Will of Fire

Chapter 1: The Realization

The fire burned within him. It burned around him. He was the fire. He was the orange white flame that exploded in his every cell. It still hurt a little, still tingled, and Naruto Uzumaki knew the fire was still dangerous. The fire used to burn so bad Naruto remembered thinking he would surely die each time it took him. Now, his mother's love and guidance had seen to it that the horrible chakra sealed within him would no longer threaten to consume him. It would be his ally, and his strength. The fire was now his will.

That Geezer Toad had been hard, but it had given Naruto the strength he needed to defeat Pain. Naruto had learned to suppress and siphon the nine tails chakra from his amphibian teachers, but he never imagined using that power to this extent. It felt incredible to lift great stones with the power of chakra alone. Pain would have been a much less difficult of a battle with this power.

After Danzo's insurrection and the fall of Konoha, Naruto returned to complete his training at Mount Myouboku. In addition to his father's teleportation technique, he had learned and perfected Sage mode, returning just in time to join the counterattack to reclaim the village. The day was won, but Danzo was nowhere to be found. Naruto had joined Kakashi in what they believed to be a pursuit of the former Foundation leader. Instead, they had found Sasuke, and Madara. Sasuke was weakened from just having taken on Danzo and killing him. Madara had adressed naruto there, explaining horrible truths about Sasuke's brother Itachi and calling Sasuke a true avenger. That fateful meetnig concluded with Naruto briefly clashing in a one pass exchange of ninjutsu with Sasuke, and in that compressed instant Naruto discovered what would have to happen the next time he would face his old friend. This discovery still troubled Naruto, but it also briought him hope that Sasuke might yet be redeemed, despite the opinions of nearly all of Naruto's friends.. Naruto knew it also brought hope to Sakura as well, who at the gates of Mount Myuoboku could not bring herself to kill Sasuke when she had the chance. Currently, the five Kages, including a fully recovered Tsunade, were meeting in an unprecedented summit. Naruto wondered if it was over and why he was being ordered to stay on this island, but that didn't trouble him as much as not knowing where Sakura—

"Uzumaki, man, you're lost in thought," a rhythmic baritone said, getting Naruto's attention. "Stop fronten and use everything you were taught! Eeeeehhhhh!"

"Sorry, Bee," Naruto said genuinly. "I'll concentrate, but do we have to train in this place? I know it was necessary to be here to gain cnotrol over the nine-tails, but there is much to be done in Konoha, and Madara is still on the move with Sasuke . . ."

The hulking man before him flexed his bronzed sholders and rolled his neck, causing it to pop in several places. Then he stroked his bleach blond beard and held out a fist toward Naruto. The man's dew-rag and sunglasses stayed perfectly in place somehow as he did so. Naruto marveled how there was not a speck of dust on Bee's white vest after hours of training. The man sure knew how to "get his ninja on" in style. Naruto tapped the front of his fit to Bee's in response, and the host of the eight-tails demon bull smiled.

"Can't get it past me bro," Bee jived. "Its obvious you're worried about your ho!"

Naruto blinked, his mouth working someplace between anger and laughter.

"M-my what? Bee, I don't have a ho!"

"The mean machnie in green said I ought to know what makes you glow, so—"

Naruto felt his eyes narrow.

"Bee, what do you mean? Guy Sensei told you I glow? Of course I do in nine tails mode! Whats that got to do with . . ."

Naruto realized at last Bee was refering to Sakura.

"Oh!"

"On the inside a pink blossom makes you glow," Killer Bee rapped. "Da-te-bay-yo!"

Naruto stared at the man who had helped him learn to tame the aweful beast inside of him. He was a man who so easily got along with his own beast, and Naruto even had started to dare to believe what it might be like to be friends with his own, rather than bitter enemies. It would mean convincing the nine tails to let go of hate. It would be like convincing the very essence of hate itself not to hate anymore. But Naruto believed if he could do that, then convincing the same of Sasuke would be childs play in comparison..

