The Will of Fire

Chapter Two: From Flame to Ashes…

AN: All thanks to JohnnyG, who maketh all plots possible. I highly recommend his work.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, except for the things that I own. Unfortunately, Naruto is not one of those things. Too bad.


Arashi sighed and leaned back in his chair, worry written plainly on his fair features as he chewed on the end of a brush. Despite the particularly fine day that could be seen through his window, he felt tired and depressed, full of regrets and worries. Brushing a hand through his blonde locks, he slammed his chewed brush on the desk swiveled his chair around, intent on gazing through the many large windows in his office that overlooked Konoha. He needed to think, and the sight of Konoha often calmed him down. Hopefully his city would come through for him once more.

His face puckered up in concentration as he reviewed his facts, his azure eyes staring unfocused at the village before him. He knew that his seal process was, theoretically, perfect. Once sealed, the Kyuubi should have no possibility of escape, thanks to the power of the Shiki Fuujin. But, there was still the matter of the demonic chakra, which could cause problems if the demon still maintained control over itself. After a long morning of research, he thought he had found a way to remedy that. Thanks to the rather unique style of sealing the Hyuuga clan had helped create long ago, there was a way to not only take Kyuubi's chakra away form him, but to slowly blend it with the chakra of the vessel. In theory, this should give the… 'container' greatly enhanced stamina and chakra reserves, but still… so many uncertainties!

There was just so much that was hidden from his sight, so much that he didn't understand! How could he know that his seal would work? Better yet, how did he know that the Shiki Fuujin would do the job required of it? What if the Kyuubi killed him before he could use the seal? What if the Kyuubi arrived to early, or too late? What if…

Stopping his train of thought dead in its tracks, he firmly turned himself backed towards his desk and, with ritualistic solemnity, slammed his forehead into the tough wood of the desk. No 'What Ifs'! No more moaning, no more griping and, above all, no more whining! "Get a grip on yourself, blondie!" he murmured harshly to himself, adopting the nickname his perverted sensei had bestowed on him. For good measure, he banged his head against the desk again, knowing that his hard head often didn't understand the lesson the first time 'round.

He lifted his slightly bruised noggin off the hard wood, rubbing his swelling forehead tenderly. Well, it had been a little painful, but at least it had gotten him out of his funk. He noticed the badly dented spot on his desk and grinned sheepishly, shifting one of the piles of paper that littered his desk so that it covered the dent. The last thing he needed was a lecture from gramps over damaging the, in Sarutobi's words, 'priceless artifact left from the Shodaime Hokage'. Arashi, personally, had found little to be appreciated in the desk besides its durability, but arguing with the old man only got him angrier.

With a small groan, he got himself comfortable in his seat, deciding to turn his attention to the seal in question. Leaning to his left, he seized a large scroll that lay under his desk and pulled it out, setting it on his lap for closer perusal. Carefully opening it, he slowly began to unroll the scroll, his eyes scanning the paper quickly. There! Leaning forward, he examined the scroll's contents closely. The cramped handwriting was somewhat difficult to make out, but he caught the gist of it. Supposedly, by combining two or more seals of varying or equal strength, he could not only reinforce them, but could sometimes create an entirely new seal, one that incorporated the functions of the other two into itself.

Nodding as he reaffirmed his suspicions, he tossed the scroll haphazardly onto the floor and seized the brush he had put down before. Dipping it quickly into the small inkwell on his desk, he began to hurriedly brush notes onto a small scroll that lay on the desk before him, already half-covered in his messy handwriting. He wrote quickly, trying to keep a hold of the inspiration that was currently sleeting through his brain. Then, with a sigh, he put the brush back in the inkwell and examined his handiwork.

During his perusal of the large and extremely dusty library, he had unearthed a rarely used seal, the Shishou Fuuin, which was meant to control the flow of chakra inside the body of another. This had once been used as a way to limit the power of prisoners, yet not damage them irreversibly. However, the problem with that seal is that it was a mere four points, which was just too weak, and it took a hefty amount of chakra to use. In all probability, the seal wouldn't work on somebody of Kakashi's chakra level, not to mention himself. And the idea of it being able to handle the kind of chakra the Kyuubi used was laughable. No, it wouldn't be enough.

That is, unless Arashi's suspicious were correct.

However, he'd never know unless he actually used it, and to do that, he'd need a guinea pig. Where would he find someone of sufficient strength to use this on…? He smiled wickedly, and then cast a glance at Konoha's hot spring district. There was only one man he knew that had enough chakra to work as an experiment. And there was only one place that man would be on a fine, sunny day like this…

The hot spring district of Konoha is known throughout the world for its perfectly pure water, which is heated by the same network of underground magma that gave Fire Country its name. Some claimed that the hot springs were brought to the surface by the Nidaime Hokage, during an epic battle against invading forces, while others scoffed at the 'ridiculous myth', claiming that the springs where one of the major reasons for the location of the village. But, despite the cut and thrust of the controversy, Jiraiya found that he really couldn't care less about how the hot springs came about. All he cared about was the unrivalled peeping opportunity it presented to him.

As he knelt precariously at the top of a nearby building, he held a short telescope up to his eye and gazed into it, peering through the steam. Immediately, he was rewarded with a most gratifying view of the women's hot springs, and a perverted blush began to redden his cheeks. Yes, the women of Konoha were truly some of the finest he had ever seen. In his many years of life, he had traveled to many lands, and peeped on women from every known nation. Yet, no matter where he went, he found that the ladies of his home town were simply superior. He grinned as he saw a few of the girls start a game of tag, not knowing that their fun was being observed by a keen and watchful eye. Yes, this truly was his favorite peeping spot.

Without warning, he found his telescope snatched from his hands, and he blinked rapidly in confusion. "I figured you would be here, ero-sensei." Jiraiya chuckled, recognizing the voice of his favorite student.

"But of course! After all, it is my duty to make sure that the beauty of these women does not go unappreciated, is it not?" Arashi grinned and closed the telescope with a metallic click.

"Appreciating their beauty is one thing, but spying on them is another." Jiraiya scoffed at his student's words, seizing the telescope back and opening it with a flourish.

"Bah! You understand so little, blondie. One day, hopefully, you will gain knowledge, just as I did long ago." Turning away from his blonde student, he once more put his eye to the lens. Arashi shook his head at his sensei's enigmatic yet meaningless words, then folded his arms and smiled wickedly.

"Oh, I understand, all right. I also have the knowledge of what Tsunade's gonna do to you when I tell her that you're up to your old tricks again." Jiraiya's face paled with horror, and he turned towards his former student with a disbelieving expression.

