It was raining there, though from the distance was a bright yellow glow of a small pot the villagers had dragged into the center of the street. It was lit by the two oldest people in the village, Ms. Hiyate and a Mr. Withe, the owner of the towns grill and bar. Naruto stood next to Jiraiya staring at the pot. "This is the oldest tradition in all of Fire, the lighting of the fire. It was moved here forty years ago when it was feared the temple may be attacked by enemies, it has remained here since."
"That's cool and all…" Naruto said through a yawn as he scratched his head. "But did you have to drag me out of bed at four AM for this?"
"Yes, because we're training." Jiraiya said walking over to the fire. "The festival can not start until the fire reaches the so high into the air. I do it every year, but this year, you're doing it!"
"But I don't know any fire Jutsus!" Naruto yelled disappointed. He looked over at the pot, "wait, can I kick it up in the air, like the entire pot?"
"NO!" Jiraiya screamed angrily. "You must cause the fire to rise in the air, not just move it up!"
"I was just asking a question…" He said flatly. He stared at the pot and then turned to Jiraiya, "what'll happen if the fire doesn't rise."
"I kill you." Naruto took a step back. Jiraiya started laughing. Calming down Naruto joined in, "I wasn't joking, Naruto. You have four days to get the fire to rise fifty feet in the air without moving the pot. Well, good luck, I'm going back to bed." Jiraiya said waving.
Naruto watched as the old Sanin walked away into the dry inn. "No fair…"
"Minato said the same thing when Jiraiya told him to send the fire high. It took him all week to figure it out, we almost didn't have the festival." Ms. Hiyate said walking up besides Naruto she stared at the pot and smiled. "Hopefully this rain won't dilute the oil for the fire."
"Minato had to light the fire too?" Ms. Hiyate nodded. "Then I have to figure it out too!" Naruto said running over to the pot trying to think.
"Naruto, not all things must involve chakra!" Ms. Hiyate yelled and walked inside to find Jiraiya sitting at the table. "So, his is the fourth's son?"
"Were not sure what telling him would do though, if it would bring him closure to his childhood or drive him to rage. He's unpredictable in that way." Jiraiya said as Ms. Hiyate sat down next to him. "Telling him that Minato did it though, now he'll do it too."
"Oh, that's good." She said turning to Jiraiya. "What happened to when we were young?"
"It disappeared." Jiraiya said somewhat upset.
"So, you have to send the flames into the air?" Naruto nodded. "That sucks. Why can't you just through the pot into the air?"
"Jiraiya will kill me, he told me himself." Naruto said. He, Tori and the very awkward Adji were sitting down by the river, skipping stones into the waves.
"Why would you're Sensai threaten to kill you, they're supposed to help you." Adji asked sending her chakra into a stone; whipping it and having it hit a tree on the other side leaving a dent. "They're supposed to be a nurturing force in your life, not something to fear."
"My grandma never does anything when I mess up in practice or get myself hurt on a mission; she just has this look… It'll terrify anyone." Tori said and threw a rock in to the waves. "To bad we can't throw the fire like these rocks…"
"WE CAN!" Naruto yelled and took off into town leaving Tori and Adji alone by the river. Adji turned towards Tori with a slick little smile on her face; she lunged and caught a hold of him at the waist but it felt hard. Pulling back there was a log. "Damn!"
Naruto ran into the general store where a woman looking like Nershii just older was standing behind a counter. He stopped and recognized this. "Hey, lady, are you Nershii's mom?"
"That'd be me; you must be Naruto, correct?" She said sweetly. He nodded. "Well, can I help you with anything?"
"Do you have a really long ribbon or paper?"
She thought for a minute. "No, I don't think we do."
"Do you have anything flammable that's about… fifty feet long?" He asked making his arms move apart as far as they could.
"Um… we have medical bandages that you could tie together." She said grabbing two boxes. "Here, have Jiraiya pay later."
"Sweet, arigatou!" Naruto said grabbing them and running out the door into the streets. He stopped in front of the fire and began ripping at the box. Inside the inn Gaito noticed and turned to the rest, "Hey, Jiraiya-sama, looks like your student has an idea."
"Already?" Jiraiya said pushing his way out onto the street with Gaito in tow. Naruto pulled out both bandages and tied them together. He tied one end to a kunai and put the opposite end in the flames, letting it catch. The fire was slowly climbing and Naruto threw the kunai up into the air, the flames following. The fire maybe went up only ten feet before the kunai fell back and landed next to his foot.
"Damn it!" Naruto yelled and ran back to the general store. "Excuse me, can I have a sheet of paper and two more boxes?!"
"Ah… sure. What are you trying to do?" Nershii's mom asked getting a sheet of paper down and grabbing the boxes setting them down.
"I have to make the fire go high in the air." Naruto said and she smiled.
"There's a much easier way." She said putting the things back and bringing out a small paper bag some string and a small candle. "Not all the fire has to go into the air."
"Ah… oh, thank you."
"I'd wait until tonight though, and don't tell anybody I helped, okay?" She smiled and put everything in the bag.
"You got it!" He said and ran out the door and stopped in front of Jiraiya smiling. "I figured it out! Ha-ha… wait until tonight, you're going to be so impressed!"
"I better be!" He said and turned around going back into the inn. Gaito smiled, "Jiraiya's always been very serious about this festival. I'm sure what ever you have planned will work fine."
"Hopefully." Naruto said smiling. "But what happens after it rises the fifty feet?"
"The fighting." Gaito laughed a bit, "I remember when I fought, two weeks in the hospital. But, I was up against someone from Kirigakure who went through the bloody mist trials, so it figured. Anyway, you better start stretching and preparing." He said happily and wandered back into the inn. Naruto gulped.
It was dusk when Naruto brought the paper bag out and set it down by the pot. He had started assembling the pieces, Ms. Mitsubi and Jiraiya looked at each other, "he asked for help."
"This is what he was supposed to do, training lesson number three, never be afraid to ask for help." Jiraiya said smiling.
"What are the first two."
"Sneak attacking is okay and hit them as fast as you can, as hard as you can."
"You're a shitty teacher, Jiraiya. But, if it works, who am I to pass judgment?" Jiraiya smiled as the bag with the candle slowly rose in the air, a tiny light dot along the sky line.