Sasuke had once tried to capture this man before him. As Naruto understood the story, Bee had escaped by letting Sasuke think he had succeeded. It had happened sometime after Pain's first attack on Konoha, which had left Danzo in power over a devastated village with those who claimed to be loyal to him and the Hokage missing in action. After it had happened cloud ninja had come looking for information on Sasuke in the tiny river village the Konoha remnant was taking shelter in.

Naruto wasn't sure exactly how strong Sasuke had become to nearly take down Bee and to take down Danzo, but he knew he was going to be stronger. He knew that the next time he had to fight Sasuke, if there was no resolution, they would both die. Naruto had said that out loud to Sasuke in front of Sakura and Kakashi. If Sakura was troubled by that, she seemed surprisingly more hopeful now than ever, as if a great burden had been lifted from her shoulders. Naruto wondered why, but he had not gotten a chance to ask her.

"Sakura's not a ho, Bee." Naruto said mock warningly. "You watch you're language."

"Forgive the slang, concentrate on the big bang!"

"Alright Bee," Naruto said with a determined nod. "Lets get back to it. I want to try a Rasenshiriken in nine tails mode now."

Bee smiled and nodded. "Then build back up the pillars you take down."

Naruto tapped deep into his soul, unlocking again the great gate and loosening the chains around the nine tails enough to support and enhance his body. Naruto began to glow a hot white color that was faintly orange around the edges. It was almost as if Naruto were a flame in human form, and his energy was so great it leaked off him in wispy trails of fire. And then Naruto felt it, as if a part of himself were calling to him from far away.

"What is this!" Naruto exclaimed with wide eyes. "It can't be."

Bee remained expressionless, arms folded, waiting for Naruto to explain.

"It felt like, I don't know how this is possible, but the nine tails chakra was active hundreds of miles from here. Is this a side effect of using this form Bee?"

"Don't go insane over what you can't explain," Bee replied in a slow tempo rythem. "Distant chakra isn't a part of the game."

"I need to know what's going on," Naruto declared, making several hand signs in a row that would activate the flash teleportation technique back to a prepared point in Konoha.

Killer be reached out a hand to interrupt Naruto, but the jutsu was already cast.

"Naruto, hold up—"

Naruto felt the familiar feel of electric power coursing through his body. He was now quite used to the strange feeling of vertigo as his molecules condensed and spiraled inwards in preparation for the ride on a beam of light. His vision filled with bright white light. In the blink of an eye he would be back and Konoha. He was on his way, and then . . .

"Gaaaaahhhhhh!" Naruto snarled in pain as he bounced off the cavern ceiling.

"What! Woooaaaahhh! "

He was falling—tumbling head over feet back down to where he was standing moments before. He righted himself in time to take a softer landing on his rear end, but it still hurt terribly enough to knock the wind out of him. Naruto lay there for several moments trying to restore his breath and figure out why the teleportation had failed. Somewhere inside Naruto could hear the jeering laughter of the demon fox.

Someone stepped above him and offered a hand. When his vision cleared Naruto could see it wasn't Bee, but another familiar face. Naruto stared open mouthed at the newcomer as he was helped to his feet. He felt his forehead, realizing his prized Konoha protector had fallen off in the impact with the ceiling, and had probably saved him from a more severe head injury. Bee was several steps away, but the big man was the first to break the awkward silence.

"Tried to tell you to hold up, so the barrier wouldn't jack you up! Eeeeehhh!"

"Barrier?" Naruto complained questioningly, looking around for his forehead protector and rubbing his backside. "Iruka Sensei what are you dong here? What is the meaning of this? I can't teleport!"

"Here," Naruto's beloved first teacher said, handing him the shiny rectangle of metal and cloth. "I'll explain Naruto. Its time you know the truth about what has been going on while you've been training. We have a lot to talk about."