"You wouldn't." Arashi's grin merely grew wider, a sadistic gleam in his azure eyes.

"Want to bet on that?" Jiraiya put the telescope away and stood quickly to his feet, his horrified eyes never leaving Arashi's. The blood had completely drained from Jiraiya's face, and he winced as he remembered the terrible pain Tsunade had put him through more than once.

"But she'll…" Arashi nodded cheerfully, still smiling.

"Yup." Jiraiya swallowed nervously, not at all liking the look in his student's eyes.

"You'd really…?"

"Count on it."

"How could you be so cruel?!" Arashi tilted his head, as if in thought, and then shrugged.

"Very easily." Jiraiya gaped at him, unable to believe that his student would betray him so completely.

"But… I'm your SENSEI!" The blonde Hokage raised a correcting finger.

"Former sensei." Jiraiya stared at his student a while longer, searching for any way out of this. But the look in Arashi's eyes made it plain that there was only one way out of this. The perverted hermit racked his brain for any ideas, any blackmail he could pull on his student. There was nothing. Realizing that surrender was the only option, he sighed and turned away, folding his arms together.

"Fine. Name your price, you yellow-haired traitor." Arashi smirked in triumph, and then got down to business.

"That's more like it. C'mon, we've got a geezer to see."

Sarutobi, tired though he was from his long day's work, found that he was unable to sleep. As he leaned back into his chair and stared at the familiar ceiling, he reviewed the day. It had been long and agonizing, going through report after report, almost all of them related to the Kyuubi and its movements. All that paperwork, which he thought he had escaped from when he left the title behind, was upon him once more, drowning him in a sea of black and white. He groaned and massaged his temples, envisioning the mound of papers that would be waiting for him the next day. Back in his day, things had been so much simpler. You sent your men out personally, and they gave you their report face to face. There was none of this blasted bureaucratic nonsense, and there was certainly no politics.

A loud knock on his door derailed his morbid train of thought. Grumbling for the sake of doing so, he pulled himself out of his comfortable seat, wincing as his back creaked in protest. He walked slowly over to the door and opened it, prepared to discipline whoever it was who had dared to interrupt his break. As the light from the hallway flooded into his darkly lit room, he saw it was his former pupil and the Fourth Hokage. After all, there is just no possible way to mistake those hair-styles.

"Hiya, grandpa. What's up?" Sarutobi had to forcibly restrain himself from slamming the door in the blonde Hokage's face.

"Arashi… What do you need? It's been a long day, and I'm not in the mood for company." The Fourth Hokage merely flashed him a dazzling grin, giving him a thumbs up.

"Aw, c'mon! You'll love this, trust me." Sarutobi sighed and stepped to the side, allowing his two visitors inside. He noticed that Arashi was looking rather mischievous, and Jiraiya had that characteristic pout on his face. Sarutobi snorted; looks like Jiraiya had been dragged away from the hot springs again. That wayward student of his spent all of his time there, but he couldn't blame him. The Sandaime looked towards the hot springs district with a slight blush adorning his cheeks. Nope, he couldn't blame him at all.

"So, what's all this about, Arashi-kun? Don't tell me that there's more reports to read!" The blonde Hokage merely laughed, before leaning nonchalantly against the wall.

"Far from it. No, I've got a couple of Jounin going over those now, with orders to record anything important." Sarutobi sighed in relief, but found himself curious as to the reasons behind this visit.

"Okay, so what is it?" Jiraiya, no longer pouting, quickly seized Sarutobi's seat and claimed it as his own, much to the annoyance of the chair's owner. Ignoring his sensei's glare, he voiced his agreement.

"Yeah, what did you need? I want to get back to work." The two older men shared a perverted blush while Arashi merely chuckled.

"Okay, okay. I'll get straight to it. I want to test an idea for a seal." This perked Jiraiya's interest especially, since he had made seals his specialty.

"Oh, really? And what idea would that be?"

"Well, have either of you heard of the Hakke no Fuuin Shiki?" Sarutobi nodded slowly as understanding dawned, but Jiraiya looked lost.

"Huh? Sounds kinda familiar, but I don't really remember. What is it?" Arashi glanced meaningfully at Sarutobi. After all, it was the sensei's job to teach the student. The old man sighed and turned towards Jiraiya, clearing his throat.

"Ahem. 'The Hakke no Fuuin Shiki, or the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style, is a sealing process developed by the Shodaime Hokage and members of the Hyuuga main family. Essentially, it forces seals of a low value to meld together into one seal, which greatly increases the seal's strength and efficiency. Occasionally, it can cause unforeseen effects to occur as well. The sealing process is customarily used to create a seal with eight points, often by combining two seals with four points or four seals with two points.' Ahem." He subsided and raised an eyebrow at the slightly confused expression on Jiraiya's face. Arashi, taking pity on his sensei, threw in his two cents.

"It's a way to combine two seals into one. It does cool shit." Jiraiya's expression cleared instantly, and he threw a grin at his sensei.

"Why didn't you just say so? And don't quote stuff like that; it gives me creeps." Sarutobi glared murderously at his one-time student, his eyebrow twitching in annoyance. Arashi merely laughed, enjoying the one-way staring match.

"Hah, what else do you expect from Konoha's 'Professor'? Anyways, let's move on." Jiraiya nodded cheerfully and leaned back comfortably in the Third's seat. It took all of Sarutobi's considerable self-control not to belt his student a good one over the head and seize his chair back, but he managed. Once both men had their full attention on Arashi once more, he continued explaining. "Well, I had an idea. There's an old seal that ain't used much anymore. It's called the Shishou Fuuin." Jiraiya nodded, knowing that jutsu well.

"That old thing? It's useful, but it's a bitch to use. All it does is restrict the chakra flow of whoever it's placed on."

Arashi nodded. "Right, that's the one. Anyways, I figured that, since it was a four point seal, we should be able to fuse two of them together using the Hakke no Fuuin Shiki. What do you guys think?" Sarutobi nodded in agreement, but Jiraiya looked unsure.

"Well," he drawled slowly, "it should work, but that doesn't mean that it will. You should probably experiment with it a little before using it, just to make sure." Arashi let a mischievous grin grace his fair features, and waved surreptitiously at Sarutobi to get his attention. He moved his hands quickly and skillfully into various positions, using the sign language of the Konoha ANBU corps to get his message across to Sarutobi.

"Is that so? Wow, I'm glad you told me that, or I would never have known what to do." Jiraiya nodded in solemn agreement, before sitting up in his chair in preparation for departure. Arashi exchanged a wink and a nod with Sarutobi and prepared to move.

