Will of Fire: Spark
By Writer1001
Chapter I
Unhatched Dreams:
Red hair fluttered behind the running figure. Kohaku tried to say something but no sound came out of her mouth.
The running figure went out of Kohaku's eye vision as it went around a bend and Kohaku had no other choice but to follow.
Sounds of feet meeting the concrete floor echoed in the never ending corridor. The corridor was dark and cold. The walls were bare with grey the only visible colour.
Kohaku could hear the red haired figure slowing down and Kohaku turned around another corner in time to see a wooden door close.
A pale hand on the doorknob, Kohaku stared at the door with a hesitance in her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she turned the knob and the door slowly opened.
Blinding light hit Kohaku's eyes and she had to cover them with her arm as she took a step into the room. The intensity of the light quickly died down and Kohaku uncovered her eyes.
Before her stood a woman with vivid red hair wearing a green sleeveless top with a cream coloured blouse underneath. Beside her stood a majestic fox-like pokemon with nine tails rhythmically flickering back and forth.
The unfamiliar woman took a step towards Kohaku until her green eyes stared at down down at the young girl. Her eyes held deep sorrow as she placed a hand atop of Kohaku's head.
"I'm sorry," she said. Her voice cracked with sadness as a tear ran down her face. "I'm so sorry."
Suddenly the strangers body jerked as if she had been jolted by lightning and she began to be pulled backwards by some unknown force.
A scream erupted from the woman's mouth while she tried to resist but the invisible force dragging her proved to be much stronger.
It was then Hokahu noticed that she wasn't in a room as she had subconsciously thought but instead she was in a white space with no end or beginning.
Kohaku tried to run after the dissipating woman but her body couldn't move. She helplessly watched the red haired woman got further and further away and her screaming slowly diminishing.
A loud feral cry shifted Kohaku's attention towards the nine tailed pokemon and her eyes widened in horror.
The majestic pokemon was enlarging and was transforming into a beast. Its red gleaming eyes looked at Kohaku with hatred while its nine tails violently moved around in every direction.
Kohaku tried to take a step back but her body was still paralysed and the ferocious-looking beast capitalised.
In two steps large leaps the nine tailed monster engulfed Kohaku's tiny body into its awaiting mouth and the young girl silently screamed as she fell into darkness.
A deep gasp filled the small bedroom as Kohaku's awoke from her confusing dream. Her body was drenched in sweat as the young girl tried to calm her racing heart.
Kohaku's bright green eyes looked around her pitch black room and turned towards her alarm with a searching expression.
04:45 was faintly glowing in a soft crimson colour.
A groan escaped from Kohaku's lips as she flopped back onto her pillow. It was the third time in the same week that she had a dream similar to the one she just had.
The same red haired woman, the same nine tailed pokemon that turned into a beast and they all ended up with Kohaku being eaten.
She didn't know what it meant but they were getting on Kohaku's nerves. Kohaku cherished her sleep and these dreams always had her waking up at random hours of the morning and she was getting sick of it.
With a final yawn, the twelve year old girl pulled the covers over her head and she closed her eyes preparing to drift off to sleep.
A sudden knock filled the quiet apartment.
Kohaku's eyes bolted open for second unsure whether she had heard the sound. After a second of listening to silence Kohaku dismissed it as her imagination and closed her eyes again.
Another knock came, albeit louder this time.
A second later the red haired girl was flying out her bed and rushed towards her apartment's front door. Her face was blood red from irritation at being forced out of bed.
As she flung the door open, her mouth prepared to shout at the assailant but her anger died down as soon as she saw who was standing outside her door.
An ANBU shinobi stood on her porch and looked down her smaller frame with a mask that concealed the shinobi's identity. The mask was predominantly white that had orange stripes across its sides that was reminiscent of a tiger.
"Kohaku-san," the ANBU spoke in a deep voice that was slightly muffled. "I will be your escort to the location where the final test shall be held. I believe your academy sensei briefly spoke up about it?"
The red haired girl remembered the words of her sensei as she told the entire class they had passed their physical and written examinations. But she had also warned them that there was still a final test that would determine who would become an official shinobi of Konohagakure.
"Yes, Tora-san," Kohaku answered with a nod.
ANBU agents were a norm in Kohaku's life. They were always in the shadows but she always knew they were always there. Some she had actually spoken to, like Tora-san, but most stayed hidden.
"Kohaku-san, you should get dressed. We don't want you to be late now," the masked agent said interrupting Kohaku's thoughts.
An awkward laugh slipped out the girl's lips as she realised she was still wearing her pink pajamas in public.
"Give me a few minutes," Kohaku said as she slipped back into her apartment and closed the door behind her.