Tsunade sat quietly and listened with the Raikage to the initial reports coming in from the field. A huge army of some kind of weird white clone of the mysterious Akatsuki member Zetsu was on the march across the five great nations of the ninja world. As if that were not bad enough, additionally there were hundreds ninja resurrected from the dead fighting among the enemy forces. Intitial encounters from ambush and surveillance squads indicated these animated dead could not simply be killed, but they had to either be sealed or their souls put at ease enough to give them strength to overcome the very dark ninjutsu invented by Orochimaru, her former friend and late bitter enemy. It was anyone's guess as to who had summoned a forbidden jutsu like this on such a scale as to control hundred of animated dead, but Tsunade had a hunch . . .

I need a drink, Tsunade thought wearily, even as outwardly she remained poised. First I almost die at the hands of Pain, and I wake up to this mess. Jiraiya, what would you do in this situation? Especially with that boy . . .

Images of the past flashed through the Hokage's mind. Images of a young blond lad standing firm in front of her, risking his life quite foolishly against a stronger opponent and sending him flying with that first rasengan. Flash forward to the look of understanding and maturity in an older and stronger Naruto as she enabled his escape. That same boy had returned to defeat Pain within a few short months.

Images also flashed of her younger brother, now long lost to her, and images of Dan. Vaguely, Tsunade wondered if even they were among the resurrected ninja. Dan himself would have been a powerful puppet for the enemy.

"Still no contact from Anko or Yammato," an intelligence ninja was reporting. "Probability high at this time that they are compromised."

Tsunade folded her hands in front of her chin and closed here eyes in thought.

"Raikage, Anko found the hideout and gave us warning of the enemy's march because she was tailing an old enemy. We must assume that a rogue medical ninja called Kabuto may have joined forces with Madara."

"That helps us how?" The huge, dark-skinned hulking man with a tiny blond split mustache snarled. "It just means the enemy has a medical ninja."

"This particular medical ninja has skills that rival even mine," Tsunade explained humbly. "More importantly, he was Orochimaru's main researcher. The jutsu for reanimating the dead was Ochimaru's, and it stands to reason that Kabuto could have taken it to a larger scale."

"Hokage," The Raikage stood, his gigantic belt buckle and arm weights gleaming from underneath his robe. He placed his hands loudly on the table, vibrating many of the miniatures on a large map spread out on the table. "Even if we know who is controlling the forbidden jutsu, we're forced to fight a defensive battle. We're outnumbered two to one and we're dug in all over the place. We need a battle strategy and fast!"

Tsunade took a deep breath and let her exhalation out at an angle that blew hair from her forehead and cooled here face, which was rapidly rising in temperature because the large oaf wasn't following her.

"I'm saying part of our battle strategy needs to include a small commando raid behind enemy lines to take out the source of that jutsu. We need to persuade the user to release it."

The Raikage looked thoughtful and grim. "They would be looking for a target whose location is not precise, risking certain detection by the ability of this Zetsu, and facing the most powerful of the enemy should they be discovered. No Tusnade, we'd just be handing them more prisoners. It would be a suicide mission."

"Not if we pick the right people," Tsunade said flatly.

"Raikage!" Interrupted a pretty young blond aid from the hidden cloud. "The nine tails is on the move again! It wasn't a teleport attempt, but he's moving very rapidly toward the barrier!"

"What?" asked the massive man with a curse under his breath. Tsunade felt an angry glare fall upon her. When Naruto had attempted to teleport the first time she had assured him that she had a plan that would keep Naruto in place. She diddn't let it startle her when a huge fist slammed down on the table, knocking over every small model and scattering papers. Distressed aids and tactical analysts scattered to resolve the mess.

"Damn it Tsunade! You didn't even slow the nine-tails down!"

"Iruka," Tsunade groaned the name under her breath. Is it time for that drink yet?

Iruka was supposed to be the trump card. As his trusted teacher and first friend, he was the one person Tsunade thought a distressed Naruto would listen to. And he was backed up by a team of experts. On the other hand, Tsunade knew Naruto might also be able to influence Iruka.

Tsunade turned her gaze on the young aid. "We'll have to do this by force. Is the barrier team ready?"

"They've put up a 36 layer self repairing barrier around the area," the aid said. "Even a Jinchuuriki couldn't break through."