"That's right, you should be thankful that someone like me, the legendary Jiraiya-sama, condescended to give you advice. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I hear some beautiful women calling my name, and I'd hate to keep them waiting." He tried to push himself off the chair, but found himself unable to move. Before he realized what was happening, he was pinned to the chair, with Arashi standing triumphantly in front of him.

"I am thankful, ero-sensei! Thankful that you're going to be my guinea pig! Got him nice and tight, gramps?" There was an answering grunt from Sarutobi, and Jiraiya looked down at his arms and legs. His feet were bound together by loops of tightly tied cord, and his arms were being held behind his back by his sensei. He felt a flash of panic, realizing what they were planning to do.

"Hey, what the hell? Let me go, you bastards! Blondie, I never said I'd let you test your stupid seal on me!" Arashi folded his arms and raised an insolent eyebrow at his sensei.

"Oh? Then perhaps I should bring Tsunade here. I'm sure that she'll be more than willing to use you as a punching bag…" He moved towards the door as if to go and get her, but Jiraiya cried out in protest.

"No! No, don't tell her! You can do your stupid seal, just don't tell her I was peeping!" Arashi smiled in victory and turned towards his sensei, smiling evilly.

"Okay, okay. Now, hold still. This might sting a bit…"

"Whew!" Arashi groaned as he stretched slowly, relieving some of the tension in his arms. "That was tiring! But at least it worked, right?" Sarutobi nodded slowly, reviewing the events of the past few minutes in his head. Overall, the two seals had taken only three or four minutes time, and incorporating them together in the Eight Trigrams style took only another couple of minutes. All in all, the experiment seemed a success, even if it was draining. Jiraiya's chakra had been successfully restricted, which seemed promising. But there had been something else the seal had done, but Sarutobi was unable to understand exactly what it was. Ah, well, no doubt he'd think of it later.

"Ouch, that stings." Jiraiya was tentatively rubbing his bare stomach, where only moments before the seal had been placed. "Looks like your little seal worked, Arashi. Can't say I found it fun, though. Let's not do that again, okay?"

"It isn't supposed to be fun, ero-sensei, it's supposed to be effective." The blonde Hokage felt a little worn, but that was to be expected. That sealing had taken a rather hefty chunk of his chakra. While he was gifted in that area, his chakra was far from limitless. But, even though his body felt tired, his mind was very much alive, processing the information he had obtained from this trial run. So far, it looked like everything was set.

"So, blondie. You gonna tell me and the old man what this was all about?" Arashi started and turned his attention to the white-haired Sannin, who had his arms folded.

"Hmm? Oh, I just wanted to see if it worked, which it did. That's all." Jiraiya snorted and mde his opinion of that statement abundantly clear.

"Bullshit. This has got something to do with the Shiki Fuujin, doesn't it?" Arashi, far from being surprised, seemed somewhat resigned.

"Oh, so you guys did know. I figured you would find out after I stupidly left that paper on the desk. Well, I would've had to tell you sooner or later. I need your help." Sarutobi turned towards his successor, his eyes narrowed.

"Our help? Arashi, that technique is forbidden for a reason. The only help I can give you is my advice, which is to lock that jutsu away forever." Arashi nodded, knowing that this was coming.

"Trust me, gramps, if there was any choice, I'd follow your advice. But, without that jutsu, we don't stand a chance. You've seen the reports, you two know how strong that thing is. We've got to use the Shiki Fuujin." Sarutobi subsided and considered Arashi's words, but Jiraiya took it upon himself to carry on the Sandaime's point.

"Look, blondie, I understand what you're trying to say. That thing is strong, but there is a way to defeat it! We don't need the Shiki Fuujin, we just need to use our heads and think of a way to beat that thing!" The Yondaime shook his head somberly.

"Jiraiya, there is no other way. You know that, just as well as I do." Jiraiya reddened and was about to shout a response, but Sarutobi lifted a hand to stop him.

"Hold on, Jiraiya. Arashi, let's think about this logically. The Kyuubi is a greater demon, and immortal to boot. The Shiki Fuujin only works correctly when the Shinigami can devour both souls. But, as we both know, the Kyuubi can't be killed, so it follows logically that its soul cannot be devoured, which means that the Shiki Fuujin will not help us. Understand?" Arashi nodded, but let a small grin flutter across his lips.

"I understand, gramps, but I figured out a way around it?" Jiraiya and Sarutobi both looked shocked, and then they both turned serious stares in the blonde's direction. Jiraiya spoke up, while Sarutobi was content to keep his silence.

"What do you mean, kid?" Arashi grinned and leaned back against the wall, prepared to explain.

"Well, it's a little complex, so bear with me. In the description for the Shiki Fuujin, the Shodaime wrote that the purpose of the jutsu was the pulling out of the soul of the enemy, so that it can be eaten by the Shinigami. What I plan to do is, right after the soul has been removed from the body, reverse the Shiki Fuujin and seal the soul into a container, so that the Kyuubi is imprisoned instead of just returning to its body or something. You see?" The two older ninja's looked half impressed and half disappointed by this news. Obviously, they had been hoping that he had found a way to avoid the 'getting eaten by Death' part.

Understanding came to Jiraiya. "So that's why you wanted to test that seal. So that you could use it to seal away the Kyuubi's chakra." Arashi shrugged a little, his eyes suddenly showing sadness and remorse.

"Well… that's close, but not quite correct. Any thoughts, gramps?" Sarutobi met his successor's eyes, and suddenly felt as old as the hills. Nevertheless, what he had to say must be said.

"Arashi… No regular container will hold the Kyuubi, not for long. It's simply too powerful. The only kind that would work would be a living container, and the pressure of the Kyuubi's chakra is too great for any human's chakra coils to contain." Arashi bowed his head, his attitude somber and sorrowful.

"I know. That's why the demon has to be sealed into a baby, fresh from the womb. That way, the kid's chakra coils would adapt to the presence of the Kyuubi's chakra." Sarutobi's eyes widened in realization, and the blood drained from his wizened cheeks.

"NO! You can't be serious, Arashi!" Jiraiya was merely staring at him, not quite understanding. Arashi, head bowed, merely nodded. Sarutobi sat back with a look of utmost sadness etched deep into his face. "You… really mean to seal the Kyuubi into your own child?" Understanding struck Jiraiya, and he leapt to his feet, full of rage and disbelief.

"WHAT! What are you saying?! You can't do that! It'll kill him!" Arashi shook his head, knowing well why Jiraiya was so upset. The kid would basically be his grandson, since Jiraiya had been like a father to Arashi, who had been an orphan since birth.

