Note: This is a Naruto-Based Fiction! It does not use any of the characters or locations from the Anime!

Path of a Ninja

Chapter 3 - Explosion

INTRO

Joel crawled towards the girl in an act of defeat. He held an explosive tag in his hand near her boots and faced Hiroku.

"Hiroku! Shoot!" he commanded, disregarding his own safety.

"But it'll explode!" he protested.

"Don't worry about me! Shoot! Shoot the ta-!" Joel was interrupted when the Girl kicked him fiercely in the stomach and he collapsed onto the ground.

"SHOOT!"

PART 1

Hiroku fired, but no one had expected the outcome. He had flinched when he released the shot, the lava had startled him. In the midst of the battle the chakra shield had weakened, and the blazing arrow was poorly aimed. Glowing with blue chakra it shattered the haze, and the Volcano erupted.

They were silent. The cracking of the shield was enough to let them understand one thing: run. It was true that the Volcano wasn't fully charged, so the blast wouldn't be as effective, but the molten magma burst from the mountain with such ferocity that it shook the ground itself.

PART 2

Joel broke from his binds and retracted his sword. H sheathed his blade and began to run across the lava at an accelerating rate. He grabbed Hiroku, and began to run down the side of the mountain, but then he realized. "The Ninja! They're still up there!" he shouted to Hiroku who looked in bewilderment.

"They tried to kill us! Let them burn!"

But Joel couldn't do that. He pushed Chirrup down the Mountainside, and ran across the steaming magma. He reached the top, and it spurted again.

PART 3

The embers covered his arms as he protected his eyes. He saw the Ninja but the lava was coming faster now. Dodging the flaming geysers he sped across the Volcano, scolding his feet. He grabbed the two unconscious ninja and swung them over his shoulders.

The Girl, was gone.

PART 4

Joel searched and searched but the fire was heating up. She hadn't escaped, he knew she hadn't. He made a kage bunshin, and sent him with orders to Hiroku. The clone took the ninja, and escaped the heat. Joel dodged falling boulders, the formations were crumbling. He dived down, and then he saw her. Pinned by a rock holding her ankle, he ran to where she stood.

He pushed the Boulder with all his might, but it was no use. The boulder was too heavy. He used too much chakra already and sweat was pouring off of him. He stepped back, breathed and jumped into the air.

And crushed the boulder.

PART 5

He carried her down the side of the mountain, lava hot on his heels. He stumbled, tripped, and slid down a rocky cliff, cutting his skins along his arms and legs. Smoke billowed up from the flames making it harder to breath as the trees lit into flames. He sat down, crossed his legs, and meditated. Joel's family was known in his village for its miraculous Bloodline Trait. Seikon Jasupin, allowed his village to channel chakra through meditation, temporarily giving him perfect chakra control, and doubling his stamina.

His eyes glowed a silvery-blue, christened with new hope. He stood up, and ran down the Mountain.

PART 6

Hiroku was praying. He couldn't see what was happening, the smoke was too thick. He was mazed at the courage it must have taken, to save ones enemy. And then he saw it. The stumbling hero, walking through the cloud.

Joel Shinatai Rionn, emerged from the heat with a black haired woman draped across his shoulders..

"Now lets stop this Volcano."