Summary:

Ancient powers, ones that have remained lost and forgotten for millennia, have been found. The Prophecy: "By Fire, reborn. His birth marks the beginning of Death." The Land of Fire has found its Harbinger.

XxXxX Chapter 1: Start XxXxX

Manuscript of Ancient Legends & Myths

Page 14; Paragraph 2.

"… It was upon those mighty shores that Izanagi and his wife, Izanami, first walked upon their infant creation. It was a young utopia, one with such potential, such beauty and such grace. The sun was high in the sky, the ocean deep and vast, and the land around them fertile for life.

Through the will of the Gods, this haven was to flourish.

Through the will of the Gods, this haven was to permeate the ages; and…

Through the will of the Gods, this haven was to eventually cease existing - like everything before and thereafter."

- Present Day -

Location: Hokage Tower, Hokage's Office

"… Hence, I am afraid, that I won't be of much use to you, Hokage-sama. This is well beyond my level of expertise."

"I see."

"My suggestion - though I am sure you have reached that conclusion yourself – would be to recall Tsunade-sama. If anything, she is his only chance at making a full recovery."

"Full recovery?" It was a skeptical question, followed by a nod.

"Yes, with her level of skill and the sealing capacity provided by Jiraiya-sama, it should be possible. Whatever damage was done, was preceded by an alteration to the seal construct."

The Third Hokage sighed deeply and pinched his nose in a vain attempt at stalling the coming migraine. The retrieval of a runaway Sannin was by no means an easy feat, even if he were to send for Jiraiya to do the task. Undoubtedly he would have to invest heavily into her return, both in military as well as monetary resources. Damn it…

He fell back further into his chair and closed his eyes. After a few tender moments of silence and of deliberating on the best possible step to take, he steeled himself. His first and foremost priority was to ensure that all immediate measures could and would be taken. Tsunade may wait, for now.

He opened his eyes. This time, a cold and calculating gaze met the Chief Doctor; the gaze of one, who many had hailed as the God of Shinobi himself. He gulped, not daring to move a single muscle.

"He is in a stable state however, yes?" A curt nod. "Do we have some sort estimate as for how long?"

"W-…well, considering both the physical and physiological implications inflicted to the patie-..." The single spike in pressure caught him off-guard once again and halted his answer. "T-Two months at best, Hokage-sama." To lose my posture like that, how embarrassing, you fool! The doctor thought to himself patronizingly.

"Very well then." Sarutobi straightened his back, still keeping the eye contact with the Chief Doctor, and continued. "A select few medics of your choosing will be committed to ensuring his state remains in a stable condition henceforth, and for as long as possible. Be warned, until Tsunade has been located and brought back to Konoha, a few weeks may very well pass. I'll task Jiraiya with finding her. Satoshi-san…" The Chief Doctor's focus was solely on his leader, meeting his gaze bravely.

"It should be obvious, but… Choose your people well," the Hokage said, narrowing his eyes and intensifying his gaze even more. "… Consequences will be on your head."

At this, Satoshi looked slightly taken aback. This was quite uncharacteristic of their leader, who otherwise was much like a grandfather to his people. To be so… well, frightening. It just went to show how deeply troubled the aged shinobi really was by the gravity of the situation. It was, after all, his grandson (in all but blood) lying in the ICU wing of the Konoha hospital, dying due to unknown causes. Well, what he was dying off was easy enough to discern. The reason why he was injured to the extend he was found in was another thing in and of itself…

Only a few seconds later – an eternity in the ninja world and himself - did he regain his posture somewhat and dared to speak anew.

"Lord Hokage, I promise you; I will do everything in my power to-..." A grizzled old hand had him halt. It was at that moment, by allowing himself once again to retreat back into the comfort of his chair, that Sarutobi looked his age. His eyes were watery, his shoulders sagged and a sad look exuded in his eyes.

In mere moments, a God had become an old and exhausted mortal.

Slowly lowering his hand, now in search of his trusted pipe and tobacco, he then turned away from Satoshi and started looking out onto the village he oh-so-loved. The room was once again cast into silence. The outside, however, was alive. The murmur of crowds could be faintly heard outside the windows, with the occasional innocent scream, children playing ninja around the village. For Sarutobi it was a moment of vivid clarity, one of delight at the presence and remembrance to events long gone-by.

By the time he addressed the Chief Doctor for the last time, his pipe was lit and his thoughts had been gathered.

"Few as they are, a perk of having participated in three wars is that the worst is always accounted for – a paranoia of sorts. It serves as a reminder, in my case, to keep myself grounded and aware that things are fleeting and momentary, and never a constant – except for death." His thoughts briefly wandered to the research of his sensei, the Second Hokage. That endeavor must be left untouched and forgotten. "Death is simple, life isn't. " He heaved a heavy sigh and turned around.

"Satoshi-san, it feels as though I have interrogated you; you certainly look the part. I am sorry." With that, the tense atmosphere was gone and back was the elderly and loving Hokage that Konohagakure no Sato was familiar with. Casting a small smile towards the Chief Doctor, which was reciprocated, he continued, quietly. "The moment a ninja steps outside of Konoha's walls, they undertake a potentially deadly-risk. Even within her walls, no one – not even I – is completely safe. As Hokage, I am forced to actively entertain the thought that each and every one of those ninjas will either not return or die within our own walls as a result of outside forces that I cannot control. This case was no different."

Satoshi, remaining silent, eyed his leader warily but being the acting Hokage for a reason, Sarutobi caught the look easily enough. "I reiterate; I was prepared should it occur. However, I did not think it likely to happen considering who it is we are talking about." At this, he allowed himself a melancholy smile. "Through good and bad, he really is the most surprising ninja Konoha has ever produced… and the most infuriating, too." They both chuckled lightly.

"Satoshi-san, I leave you with the task at hand. I entrust him to your care. Dismissed." The Chief Doctor left in silence. For a while, Sarutobi's gaze remained transfixed to the door, unwavering. Only after a while did he redirect his attention to the burning tobacco, calmly taking a long, drawn-out puff. Eyeing the pipe with a reverence as another would with a sake bottle, he was reminded of one of his three wayward students. I pray Tsunade is willing to help…

A grunt escaped his lips and his hand found its way back to pinch his nose. The migraine had hit.

… I'm getting too old for this shit.

XxXxX Chapter 1: End XxXxX

Hi there! Welcome to the first chapter of 'A Will of Fire'. This chapter is not particularly rich in detail to the plot overall, but it serves as a starting point. The next two chapter are already written up and just need some final adjustments. If there are any questions, feel free ask! I will do my best to answer. Feedback is also appreciated!

Until next time - Ja ne!

ChromaZero