"There isn't a choice, Jiraiya. It has to be him." The white-haired pervert looked absolutely shell-shocked, horrified at the prospect of the boy being trapped with the Kyuubi.

"But… why? Why your boy? Why does it have to be…" His voice trailed off as his emotion threatened to get the better of him. Arashi crouched down to the floor, his eyes misting with tears of his own.

"Because I won't allow it to happen to someone else's child. I refuse to stoop that low, to allow my own feelings to stand in the way of what I must do." He wiped at his eyes with his sleeve and mustered up a tiny smile, like the sun peeking out of the clouds. "Besides, this way he'll be able to protect himself."

Sarutobi leaned forward, his own eyes showing unshed tears, and stared at Arashi questioningly. "What do you mean?" The blonde Hokage turned his gaze towards the ceiling, trying to blink away his tears.

"I'm going to modify the Shiki Fuujin so that contains the seal that we used today. If all goes well, when the demon is sealed inside my… my child, it will slowly purify the fox's chakra and add it to the kid's reserves, which should give him more chakra than he'll know what to do with. Also…" His voice nearly failed him, but he pushed on. "He should be able to use the fox's chakra when he gets into a tight pinch. There might be other side-effects, but those are the only effects I can predict. I don't…" He let the sentence fade away into nothingness, feeling a tear make its way down his cheek.

Jiraiya was in tears as well, unable to believe this sudden change of fortunes. One moment, he was the proud sensei of the greatest ninja alive, and the next moment, that same student was slated to die. He hadn't felt so terrible since Orochimaru's betrayal, and this almost hurt worse. Why did it have to happen now? Why Arashi? Why… Why his son…? He remembered when he first received the news, that his best student was soon to have a child, a boy. He felt pride like he hadn't felt in forever, and the realization that he had a family. Jiraiya had always been alone all his life, but then, for the first time, he felt like he belonged. Belonged with his son, Arashi, and his grandson. But now… it was all being taken away from him, before it had a chance to begin. And so he wept. Wept for the family he would never have.

Sarutobi let the tears stream down his face, not caring that he was breaking one of the cardinal shinobi rules. No, all he cared about right then was the fact that he had failed. He had passed on the will of fire, and now he was forced to stand by helplessly as that bright flame was snuffed out. He had failed. Failed his teachers, failed his students, failed his village. And, the worst part of all, he could do nothing about it. He looked at his student, who was crying even more than when Orochimaru had betrayed the village. He looked at Arashi, whom he had never seen crying before, weeping softly. Sarutobi tried to imagine how Arashi felt, tried to understand his grief at never being able to see his child, but could not. The pain was simply too great, the grief unbearable. In three day's time, the Yondaime Hokage would be no more.

Then, something snapped inside the Sandaime. All the despair that he felt, all the anger, all the hurt, all the pain, he took it all and cast it away. Suddenly, he felt full of purpose and strength once more, just like in the old days. He knew what he would do, and he would stop at nothing to do it. It would require all of his amazing intelligence, every ounce of knowledge that he had acquired over his many years, but it would be worth it. He would protect the Will of Fire, and ensure its safe passage through the next generation. He was going to sacrifice himself to save the Yondaime Hokage. He, the Sandaime Hokage, would die for his village.

Two days passed restlessly as the entire village prepared for the onslaught of the Kyuubi. The fires of the smithies and forges were lit day and night, preparing weapons. The practice areas were packed with shinobi of all ranks, training side by side. The two warring clans, the Hyuuga and the Uchiha, set aside their differences and banded together, using their resources and wealth to prepare the village. Many civilians had long since fled, taking what they could with them, while a few stayed out of loyalty or lack of funds. Even the Academy students were training their hardest, each of them determined to stand strong against the demonic attacker.

The Kyuubi was nearing the village. Already it had ravaged several nearby towns, and was cutting a swathe of destruction that would ultimately end at Konoha. It was expected to arrive at the village gates sometime about midnight. Therefore, the Yondaime Hokage, along with the Sandaime Hokage and Jiraiya of the Legendary Sannin, prepared the bulk of Konoha's forces to go into combat. They were slated to leave at sunset, and the sun was already beginning to fade into the horizon. All along the main street of Konoha there was the sound of sharpening, of chatter, and of farewells. The ninja of the Leaf were preparing to face death, and not a one of them was unwilling to fight for their village.

Arashi surveyed the multitude of shinobi that lined the streets, a proud smile on his lips. He was dressed in his standard Jounin gear, but wore a coat of brilliant white, with his title emblazoned on the back and dancing flames embroidered along its edges. Beside him, wearing the battle armor that had kept him alive all these years, was the Sandaime Hokage, a strange smile on his face. To his left was his sensei, Jiraiya, who was dressed in his old Jounin uniform for the first time in a long time. He nodded in satisfaction; they were ready.

For a moment, his thoughts reached out to Karada, his lover. Tsunade had informed him that she would be having a C-section performed, due to certain issues caused by the poisoning from long ago. Karada had assured him that all was well, but he still felt uneasy about it. He knew he shouldn't, since Tsunade was the finest medical ninja Konoha had ever produced, but he couldn't help it. He thought longingly of his love, his beloved Kara-chan. He thought of the gentle curve of her cheek, of the soft touch of her hair, of those beautiful emerald eyes… No, he couldn't think of her now. He needed all of his resolve to go through with his plan.

He stepped forward and turned around, so that he was facing both of his comrades. "Are you both ready? It's crucial that everything goes as planned."

As one, they nodded, knowing what was needed. Jiraiya was supposed to ensure that the sealing process went through without a hitch while the Sandaime helped the Yondaime fight the Kyuubi. When Tsunade gave the signal, Arashi was to run back and grab the kid, then dive straight back into the fight. After the jutsu was successfully completed, Sarutobi was to make sure nothing happened to Naruto. They had gone over the plan repeatedly, and the only snag was that they had to hold out until the child was born. It would take several hours, according to Tsunade, and that meant they'd have to push the Kyuubi back as much as they could.

Satisfied that all was indeed ready, he turned towards the gathered shinobi and surveyed them once more, his chest swelling with pride. His soldiers, men and women who would give their lives for the sake of the village. Loyal and strong, they had never failed him; and now he refused to fail them. By giving his own life, he would save theirs, sacrificing one for the sake of many. He'd do anything for them, even… Yes, even if it cost him an eternity of torture within the stomach of the Shinigami. At least he could endure it, knowing that he stopped the rampage of the Kyuubi, the thousand-year old demon. He'd bring that nine-tailed bastard down, no matter what it cost him.