In her red sleeveless qipao-style blouse, Kohaku placed her hands into her black pants as she steeled her nerves for what was to come.
Tora and Kohaku reached a clearing surrounded by a number of tall trees with dawn fast approaching.
A number of her classmates where already there and most of them gave Kohaku the usual sneer and glare. She simply ignored them and kept her chin high.
"I have to leave now," Tora quietly informed Kohaku. "Good luck." With that said, the masked shinobi melted into the shadows unnoticed.
Kohaku moved toward the front of the small crowd that had formed to see the Sandaime Hokage wearing his formal red full-body kimono with a white haori as he looked towards the young faces of the future generation while a bonfire was blazing a few feet away from him.
Sarutobi Kazuo was a man that had been a force to be reckoned with back in his day but Time had clearly caught up with him. His face was marred with wrinkles and a few moles but his dark eyes carried unimaginable knowledge.
With his wrinkled right hand tightly wrapped around his walking stick, Kazuo turned to Umino Rika, the academy teacher of the graduating class, and gave her a nod.
On cue Rika stepped forward and she cleared her throat loud enough for the hoard of children to hear and the clearing soon fell away to silence.
"Good morning," Rika said as she gave the nervous looking children a gentle smile before she swiftly continued. "I can see most of you are quite nervous but like I said a few days ago, this is your final test. The deciding factor whether you become a Konoha shinobi or not. I'll hand over to Lord Sandaime, who shall explain what is going to happen next."
The aged man stepped forward and thanked Rika before facing the anxious faces that looked at him with admiration.
"Today is the day that some of you will become shinobi of Konohagakure," the raspy but booming voice of the Hokage filled the clearing. "The final step is receiving your partner. Your pokemon partner."
Excited murmurs broke out from throughout the small space and Kohaku couldn't blame them as she stayed silent while she watched the glowing faces of the other children. The same excitement was coursing through her veins but she chose to mask it.
Kazuo slowly moved towards the blazing fire near him and turned once more to the young faces. A miniature light shot out from the sleeve of the Hokage's robe and it rapidly turned into hulking mass.
"INFERNAPE!"
The roar came from a large bipedal pokemon with blazing eyes staring at the crowd of aspiring shinobi fearfully staring at the the fire and fighting type pokemon.
"Infernape and I have had incredible journeys together. Some brutal and life-threatening but we made it through because of each other. He supported me and I did the same. Our bond makes our partnership successful.
This fire that burns within us and across the village is connected to the protector of Konohagakure, the legendary pokemon, Moltres," Kazuo said as the flames suddenly grew in size and turned into a scalding inferno.
The flames cracked and suddenly the smell of burning wood overpowered the natural forest aroma. The hot orange flames danced violently as it grew larger in size.
Kohaku's face watched on with awe as the heat licked her pale skin. Was she about to meet a legendary pokemon?
"And so it begins. Moltres is about to choose who is worthy to become a shinobi and what pokemon will go accompany you on your journey to greatness," the Hokage said while finishing his speech with a step backwards.
Parts of the fire broke away from the intense inferno and they gently floated around the clearing. There was a total of twelve flames that had broken away from the dying inferno and together they began racing around the clearing as if the flames were alive.
They paused for a second to peer into the eyes of students before they whizzed off in a new direction. One of the girls, Asami, let out a scream when one of the flames got too close with her hair (Kohaku was part of the people snickering at the snobbish girl). After a few minutes of watching the energetic flames move about, Kohaku noticed something happen out of the corner of her eye.
With her perfectly sculpted face of maturity, Sarutobi Michiko, the elusive granddaughter of the Hokage, had a flame dancing around her small frame until it slowly stopped in front of her. The pale hands of the serious girl hesitantly moved towards the stationary flame with her hands cupped together.
Her hands met the flame and it suddenly burst into a blinding light. Blinking away the brightness of the light, Michiko's hazel eyes turned wide with surprise as she looked into her palms. A forehead protector, with the symbol of Konohagakure gleaming on the metal, was lying in her hands. Michiko Sarutobi was officially a genin.
"Yes!" came an excited cry from the blond bombshell, Namikaze Hiro. The orphaned son of the late Yondaime Hokage waved around his forehead protector with a wild grin. "I'm a shinobi of Konoha. Believe it!"
"Look, Uchiha Katsuo has one too!" came a thrilled squeal from one of his fangirls. The dark haired boy stoically glanced at the screaming girls before he rolled his cold black eyes.
Twelve flames diminished to three as Inuzuka Akito, Hyūga Himiko and Aburame Norio each received their own forehead protectors.
