There were few places that Kakushi Arashi liked more in his home village than Hokage mountain. It was so tall, so regal, the faces of the Hokage of generations past looking down on their labor of life for all eternity. Kakushi had envisioned himself joining their ranks, having his face carved a mile high into a mountain face for all to see. For sure every child of Konoha had that sort of dream. But after hearing the true stories of these great men and women, Kakushi had realized that it took much more to be Hokage than dreams.

So, as he walked the steps up to the top of the mountain, Kakushi turned his mind away from the destination and focused on the journey. He had graduated from the academy, which was a great feat in and of itself. He had feared so much that he wouldn't make the cut; if it hadn't been for the strange jonin that had talked to him before the exams, he would have failed. Thinking of the jonin sent Kakushi off on a tangent. Who had that been? Kakushi, though well-connected through his family's trading buisness, had never seen him before, though considering the life of a shinobi that wasn't necessarily strange. Still, it would have been nice to know who to thank for preventing Kakushi from being sent home a failure.

Still, passing the exams had been but one hurdle on the track of Kakushi's shinobi career. He still lacked capability in chakra control, and though using his kunai knife to help himself focus had worked for the exams, it was but a stopgap solution. He couldn't depend forever on external sources. Despite the words of the jonin, Kakushi could not let go of his perfectionism, anger, and fear of failure. Mastering himself, he felt, was a greater hurdle than mastering any jutsu.

By now Kakushi had reached the top of the mountain, and the sight instantly cleared his mind. He jogged over to the railing, and gazed out at the village below. He could see the academy, the office of the current Hokage, and his own home, the Arashi family mansion. The sight brought the conflicted feelings back. He had not been inside his childhood home for several years, ever since he promised his father he would not return unless he succeeded in becoming a shinobi. He lived for now in a small apartment on the other side of the village, paid for by the small stipend his father provided him, at his mother's insistence.

Wishing to clear his mind of thoughts of the past, Kakushi found a bench with a good view and reached into the bag he had lugged from his apartment. From it he drew his favorite bento box, which was wood painted gold and blue, decorated with the Arashi Clan symbol. It was one of the few things he had kept from home. He opened it up, revealing the chicken, rice, and cooked vegetables contained inside. Meido, his family's maid and cook, had taught him to make the simple meal before he left home. Kakushi wasn't complaining, but he did sometimes wish she had taught him a little more variety.

His hunger finally overcoming him, Kakushi picked up the box's matching set of chopsticks and began to eat his meal.

Word Count: 552
(OOC: Are you really the Hokage?)