It was nearing sundown. Soon, it would be time to go. He stepped forward, preparing to leap down to the streets and join his troops. But, suddenly, he was attacked! A presence came at him from behind, and he ducked to his right out of sheer instinct, reaching for one of his tagged kunai. But, as his hand groped at his thigh, he realized that the kunai he kept in his holster was gone! Cursing under his breath, he crouched next to the ground and turned himself about, looking for his attacker. There, standing in front of him with an unreadable expression, was Sarutobi, holding the missing kunai. Arashi stared at him, shocked to the core of his being. Old man Sarutobi, a traitor? What was going on here?

Before he could move, he was seized quickly from behind, his hands and arms quickly bound with wire so he could use no hand seals. He tried to break free, but the wire was excellently tied, and there was not a bit of slack of give to be had. He managed to jump forward and roll, coming quickly to his feet, and turning towards his other attacker. It was Jiraiya, his longtime sensei and father figure, with roll of wire still held in his hands.

Jiraiya leapt forward, taking advantage of Arashi's confusion. The blonde Hokage tried to avoid him, but . He struggled for a moment longer, then ceased when he saw Sarutobi crouch in front of him, a strange expression etched onto his face. For a moment, he was taken aback, completely unsure of what was going on. Then, with an effort, he wrenched his mind back into focus and snarled at Sarutobi, struggling against the strong wire that bound him.

"Gramps! What are you doing? Let me go! We have to fight the Kyuubi!" For a long moment, Sarutobi merely stared at him, his eyes unreadable. Then, with a smile, he reached out and patted Arashi's head, just as he had done when Arashi had been a boy.

"I'm sorry, Arashi-kun. But I can't let you do this. The Will of Fire that lies in you should not be snuffed out so quickly." The Yondaime blinked in shock, but recovered quickly.

"What do you mean? We don't have a choice! This is the only way to defeat the demon. LET ME GO!" The Sandaime shook his head slowly and solemnly.

"You are wrong. I do have a choice. And I have made it. You will live, Arashi-kun, and I will die for the sake for the village." Arashi was struck silent. Sarutobi was going to sacrifice himself? But… But… NO!

"NO! You can't! The village needs you! You can't even use the Shiki Fuujin jutsu!" The Sandaime Hokage raised an admonishing finger.

"Ah, there you are wrong. It is not for nothing I am known as Konoha's 'Professor'. I can use the technique just as well as you can, and I will summon the Shinigami and seal away the Kyuubi. That is the way it must be."

"He's right, blondie." Arashi stiffened as Jiraiya's voice rumbled from behind him. "You've got too much potential to die now. You've got too much to live for. We can't let you die." For a long moment, the blonde Hokage was speechless. Then, with a renewed vigor, he addressed his mentor.

"What are you saying, ero-sensei? You're going to send gramps off to his death? No! Let me-"

"SHUT UP!" Jiraiya's roar startled him into silence, and he felt teardrops fall on his neck where Jiraiya held him. "I know, brat. I know. But there's nothing we can do about it. I'm sorry." Sarutobi nodded, giving Arashi a true smile.

"Remember… Carry on my legacy… Keep the Will of Fire burning brightly. Farewell, Yondaime Hokage-sama." There was a flash of movement, and Arashi plummeted into the dark depths of unconsciousness.

Awareness came slowly, and the light pierced his eyes as he opened them. For a long moment, he wondered where he was and why he was there. Then, as his eyes began to function properly, he saw the orange ceiling and smiled. He was in his apartment, lying on his old futon. Relaxing slightly, he let his eyes drift close again, prepared to slip back into the waiting arms of sleep.

Then memory washed over him.

His eyes shot open, staring in absolute horror at his brightly colored ceiling. The Kyuubi. Karada. Jiraiya. Sarutobi. NO!

He leapt off his futon and sprinted to the window, gazing out over his village. The moon was high in the night sky, telling him that it was nearly midnight. And there, beyond the village, he saw the demon that had haunted his nightmares this past week.

Even at this distance, it was immense, with nine mighty tails that waved and danced in the air. The air around it seemed to be colored crimson, and its body seemed to flicker and shimmer like flame. There, in all its terrible majesty, was the Kyuubi no Yoko, the greatest demon to walk the earth.

For a long moment, he could go nothing but stare, fear and shock overriding his senses. He had expected big, but this was immense! That creature was five hundred feet if it was an inch! And those tails… He watched in terror as a tail smashed into the ground, sending great gouts of earth high into the air. He thought he could see, even at this distance, the demon's glowing red eyes, blazing in monstrous glee.

He growled, letting his anger flood his body and give him strength. He'd kill that thing, no matter what it took! Seizing a rolled-up pack of his special kunai, he leapt out of the open window, his azure eyes filled with righteous fury. He was going to fight, and he was going to win.

As soon as his feet touched ground, he was off, tearing along the empty streets of Konoha like a man possessed. Before long, he was at the closed gate, where a few shinobi had remained as rear guard. Without reducing his speed in the slightest, he gathered his strength and leapt as high as he could, landing lightly against the side of the wall. He raced up the vertical wall with a speed he didn't know he possessed, and he was soon over the wall, ignoring the startled shouts from the guards.

He took to the trees, leaping from branch to branch at top speed, not caring for his own safety. Branches ripped and tore at him as he ran, and it wasn't long before his body bore many cuts and scratches. But none of that mattered to him. All that mattered was the demon, which was slowly but surely getting nearer.

Finally, he broke out of the trees into a large clearing in the wound. He looked about him, taking in his surroundings as he prepared for combat.

He saw his men, his faithful shinobi, risking their lives to fight a demon they couldn't defeat.

He saw the bodies of the dead that littered the battleground, their bodies broken and twisted grotesquely.

He saw the Kyuubi, roaring in glee as it attacked again and again, snuffing out the lives of those who fought it.

And there, leading the assault, was the Sandaime Hokage, his battle armor covered with blood and sweat. He used jutsu after jutsu, sending a torrent of elemental blasts at the great demon. Lightning, fire, water, wind, and earth; he used them all, attacking the great beast with every ounce of strength that he had. On his right, his white hair streaked with mud and blood, stood Jiraiya, fighting alongside three large frogs, each of which bore a long zanbato. And on Sarutobi's left stood the mighty lord of the monkeys, Enma. He attacked the fox with animalistic fury, fighting with tooth and nail against fang and claw.

But it was no good! Arashi watched in horror as blow after blow, jutsu after jutsu, kunai after kunai impacted on the great beast's flesh. Every time a wound appeared in the demon's body, it flared with a wicked red light and healed over, regenerating completely. He stared as the Kyuubi howled out its hate and malice, lashing out at the attacking ninjas as if they were flies. Annoying flies, but flies all the same.