Tsunade was not so confident in the barrier. After all, this was Naruto they were talking about. She was beginning to formulate a plan should he somehow escape as more reports from the battlefield started pouring in from several communication ninja wearing bulky, rectangular visors which would electrically transmit chakra induced communication signals through a central mainframe at the joint shinobi forces headquarters.

"Kakashi's force reports engagement with the legendary seven swordsman of the Mist!"

Should be no trouble for Kakashi and Guy, Tsunade though confidently. It wasn't about dead men with leagendary weapons to win battles. It was who was of more sound mind.

"Mifune and the Samurai have reinforced the ambush squads and engaged a number of enemy forces led by Hanzo the Salamander in sector two!"

A bit of good news. But Tsuande had faced Hanzo all those years ago herself.The man used poison gases and powerful summons with huge salamanders of many types. Just surviving a battle with him had led to her, Jiraiya, and Ochimaru achieving legendary status.

"Kinkaku and Ginkaku with the nine-tails chakra have been sealed but the battle on the north shore is at a stalemate. The powerful tools they stole from the cloud long ago have been confiscated and are under strict protection. Many powerful ninja under control of the impure world resurrection are counterattacking."

Solving one problem keeps leading to about ten more.

"Report! Killer Bee and Naruto!" Looks like they escaped from the barrier!"

You don't say.

Tsunade knew this was going to be trouble well before Naruto tried to teleport the first time. The Raikage did not react as calmly as she. He looked at his aid with angry wide eyes and yelled at her as if it were her fault.

"A barrier not even a jinchuuriki can escape from huh?"

The communications nin who had made the report spoke up quickly in her defense.

"It was unexpected that they were able to break through the barrier by joining forces."

Seeing that the significance of this had not dawned on the huge chiefton of the cloud, his aid spoke to him calmly.

"It seems Master Bee helped as well."

Realization finally dawned on the Raikage, and he snorted. Tsunade decided she better say something before he started blaming Naruto for corrupting Bee or some such nonsense.

"What the hell is going on?" Tsunade said as if she had no idea. She hoped pretending ignorance would take the blame off Naruto and make him focus on the fact that his country's barrier had failed. Instead the Raikage surprised her.

"I will settle the Jinchuuriki myself!" He snapped, his white robes whipping around him as he started toward the exit. "Tsunade! Come along with me!"

I need time to think of another way to deal with Naruto, Tsunade thought. Brute force isn't going to stop him now.

"What about the job of commander at the headquarters?" Tsunade offered. That nugget of thought only disrupted the gears of the Raikage's stubborn mind for about five seconds. He stared at her as he came up with his solution.

"Leave it to Konoha's Shikaku."

"Understood!" said the Nara Clan's leader confidently. "Leave it to us!"

Gee thanks for being such a professional Shikaku. Tsunade thought in dismay.

As the Raikage hurried out the door bellowing for Tsunade to hurry up and follow, Tsunade had just enough time to give Shikaku a parting order, handing him a small pachinko ball

"Track us with this. Recall Sai from the battlefield and have him collect Temari of the Sand, and bring her to the point where we intercept Naruto and Bee."

Skikaku's scarred visage looked sboth stunned and perplexed.

"I understand Sai can move quickly, my lady, but Temari?"

"I'm not finished!" Tsunade hissed under her breath. "Have Shizune quietly give Sakura leave to report directly to the Hokage's location. She'll find me."

"I'll do so as soon as you leave, ma'aam. But what are you up to?"

"I'll fill you in if this works," Tsunade said. "If it doesn't Madara is going to get exactly what he wants and it won't matter."

Tsunade saw Skikaku, in all his brilliance, try not to look worried. Somehow his son Shikamaru pulled off the nerves of steel thing better. Such was the way of the new generations to surpass the ones before it. She smiled at him as she hurried after the bullish leader of the cloud.

"Wait, Raikage!" She yelled. "You can't just run out to meet Naruto. He'll use teleportation justsu once he's got enough distance. But I have an idea where he will teleport first!"

Hurry when you get that message, Sakura. We're going to need you fast.