Maybe Naruto has always idolized the Hokage in secret. He could be studying the ways of past Hokages on his own, trying to learn their leadership skills and jutsu. For example, he might be secretly practicing Minato's Flying Thunder God Technique because he admires his father so much.
Perhaps Naruto has developed a special chakra - based concealment technique. This technique would not only hide his physical identity but also any chakra signatures or auras associated with the Hokage position. He might use it when he is out and about in the village, so that even the most perceptive ninja wouldn't suspect that he is the Hokage.
It could be someone who wants to expose Naruto's secret. Maybe a rogue ninja who wants to use this information to create chaos in the village by making the villagers doubt Naruto's intentions.
He might face internal conflict. Naruto has always been an open and honest person, so keeping such a big secret could go against his nature. This could lead to him struggling with his conscience. Also, he would need to balance his normal life with his secret Hokage duties without raising suspicion. For instance, he can't always disappear suddenly to attend to Hokage business without people getting curious.
Well, it depends on the specific fanfiction. Some fanfictions might explore alternate storylines where Naruto doesn't become the Hokage at all. Maybe he decides to pursue a different path in life, like focusing on being a teacher or an explorer. However, in a large number of fanfictions, he does achieve his goal of becoming the Hokage because it's such an iconic and desired outcome for fans who want to see his journey to the top in different ways.
Well, it could be really interesting. Maybe Naruto has to keep his status as Hokage a secret for some strange reason like protecting his loved ones from a new, unseen threat. He would still be doing all the Hokage duties but in a very covert way. For example, he might make important decisions in disguise when meeting with the village council.
It could be the First Hokage, Hashirama. Naruto would be amazed by his powerful Wood - Style jutsu and his ability to create the village. He could learn about the original ideals behind the Hidden Leaf from Hashirama.
Sure. One idea could be that Naruto discovers a prophecy that if his Hokage - ship is made public too soon, it will bring great disaster to the village. So, he keeps it a secret. He secretly meets with village elders at odd hours and uses his clone technique to be in multiple places at once for village management. Another idea is that there's an impostor Hokage who is actually causing harm, and Naruto has to secretly take over the real Hokage duties to fix things without alerting the impostor.
Sasuke could be an alternative. He has strong ninja skills and a deep understanding of the ninja world. His experiences have made him grow into a very capable person, and his Sharingan gives him an edge in combat and strategic planning.
In this fanfiction, Hokage Naruto might take Naruto to a special training ground. There, he could teach Naruto some of his own unique jutsu combinations. For example, he could show Naruto how to combine the Rasengan with his Sage Mode more effectively. This would give Naruto a huge power boost and also make him more confident in battles against tougher opponents.