Arashi felt rage fill his body again, and he kicked himself into high gear. He leapt high into the air, whipping out the large roll of kunai he had taken from his house. With a shout, he threw dagger after dagger at the Kyuubi, sending a hail of steel towards the mighty demon. Due to it's immense frame, nearly all of them hit, but caused no damage. But Arashi smirked in triumph, landing lightly on the ground and putting his hands together into a seal. Now that the stage was set, the play could begin.

He disappeared in a flash of yellow light, reappearing next to a kunai that had lodged itself in the Kyuubi's leg. He seized the kunai and pulled it out, while a blue orb began to coalesce in his right hand. With a roar of rage, he brought the jutsu to completion, and attacked.

"RASENGAN!" He slammed the ball of wind into the Kyuubi's leg, letting it grind into the great beast's flesh. There was a roar of pain and rage from above him, and he saw one of the demon's tails angle towards him, preparing to squash him like a bug. He smiled as he saw it coming and closed his eyes in concentration, vanishing once more. From his new position from behind the Kyuubi, he watched as it slammed its tail into its own leg. He snickered a little at the sight, but he had something else to do.

A quick Shunshin carried him over to where the Sandaime Hokage fought, and as he appeared next to the old man, Sarutobi turned and sighed, a tired smile on his face. "You weren't supposed to wake up yet." Jiraiya started and turned, noticing Arashi for the first time. He frowned and wiped at his face, smearing some of the blood that coated his forehead.

"Hey, blondie. You aren't supposed to be here. Now get going, we've got fighting to do." He turned away, ignoring the look of anger that Arashi cast at him.

"Not likely. I'm the Hokage, and I'm gonna fight to the end. Just be glad that the Kyuubi's here, or I'd have you both strung up to dry on charges of treason. WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!" He exploded at the two older ninjas, unable to believe that they would try to stop him from fighting. Sarutobi gave him a sad smile, and Jiraiya didn't bother to turn around. Enma, Sarutobi's personal summon, stepped in front of Arashi and bowed slightly.

"Hokage-dono. You will retreat from this fight immediately. This is not your battle." Arashi growled at the monkey, infuriated that they were trying to send him away.

"BULLSHIT! This is my fight, not yours! Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a demon to seal." Arashi made to move past Enma, but the monkey lord stepped into his way. He tried again, and again the primate refused to let him pass. Sarutobi turned and looked back and forth between the Kyuubi and Arashi, his face sad yet determined. He nodded at Enma, who bowed his head in acceptance. Then, the monkey lord tackled Arashi and seized him in a firm grip. The Hokage struggled, but Enma's muscles were as hard and strong as steel, and he was unable to free himself. The monkey lord bowed one final time to Sarutobi, his face sad and regretful.

"Farewell, my old friend. May we meet again in a better place." The old man smiled and laid a hand on Enma's shoulder, and the two locked gazes. The two had fought side by side for over half a century, and now it was time for them to part. Both of the hardened warriors bid each other a silent farewell, and then turned away from each other. Enma ignored Arashi's complaints and leapt away, his powerful legs pumping as he carried the blonde Hokage away from the battle.

Once they were at the edge of the field, Arashi was abruptly dropped on the ground. Immediately, he tried to go back to the field of combat, but Enma stopped him once more, his large hands clasped together into a basic hand seal. "HENGE!" Immediately, his body was surrounded by a plume of white smoke, from which a long pole extended. The staff whacked Arashi soundly across the back, sending him to the ground. As he tried to get up and leave, the staff seemed to blur and multiply, increasing its number by several dozen. All of these surrounded Arashi and began to interlock themselves, forming a barred cage made from the many staves. Soon, the blonde Hokage found himself trapped in a prison from which he couldn't escape.

He looked left and right, seeing that there was not enough space between each staff to escape. He tried to force the poles apart, but they were bound together with incredible strength. He slammed a fist into one of the staves, but it didn't even put a crack in it. Backing away from the poles, he charged up a Rasengan in his left hand, preparing to bust his way out. When it was ready, he thrust the wind sphere into one of the poles, trying to grind a way through. But, before the orb could touch it, a hand reached out from the cage and seized his arm, holding it in an unbreakable grip. He tried with his other hand, but it was snatched as well, and he found himself completely helpless to break free.

From the thick of the battlefield, Sarutobi saw the predicament he had placed his predecessor in and sighed heavily. He didn't like doing it, but he couldn't allow Arashi to get in the way. This fight was up to him to win, and he wouldn't let the Fourth get in his way. He turned back towards the Kyuubi, which was having trouble dealing with Jiraiya's summons. The white-haired summoner was looking none to pleased with the progress of the battle, though. Sarutobi agreed; there had been far too many casualties, and no noticeable progress. But they had to keep stalling, had to wait until the child arrived.

"Jiraiya, can you leave your toads and check on Tsunade?" The perverted Sannin turned towards his sensei and nodded quickly before turning his attention back to his summons. He cupped his hands around his mouth and drew a deep breath.

"HEY! YOU THREE! KEEP IT UP, I'LL BE BACK SOON!" The toads merely shrugged in response to his bellow and hefted their huge swords, preparing to charge the Kyuubi once more. Jiraiya turned away and dashed off, moving so quickly that he appeared to be nothing more than a white blur. Sarutobi watched him leave and turned back towards the fight. His eyes narrowed, and he ran through a long series of hand seals, ending on Ram. Focusing as much of his chakra as he dared, he gathered the wind about him and sent it scything towards the Kyuubi.

The demon saw the incoming wind attack and seemed to sneer, leaping above it with a feral grace. But Sarutobi had been expecting that. The wind attack began to curve upward, keeping pace with the Kyuubi as it soared through the air. For a moment, it seemed as if the might wind would cut the demon in twain. Then, somehow, the Kyuubi managed to twist itself sideways in midair, dodging the powerful winds. But, even though it avoided the brunt of the attack, it couldn't dodge completely, and two of its mighty tails was sliced off.

As the huge appendage's fell to the ground, a cheer arose from the gathered shinobi. Sarutobi had just scored their first major hit against the beast, and their spirits were rising rapidly. Maybe it could be beaten! Maybe… then their hope died. The demon, with a howl of derision, began to glow an evil red, and his tails began to regenerate at an incredible rate. The two tails that had been cut off slammed into the ground, followed by the demon fox.