Another flame turned into a forehead protector when it landed in the hands of Hayashi Aoi. One of the smartest children who excelled in the theoretical expect of being a shinobi but lacked the physical strength as he was the smallest in the graduating class.
Two flames moved around sporadically seeking out their perfect matches.
Kohaku watched as a flame slowed in front of a bubblegum blue haired boy, Wamato Shio, the child of a fisherman who owned a successful sushi restaurant in the village. It was no surprise to see the flame turn into a forehead protector in his tan hands.
A piece of Kohaku hopelessly watched the last flame dance around the bodies of students uncertaintly. What were the odds of the flame being hers? She never had any luck in this world. Everybody seemed to hate her with a single glance, why would things go her way now?
Her green eyes disinterestedly gazed at the flame as it danced around her body. It hovered around her for a few minutes until it stopped in front of the uncertain girl. Kohaku apprehensively moved a single hand towards the flame. No burning sensations came though a flashing light momentarily blinded Kohaku.
She felt it before she saw it. The light material of the blue cloth and the heaviness of the metal plate weighed down on her hand.
A small smile blossomed on Kohaku's face as she opened up her eyes to see the forehead protector. She, Uzumaki Kohaku, was a genin. She was a genin!
"Everyone else who did not receive a forehead protector today has sadly failed the test," Kazuo announced to the many disappointed children who were still searching for more flames. "An ANBU agent will now escort you home. You will have another chance of becoming a shinobi in the near future if you still wish to continue walking on this chosen path. Thank you and goodbye."
Grumbling voices were heard while the eleven other students were being escorted by the ANBU agents that had landed next to them. A few disgusted expressions were thrown to Kohaku as some children brushed past her. It quickly dampened her mood and reality came slamming back. Nothing had changed- everyone still hated her.
Once the clearing had cleared up, the Hokage observed the nine genin and gave them a smile that seemed to ease up the tense atmosphere. "And know comes the fun part."
Puzzled expressions were pulled as most of were confused what the old man's words. What did he mean?
Suddenly the fire from the bonfire rocketed three metres up into the air. The fire opened up like a blossoming flower to reveal a flaming bird that towered over the humans.
The Infernape besides the Hokage went down on one knee and bowed his head before the prestigious pokemon.
"I am Moltres," came a feminine voice from the legendary bird without the opening of her beak. "I have watched and chosen you to become the next generation to protect this village. I am only a guardian from afar and thus the true duty of protecting this village lies in your hands."
Moltres unfurled her burning wings, releasing weak heatwave and showcasing an inkling of her power. Nine eggs hovered from underneath her wings until the stood still in front of her.
"These unmatched eggs, hand picked by me, will become your partners. They are chosen with the intent to suit your personality and needs as a shinobi but you'll learn that much later on in your individual journeys," Moltres spoke, commanding everyone's attention.
"The ability you shall gain from your pokemon can only be unlocked in time. And what ability you will develop is, of course, a surprise. I don't want to spoil all the fun."
A relatively small golden egg with a single horizontal black strip running across its middle landed in the hands of Norio Aburame. His eyes were covered by a pair of thick shaded glasses but his visible mouth grimaced in brief pain as he made contact with the egg.
"A pokemon chosen to complement your quiet nature and to bring out your strength as you evolve together," Moltres told Norio, who simply bowed in gratitude.
Next, a turquoise egg with a dark blue top landed in Shio Wamato's hands. He also winced when his hands met the egg. Shio curiously inspected the bottom end of the egg, which was yellow, and looked at the various white dots on its circumference.
"A proud pokemon to support a proud young man." The blue haired let out a chuckle at the words Moltres' words. "The growth and strength of this pokemon will depend on you, Shio, but I know you two will accomplish great things."
When Himiko's egg made contact with her petite hands, she seemed liked she was being jolted by electricity. The Hyūga's egg was brown in colour with a simple tan zigzagging pattern running across it.
The orange eyes of Moltres turned soft as she turned her gaze on the gentle girl. "Your path, Himiko, is not set in stone as you think. The possibilities are endless and that is why I have paired you up with a pokemon with many possibilities as well. You are the only one you can make choices for yourself, so make them."
The dark blue haired girl in question nodded her head in understanding, her stormy grey eyes hardening in conviction.
Primary bluish in colour, a medium sized egg floated towards Kohaku with its milky end landing in her hands.
A sharp bolt of pain coursed through her left arm till it reached her heart, where it began to sooth down. The pain was symbol of their union, the union of pokemon and human becoming together as one.
"The yin to your yang," Moltres softly said to Kohaku. "A loyal and loving specie that are protective of the things they love. Only love can make your partnership unshakable."
