had formed an idea. He had called for a Five Kage Summit. There he proposed a delay in the release of shinobi for all the villages and pleaded the case leaning into the recovery efforts they all were engaged in from the last war. They all needed time to heal from the loss of life and money. But there was a cold war constantly going on. Luckily this proposal would pause it. If we truly agreed to move peacefully, we would doubtlessly be able to produce shinobi of the top level. In just one rotation of the academy, they would be able to directly see the results. It would guarantee the future for them all. It was a hard sell, but the truce was simply needed for all the villages in one way or another. The delay would allow their forces to be considered students until they reached their physical peak at 18 or 17. They would then be required to serve as genin at such age until they could pass the Chunin Exams. It would not be true peace; no, Hiruzen was unsure such a thing was possible. He knew he simply did not have the strength or ambition for such a thing. That had always been Jirayai's dream of peace, a strange one. But oddly fitting for the eccentric shinobi, Hiruzen found pride in knowing that was Jirayai's will of fire. Thinking of the will of fire filled Hiruzen with his own. He let loose a sly smile and started to assort the files into stacks of three, his eyes never leaving the file containing one Naruto Uzumaki.