Hiruzen Sarutobi, Sandaime Hokage of Konoha, wanted to bang his head against the table. One of his capable jonin, Uchiha Shisui had just presented him with a request to gain Naruto's custody and a blood test proving him to be the son of Namikaze Minato.

Even without the Uchiha coup in motion, this would be a political nightmare. With the Uchiha coup....he shuddered to think of the repercussions.

However, he couldn't think of any reasons to give the boy for the refusal of his request. He was a loyal Konoha ninja and was firmly against the coup. He wasn't in any obvious way related to Minato, despite being his son (How could Hiruzen have not seen that before?), so he couldn't give the reason he had given Jiraiya and Kakashi. He was even ready to leave his clan, so the generic excuse of jinchiruchi not being adopted by a clan, was rendered mute.

Hiruzen knew that he could refuse the boy without giving any reason and he would have to accept it, but strangely he didn't want to do so. Because now that he knew, he could see bits of Minato in the boy. With the determination in his eyes, his cheerful smiles and the Will of Fire in his heart, he had Minato's traits, if not his coloring.

Secondly, he was tired of denying Minato's second son the love of family, again and again. The various clan heads, Jiraiya, Kakashi, all had been denied and little Naruto-kun had grown up alone and unloved in the village that hated him.

Hiruzen lit his pipe and smoked his tobacco for a few minutes, contemplating at what to do. He looked at the young ninja's face, at his hopeful expression, the same expression Naruto would have worn if he had known about this, and Hiruzen felt his resolve crumble. They were family. They deserved to be together.

He had always played the safe game, with signing the treaty with Iwa to end the war, sacrificing Hizashi to avoid the war with Kumo; perhaps it was time he took some risks.

He beckoned Shisui to bring his form closer, and when he did so, Hiruzen signed it, to the surprise of the young ninja.

"You are appointed his guardian, but no one can know of your relation, not even him. As far as the village is concerned, I appointed you as his caretaker." he warned.

Shisui nodded enthusiastically, then abruptly stopped. "Hokage-sama, I've kinda already told Itachi." he admitted sheepishly.

The Hokage sighed. "Very well, tell him to not spread it any further. Dismissed."

"Hai, Hokage-sama. Arigatou." he left with a seal less shunshin.

Hiruzen looked at the face of his successor at the Hokage mountain and hoped that this act would grant him atleast some measure of forgiveness.