The words of Moltres reached the heart of the young Uzumaki as she admired the red dots surrounding the warm egg. She could feel the connection between them already forming.
A light blue egg that had a dark blue flower-like base ended up in the pale hands of Katsuo. The Uchiha passively stared at the yellow stars surrounding the egg wondering what it could be and whether it was strong enough.
"I see you questioning the strength of the pokemon in your hands. The answer? Absolutely." A smirk graced the pale mouth of the Uchiha. "But it is so willfully strong that it might even end up defying you, Katsuo. Be careful, pokemon are not tools."
After giving Katsuo an intense stare with knowing eyes, Moltres turned her attention towards Aoi as a small pure white egg reached his hands. Green lines ran down the egg from its peak with red glittering all over the egg.
"A sensitive pokemon for a sensitive soul. You will have to depend on each other to grow strong. You have the brains, Aoi, just believe in yourself."
"Thank you, Moltres-sama," Aoi said softly with a faint blush appearing on his cheeks.
Moltres slightly bowed her head before turned her blazing eyes towards Michiko.
The biggest egg from the nine ended up in the hands of female Sarutobi. It was a simple blue egg with its sparkling glitter reminding Michiko of twinkling stars.
"Strong and proud," Moltres began, "traits that you share with your pokemon. I chose it for you to display your power and the power that lies inside of you, Michiko. Don't lose your pride."
A smile couldn't be avoided from the flattering words of the legendary pokemon as Michiko hugged the egg close to her chest.
When Hiro Namikaze saw a cream coloured egg with brown stripes heading towards his direction, he grappled the egg mid-air from excitement. As he made contact with it, he almost dropped the egg from the flashing pain but luckily caught it and gave everyone a sheepish smile as he recovered his mistake.
A sigh came from Moltres as she disapprovingly stared down at the blond boy. "Energetic and unpredictable, that you in a nutshell. That's why I paired you up with a much calmer pokemon. Let's hope it will rub off on you."
The last egg landed in the tan hands of Akito Inuzuka. A cocky grin formed on his lips as he took in the greyness of his egg with its black underside.
"I hope this pokemon can keep up with me!" the brown haired boy called out to Moltres. His vertical purple marks on each side of his cheeks made him look even more arrogant.
"Or can you keep up with this pokemon?" Moltres retorted. "You are full of yourself, Akito Inuzuka. I hope you like a challenge because this pokemon is a little hard to tame."
Akito only smirked in response as he rubbed the top of his egg fondly.
The legendary bird took in the image of the nine genin one more time before she turned to the Third Hokage. "My job here is done. I will see you at the next ceremony."
"Thank you, Moltres-san," Kazuo said gratefully before the pokemon wrapped herself into her wings and melted into the fire.
The bonfire returned to normal while the clearing was left in an eerie silence.
Infernape's body began to faintly glow and minimised in size turning into a tiny light that shot back into the sleeve of the Hokage's left arm.
"And that concludes our ceremony. As the Hokage, I will be seeing you soon but for now, I bid you farewell," the old man said. Two ANBU agents landed soundlessly beside him. "Good luck."
Kazuo Sarutobi gave Rika a simple nod and retreated deeper into the woods with two bodyguards following closely behind.
The proud eyes of Umino Riko looked at the nine genin. They all seemed to look grown up as they all stood tall with their unmatched pokemon in their hands. It seemed like they were ready to face the world.
"Hey!" Hiro suddenly cried out loud. "Why does Michiko have the largest egg? Is it because her grandfather is the Hokage?"
Michiko's turned an embarrassed red as her fist connected with the hard skull of the blond. "Shut up, you imbecile! It doesn't work like that!"
A sweat drop ran down Rika's face. Maybe she spoke too soon...
Author's Note:
Giving credit where it is due: this story was inspired by Naruto and Pokemon: Power of Partnership written by Mhyrloc.
This story is completely OC. I chose to go this route because I don't want to be limited by Anime about how I use my characters. Most of them are inspired by some of the characters but I have added completely new characters to the mix. I want you, readers, to go on a journey that you don't know how it will end. By saying that hope you will enjoy this story.
Clearing up a few things:
Chakra does not exist in this world, therefore neither does ninjutsu. Instead a person will gain a single pokemon move that their pokemon can learn. You'll understand this concept as time goes on but I wanted to clear that up before the next chapter.
As for when I'll upload the next chapter, that is still unknown. I still have to finish it and I am currently busy with school but I am committed to this story. I'll try to update as soon as possible.
Reviews are much appreciated. Tell me what pokemon will hatch from the eggs and maybe take a guess to what ability (pokemon move) each character will get.
Till next time! :D