Sarutobi shielded his eyes as the impact of the huge creature caused shockwaves to run through the earth, creating huge dust clouds. When the dust cover dissipated, he saw the mighty demon standing in the middle of large crater, its two missing tails fully regrown. He sighed in defeat, falling down on one knee and breathing hard. That attack had taken a lot out of him, and he had gotten nothing out of it besides chakra exhaustion. He still had enough to use the Shiki Fuujin, but that was about it. And he had sent Jiraiya away to check on Tsunade…

With a groan, he reached his pouch and pulled out a small vial of soldier pills. Unscrewing the lid, he looked at the tiny pills with a look of disgust. He had always hated these things; even though they gave you a temporary boost of energy and chakra, your body was fucked up afterwards. A wry grin passed over his lips as he seized several and swallowed them; at least he wouldn't have to worry about the side effects this time. He felt the surge of energy from within him and gave a relieved smile. It was time for round two.

He rose to his feet and slammed his hands together, forming the seal of the Serpent. Concentrating hard, he stamped his right foot into the ground, causing the earth to ripple and move strangely. Gritting his teeth in effort, he concentrated his chakra into the earth before him and pulled.

The ground began to crack and break apart, the topsoil moving aside to make way for something else. And there, rising from the earth like some forgotten colossus, arose a mighty stone dragon. Its serpent-like body was made from the dark obsidian that was common in this area of Fire Country, and it moved and writhed like a living thing, soil cascading off its black sides. It opened its great maw in a silent roar, and then turned towards the Kyuubi. The fox turned towards the mighty stone dragon, radiating a kind of gleeful malice. Stony, sightless orbs seemed to gaze deep into the Kyuubi's demonic eyes, and all was silent for a long moment.

Then the dragon charged, its teeth glinting dully as its mouth opened wide. The Kyuubi followed suit, rushing at the dragon with claws extended and teeth flailing.

Crimson collided with Obsidian, and chaos erupted.

Tail and claw met stone and teeth, and the two colossal creatures fought each other to the limits of their capacities. The mighty serpent would sink its onyx teeth into the fox's flank, and then would be tossed away by a powerful tail strike. The Kyuubi's mighty claws would be brought down in a slash, leaving great scars in the black stone. But, no matter how many wounds they inflicted on each other, they were always regenerated. The Kyuubi's flesh would flare and knit together, and the broken rock would rejoin itself, becoming whole once more. But that mattered not to these mighty beasts, and they would merely fling themselves back into combat, the Kyuubi's gleeful roars echoing across the land.

The battle continued on, destroying the terrain about them as they fought back and forth. From a safe distance, Sarutobi watched his creation and the Kyuubi fight, his eyes filled with worry. That dragon, while being one of his most potent techniques, was incredibly draining. Despite the enormous chakra boost from the soldier pills, he felt himself tiring quickly, and he knew he must have eaten up most of his reserves with that attack. Leaning against a tree, he sighed and chuckled darkly. 'Well, at least it'll buy us some time. Hurry… Jiraiya, Tsunade… I can't hold out much longer…'

Arashi felt completely helpless as he watched the two titans battle each other, biting his lip in dismay. That should be him fighting! He should be the one to die for the village! It was his duty, his honor, his life! That's what it meant to be the Hokage! It was the heart and soul and center, the very meaning of the title. To be unable to fulfill the task set before him, to have his burden taken from him by another… He was relieved, and he despised himself for it.

'I should be glad to die for the village. It's the highest honor a shinobi can receive! It's what we live for, what we strive to attain! Then why… why… why am I glad I don't have to die? Why am I happy that I get to live, while gramps dies?' He knelt to the floor of his 'cage', feeling disgust wash over him. 'I'm so selfish… How could I be happy at a time like this? I'm so self-centered… I don't deserve to live. But… I want to.' His emotions flooded over him, and he slammed his hands against the poles of Enma's cage in anger. He didn't know what to feel, what to think.

Then, over the noise of the battle, he heard a shout.

Setting his confusion aside, he stood and ran to the edge of his 'cage', staring out at the battlefield. There, running across the field in great stride, was his sensei. How could anyone mistake that long, white hair? And, though it was hard to tell at this distance, he seemed to be holding something cradled in his arms… Could it be the child? Could it be his son?

He watched as Jiraiya carried the bundle to Sarutobi, who took it carefully. From the way the old man carried himself, Arashi knew that his guess had been correct. That had to be his child, his son, his little baby boy.

A rush of emotion overcame him for a moment, and tears of joy crept down his cheeks. After all this time, all those long months of waiting, he was here! His baby had finally been born! He was a father! And Karada… He had to get out of here, had to go see her! Their child had come into this world at long last!

But, as everyone knows, one rarely gets to do what one wants.

As he tried once more to break free from the cage, movement on the field of battle had caught his eye. Or, rather, the cessation of movement. The great obsidian serpent had, somehow, managed to loop itself about the Kyuubi, ensnaring it within coils of black rock. The fox howled in fury and beat at the serpent with its enormous tails, but it was to no avail, and the dragon merely squeezed harder.

Suddenly, a great plume of smoke appeared on the battlefield, and Arashi watched in amazement as Gamabunta, the Chief of the Toads, came into view. On its head, Arashi could make out two figures; Jiraiya, who looked completely exhausted, and the Sandaime, who didn't look much better. Arashi felt sweat run down his face and a cold feeling settle in the pit of his stomach: it was time. And there was nothing he could do but wait.

From atop of Gamabunta's head, old man Sarutobi stared at the demon he sought to imprison. Completely ensnared by the stone serpent's coils, it roared and growled at him, still lashing at his dragon with its nine tails. The Sandaime stared into the face of his death, and smiled grimly. 'Let's get this show on the road.'

Raising his hands before him, he closed his eyes and breathed deeply, focusing his chakra. Then, with the ease and mastery granted by over half a century, he began to slowly form seals. Serpent. Boar. Ram. Hare. Dog. Rat. Bird. Horse. Serpent. His hands still in the final seal, he opened his eyes and stared hard at the Kyuubi, feeling a smile tugging at his lips. 'It's time. This is where it all ends.' He thought to himself, and then took another deep breath.

"Fuuin Jutsu: Shiki Fuujin!"

For a long moment, nothing happened. He began to sweat, wondering if the jutsu had failed. But then, without warning, the Shinigami appeared.

Sarutobi felt shivers of terror run through his body, and he swallowed his fear nervously. He did not dare to turn around and look upon Death, since it was all he could do to keep his sanity in the face of his presence. The atmosphere about him seemed to darken and grow cold, and he felt his grasp on the jutsu begin to slip. Shoving away all of his fear with Herculean effort, he concentrated his being on maintaining the technique. He would not fail!

Then the pain started.

His eyes widened in agony and he opened his mouth in a silent scream. It was terrible, like being impaled through the stomach, and the pain was enough to nearly make him black out. Coughing up blood, he tried to keep himself awake, tried to distract himself from the pain by concentrating on the jutsu. But, even though his mind was wholly dedicated to the technique, his soul felt like it was aflame, and nothing he did would ease it.

Then, he saw something that shocked him to his core. From his stomach, ripping its way through his shirt, protruded a ghostly hand, a strange purple in color. Running all along its surface were strange flame-like markings, and the appendage seemed to be groping its way towards the Kyuubi, its arm stretching longer and longer. Sarutobi watched the hand as it inched its way closer… closer…

It had reached the fox! With a flick of a wrist, the hand was thrust deep into the Kyuubi, and the arm convulsed for a moment. Then, with a jerk, it tore something out of the demon fox that made Sarutobi stare in amazement, despite the pain-induced blurred vision. It had snatched away the great beast's soul.

There, writhing in the grip of the Shinigami, was a blaze of red fire, so bright that it seemed to light the sky like a second sun, outshining the moon. It writhed in and out of shape, oftentimes no more than a mere flaming mass, but Sarutobi could make out the nine distinctive tails that marked it as the nine tailed Bijuu's soul. He watched in a mix of terror and awe as the crimson fire was drawn slowly nearer, despite the flailing of the demon's spirit.

Then, without warning, the movement ceased. In fact, unless Sarutobi was very much mistaken, it was moving backwards! He gasped and began to pour everything he had into the technique, desperate for success. At first, it seemed as if all his effort would be for naught. Then the Kyuubi's backwards progress began to slow, finally coming to a tenuous halt. Sarutobi felt, somehow, the tugging and pulling on the Death God's arm, and knew he had to do something. Gritting his teeth, he planted his feet and pulled.

There was no other word for it. Somehow, someway, he found himself slowly reeling in the Kyuubi, like a great nine-tailed fish caught on a line. Oh, the progress was mind-numbingly slow, but it never stopped! He watched in a strange elation as the demon's soul was drawn nearer and nearer, knowing that victory was soon to be his. Finally, it would be all over!

He was close now. Another ten feet. Seven. Five. Three. Two. One.

With one final effort, he pulled the demon into himself, feeling it burn as it entered him. With lungs that felt as if they were aflame, he shouted his victory cry out to the sky: "FUUIN!" There was a strange ethereal roar from the demon's soul, and then it disappeared in a bright flash of white light, becoming bound to Sarutobi. It was done. He had not failed.

He felt strangely detached from his body, and barely felt it when he dropped to his knees on the great toad's back. Then, as he fell to the ground, Jiraiya caught him carefully, holding him as if he would break at any moment. Now that Sarutobi was turned around, he could see clearly the thing that had aided him.

There, standing before him, was the Shinigami, his posture aloof and uncaring. He noted with interest the red horns that stretched out from the wild white hair, the small tanto that was clenched tightly by rotting black fangs. And there, floating in the air before him, was Sarutobi's soul, spread-eagled and motionless. He saw red flames emanating from the belly of his spirit, but then turned his eyes back to the Shinigami's face, staring at its black and yellow eyes. Noticing his gaze, the God of Death seemed to chuckle softly, the strange unearthly voice echoing oddly within the old man's head.

Then, he heard a voice, but distantly, as if it was coming from miles away. "Saru-sensei? Hey, old man? Wake up, huh? It's not time for sleeping." Sarutobi couldn't help but smile at the words of his student, and turned his head so that his eyes gazed into Jiraiya's. He grimaced as the Kyuubi's chakra began to slowly destroy his body, but forced himself to move by sheer force of will. Wetting his throat, he managed to speak softly, like a whisper.

"Jiraiya… Do it quickly… Before we lose our chance…" Jiraiya's eyes began to tear up, but Sarutobi weakly lifted a hand to quell his tears and spoke again, his voice stronger this time. "No. Don't cry for me, Jiraiya. I chose this path, and this death. There should only be happiness that the future of Konoha is assured. Now, quickly, seal it the demon away." Jiraiya roughly wiped away his tears and nodded, placing the newborn child gently onto the Sandaime's chest in preparation for the sealing.

As Jiraiya began to form seal after seal, Sarutobi stared in wonder at the tiny child that lay on his chest. Such a little thing, and yet he would carry such a heavy burden. But his burden would be his power, and at least the boy would have his father. Yes, he would not be alone. He would grow and become strong, Sarutobi could feel it.

He reached out slowly towards the boy, resting his wrinkled hand on his chest in silent benediction. With all the fervor he could muster, he lifted up a silent prayer. 'Kami-sama, protect this boy. Keep him whole and well.' His prayer done, he began to pull his hand away but found that he could not. For the child had snagged one of his fingers in a tiny hand, wailing in hunger as it tugged on the digit. As he felt the strength of the child, he suddenly saw an image of his sensei's, the Shodaime and Nidaime Hokages, staring at him with proud eyes. He felt a tear fall from his face and laid his hand on the child once more, keeping the image of his masters clear in his mind. 'May the will of fire burn brightly in you, child. Make me proud of you, just as I have made my mentors proud.'

Then, movement caught his eye. The Shinigami was pulling out his knife, no doubt preparing to devour his soul. Jiraiya would have to hurry, or there would be no more time! Once the Sandaime's soul was devoured, the Kyuubi would be released again, and all the effort would be for naught! But, even as he opened his mouth to tell Jiraiya, he felt the pain in hisbelly begin to fade, signaling that Jiraiya had already begun the extraction process. But, despite his student's haste, he knew he would not live to see the Kyuubi safely sealed.

Quickly, the tailed beast was dragged out of the old man's body, and Jiraiya set to work sealing it into the boy. But Sarutobi did not see it, could not see it. His gaze was upon the Shinigami, who had cut his soul in twain. He watched with darkening vision as the God of Death began to devour his soul, chewing and swallowing grotesquely. But he did not care. His time was over, his task done. He could die, now, confident that he had protected his village. He had done his duty, and Konoha would live on.

Then, with a smile on his face, the Sandaime Hokage of Konoha passed away.


AN: Well done! You've made it through another chapter from me. Congratulations. Your prize: the right to leave reviews! But, seriously, any and all suggestions or comments are greatly appreciated. I'm still taking requests on the harem, but remember, all final decisions are up to me and JohnnyG. My will is not my own, not with my demonic coauthor peering over my shoulder, whipping me into submission at the slightest error in spelling. Or, something, anyways. I hope you enjoyed it! 'Til next time.

Gaereth